This is the 139th Reading of our 3-year Torah Reading cycle that is found in Deuteronomy/Devarim 17:1-20. It is a continuation of Reading 138 (the previous week’s reading). I’ve entitled this teaching: “Offering Unblemished Animal Sacrifices-Idolatry and Paganism Warrants Capital Punishment-God’s Choice of King to Reign Over Us.

The overriding theme of last week’s reading has to do with Yah being desirous for His people to exist in a state of perpetual shalom (aka Holistic peace). And this intended shalom/peace that Yah desires us to perpetually exists in is achieved only through His stipulated or commanded righteousness (i.e. walking in His instructions in righteousness). When we fail or refuse to walk in Yah’s righteousness (either individually or collectively as a community), we will not enjoy a life of shalom/peace. In fact, we will endure a life of hardship, chaos, trials, and tribulations, as clearly illustrated throughout Yisra’el’s history. And if Yisra’el’s history is not enough to convince us of this reality, simply look at the state of the world today, in particular, this nation. The citizens of this world today are not enjoying shalom, but rather chaos, turmoil, hardships, etc., because the nation peoples of this world have chosen to place their trust in their governments rather in the Creator of the Universe. Their failure and refusal to walk in Yah’s holy and righteous ways have brought about the perilous times we are all witnessing today with shalom/peace being just a wishful thought for the vast majority.

Righteousness in any community works hand-in-hand with justice. Where there is no true justice in a community (or nation, for that matter), righteousness will always be a vanishing or an outright absent commodity. And this is a reality that Moshe addresses in our reading today.

Consequently, all of these concepts are inextricably linked. Of this inextricable link, Torah teacher and prolific Messianic writer Tim Hegg of Torah Resources wrote: “Note this progression carefully: justice — righteousness — peace — joy” (Studies in the Torah — Deuteronomy; p. 114).

In order for justice, righteousness, peace, and joy to exist in the community or nation, Yah put in place an intricate government structure. Hebraically, we have four Yah-sanctioned institutions:

1. Judges (aka Shof’tim and Officials). It falls to Judges to enforce Yah’s laws, edicts, and statutes. And in order for this law enforcement to occur as Yah demands, the appointed judges must always pursue justice (Deu 16:20). 20 ⌊Justice, only justice⌋ you shall pursue, so that you may live, and you shall take possession of the land that Yahweh your God is giving to you. W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Dt 16:20.

These true justice warriors operated from local courts and addressed every manner of apostacy (Deu 16:18-17:7). Yehovah prefers righteous justice over that of sacrifices (Pro 21:3). There is a spiritual-link between corrupt judges and idolatry. For the judge that refuses or cannot judge righteously essentially engages in a form of idolatry (Hegg; p. 115). How so? Simply, the judge that refuses or cannot render righteous judgment has effectively submitted himself, not to Yehovah’s instructions in righteousness, but to their own ways. They are operating in the ways of the world, not in the set-apart ways of Yehovah.

1. Kings (aka Melech). This one was appointed by Yehovah by the mouth of His prophets. Yah would have much preferred that we not have a king rule over us for obvious human reasons. He would much prefer to rule over us Himself, as would be found in a true “theocracy” (God’s rule over the nation). But because of the hardness of our hearts, Yah would permit us to have a human king rule over us as long as that king was appointed by Him (through His prophet) and the king ruled in accordance to Yah’s precepts and statutes.
2. Kohanim (aka Levitical Priests). The priesthood was established by Yah at Sinai.
3. Prophets (aka Na’vi’im). Yah chose His true prophets and put His words in their mouths.

Our Master Yeshua HaMashiyach fulfills each of these offices/institutions individually and collectively, except for the Priesthood. For His priesthood is derived not of the Levitical, but of the order of the Melchizedek (Psa 110:4; Heb 5:6; 6:20; 7:17).

Our reading for this week may be broken down into three-main sections: (I) Acceptable worship or sacrifices; (II) Dealing with Apostacy or Apostates in our midst; (III) Installing a King to rule over us.

