In the past we have discussed the various “principles” of of Biblical exegesis and compared that to the Hebrew model of exegesis. Christianity has roughly 30 different levels or “principles” in exegesis of Scripture/Hermeneutics. Hebrew has 4. Naturally the rabbis insist that there is actually a fifth that has to be used in order to ‘truly’ understand the Kabbalah, (the Jewish book of black magic compiled while dispersed in Babylon). Always steer clear of rabbis and deeper meanings. The four levels are represented as an acronym PaRaDeS:
Peshat (פְּשָׁט) — “surface” (“straight”) or the literal (direct) meaning.
Remez (רֶמֶז) – “hints” or the deep (allegoric: hidden or symbolic) meaning beyond the sense of just the literal
Derash (דְּרַשׁ) — from Hebrew darash: “inquire” (“seek”) — the comparative (midrashic) meaning, as given through similar occurrences.
Sod (סוֹד) (pronounced with a long O as in ‘soda’) — “secret” (“mystery”) or the esoteric/mystical meaning, as given through inspiration or revelation.
What does this have to do with Debarim 2? Let’s take a look at the Peshat level. Moshe recalls the history of the movement of the Children of Israel: After being at Qadesh many days they turned and went into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds and then they moved around Mount Se’ir many days. YHVH told them that they have marched around the mountain long enough and they turned north. He told them to be on guard of the dwellers of the land of Esau. Pretty much what you read if that is all you look for but, now, less move down one layer.
Remez:
Then we turned around and set out: ונפן המדברה ונסע –
ונפןH6437 – panaw – to turn; by implication to face, that is, appear
ונסעH5265 – nâsa‛ – properly to pull up, especially the tent pins, that is, start on a journey:
המדברהH4057 – hamidbâr – desert, south, speech, wilderness (This is the root word.)
The phrase can be read as: “We pulled up stakes and faced the wilderness (of the Word). Remember, the root word for bemidbar is dabar: H1696 – דָּבַר – command, talk teach tell, and the word for ‘spoke’ in the same verse of scripture is dabar.
We pulled up stakes: Ezr 9:8 “But now, for a short while, favour has been shown from יהוה our Elohim, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His set-apart place, that our Elohim might enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
We will be as pegs or tent stakes in the Set-apart Tent, Hekal.
Putting the two ideas together: 1) we are to pull up our stakes and go into the place of the Word, following the pillar of fire and cloud, which was YHVH’s angel, with His Name on Him, (Exo. 23:20-21/John 5:43; 10:25)
Mat_10:38 “And he who does not take up his stake and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat_16:24 Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me.
Mar_8:34 And calling near the crowd with His taught ones, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me.
Mar_10:21 And יהושע, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One matter you lack: Go, sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven. And come, follow Me, taking up the stake.”
Luk_9:23 And He said to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake daily, and follow Me.
They went around Mount Se’ir many days: שׂעיר – śê‛ı̂yr – H8163/8165 – rough, shaggy, hairy (as in the context of fleshly)
I’m sorry, I forgot to give you the meaning of gone around: H5437 – סבב – sâbab – to go around, to encompass, to surround (and in the Niphal tense; to turn oneself around).
Let’s put it together; After being at Qadesh (set-apart) many days, we picked up our stakes and followed the Word into the wilderness (wilderness represents trial) to be tried, around a mountain of flesh and after dealing with this mountain of flesh many days YHVH commanded us to turn ourselves around and to do what?
panah – Strong’s H6437 meaning, ‘to turn, turn towards a direction’
Literally, “to choose a direction”. Which direction to we go? Northward. We have reached a branch in the road, both lead northward but one is the king’s highway, the old ways and the other the broad way.
Jos 24:15 “And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve יהוה, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we serve יהוה.”
So, we have to choose which northward road we take: H6828 – צפן / צפון – tsâphôn: northward, north, properly hidden, that is, dark; used only of the north as a quarter (gloomy and unknown):
We can take the road that leads to the gloomy, dark unknown or: tsaphan: means to hide, treasure, treasure up, to store up treasure;
Or, we can take the road that leads to a stored up treasure: Tehillah/Psalm 119:11 “I have treasured up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”
We can follow the old ways, the narrow way that leads north to a stored up treasure. So, just going in the right direction does not mean we are following the right path, the old narrow ways that lead to a stored up treasure or the broad path that leads to a dark, gloomy, unknown quarter to the north. Joshua tells us above that the choice is ours.
