Lesson date: Rosh Chodesh Month 4/5854AA

Chapter 4 begins with an exhortation of Mosheh: Deu 4:2  “Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it, so as to guard the commands of יהוה your Elohim which I am commanding you.

We see it again: Deu 12:32  “All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.

And again: Pro 30:6  Do not add to His Words, Lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.

And again: Rev 22:18  For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book,

Rev 22:19  and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book.

But the modern church has not added to or taken away, but removed them completely. People will often declare themselves as “New Testament Christians” but will not heed Yeshua’s Words: Mat 5:18  “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.

The last time I checked the heaven and the Earth are still here. They have not passed away. Yeshua is the Word (John 1) and He does not change: Heb 13:8  יהושע Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

What does Mosheh do? He reminds them of what happened when they turned to and worshipped the god of the broad way, Ba’al Pe’or. He reminds them of what happened and the only way not to be caught off guard is: Deu 4:6  “And you shall guard and do them,.

Guard once again is: H8104 – שׁמר – shâmar – BDB Definition: 1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed

Shamar would look like this: rms

• s shin equates to; to destroy, to consume, to devour
• m mem represents water (peoples), mighty, massive, to come from water (Mosheh), chaos, confusion.
• R reysh represents: the head, the highest or first, the most important, chief.

Quite literally shamar is saying by guarding Torah we destroy the confusion in(of) the head.

And ‘do’: H6213 – עשׂה – ‛âśâh – BDB Definition: 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make.

‘Asah would look like this: eso

• o ayin is the eye: to see, to understand, to be seen, to experience.
• S the seen is the same as shin; destroy, consume, devour.
• e the hey is: to show, to reveal, behold(Lo), revelation

‘Asah is telling us that by doing (living) Torah we can understand the destruction of the revelation (Of Messiah). This is what Ya’aqob tells us in his book: Jas 1:22  And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Jas 1:23  Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror,

Jas 1:24  for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like.

Jas 1:25  But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.

A simple thing, like keeping the feasts, we understand that the scriptures, from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 are about a wedding.

We are to ‘hear’ the Word, ‘guard’ the Word, and ‘do’ the Word. I love the language Mosheh uses in verse 4, “But you who are clinging”. Dabeq is clinging, to cleave, stick closer, joining, to adhere to, makes me think of someone hanging from a rock or ledge for dear life, clinging onto יהוה  like David says my Rock, strong tower, refuge. “Are alive today” tells us that the reason they are alive is because the held onto יהוה s Word.

In verse 6 Mosheh reminds us once aagain to guard and do His laws and right-rulings because it is Wisdom and Understanding. This afternoon we will begin reading Mishle (Proverbs) which speaks many times about wisdom and understanding: Pro 16:16  How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is preferable to silver.

Look at what Mosheh says next, that by hearing and seeing Torah lived the people of the world will say: ‘Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation!’

In essence, in verses 6-8, Mosheh is saying that keeping Torah will be the mark of a wise and great nation.

In verses 9 & 10 we are admonished to not forget His Words (Debarim). Look at verse 12 at the beauty of the phrase: You heard a voice of Words. You heard Yeshua’s voice is a better way to say it.

And verse 13: Deu 4:13  “And He made known to you His covenant which He commanded you to do, the Ten Words, and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.

Made known =  nagad – H5046 – to make known, to manifest, expose, reveal

He revealed His covenant to us by His Ten Words and wrote them on 2 tablets of stone, our hearts and minds. Beautiful imagery.

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Lesson date: 4/8/5854AA

Verse 1 – “And now, O Yisra’ĕl, listen – shama H8085 – שָׁמַע – shâma‛ . Shama has the implied “Hear and Obey. Literally what is being said “Now hear this Yisrael and do it”. Hear and do what? Laws and right-rulings. H2706 – חֹק – chôq – khoke – appointed, bound, commandment, convenient, custom, decree

Mishpatim – H4941 – מִשְׁפָּט – mishpâṭ – From H8199; properly a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree

We are being taught to do them for one reason, ”so that we live”. H2421 – חָיָה – châyâh – to live, alive, revive or SAVE.

