Lesson date: 7/20/5854AA
Verse 1- The very first word of this verse and chapter tells us we are going to go war: H3588 – כִּי – kı̂y – kee – A primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjugation or adverb; often largely modified by other particles annexed: – and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured [-ly], + but, certainly, doubtless,
We have learned over the last couple of days, from Matt, that the Netzarim often had to go to war against their enemies just to avoid being slaughtered. But with the use of the word ‘kiy’ we see that war is a certainty, doubtless, assured or unavoidable.
Have you ever entered into an ‘army’; or congregation that was more numerous that you and realized you were a lone voice for the Torah of YHVH? Sometimes, we fall for a trap that Hasatan has set for us, a snare. Then, without warning he springs his trap. Other times, like Psalms 23:4, we see the overwhelming odds and walk right into the “valley of the shadow of death” but His shalom falls upon us and we have no anxiety about what we are doing. What does Sha’ul say about this? Eph 6:11 Put on the complete armour of Elohim, for you to have power to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Eph 6:12 Because we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual matters of wickedness in the heavenlies.
Eph 6:13 Because of this, take up the complete armour of Elohim, so that you have power to withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14 Stand, then, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Eph 6:15 and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace;
Eph 6:16 above all, having taken up the shield of belief with which you shall have power to quench all the burning arrows of the wicked one.
Eph 6:17 Take also the helmet of deliverance, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Elohim,
Eph 6:18 praying at all times, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the set-apart ones;
Eph 6:19 also for me, that a word might be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to be bold in making known the secret of the Good News,
Eph 6:20 for which I am an envoy in chains, that in it I might speak boldly, as I should speak.
And Isaiah?
Isa 59:21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” said יהוה: “My Spirit that is upon you, and My Words that I have put in your mouth, shall not be withdrawn from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” said יהוה, “from this time and forever
As we have learned and discussed this week the traditions of men are far stronger and more numerous than the commands of Elohim. These traditions: Mat 15:7 “Hypocrites! Yeshayahu rightly prophesied about you, saying,
Mat 15:8 ‘This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and respect Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
Mat 15:9 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as teachings the commands of men.’ ” (Tradition)
Mar 7:6 And He answering, said to them, “Well did Yeshayahu prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it has been written, ‘This people respect Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
Mar 7:7 And in vain do they worship Me, teaching as teachings the commands of men.’1 Footnote: 1See Isa. 29:13, 2 Ki. 17:19, and Mt. 15:3-9.
Mar 7:8 “Forsaking the command of Elohim, you hold fast the tradition of men.”
Mar 7:9 And He said to them, “Well do you set aside the command of Elohim, in order to guard your tradition.
What did Yeshayahu say? Isa 29:13 And יהוה says, “Because this people has drawn near with its mouth, and with its lips they have esteemed Me, and it has kept its heart far from Me, and their fear of Me has become a command of men that is taught!
2Ki 17:19 Yehudah, also, did not guard the commands of יהוה their Elohim, but walked in the laws of Yisra’ĕl which they made.
These horses drag behind them chariots, large, crippling and very awe inspiring. How dare someone go against the chariots of Mitzrayim. Where does the word chariot come from? H7393 – רֶכֶב – rekeb – reh’-keb: From H7392; a vehicle; by implication a team; by extension cavalry; by analogy a rider, that is, the upper millstone: Mat_18:6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mar_9:42 “And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
Luk_17:2 “It would be better for him if a millstone is put around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Have we taught our children, His Little Ones, to honor Santa Clause, the Easter bunny, the tooth fairy, Halloween? Are these not the traditions of men? Does this not cause our “children” to stumble? What is the Greek word for these traditions of men? Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
Col 2:14 having blotted out the certificate of debt against us – by the dogmas – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake.
Col 2:21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” –
Col 2:22 which are all to perish with use – according to the commands and teachings of men?