Mishlĕ/Proverbs 2:1-9 “My son, if you accept my words, and treasure up my commands with you, 2 so that you make your ear attend to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; 3 for if you cry for discernment, lift up your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek her as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures, 5 then you would understand the fear of יהוה , and find the knowledge of Elohim. 6 For יהוה gives wisdom; out of His mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 And He treasures up stability for the straight, a shield to those walking blamelessly, 8 to watch over the paths of right-ruling, and the way of His kind ones He guards. 9 Then you would understand righteousness and right-ruling, and straightness – every good path.”
Mishlĕ/Proverbs 10:14 “The wise treasure up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool is near ruin.”
Let’s follow the Remez path a little farther to see where it leads: In verses 4 & 5 we are told to ‘pass over’ עָבַר – aḇar – Strong’s H5674 meaning, ‘to pass through, over or bypass’ , we are to bypass or passover the H1366 – גּבל / גּבוּל – gebûl / gebûl – 1) border, territory, 1a) border, 1b) territory (enclosed within boundary), 1c) region, territory (of darkness) (figuratively)
Now, we have clear instructions to pass over or bypass the territory of darkness occupied by our brothers (Esau – H6215 – עשׂו – ‛êśâv – “hairy” or fleshly)
Deu 2:5 “Do not strive with them, for I do not give you any of their land, no, not so much as one footstep,
The land of darkness, the gloomy unknown is not our inheritance but rather the inheritance of Esau. So, what is Esau’s inheritance? Mal 1:3 but I have hated Ěsaw, and have laid waste his mountains and his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” H8568 – תּנּה – tannâh – female jackals, dragons
Rev_12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah.
YHVH does not want this for us and as long as we follow His Path, His Way, we will reach our inheritance. Joh 14:6 יהושע said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Now what? We have to pass over the land and we are told not to strive with them: Tit 3:9 But keep away from foolish questions, and genealogies, and strife and quarrels about the Torah, for they are unprofitable and useless.
It is a waste of time to try and tell someone about Torah because they already have their minds made up. They do not want to give up the pleasures of the flesh to follow the narrow path, the old ways, the narrow way.
Rom_16:18 For such ones do not serve our Master יהושע Messiah, but their own stomach, and by smooth words and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent.
1Co_6:13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods – but Elohim shall destroy both it and them. And the body is not for whoring but for the Master, and the Master for the body.
Php_3:19 Their end is destruction, their mighty one is their stomach, and their esteem is in their shame – they mind the earthly.
By putting abominations into our mouths we are whoring after other gods and we are serving other gods, our stomachs, and it will lead to destruction.
Isa 65:3 the people who provoke Me continually to My face, who slaughter in gardens, and burn incense on altars of brick;
Isa 65:4 who sit among the graves, and spend the night in secret places, who eat flesh of pigs, and the broth of unclean meat is in their pots,
Isa 66:17 those who set themselves apart and cleanse themselves at the gardens after ‘One’ in the midst, eating flesh of pigs and the abomination and the mouse, are snatched away, together,” declares יהוה.
You see, our brothers in the church want to be snatched away and many will be but not in the way that they want. Luk 17:34 “I say to you, in that night there shall be two in one bed, the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.
Luk 17:35 “Two shall be grinding together, the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.
Luk 17:36 “Two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.”
Luk 17:37 And they answering, said to Him, “Where, Master?” And He said to them, “Where the body is, there also the eagles shall be gathered together.”
So what are we told to do next: “So be on your guard”:
1 – מְּאֹּד meoḏ – Strong’s H3966 which carries the meaning of, ‘muchness, abundance, diligently, exceedingly, excessive, fully, immense’.
2 – שָמַר shamar – Strong’s H8104 means, ‘keep, watch, present, attend to, pay close attention, guard’ and the basic idea of the root of this word is ‘to exercise great care over’.
I am sure that you remember that ‘shamar’ is the word used for guarding Torah, the commands, His charge, right-rulings. It was also the word for Adam guarding the garden: Gen 2:15 And יהוה Elohim took the man and put him in the garden of Ěḏen to work it and to guard it.
What is it we need to be “on the guard” about? We have to guard against taking on the habits and mannerism of Esau. We are to stay on the King’s Highway: Num_20:17 ‘Please let us pass over, through your land. We shall not pass over through fields or vineyards, nor drink water from wells, we shall go along the sovereign’s highway. We shall not turn aside, right or left, until we have passed over your border.’ ”
Num_20:19 And the children of Yisra’ĕl said to him, “We shall go by the highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I shall pay for it. Let me only pass over on foot, without a word.”