1. Acceptable Worship

(17:1) Only “unblemished” sacrifices may be rendered unto Yehovah. (This foreshadows Yeshua as our flawless/unblemished atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Secondly, it signals the necessity of our rendering to Yehovah our very best. No skimping.) To render a blemished sacrifice in light of such sacrifices being shadow pictures of Yeshua’s unblemished offering of Himself for the sins of the world would, as Hegg states, “muddy the picture of Yeshua’s sacrificial death” (ibid., p. 118). When we offered to Yah an unblemished sacrifice, it helps ensure Yah’s acceptance of our offering (presuming our heart was right) and it testifies to the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua Messiah.

This is a reminder from Yah’s previous mention of acceptable offerings:

Deu 15:21 — But if there is a physical defect in it, such as lameness or blindness, any serious defect, you shall not sacrifice it to Yehovah your Elohim.

17 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the ⌊Israelites⌋, and say to them, ‘Anyone from the house of Israel or from the alien in Israel who presents his offering for any of their vows or for any of their freewill offerings that they present to Yahweh as a burnt offering, 19 it must be without defect ⌊to be acceptable for you⌋: a male among the cattle, among the sheep, or among the goats. 20 You shall not present any animal in which is a physical defect, because it shall not be ⌊acceptable⌋ for you. 21 And if anyone brings a sacrifice of fellowship offerings for Yahweh to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the cattle or from the flock, it must be without defect ⌊to be acceptable⌋; there must not be any physical defect in it. 22 The blind or the injured or the maimed or the seeping or one with a skin disorder or one with a skin eruption—these you shall not present to Yahweh, nor shall you give from them an offering made by fire on the altar for Yahweh. 23 As for an ox or sheep that is deformed or that is stunted, you may present it as a freewill offering, but for a vow it will not be accepted. 24 And you shall not present anything for Yahweh with bruised or shattered or torn or cut-off testicles, and you shall not ⌊sacrifice⌋ such in your land. 25 And you shall not present your God’s food from any of these by the hand of ⌊a foreigner⌋, because their deformity is in them; a physical defect is in them; they shall not be accepted for you.’ ” W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Le 22:17–25.

Why did Yehovah care so much about the quality of sacrifice we rendered unto Him? Well, He explained it to us through His Prophet: 6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master; but if I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a master, where is my reverence?” says Yahweh of hosts to you, O priests, ⌊who despise⌋ my name. “But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 You are presenting defiled food on my altar! But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the table of Yahweh is despised! 8 When you offer a blind animal for sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and the one who is ill, is that not wrong? Present it, please, to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? ⌊Will he show you favor⌋?” says Yahweh of hosts. 9 So then, ⌊implore the favor of God⌋ so that he will be gracious to us. “⌊This is what you have done⌋. ⌊Will he show favor to any of you⌋?” says Yahweh of hosts.

9. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Mal 1:6–9.

When we dare to offer inferior sacrifices unto Yehovah, we are acting or behaving contemptuously toward Him. And Yehovah has declared that He sees such contemptuous behavior as an abomination or abhorrent or detestable (depending upon which English translation you’re referencing). To offer such an unacceptable offering is tantamount to homosexuality and consuming unclean meats (reference Lev 18:22 and Deu 14:22 respectively). Furthermore, Yah sees it as profaning His holy and righteous Name (i.e., His authority and Person): Tell Aaron and his sons that they must deal respectfully with the ⌊Israelites⌋’ votive offerings, and they must not profane my holy name, which they are consecrating to me; I am Yahweh. W. Hall Harris III et al., eds., The Lexham English Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), Le 22:2.