What is the word for “dogmas” that is used here? G1378 – δόγμα – dogma – dog’-mah: From the base of G1380; a law (civil, ceremonial or ecclesiastical): – decree, ordinance. In other words, these are the traditions, dogmas or traditions of men. What is the definition of dogma? Definition of dogma: ((Merriam Webster)) 1a : something held as an established opinion especially : a definite authoritative tenet: Definition of tenet:
: a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true especially: one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession ((Merriam Webster))
b : a code of such tenets pedagogical dogma
c : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds
2 : a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church
So, when we go into “battle”: H4421 – מִלְחָמָה – milchâmâh – mil-khaw-maw’: From H3898 (in the sense of fighting); a battle (that is, the engagement); generally war (that is, warfare): – battle, fight, (-ing), war ([-rior]).
H3899 – לֶחֶם – lechem – lekh’-em: From H3898; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it): – ([shew-]) bread, X eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals.
The word for battle and bread come from the same root word – H3898 – which means to devour, eat, fight, overcome prevail. Have you ever heard someone say about their enemy that they would “chew them up and spit them out”? This is the same idea.
When YHVH calls us into battle He tells us plainly:
- Do not let your heart faint
- Do not fear
- Do not tremble
- Do not be afraid before them
Why don’t we fear them? 1Jn 4:4 You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1Jn 4:5 They are of the world, therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
1Jn 4:6 We are of Elohim – the one knowing Elohim hears us. He who is not of Elohim does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the delusion.
Psa 27:14 Wait on יהוה, be strong, And let Him strengthen your heart! Wait, I say, on יהוה!
Verse 5 – The man who has not dedicated his new house, meaning he has not written the Words of YHVH on the doorposts: Deu 6:4 “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one!
Deu 6:5 “And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might.
Deu 6:6 “And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart,
Deu 6:7 and you shall impress them upon your children, and shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up,
Deu 6:8 and shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
Deu 6:9 “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.(Deu. 11:20)
Consider what building a house meant to the ancient Hebrews; a young man is getting married, he is about to have a wive and children. Where are his thoughts? On himself only. If we are in a battle to build a name for ourselves we are in the battle for the wrong reason. Don’t go into battle to build up your own reputation but the reputation of YHVH our Elohim: Hag 1:2 “Thus spoke יהוה of hosts, saying, ‘This people have said, “The time has not come, the time the House of יהוה is to be built.” ’ ”
Hag 1:3 Then the word of יהוה came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
Hag 1:4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this House be in ruins?”
Hag 1:5 And now, thus said יהוה of hosts, “Consider your ways!
Hag 1:6 “You have sown much, but brought in little; eat, but do not have enough; drink, but you are not filled with drink; clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
Hag 1:7 Thus said יהוה of hosts, “Consider your ways!
Hag 1:8 Go up to the mountain, and you shall bring wood and build the House. And I will be pleased with it, and let Me be esteemed,” said יהוה.
Don’t seek battles to establish your name as a great orator, scholar or leader. Fight the battles so that YHVH’s Name is glorified and at His choosing, not ours.
Verse 6 – When we plant a vineyard we must wait on YHVH. For three years we cannot eat of the fruit of the vine, then, the fourth year the fruit is given to YHVH and it is only in the fifth year that we get to enjoy the goodness, sweetness of the fruit. We will be able to “sit under the vine” and enjoy life: Jon 4:6 And יהוה Elohim appointed a plant and made it come up over Yonah, to be a shade for his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Yonah greatly rejoiced over the plant.
What fruits have we planted? How long has YHVH waited for His share of your labor? Mar 10:29 יהושע said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for the sake of Me and the Good News,
Mar 10:30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come, everlasting life.
Verse 7 – Unfortunately we don’t think about this very much in the spiritual sense: Num 25:6 And see, one of the children of Yisra’ĕl came and brought to his brothers a Midyanite woman before the eyes of Mosheh and before the eyes of all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, who were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Rev 17:4 And the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations and the filthiness of her whoring,
Rev 17:5 and upon her forehead a name written, a secret: BABEL THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE WHORES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Are we engaged to the right “woman”, a pure chaste virgin or a harlot. Or, are we so busy looking for excuses to not serve in Yah’s Army we miss our opportunity? Luk 14:16 But He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
Luk 14:17 and he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all is now ready.’