Num_21:22 “Let me pass through your land. We shall not turn off into fields or vineyards, we shall not drink water from wells, but go by the sovereign’s highway until we have passed over your border.”
We must stay on the highway of YHVH. We must guard to do that which is right in His eyes and not our own. We must seek His Path, His Ways, the old ways: Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus said יהוה , “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and find rest for yourselves. But they said, ‘We do not walk in it.’”
Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 18:15 “But My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to what is false, and they have stumbled from their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths and not on a highway”
Yeshayahu/Isaiah 35:8 “And there shall be a highway, and a way, and it shall be called “The Way of Set-apartness.” The unclean does not pass over it, but it is for those who walk the way, and no fools wander on it.”
Our path is to walk in the Torah and stay in it as we walk in and stay in Messiah – this is the Way of Set-Apartness. Do not serve YHVH like the other nations serve their gods: Deu 12:30 guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’
Look at Deu. 2:6 for it lies at the very crux of the problem that we have today. We are in the world, our food comes ‘from the world’. We don’t butcher it ourselves and their are traps laid that we have to overcome but we must always try to be obedient: Deu 2:6 “What food you buy from them with silver you shall eat. And also, what water you buy from them with silver you shall drink.
What does this remind you of? Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim.
We buy what we need but we do not become a part of the Babylonian system so, if we rely on Him we have no need for the “world”: Luqas/Luke 22:35 “And He said to them, “When I sent you without purse and bag and sandals, did you lack any?” And they said, “None at all.””
So, what do we lack when we go out in Yeshua’s name? Nothing!
Tehillah/Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we remember the Name of יהוה our Elohim.”
CAN WE KICK BUTT?
Yes. Ěmites – אֵימִים Eymim – Strong’s H368 meaning, ‘terrors’ and is the plural of אֵימָה eymah – Strong’s H367 meaning, ‘terror, fear, dread, fearsome, terrible, terrified’.
We must encounter those, each day, whose sole purpose if to cause dread and fear. But we are not supposed to live in fear, but rather SHALOM.
Anaqim – עֲנָקִים – plural of עֲנָק Anaq – Strong’s H6062 meaning, ‘long-necked’. I believe that these are the same creatures as the “annunaki”. They were the ‘half god – half human gods of the ancient Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. These are the long-necked giants, the sons of Anak. The look scary, they are bigger than us, they may even have letters after their names (besides Sr. Jr., etc.) but we cannot be afraid of them and they cannot be allowed to ‘turn us to the right or the left’. They may be Tertullian, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Billy Graham or Joel Osteen. We do not know who the long-necked giants are but we must be like Caleb: Jos 14:10 “And now, see, יהוה has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years since יהוה spoke this word to Mosheh while Yisra’ĕl walked in the wilderness. And now, see, I am eighty-five years old today.
Jos 14:11 “Yet I am still as strong today as I was on the day that Mosheh sent me. As my strength was then, so my strength is now, for battle, and for going out and for coming in.
Jos 14:12 “And now, give me this mountain of which יהוה spoke in that day, for you heard in that day how the Anaqim were there, and that the cities were great and walled. If יהוה is with me, then I shall dispossess them, as יהוה said.”
Jos 14:13 Yehoshua then blessed him, and gave Ḥebron to Kalĕb son of Yephunneh as an inheritance.
Jos 14:14 So Ḥebron became the inheritance of Kalĕb son of Yephunneh the Qenizzite to this day, because he followed יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl completely.
Jos 14:15 Now the name of Ḥebron was formerly Qiryath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anaqim). And the land had rest from fighting.
I am guilty of using my age as a reason to not do something I should. Joshua could have to but instead at 85 he went to the high-walled city of Hebron, filled with giants, kicked butt and took names. Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to this? If Elohim is for us, who is against us?
Repha’ites – רְּפָאִים – Repha’im – plural of רָפָא Rapha – Strong’s H7497 ‘1) giants, Rephaim but this also has the connotation of to heal, become fresh, physician, repaired’. So did these giants become giants by ‘artificial’ or medical/scientific’ means? I don’t know. I just think it is odd that this particular group of giants are associated with healing or being a physician. Maybe that is why we see this in scripture: Rev 9:21 And they did not repent of their murders, nor of their drug sorceries, nor of their whoring, nor of their thefts.