Bottom line beloved: Rendering unto Yehovah sacrifices and offerings was a key form of worship back in the day. (No, it wasn’t lights, camera, and action “praise and worship” productions like we see performed through so many denominational and even some Messianic fellowships and congregations today. I do not believe there’s anything wrong with some of the praise and worship services that take place in churches today. However, such performances are fraught with a great deal of error and self-indulgences that have the tendency of dismissing what Yehovah truly desires from His set-apart people in their worship of Him.) Yah establishes the rules and the means by which we are to worship Him. And when we operate outside those rules and means, we are acting in contempt towards Him. Yah realizes we treat Him with less honor and respect than we treat many of our social and government leaders. He sees right through our hypocrisy and He doesn’t like it. Let us never forget that Yah is a God who always examines — tries the hearts of men (Jer 17:10).

How do we or how can we violate this mitzvah today, given that Yah has halted the Temple/Tabernacle sacrificial system for the time being?

• When we cheat Yehovah of the time, we are supposed to render to Him (such as in the study of His Word, prayer, fasting, producing good fruit).
• When we skimp on our tithes and offerings.
• When we engage in half-hearted sacrifices of praise.

1. Dealing with Apostacy and Apostates

The spiritual tone that Yehovah set for these mitzvot is found in the first two of Yah’s 10-Commandments: I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ex 20:2–6.

Essentially, Yah was saying to us He was the one who redeemed us from the Land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage. Thus, we now belonged to Him and Him alone. That being said, Yah vehemently prohibited us from engaging in any form of idolatry and idol worship. To engage in idolatry would not only violate Yah’s instructions/commandments, but it would also violate our covenant relationship with Him. To transgress these mitzvot would cause Yah’s wrath to be visited upon us and our children for several generations.

(17:2-5) Any man or woman who knowingly engages in pagan worship must be executed after a court has proven their indiscretion to be true. When the matter is made known to anyone in the congregation, it must be judiciously acted upon. It must be dealt with (a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump) (1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9).

It’s interesting that Moshe was particularly calling out worship of the heavenly bodies. And of course, to engage in such worship was to have a created being worship created things such as the sun, moon, and stars. Worship of heavenly bodies has throughout human history been an indelible stronghold among many nation peoples. Paul found himself having to go to battle and eradicate worship of the heavenly bodies even within some of the Messianic communities he oversaw (Gal 4:3, 9; Col 2:8, 20).

Clearly, this mitzvah cannot be carried out as written today. However, the spirit of it is clear: We are not to permit individuals members of our fellowship who engage in Ungodly acts to remain in our midst. They must be, after a judicial inquiry is made, ejected.)

• Mat 18:16 — But if he does not listen, take with you in addition one or two others, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.
• 1 Cor 5:13 — But those outside God will judge. Remove the evil person from among yourselves.

(17:6) The two or three witnesses is required to convict one who is to be executed.

• Mat 18:16 — But if he does not listen, take with you in addition one or two others, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.
• 2 Cor 13:1 — …by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word will be established.
• Heb 10:28 — Anyone who rejected the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• 1 Tim 5:19 — Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
• Deu 19:15 — The testimony of a single witness may not be used to convict with respect to any crime and for any wrongdoing in any offense that a person committed; on the evidence of two or on the evidence of three witnesses a charge shall be sustained.
• Num 35:30  — If anyone kills a person, the killer will be put to death according to the testimony of witnesses, but someone cannot die on testimony of one person.

(17:7) The witnesses of the crime are to be the first to stone the one who is convicted of the felony, followed by the hands of the community members.

• Joh 8:7 — And when they persisted in asking Him (i.e., Yeshua), straightening up He said to them, “The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!”