Luk 14:18 “But one by one they all began making excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
Luk 14:19 “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to have me excused.’
Luk 14:20 “And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.’
Luk 14:21 “And that servant came and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house, being wroth, said to his servant, ‘Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and crippled, and lame, and blind.’
Luk 14:22 “And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
Luk 14:23 “And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the street corners and hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house is filled.
Luk 14:24 ‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’
Verse 8 – This verse gives us the fourth reason for us to not ‘go and fight’ in the coming battle, fear of the enemy. Remember the Children of Yisra’el: Num 13:27 And they reported to him, and said, “We went to the land where you sent us. And truly, it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
Num 13:28 “But the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And we saw the descendants of Anaq there too.
Will we let the fear of the enemy rob us of the good fruit of Elohim that He has promised us? Rev 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, and untrustworthy, and abominable, and murderers, and those who whore, and drug sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the false, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”
Verse 9 – Look at what had to happen first; the timid had to leave and then and only then, could the commanders be appointed to lead the people. We don’t want our arrogance to take us into a battle that we need not fight but we also do not want to let our timidness rob us of a victory that YHVH would have given us had we shown up for the fight: Exo 23:27 “I shall send My fear before you, and cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
Verses 10-15 – The cities in which we are allowed to take a spoil: Mat 10:11 “And into whatever city or village you enter, ask who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave.
Mat 10:12 “And as you enter into a house, greet it.
Mat 10:13(a) “And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it.
Verses 16-18 – The cities which we put under the ban: Mat 10:13(b) But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Mat 10:14 “And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, when you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.
Mat 10:15 “Truly, I say to you, it shall be more bearable for the land of Sedom and Amorah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Who are the people under the ban?
Hittites – H2850 – sons of Heth or terror. Those who impose fear on others.
Amorites – H567 – cave dwellers or boasters (speak loudly). “Big mouths” or Know-it-alls”
Kena’anites – H3669 – Zealous or low land people. Zealous = those who will do anything to get their way. The “lowland” people are wanting you to share their depression or anxiety or fear.
Perizzites – H6522 – belonging to a village or a breah in the village wall. These have a limited vision, laziness or low self-esteem and no ‘boundaries’. The effects of this can result in isolation, division, separation, independence and becoming disconnected.
Hivvites – H2340 – villagers, also known as “dwellers of the high places”. (Num. 33:52) We are to destroy their high places.
Yebusites – H2983/H2982 – threshers. Those who tear apart Yah’s Word to make it fit their own purposes.
What is the sin of these people? Deu 20:18 lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their mighty ones, and you sin against יהוה your Elohim.
It is their desire to turn us from serving our Elohim as He wants us to serve Him, not like man wants to worship Him. Eze 22:26 “Her priests have done violence to My teaching and they profane My set-apart matters. They have not distinguished between the set-apart and profane, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean. And they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned in their midst.
Zep 3:4 Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men. Her priests have profaned the set-apart place, they have done violence to the Torah.
Luk 16:16 “The Torah and the prophets are until Yoḥanan. Since then the reign of Elohim is being announced, and everyone is doing violence upon it.
He tells us how to recognize our enemy, how the enemy operates and how to deal with them.
Ahavah vberakhot
Lesson date: 10/27/5857AA
These versus presuppose we will go to war with our enemies. One of the first rules of warfare is “Know your enemy.” This is not as simple as it sounds. The first facet is: What does your enemy look like? The second facet is: What weapons does your enemy employ? The third facet is the most difficult to assess: What does your enemy know about you?
- What does your enemy look like? Your enemy may look a lot like your family and friends that you have made over the years.
- Your enemy may look like the folks you used to sit next to in church or, your former pastor, deacon or song leader.