Notice H7497 has two spellings: H7497 – רפה / רפא – râphâ’ / râphâh. The root H7495 means to invigorate, but comes from another root (H7405) meaning weak, lazy or feeble such as found in Isaiah: Isa 35:3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the weak knees.
Pro 15:19 The way of a lazy one is like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the straight is a highway.
Now we are back to the highway and next on our journey are the Ḥorites – חֹּרִים – Ḥorim – plural of חֹּרִי ḥori – Strong’s H2752 meaning, ‘cave dweller’ from the word חוֹר ḥor – Strong’s H2356 meaning, ‘hole, opening, sockets’. According to Flavius Josephus they were trogolodytes and descended from some of the sons of Abraham by his second wife, Qeturah or by one or more of his concubines. But cave dwellers have one thing in common and that is the fact that the caves are, in their eyes, a refuge or place of safety: Rev 6:15 And the sovereigns of the earth, and the great ones, and the rich ones, and the commanders, and the mighty, and every slave and every free one, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
Rev 6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb,
But as we know there is no safe place, no refuge or escape from judgement. It is interesting to note that the early believers dwelt in the catacombs of Rome and began taking on the practices of the worshippers of Mithraism, the worship of the Sun god. Constantine was a lifelong worshipper of Mithras and only agreed to be baptized to unite the kingdom under “Christianity”. By 364AD the sabbath was not only done away with but changed to SUN-day. (Council of Laodicea, Canon 29)
Next on our journey are the Zamzummim – זַמְּזֻׁמִים – Strong’s H2157 meaning, ‘plotters, schemers’ from the primitive root זָמַם zamam – Strong’s H2161 meaning, ‘scheme, devise, plot’.
Psa 37:12 The wrong plots against the righteous, And gnashes his teeth at him.
Act 7:52 “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who before announced the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,
Act 7:53 who received the Torah as it was ordained by messengers, but did not watch over it.”
Act 7:54 And hearing this they were cut to the hearts and gnashed the teeth at him.
As we travel this road or King’s highway I think about the novel Pilgrim’s Progress. Next stop on this journey will be the Awwim – עַוִּים – plural of עַוִּי Awwi – Strong’s H5757 meaning, ‘perverter’ and is a derivative of the primitive root
עָוָה avah – Strong’s H5753 which means, ‘to bend, twist, pervert, commit iniquity, do wrong’.
These are still with us today as they were in times past: 2Pe 3:15 and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Sha’ul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him,
2Pe 3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures.
2Pe 3:17 You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless,
2Co 11:3 But I am afraid, lest, as the serpent deceived Ḥawwah by his trickery, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah.
2Co 11:4 For, indeed, if he who is coming proclaims another יהושע whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different Good News which you have not accepted, you put up with it well enough!
Sha’ul and Kepha warned us but we did not listen.
The next group we have to overcome on our journey are the Kaphtorim – כַפְּתֹּּרִים – plural of כַפְּתֹּּרִי Kaphtori – Strong’s H3732 which means, ‘a crown’. These are descendants and Ham, which automatically make them and enemy of Yisrael. They, like the Philistines came from Crete and destroyed the Awwim and occupied Gaza (Azzah):Zec 9:5 Ashqelon sees it and fears, Azzah too, writhing in anguish, and Eqron, for her expectation has dried up. And the sovereign shall perish from Azzah, and Ashqelon shall not be inhabited.
The sovereign, or crown shall perish. In our journey as believers we can recognize this group because they set themselves up as “rulers” of ‘church’ doctrine, little knowing that the word church comes from the idea of a pagan goddess Circe, a siren who was responsible for turning Ullysses’ men into pigs, oddly enough. The rulers of this doctrine can be recognized because they teach that the ‘church’ replaced Yisrael and that Yisrael has no future, totally against the word and teaching of scripture.
Now in verse 24 we see the word ‘arise’ which is qum – Strong’s H6965 meaning, ‘to arise, stand up, stand’, ‘to rise, to become powerful, to stand firm, to maintain oneself, to be established, endure’.
We see Yeshua use this word in the B’rit Hadasha: Mar. 5:41 And taking the child by the hand He said to her, “Talitha, qumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
I suspect that whoever added the note on the translation was a Greek and did not understand what Talitha actually means. Talitha refers to the talit, the prayer shawl that would have been given to a Hebrew girl at her Bat Mitzvah or upon reaching menarche. At each kanawf, corner of the shawl would have been a tzitzit to remind each of us to keep the commandments and a sign of the covenant between YHVH and Yisrael: Num 15:38 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them to make tzitziyot on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord in the tzitzit1 of the corners.