This is not just talking being alive today but being alive forever.

Tehillah/Psalm 89:14 “Righteousness and right-ruling are the foundation of Your throne; kindness and truth go before Your face.”

Tehillah/Psalm 97:2 “Clouds and darkness all around Him, righteousness and right-ruling are the foundation of His throne.”

To not obey His Word is to do away with His Throne!!!

Verse 2 – H3808 – Lo – No, never.

H3254 – יָסַף – yâsaph – yaw-saf’ – to add, augment, conceive, increase, put more.

This was not heeded by the rabbis who added more burden to יְהֹוָה s laws. It wasn’t His laws that were burdensome but rather the addition of the Talmud and the Mishnah that made them burdensome.

H1639 – גָּרַע – gâra‛ – gaw-rah’ – to scrape off; by implication to shave, remove, lessen, withhold, to diminish do away,  take away.

Here we see what the ‘church’ has done. They have taken away or done away withיְהֹוָה s laws. We see that each group, rabbis and the church, have violated this command. This is part of Satan’s deception: Eph 6:11  Put on the complete armour of Elohim, for you to have power to stand against the schemes of the devil.

We didn’t obey this command nor did we listen to Sha’ul.

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 12:32 “All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.”

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 30:6 “Do not add to His Words, Lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.”

Ḥazon/Revelation 22:18-19 “For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book.”

He gave us this instruction multiple times, not just once. Why?

“So as to guard” – shamar – H8104.

We are to Hear – shama, we are to guard – shamar, and we are to do – asah, so that we may have eternal life – chayah.

Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:22-25 “And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like. 25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.”

Verse 4 – דבֵק daḇeq – Strong’s H1695 meaning, ‘a clinging, cleaving, hold fast’: Gen 2:24  For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Ruth 1:14 “And they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”

Rom 12:9  Let love be without hypocrisy. Shrink from what is wicked, cling to what is good.

Yoḥanan/John 14:15 “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.”

Dabeq – q b d

• Dalet = door
• Beyt = house
• Quph = horizon or eternity

The Door (Yeshua) of the Tent (Tabernacle) is Eternal or the Door of the House of Elohim is forever.

Joh 10:7  יהושע therefore said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Verse 6 – Guard and do. Why? This is your wisdom (guard) and your understanding (do).

H2451 – חָכְמָה – chokmâh – khok-maw’ – wisdom (in a good sense): – skillful, wisdom, wisely, wit.

H998 – בִּינָה – bı̂ynâh – bee-naw’ – understanding: – knowledge, meaning, X perfectly, understanding, wisdom.

How can we claim to be wise and knowledgeable if we do not keep His commands?

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Lesson date: 6/19/5857AA

“Hear, O Yisra’el”

Verse 1 – Shama’ – H8085 – hear, obey, to yield to. I have said many many times that the idea of hearing in Hebrew is to “show me you hear me by doing what I say”. That is why Ya’aqob 1:22 has 2 parts two it in modern English because it comes from the Greek. In the Greek language “to hear” is one verb but “to do” is another. G191 – ἀκούω – akouō – Thayer Definition: 1) to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf

G202 – ἀκροατής – akroatēs – Thayer Definition: 1) a hearer

G4163 – ποιητής –  poiētēs – Thayer Definition: 1) a maker, a producer, author 2) a doer, performer

2a) one who obeys or fulfills the law

See, it takes two Greek verbs to make the idea behind one Hebrew verb.  Remember, “shama’” is to show me you are listening by doing what I tell you to do. In English we say “in one ear and out the other” for not listening. The English verbs hear and listen are not the same even though they are used to define one another. Hear means “to be capable of perceiving sound”. If I tell you “Get down” and you say “Okay, I hear you,” did you listen to me? No! Had you listened to me you would have falled flat on the ground so that the sniper’s bullet would not go into one side of your head and out the other. Big difference.