- Your enemy may be staring back at you in the mirror. That is a hard fact to swallow isn’t it?
What weapons do your enemies employ?
- Your friends and family may try to shame you back into your old self. They may want to debate you or believe it or not may try to trick you.
- Your former “Christian” associates may employ sympathy, debating, loneliness, reminiscing.
- If your enemy is you what weapons do you employ? Laziness, ignorance, selfishness, pride, complacency, compromise, kids, husband, wife, job any more? Ever hear someone say, “If I only had more time to study, I would”, while they were watching the Wheel of Fortune on TV? Here is one I hear a lot, “I don’t want to study another language.”
What does your enemy know about you?
- If it is your family and close friends, probably everything and they will use that knowledge against you.
- Your former “Christian” friends may or may not know a great deal about you but they will use the knowledge that they have to try and rationalize the situation.
- What if your enemy is you? What do you really know about yourself? Are you making excuses: I’m too old to start over, I’m not very smart, I don’t want to sound stupid, I’m afraid of what people will think about me, etc.
Here is your answer: “do not be afraid of them, for יהוה your Elohim, who brought you up from the land of Mitsrayim, is with you.”
Verse 2 – Look at the word battle: H4421 – מלחמה – milchâmâh – BDB Definition: 1) battle, war
H3898 – לחם – lâcham – BDB Definition:1) to fight, do battle, make war 1a) (Qal) to fight, do battle 1b) (Niphal) to engage in battle, wage war 2) (Qal) to eat, use as food
H3899 – לחם – lechem – BDB Definition: 1) bread, food, grain 1a) bread 1a1) bread 1a2) bread-corn 1b) food (in general)
Isn’t Hebrew beautiful?
“He which hath no stomach to this fight, let him depart…” This is an abbreviated quote taken from Henry V on the occasion of the feast of Crispian or also called St. Crispian’s Day. The last thing that a good commander wants to see is a portion of his army turn and run. Fear is an epidemic and once it strikes it can cripple an army. Remember how I explained how to make a straight row everytime? Take hold of the plow, sight a fence pose or other landmark between the mule’s ears and plow straight and never look back. The same rule applies in battle, concentrate on the enemy so they can’t outsmart you or out-flank you by changing their tactics: 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.”
Verses 5-8 – Why is all this important? Because YHVH gives us exclusions from combat. Not every man and woman is fit for combat, yet. Some have fought many battles and have the scars and/or grey hairs to prove it. Some haven’t tasted battle yet and might be timid. How can you tell that you are on the right side of the battle? Go back to Verse 1 – “When you go out to battle against your enemies, and shall see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you,” YHVH’s people are never the majority, always the minority: Mat 7:14 “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
What are the exclusions?
- A man who has built a house and not dedicated it. (Has not placed the 10 Words on the doorposts.)
- A man who has planted a vineyard and not harvested the fruit of it. (Only in the 5th year after planting.)
- A man who is engaged and not consummated his betrothal. (This and the first one could be related.)
- A man who is afraid and fainthearted.
Psa 27:14 Wait on יהוה, be strong, And let Him strengthen your heart! Wait, I say, on יהוה!
Here is a truism: the more battles you fight the stronger you become. The young men look to the more experienced soldier to instruct them in how to prepare for a fight.
Jdg 7:3 “And now, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him turn back, and leave Mount Gil‛aḏ.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people turned back, while ten thousand remained.
Rev 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, and untrustworthy, and abominable, and murderers, and those who whore, and drug sorcerers, and idolaters, and all the false, their part is in the lake which burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”
Luk 14:16 But He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,
Luk 14:17 and he sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all is now ready.’
Luk 14:18 “But one by one they all began making excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
Luk 14:19 “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to have me excused.’
Luk 14:20 “And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and because of this I am unable to come.’
Luk 14:21 “And that servant came and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house, being wroth, said to his servant, ‘Hurry out into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor, and crippled, and lame, and blind.’
Luk 14:22 “And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’
Luk 14:23 “And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the street corners and hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house is filled.