Num 15:39 “And it shall be to you for a tzitzit, and you shall see it, and shall remember all the commands of יהוה and shall do them, and not search after your own heart and your own eyes after which you went whoring,
They are for men and women alike. We are all children of Elohim, if we keep His Word. Another thing about the ‘qum’ is that it invokes the idea of the Feast of Trumpets. Once again, the Greek translators of the scripture did not understand the Hebrew colloquialism “A day and hour that no mans knows” and so they translated it literally rather than the implied meaning which is Yom Teruah, which is when we are to supposed to ‘raise’ a shout, a shophar blast. Unfortunately, the teruah is translated many times in the KJV as ‘alarm’. But it isn’t an alarm but a shout of rejoicing, a shout of the shophar: Num 10:5 “And when you blow a shout, the camps that lie on the east side shall depart.
Num 10:6 “And when you blow a shout the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall depart – they blow a shout for them to depart.
Next on the journey is Wadi Arnon: Arnon – אַרְּנוֹן – Strong’s H769 meaning, ‘a roaring stream’ comes from the word רָנַן ranan – Strong’s H7442 and means, ‘to give a ringing cry!’ That is to ‘cry for joy, cry aloud, joyfully sing, shout for joy or sing aloud for joy’!
We still see the idea of Yom Teruah here.
Look at where we are now, the Golan Heights, and now we are face to face with another giant, Sihon the Amorite: Siḥon – סִיחֹּן – Strong’s H5511 – ‘warrior’ and Amorite – אֱמֹּרִי Emoriy – Strong’s H567 – ‘mountain dwellers’ comes from the word אָמַר amar – Strong’s H559 – ‘to utter, say, speak, command’ and Ḥeshbon – חֶשְּבוֹן – Strong’s H2809 – ‘stronghold’.
See, I have given into your hand Siḥon the Amorite, sovereign of Ḥeshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and stir up yourself against him in battle.
Look at what YHVH is saying, He has already defeated Sihon for the Children of Yisrael, they just have to go and claim the victory. Many times we see giants in our path and do not realize the giants are already defeated if we will just go, as Caleb did, and claim the victory. We let the size of the adversary, like Goliath, intimidate us and so we lose a victory as a result. A victory that had already been won all we had to do was step out in faith and claim it.
Look at the phrase “stir up yourself against him in battle”. Stir up comes from גָרָה – garah – Strong’s H1624 – ‘to stir up (strife), engage in strife, provoke, contend’.
Pro 28:4 Those who forsake the Torah praise the wrong, Those who guard the Torah strive with them.
This is probably why Sha’ul wrote about fighting the good fight: 1Ti 6:12 Fight the good fight of the belief, lay hold on everlasting life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession before many witnesses.
The Children of Yisrael were obedient to the commands of Elohim and as a result they destroyed their enemies and those that they did not go to war with we afraid of them. Look at this phrase from verse 36: there was not one city too high for us. יהוה our Elohim gave all to us.
If we keep His commands, His Torah, His Word (John 1) there is no city ‘too high’ for us.
Lesson date: 6/5/5857AA
When you plan a trip, what is the first thing you need to know? After that, what comes next?
It is amazing how theology affects cartography, but between the map above and the one in our Scriptures on pages 1249 and 1250 I think we can sort some of this out. The first thing I want you to notice is that Egypt, at the time of the Great Exodus, stretches all the way to the Euphrates River, also called the Great River, in Scripture. It was a very large kingdom stretching farther south than seen on the map and farther west than shown on the map. Look on the east side of the map and notice that Egypt is bounded by Babylon, also called Chaldea on the map. Another thing to make note of is that even during the reign of David and Solomon, Israel was not a large nation in terms of square miles.
This is a map of the King’s Highway as it existed about the time of the Great Exodus. It shows to go from Heliopolis to Eilat/Aqaba at the north end of the Reeds Sea/Gulf of Aqaba today, At Eilat it goes south to Midyan and at approximately Yahats it turns mostly east and goes to Babylon but, if you continue north you go to Kadmor and eventually Haran. The part between Eilat and Damascus is the part we are most interested in, in this chapter. If you cross reference this map with the ones on 1249 and 1250 in the ISR you will see that the Children of Yisra’el did indeed go through Edom and Moab just like Mosheh recounted.
What is the big deal? Exo 20:2 “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.