(17:8-11) Those cases that are complex or too challenging for the local courts to decide must be brought to the attention of the faith leaders in Jerusalem. Specifically, the place of Yah’s choosing, depending on the dispensation: it was wherever the Tabernacle was or at the Temple in Jerusalem. Why at either the Tabernacle or Temple? Because such complex judgments required the judges to be near Yah’s presence. And whatever those leaders determine would be the course of action taken against the perpetrator of the crime, that court’s ruling had to be carried out to the letter of their ruling. There was to be no deviation in the carrying out of their edict on our part. The idea behind this instruction was that the high-court’s ruling would in such complex cases be as though it came from Yehovah Himself. That court’s ruling came with divine authority. In Yeshua’s day, the local or city Sanhedrins and ultimately the Great Sanhedrin in Yerushalayim fulfilled this mitzvah. As it related to the Great Sanhedrin headquartered at the Temple, Tim Hegg of Torah Resources wrote that “the sages teach that it was near the altar that the Sanhedrin would render their judgments, and that coming into the court and laying hold of the horns of the altar was a signal to the judges that an individual required a halachic decision or a ruling on a matter” (ibid., p. 115). Unfortunately, these entities were mostly corrupt and, more times than not, they failed to render Godly justice. Case in point: Yeshua’s trumped-up trial with false witnesses that were arrayed against Him, ultimately led to Him being convicted of heresy and condemned to Roman execution.

(17:12) Evil must be always purged from Israel. Any who treats the rulings of Yah’s priestly counsel with contempt must be executed.

(17:13) The point behind such harsh instructions is to ensure that the congregation fears Yehovah and the government that He has put in place over the nation. It prevents presumptuous behavior by the people. Capital punishment when it came to pagan and idol worship, according to Hegg, served “both a satisfying of His (i.e., Yah’s) justice as well as a deterrent to such sins” (ibid., p. 120). And one remedy that helps prevent the spread of pagan and idol worship is studying the weekly Torah Readings. When we engage in steadfast Torah reading and meditation (which should involve the whole of Scripture: the Torah, the Prophets, and the Apostolic), and we meditate upon the truths contained therein, we are blessed because we will not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the ways of sinners, but instead, gain our wisdom from meditating in Yah’s Torah day and night. In so doing, we become as trees planted by the rivers of water that bring forth proper and delightful fruit in their season. And whatever we do prospers (Psa 1:1-3; KJV).

1. The King to Rule Over Yisrael

(17:14-20) The Torah on Israel Installing a King to Rule Over Them. Contrary to some teachings, Yehovah never forbid us from installing a human king to rule over us in the Land. The Hebraic purpose for a human king was to provide his nation leadership and protection from surrounding warring nations. He would also serve in the capacity of a judge as we saw Solomon deciding the famous dispute of two women claiming that a child was theirs (1 Kin 3:16-28). But above all else, within the Hebraic government structure of Yehovah, the king was God’s servant. He was subject to Yah’s instructions and leading. He was ultimately responsible for setting an example and leading the nation in her covenant relationship with the Almighty.

Yah stipulated we adhere to a set of uncompromising standards for the installation of a presumptive king. First and foremost, after we settled in the land and it seems good to us to have a human king rule over us, that man must be one whom Yehovah chooses. Secondly, he is not to be a foreigner. He must, in fact, be our kinsman. Third, he is not to amass unto himself a massive calvary. Although we might install a human king to rule over us, our ultimate provider and protector was to remain Yehovah. So the presumptive king was to be prohibited from amassing such a sizeable and powerful army such that the nation no longer would trust Yah to lead and protect her. Fifth, the presumptive king would be prohibited from entering military and diplomatic agreements with Egypt. This is part and parcel of Yah’s prohibition against us ever returning to Egypt as a set-apart nation people. Sixth, the presumptive king was not to take unto himself multiple wives. The point behind this standard was that the presumptive king would be prohibited from creating political alliances that might challenge the integrity of Yah’s covenant relationship with Yisra’el. We again saw how Solomon was led astray by entering political and military alliances with surrounding pagan nations through his marriages to the kings of those pagan nations. Seventh, the presumptive king was prohibited from amassing wealth for himself in the form of silver and gold. Eighth, the presumptive king must write for himself a copy of this Torah from the master manuscript held and maintained by the Levitical priests. He was to maintain and read his copy of the Torah all the days he sat on the throne that Yah has given him. The purpose of this mitzvah should be apparent: Yah’s chosen king must always be mindful of the ways of Yehovah. He must fear Yah and diligently observe Yah’s instructions in righteousness. In so doing, this king would not lose sight of Whom he served. His heart is to be first and foremost for Yehovah and then for his people. He is not to turn either to the right or left in terms of His walk in the ways of Yehovah. And if he is careful to follow this mitzvah formula, Yah promised to grant him and his children a long reign over the kingdom he has given him. We know through the Yisra’el’s historical writings that most of the nation’s kings did not fulfill these stipulated standards, which more times than not contributed to the nation falling into apostacy and ultimately exile and bondage.