What is it that we are supposed to be listeing to:

H2706 – חק – chôq – BDB Definition: 1) statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due

If I am your doctor and I tell you “take this pill twice a day or you will die” are you going to do it? Maybe. The pill is what I prescribed but it is up to you to do it, not me. I did my part and if you “listen” you will live. But, if you say, “sure, sure, no problem” and don’t take the pill and die, who is at fault? So, did you listen or just hear?

H4941 – משׁפּט – mishpâṭ – BDB Definition: 1) judgment, justice, ordinance. For there to be “faith and confidence in the system of laws they must be administered equitably. If the rich get away with stealing, why can’t the poor, rationalizes a poor man. That is why YHVH always stresses the point:

Deu_10:17 “For יהוה your Elohim is Elohim of mighty ones and Master of masters, the great Ěl, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.

Deu_16:19 “Do not distort right-ruling. Do not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Pro_18:5 It is not good to show partiality to the wrong, Or to turn aside the righteous in right-ruling

Psa_82:2 How long would you judge perversely, And show partiality to the wrong? Selah.

That is why the ISR chose the term right-ruling in order to highlight justice.

H3925 – למד – lâmad – BDB Definition: 1) to learn. teach, exercise in. What happens when you exercise your body day in and day out? You become stronger, more disciplined and your body develops a thing called “muscle memory” which means your body will automatically do something without thinking. That is what Mosheh was trying to teach us; to be obedient without having to think about it or, in other words “just do it”.

Verse 2 – Do not add or take away, but it is okay if you do away with all of Torah because it was nailed to the cross, right? H3254 – יָסַף – yâsaph – yaw-saf’ – A primitive root; to add or augment. To augment is like I have heard so many times from the pulpit, “What he really meant to say was…” No. He said don’t add.

Deu 12:32 “All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.

Pro 30:6 Do not add to His Words, Lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.

Rev 22:18 For I witness to everyone hearing the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, Elohim shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book,

Rev 22:19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and out of the set-apart city, which are written in this Book.

Wow, He must have really meant it.

Verse 3-4 – This is what Matt makes his living doing. This is a safety briefing. “You saw what happened now, don’t do it.” What is the second part of that safety briefing?

H1695 – דָּבֵק – dâbêq – daw-bake’ – From H1692; adhering: – cleave, joining, stick closer.

Same word, different form: Gen 2:24 For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

You see there at the end what it says, “become one flesh”? We are supposed to become “one” with YHVH’s Word.

Joh 17:11 “And I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Set-apart Father, guard them in Your Name which You have given Me, so that they might be one, as We are.

Joh 17:21 so that they all might be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so that they too might be one in Us, so that the world might believe that You have sent Me.

Rth 1:14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Rth 1:15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her mighty ones. Go back, follow your sister-in-law.”

Rth 1:16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, or to go back from following after you. For wherever you go, I go; and wherever you stop over, I stop over. Your people is my people, and your Elohim is my Elohim.

Yeshu’a is not trying to teach us about the “Trinity”. He is trying to teach us about being “unified” with Him so the we can also be “unified” with YHVH because Yeshu’a came in the Father’s Name. Look at the following verse: Joh 21:15 When, therefore, they had eaten breakfast, יהושע said to Shim‛on Kěpha, “Shim‛on, son of Yonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Master, You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

Now, it appears that Peter answered Yeshu’a’s question, right? Wrong! Peter completely missed what Yeshu’a was trying to get him to grasp. Let’s look at it in Greek, not English.

“Do you love me” – G25 – ἀγαπάω – agapaō – Thayer Definition: 1) of persons 1a) to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly

“You know that I love you” – G5368 – φιλέω – phileō – Thayer Definition: 1) to love 1a) to approve of

1b) to like

English is completely inadequate for expressing emotion. “I love your house, I love your car, I love your new carpet, and I love my wife.” Who do you love more the new carpet or your wife?