We were in bondage to the mystery religion of Mitsrayim/Babylon, on either side of us, and we came out of Egypt, crossed the Reeds Sea at La-nuweiba and went into the wilderness/bemidbar looking for the word/dabar and we at now at a crossroads in our journey here in Debarim/Words. Deu 1:7 Turn and set out on your way, and go into the mountains of the Amorites, and to all the neighbouring places in the desert plain, in the mountains and in the low country, and in the Negeḇ and on the seacoast, to the land of the Kena‛anites and to Leḇanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.
Turn and choose a direction is what is being said, “choose”. H6437 – פּנה – pânâh – BDB Definition:
to turn 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn toward or from or away 1a2) to turn and do 1a3) to turn, decline (of day) 1a4) to turn toward, approach (of evening) 1a5) to turn and look, look, look back or at or after or for 1b) (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to turn 1c2) to make a turn, show signs of turning, turn back 1d) (Hophal) to be turned back
Please look at the meanings of this word. Do you see the meaning that is being conveyed? What do you see? Do you see what was happening to the Children of Yisra’el? Do you understand now why they made a golden calf? A Aleph is the first letter of Elohim. They had to visually have a god in front of them even though He told them to turn away from what they believed in Egypt. They couldn’t. The Egyptian way of life was too ingrained in their lives to turn away from.
Not only did they have to “turn” away from but, they had to “choose” a direction. It took me a long time to truly turn away from and choose a direction, probably close to 40 years. I knew better. I knew the feasts. I had a basic understaning of what they meant but I was unwilling to fully commit to a new and unknown direction in my life. Forty years! Sounds prophetic, doesn’t it? What if it had only been 40 months, 40 weeks or 40 days? Can you imagine the pain that I could have avoided? No, probably not.
Mt. Se’ir:
I have written several articles and studies about the Mountans of Elohim. We now know that Mt. Moriah is what was called Mt. Tsiyon/Mt. Zion. The name is more of a description rather than a name. We see it over and over in Scripture. So, where does that bring us in the name of Mt. Se’ir? H8165 – שׂעיר – śê‛ı̂yr – BDB Definition: Seir = “hairy” or “shaggy” ((also rugged)) There are numerous Mt. Se’irs in the Middle East, some hundreds of miles from where the Children of Israel actually where. So what do we believe? I have climbed many mountains called White Mountain or Mount. Blanca, many times in the same state. Why? Because they were often covered in snow for a majority of the year. So, their names did not reflect their name but rather their description. I believe this is the case with Mt. Tsiyon and also Mt. Se”ir. The rugged, shaggy or hairy mountain that was called Mt. Se’ir was actually Mt. Horeb.
Take a look. Does it look rugged? Hairy? Rough? Or, a walk in the park? This is Jabal al-Lawz in Arabia. Why Arabia? Gal 1:17 neither did I go up to Yerushalayim, to those who were emissaries before me. But I went to Araḇia, and returned again to Dammeseq.
“Cyrus, this is all weird and has nothing to do with the topic of Chapter 2.” 1Ki 19:8 And he rose up and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Ḥorěḇ, the mountain of Elohim. ((Arabia))
1Ki 19:9 And there he went into a cave and spent the night there. And see, the word of יהוה came to him, and said to him, “What are you doing here, Ěliyahu?”
Do you see what happened to the Children of Yisra’el? They came out of the Mystery religion of Mitsrayim and Babylon but when they got to the Mt. of Horeb/Se’ir — that rough, rugged, hairy mountain — they decided to worship YHVH like they had worshipped Him in Mitsrayim and instead of turning and “choosing” a direction they moved around and around the mountain over and over because that was what they felt comfortable with. But, what did YHVH tell them? Choose a direction! H5265 – נסע – nâsa‛ – BDB Definition: 1) to pull out, pull up, set out, journey, remove, set forward, depart
Mat_10:38 “And he who does not take up his stake and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat_16:24 Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me.
Mar_8:34 And calling near the crowd with His taught ones, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me.
Luk_9:23 And He said to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake daily, and follow Me.
Take up, pull up your stake and set out on a journey. Choose your direction: Jos_24:15 “And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve יהוה, choose for yourselves this day whom you are going to serve, whether the mighty ones which your fathers served that were beyond the River ((H5104 – Nahawr – the Nile – in Mitsrayim)), or the mighty ones of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my house, we serve יהוה.”
Verse 3 – You have gone around this mountain ENOUGH!!! Heb 6:1 Therefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection,a not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of belief toward Elohim,
Heb 6:2 of the teaching of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment. Quit going around and around the same mountain.