Practical Nazarene Israelite Application

Clearly, there is very little in the way of direct physical application of the mitzvot that is contained in our reading this week. Our Jewish and Hebrew brothers remain in a diaspora, even an exile state to a greater or lesser extent. And although there is supposedly a Sanhedrin in existence in the Land, there is no Mishkan or Temple from which they would operate out of. Our Jewish brethren insist that there are no longer any legitimate prophets and the Levitical Priesthood is currently shelved, at least in terms of any viable Temple operations. As it relates to a king, the nation-state of Israel has gone the way of the Western nations and operates via a form of democracy that essentially denies Yehovah as the nation’s Husband and head.

So, how should we Nazarene Yisra’elites approach this reading. Well, like most of our Torah readings where much of the content has been temporarily shelved because the present governmental and spiritual state of Yisra’el doesn’t facilitate a complete return to its former Hebraic functioning. Thus, we must consider these mitzvot — these instructions from a spirit and truth perspective. In particular, we are led to study the words of such readings each week from the perspective of shadow-pictures; of them being shadows of good things to come; of seeing the Person and ministries of Yeshua our Messiah and older Brother emerge from the pages of our reading. And upon seeing Yeshua in many aspects of our reading, we are afforded the opportunity to walk out our faith in fear and trembling such that we please our Heavenly Father.

As I mentioned previously in this discussion, Master Yeshua fulfilled perfectly every role and function of Yah’s government structure. He is the righteous Judge who has been given the authority to judge the peoples of this world: past, present, and future. He is the Holy and Righteous priest of the order of the Melek Zedek Who is presently operating out of the heaven Mishkan (aka Temple) on our behalf 24/7. He is that Prophet whom Moshe foretold Yah would raise up unto us from our midst and of Whom we must hearken (Deu 18:15). He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 17:14-16). He shall rule over us and over this world with a rod of iron (Rev 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). There shall be no end to His kingdom (Isa 9:7; Luk 1:33). He will bring about the final redemption of His people Yisra’el and restore the Paradise that was lost.

Look, we all can look out at the world today through the various news platforms and sources and see that the world is presently in a state of irreversible corruption. There is no shalom to be found except among Yah’s chosen ones. Consequently, all hell has broken out on this planet because man’s and the kingdom of darkness’ way of life only leads to death and utter destruction. It abhors shalom. And only Yah’s ways, as we’ve discussed in our exposition of this reading, can bring about true shalom.

So, we walk steadfastly in Yah’s set-apart ways, neither erring to the right or left; neither adding to or subtracting from Yah’s holy and righteous words. And while we walk out our faith in fear and trembling, we occupy until our Master comes. We bear good fruit and we do our part in the Great Commission.

I pray that you got something good out of our discussion today and that you have a blessed, restful and meaningful Shabbat wherever you are on this planet. And from there, it is my hope, trust and pray that you have an overcoming week. Until next time beloved of Mashiyach, take care.

Key Concepts to Contemplate/Meditate Upon:

• Shaphat = judgment; the administering of justice; to rule righteously.
• Torah = Yah’s instructions in righteousness.
• I-ed = witness.
• Mishpat = rendering a judgment for violations of Torah; a decision.
• Dabar = a word of the word; a matter; an affair such as a situation.
• Mem-Vav-Tav = death/dying
• Ra = defective
• Sheret = to serve