There are 3 kinds of love in Greek “agape” like a man or woman loves their mate. Phileo or fileo – brotherly love (Ever hear of a place called Philadelphia?) And, there is eros – sexual or sensual love.

Yeshu’a was asking Peter, Kepha, do you love me like a man would love his wife?” Kepha responded, “Of course, I love you like a brother” “Kepha, will you cling, cleave, join yourself to me like Adam did to Havvah, forsaking all others? Sure, I love you like a brother.” At this point you might want to ask, “How many brothers do you have?”

Luk 11:5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,

Luk 11:6 since a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I do not have food to set before him,’

G5384 – φίλος – philos – Thayer Definition: 1) friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well

Philos from phileo for friend or brother or neighbor. If you see a Greek man on the street you wave and say “Yasus, philos”. But, would you die for him?

While we are nitpicking let’s pick one more nit: Mat 22:12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.

Yeshu’a did not use the word friend as we know it. He used a word that conveys a very special meaning: G2083 – ἑταῖρος –  hetairos – het-ah’ee-ros – From ἔτης etēs (a clansman); a comrade: – fellow, friend. They were an Israelite, someone who should have known better. This was not a casual aquaintance but rather a kinsman.

Verse 5 – Rev 22:14 “Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.

Verse 6 – Guard + do = wisdom (Chochmah or Hokmah) + understanding (Biynah)

Verses 7-8 – It is apparent to the world that we are set-apart to YHVH if we truly keep His Commands.

Verse 9 – Guard yourself – guard your life diligently – The word for guard as you know is “shamar’ but it is a verb tense (Niphil) which makes it mean “to be one your guard” like “en garde” in French, “watch out or I will stick you with this sword”. Here is a word I really like, not because of the Hebrew but because of a word used to describe it “meod” pronounced meh-ode. It is described as muchness, vehemence, faster, good-er, greater, better, a superlative.

Verse 10 – Hear and fear – “hear(Remember shama’) (H853 – אֵת) My Words (Debarim) Rom 2:13 For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the Torah shall be declared right.

Wait a minute! Did Sha’ul say that?

Verses – 15-19 – Do not worship idols. No idolatry. Do not worship the heavens. Do not worship the Creation only the Creator. Here is the problem that I have with the ἸΧΘΥΣ or Jesus fish as it was known, ties back to Dagon and also Bacchus who was also known a Tammuz. The idea that it was a cryptic marking used by Christians to avoid persecution is simply church tradition to justify its use. Of course, no greater saint than that of the personage of Augustine gave it more meaning by quoting this from the Sibylline Oracles (a book of Greek mythology given to Sibyl while she was in an “excited” state of being):

Iota(i), Iēsoûs (Ἰησοῦς), “Jesus“

• Chi (ch), Khrīstós (Χρῑστός), “anointed“
• Theta (th), Theoû (Θεοῦ), “of God”, the genitive singular of Θεóς, Theós, “God”
• Upsilon (y or u), (h)uiós (Yἱός), “Son”
• Sigma (s), sōtḗr (Σωτήρ), “Savior”

And we all know that Augustine would never mislead us, right?

Verse 20 – But יהוה has taken you and brought you out

An iron furnace was a series of pits dug to extract iron from ore. It was so hot that it would melt anything known at that time to contain it. The central pit was lined with layers of coal, then the ore was piled on top of the coal then more coal was added. The first pit contained a type of bellows to supply the air to the central pit and connected to the central pit on the other side from the bellows was a hole that had a shape of some type in it for the iron to flow into. It was the hottest furnace known at that time.

Verse 24 – YHVH is a jealous El: Exo 20:5 you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, יהוה your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Verse 23-31 – He does not forget His covenant. His, not ours but His. Not the Church’s but His. You will forget it if you do not keep His Commands, not the Church’s but His Commands.

There is much to discuss or, as my dad use to say there is a lot to cuss and discuss.

Ahavah,