Heb 6:1 Therefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of belief toward Elohim,
Heb 6:2 of the teaching of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment.
Heb 6:3 And this we shall do, if Elohim indeed permits.
Have I left Egypt behind, fully, totally or, am I still going around in circles around the ragged, rough, hairy mountain? There are two paths northward. Do you know which one to follow? Let’s see.
Isa 35:8 And there shall be a highway, and a way, and it shall be called “The Way of Set-apartness.” The unclean does not pass over it, but it is for those who walk the way, and no fools wander on it.
Jer 18:15 “But My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to what is false, and they have stumbled from their ways, from the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths and not on a highway, They are not walking on the King’s Highway!!! They are walking on tiny little trails of truth mixed with lies and deception. 2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first and the man of lawlessness is to be revealed, the son of destruction,
2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called Elohim or that is worshipped, so that he sits as Elohim in the Dwelling Place of Elohim, showing himself that he is Elohim.
2Th 2:5 Do you not remember that I told you this while I was still with you?
2Th 2:6 And now you know what restrains, for him to be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the secret of lawlessness (( G458 – ἀνομία – anomia – an-om-ee’-ah From G459; illegality, that is, violation of law or (generally) wickedness: – iniquity, X transgress (-ion of) the law, unrighteousness = Torah-lessness.)) is already at work – only until he who now restrains comes out of the midst.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless (( G459 – ἄνομος – anomos – Thayer Definition: 1) destitute of (the Mosaic) law 1a) of the Gentiles)) one shall be revealed, whom the Master shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth and bring to naught with the manifestation of His coming.
2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood,
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood,
2Th 2:12 in order that all should be judged who did not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.
Remember, we have talked about the origin of the word “church”. It comes from Olde English which adopted it from German and the word was KIRKE which was the name of the goddess/temptress CIRCE (Chirche) which we now pronounce “sir-see” but was originally pronounced Kirke ((Remember school is pronounced Skool, schedule is pronounced sked-yool and it is because ch formed the “K” sound in Old English.” Circe is the root word for circus and also for circle. What happens if you go around and around real fast? You get dizzy and/or drunk. Oops! Is it possible the world has gotten dizzy or drunk upon the “church” going round and round the same mountain over and over? Rev 17:1 And one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying to me, “Come, I shall show you the judgment of the great whore sitting on many waters,
Rev 17:2 with whom the sovereigns of the earth committed whoring, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her whoring.”
Just a thought.
But, where do I go? “turn northward.” Why? Wait! Which north? There are 2 northern routes, one to the east and one to the west. Which one do I take? H6828 – צפן / צפון – tsâphon – BDB Definition:
1) north (of direction), northward 1a) north 1b) northward ((Also contained in the meaning is “”to treasure up”.)) Psa 119:11 I have treasured up Your word in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Yep, the root word for Tsaphon – tsaphan. Pro 2:1 My son, if you accept my words, And treasure up my commands with you,
Pro 2:2 So that you make your ear attend to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
Pro 2:3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift up your voice for understanding,
Oops, same word. Must be a coincidence. Right?
Pro 10:14 The wise treasure up knowledge, But the mouth of a fool is near ruin. Again?
So, what are we being told to do? How about quit going around and around the rugged, jagged and hairy mountain and instead we begin to “treasure up His Commands”?
So, we are to Treasure up His Commands and then what? H5674 – עבר – ‛âbar – BDB Definition: 1) to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress
It is translated to “pass over” which is a very good translation but, look at some of the other meanings and see if they apply. Now, since leaving the Egyptian Mystery religion have you alienated anyone? Have you done away with any of your former beliefs? Have you done away with any of your former beliefs? Have you transgressed the belief system you were raised to believe in? Has anyone called you a “heretic” lately? Definition of heretic: Merriam Webster:
1 religion :a person who differs in opinion from established religious dogma (see DOGMA) 2)especially : a baptized member of the Roman Catholic Church who refuses to acknowledge or accept a truth revealed. The church regards them as heretics. (You mean like Sunday, Christmas, Easter, etc.)
2: one who differs in opinion from an accepted belief or doctrine: NONCONFORMIST
Wait a minute Cyrus, this is supposed to be about Mosheh and the Children of Yisra’el and not about me? Why do I have to think of this as applying to me? I am a born again Christian, what does this have to do with me? I am a double-dipped Southern Baptist, not a sprinkled Catholic, why should this apply to me?