Luk 14:24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
Verse 9 – The fainthearted are gone, now is the time to appoint leaders.
Verse 10-11 – This is a qualified statement. Peace will not be extended to the 7 nations that are put under the ban. Everything and everyone is killed and the gold and silver burned. These are distant cities that are not under the ban.
So, who are the enemies of YHVH that we will have to face?
- Hittites – H2850 – “Sons of Heth” or Sons of Terror”. You say you don’t have to worry about these guys, do you? Perhaps more than for any other reason the church has been successful in instilling fear in all those who would think outside the box of Christian theology. If you think outside of Christian teaching you are damned and going to hell. You’ll be cutoff from your family and loved ones. Part of the arsenal of the church is deceit and deceit can cause fear in believers who are not actively seeking out the Truth in YHVH’s Word.
- Girgashites – H1622 – “Dwellers on clayey soil”, “dwellers on an unsure foundation”. Remember my story about the mud pit? The Bentonite clay can look dry on top but when you step on it you sink into the clay and your foundation is really quicksand. This also represents those who bob and weave and duck and dive direct questions about the validity of certain “doctines” and/or “dogmas” like grace, once saved always saved, Jesus hates the sin but loves the sinner. Your foundation has to be sure and you have to understand the ministry of the Messiah and His Purpose.
- Amorites – H567 – cave dweller, sayer or boaster. These were the biggest, strongest, toughest loudest talking people in the promised land. Like all giants they boast of how much smarter or more clever they are than anyone else. They also tend to be smooth talkers whose reputation is unassailable.
- Kena’anites – H3669 – zealous, lowland people, defeated or made low. These people are represented by those of addictions, perversions and exaggerations. You have heard me tell about a Baptist preacher who bragged that he had slept with over 40 women in his congregation. Many preachers have been caught in having sex with prostitutes or same sex affairs within or without their congregations. I personally knew of one pastor who would inappropriately kiss very young women without any consent.
- Perizzites – H6522 – rustic village, belonging to a village or a breach in the village wall. I grew up in a “village” a small town which is controlled by a small minority of people. They will accept no dissent, no confrontation, no challenge to their authortiy. They build a wall around the village to isolate the people from any and all outside influence. Also, these people are the “Big fish” in the little pond and will submit to no authority other than their own. Their main weapon is divisiveness to isolate those who would challenge their authority and rather than to seek unity in the village they would rather tear a breach in the wall so that it would fall victim to destruction from outside. We, on the other hand, are supposed to be repairers of the breach, restorers of the path, those who bring unity to the village.
- Hivvites – H2340 – villagers, dwellers of the high places. The capitol of the Hivvites was Ba’al Hermon – H1179 – The lord of Destruction. We as believers in YHVH are supposed to tear down the high places of the enemy.
- Yebusites – H2983 – trodden, the threshing place, trample, trodden down, desecrate, utterly reject. These are those who work so hard to silence the Truth of Torah. They scream, “It’s done away with,” “You are a bunch of Judaizers”, “You are putting yourself under the Law”, and proceed to desecrate everything accomplished by the Living Word of Torah, Yeshu’a Messiah. The Yebusites teach that Jesus was a “god” of grace and not works and that Jesus himself did away with Torah by being the fulfillment of the propecies of Torah. How evil a son would He be that destroyed the legacy of his father:
Mat 10:11 “And into whatever city or village you enter, ask who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave.
Mat 10:12 “And as you enter into a house, greet it.
Mat 10:13 “And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
Mat 10:14 “And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, when you leave that house or city, shake off the dust(descendants of Abraham) from your feet (Pilgrim festivals).
Mat 10:15 “Truly, I say to you, it shall be more bearable for the land of Seḏom and Amorah in the day of judgment than for that city!
Verses 12-20 – Destroy all those under the ban so that they do not teach you how to serve their gods.
Do not cut down fruit trees to build your siege works.
Ahavah vberakhot
CahalTx 