Did I leave Egypt only to arrive at this ragged mountain and get stuck here? Does my Saturday worship look and sound a lot like my Sunday worship did?
Notice the funny, as in odd, relationship here: Deu2:3b turn northward.
Deu 2:4 And command the people,
Verses 4-5 – Turning away from the mountain and also away from Egypt is not a suggestion nor is it a recommendation. You are being commanded to turn and to ‘abar – cross over – the borders of our brothers, i.e. family, friends, maybe even the former pastor of the former First Egyptian Baptist Church where I used to attend. What am I told to do next, “So be on your guard.”
On guard? Against what? We must pass over, cross over not “stop over”. Maybe your former pastor at the First Egyptian Baptist Church was the illustrious Dr. Johnny B. Pharaoh and he sets you down and says, “What are you doing in this wilderness? Come on back to church, why, you’re a deacon, song leader, Sunday School teacher, associate pastor and, what are you now? A kindergarten student?”
“Hey Yeshu’a! You haven’t eaten for 40 days and nights. Some bread and butter would be good about now. Nobody is looking, why don’t you turn a couple of stones to bread. Who’ll know?” Isn’t that what Mat. 4:3 is really talking about? Don’t stop over, pass over, cross over: Luk_9:62 But יהושע said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the reign of Elohim.”
Don’t look back, don’t stop over, keep going. We were at Mt. Sinai and we have our Ketubah in hand and we are a true child of Abraham, the first Hebrew, who crossed over from Paran to the south. He crossed the Euphrates River, the northern boundary of our inheritance: Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on Messiah.
Gal 3:28 There is not Yehuḏi nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is not male and female, for you are all one in Messiah יהושע.
Gal 3:29 And if you are of Messiah, then you are seed of Aḇraham, and heirs according to promise.
Now, keep going you have a goal to reach, a goal to fulfill: 1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,
Don’t believe me? Go back and check your Ketubah. It says it so plain right and the beginning: Exo 19:5 ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine –
Exo 19:6 ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ěl.”
Verses 6-7 – Who is Edom? What does the red clay represent? As we travel through the land of Edom we just pay for our food and water. We don’t become entangled in it. We don’t become a part of it. What else does it say: יהוה your Elohim has been with you, you have not lacked any matter.” ’
Luk 10:3 “Go! See, I send you out as lambs into the midst of wolves.
Luk 10:4 “Do not take a purse, nor a bag, nor sandals. And greet no one along the way.
Verses 8-9 – Warning bells should be going off right now. There is a change in tone. It’s as though Mosheh is talking directly to me: “Cyrus, be careful. You have to go through Eilat, that beautiful grove of trees on the Reeds Sea. You like to fish and you could sit under those trees and cast a hook in the sea and catch all the fish you desire but pass over, cross over don’t stop over. Keep going through the Wilderness of Moab. Don’t stop! Not even your footprints are yours to keep.”
Moab – H4124 – from your mother’s father. This is not your family. Keep going.
Verses 10-12 Beware the former dangers of the land:
1.) Emites – H368 – אימים – ‘êymı̂ym – BDB Definition: Emims = “terrors
2.) Anaqim – H6062 – ענקי – ‛ănâqı̂y – BDB Definition: Anakims = “long-necked”. A race of giants.
3.) Horites – H2752 – חרי – chôrı̂y – BDB Definition: Horite = “cave dweller”, troglodyte.
4.) Repha’ites – H7497 – רפה / רפא – râphâ’ / râphâh – BDB Definition: 1) giants, Rephaim
The Emites are those who try to “scare” the hell out of you, maybe even call you a Judaizer. I have encountered the Anaqim many times, many, many times. You’ll recognize them almost immediately. They tug on their tie in an effort to stretch their necks and the conversation starts something like: “Now see here boy, I have been preaching for 50 years and I can tell your confused, etc. etc.” The Horites seem to come from nowhere in particular and start out something like this: “Well, you say Yeshu’a and I say Jesus and from there we can all get along just fine. It’s just a name, right?” Next, is the Repha’ites. These bad boys can come from anywhere as well and you will know them instantly: “I say boy, you mean to tell me that D.L. Moody was wrong? My daddy was a Baptist preacher and so was my granddaddy and his daddy before him and you mean to tell me they were wrong?” They call up the spirits of the dead giants of your former faith. They may use Martin Luther, John Calvin or St. Augustine but it is just a different giant.
CahalTx 