As I am recording and publishing this installment of TMTO, it is July 20, 2024. It is the 13th Day of the 4th Month of Yah’s Calendar Year.

So much is going on in the world today. And if you miss a news cycle, you stand a good chance of missing some earth-shattering event that has the potential to affect millions of people in some way or another. The pace of unfolding turmoil and chaos is occurring at a rapid pace. There is little to no room or opportunity for us to sit off to the side of this life and allow the unfolding turmoil and chaos to go on without us having to make a choice how we are going to deal with or handle that chaos and turmoil. Are we going to take a side and voice our concerns? Will we feel strongly enough about what’s going on around us to in some way involve ourselves in address those unfolding situations? Do we stick our individual or collective heads in the sand and let the turmoil and chaos, hopefully, pass us by? Or do we do as Yehovah instructed the Hebrew prophet of old to convey to remnant Yisra’el during one of that nation’s darkest moments in her history?

Write the vision, and that plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run. 3 For the vision is yet for a time, and it shall shoot forth at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come, and will not tarry.  4 If he should draw back, my soul has no pleasure in him: but the just shall live by my faith. (Hab 2:2-4 LXA)

I would hope that you would agree with me that the last option is Yah’s preferred, if not required, option for His set apart people to do in response to the unraveling chaos and turmoil of this world. We must do what Yah has instructed us to do and not get in the way of or involved in the world and what the world is doing. And this reality that I’m talking to you about here is what this week’s Torah Reading addresses. I’ve been led to entitle this discussion: “The Realities of the Messianic’s Ongoing War Against this World.” It will be my thoughts and reflections on the 141st reading of our 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. The Torah Reading itself is contained in Deuteronomy/Devarim 20:10-21:9; the Haftorah reading is contained in Joshua/Yahoshua 24:1-15; and the Apostolic reading is contained in 1 John/Yochanan 2:15-17.

Now, because our Torah Reading is somewhat lengthy, I would ask you to read, study, and meditate on it as you are so led. However, we will read portions of the Haftorah and the Apostolic for clarity.

The Torah for Hebrews engaging in Yah-ordained warfare (20:10-20)

War (The Torah for Hebrews engaging in Yah-ordained warfare). If Yah ordains it, one must conduct war in a judicial and ethical manner. The waging of such must place a value or preciousness to human life and Yah’s creation. Unlike the warfare that is waged in our present day, where there is little to no concern for human life and Yah’s creation.

Peace (The Hebrew must seek a peaceful resolution to war when engaging in an enemy that is separated by distance). Tributaries (20:10-11) or taxes levied against peace-seeking enemies. (cf. 1 Mac 1.29). Conversely, the Hebrew is required to besiege the non-peace-seeking enemy until YHVH gives her over to them (20.12-14). In such cases, the Hebrew forces were to slay all males with the sword and save the women and baggage (i.e. their children and the livestock). The spoils of that warfare (aka the Booty) would belong to the Hebrew combatants.

Then we have the fortified cities of Canaan. These Abba Yah “devoted to destruction (20:17-18) — extermination with extreme prejudice (If you are so led, either listen to or read my post entitled “Obedience to Torah — Marked for Destruction” where I went into the details and reasoning behind Yah’s instructions regarding those cities that were marked for destruction) (20:15). Why did Yah mark/mark certain Canaanite fortified cities and its people for destruction? These nations — the Hittites (descendants of Heth); the Amorites (descendants of Canaan); the Canaanites; the Perizzites; the Hivites (descendants of Canaan and sons of Ham); and the Jebusites (residents of Jebus) — practiced [forms of] paganism where the people engaged in acts that Yehovah would no longer allow to continue. Their religious and cultural practices were abominable to Yah (e.g., Moloch and child sacrifice worship). If these nations were not eliminated and the people and their abominable pagan ways were allowed to continue in our presence, they would inevitably entice us to partake in their horrendous abominable practices or syncretize/blend/attach some of their abominable worship practices into our worship of Yehovah. Of course, this would completely undermine and ruin our covenant relationship with Father Yah. 

Of course, Yah’s instructions related to those cities and peoples that He marked/devoted to destruction would seem unreasonably harsh to any who were not in a covenant relationship with the Creator of the Universe. To suggest that we would exterminate these Canaanites with extreme prejudice seems to defy our western sensibilities of rightness, tolerance, humanity, and so forth. But did not Father reveal to us in His Word that our righteousness was, in all reality, as if it were filthy [disgusting] rags (Isa 64.6)? And it is within the realm of human self righteousness, as it relates to the cities that were marked/devoted to destruction were concerned, that the so-called Jewish sages come into play here. These took it upon themselves to question Yah’s mindset and reasoning as it related to Yah’s instructions regarding how His people were to deal with or treat such abhorrent nations and peoples. The sages believed Yisra’el must seek a peaceful existence with all nations, including the abhorrent ones. Their thinking was such that all nations and peoples should be offered the opportunity to abandon their paganistic ways and submit to the so-called Noachide Laws (i.e. Sifrei 202; t. Sota 8:7; b. Sota 35b; Ramban’s Hilkhot Melakim 6:1).

But the truth of the matter is that Yah abhors all iterations or forms of paganism/idolatry to such a degree that He requires that it not be tolerated by us, and that it be eradicated from our midst. For our God is not only a jealous God (Exo. 20:5; 34:14; Deu 4:24; 5:9; 6:15:Jos 24:19), but more so, He abhors the idolatrous-evil-abominable behavior that comes out of pagan worship and culture. Consequently, paganism/idolatry potentially undermines Yah’s covenant relationship with His set-apart people. Unfortunately, the pagan practices and culture of the nations that Yah devoted/marked to destruction were, for all intents and purposes, irredeemable. This being the case, Yah’s set apart people cannot tolerate the presence of such nation peoples in our midst. Why? Because “a little leaven leaventh the whole lump” (1 Cor 5.6; Gal 5.9). Yah knows that and He expected that we would understand this reality. Further more, Yehovah does not tolerate “syncretism” to any degree. And syncretism is the religious “soup de jour” in Catholicism and Denominationalism. Not by mistake, mind you. Syncretism was intentionally added to the so-called early Church so that Christianity would be more appealing to the masses.

Sadly, however, our ancient Hebrew cousins failed to obliterate those marked/devoted nation peoples as Yah commanded, which consequently led to us engaging in syncretistic worship of Yehovah, which then led to Yah’s judgments and punishments against us.

In engaging our enemies in battle, Yah commanded us to spare the fruit-bearing trees (20:19-20). In other words, Yah forbade us from engaging in wanton destruction of the land’s agricultural resources.

Canaan’s productive agriculture was to be spared from wanton/unjustified destruction because it had nothing to do with the abominable culture and practices of the land’s evil people. For all agriculture serves a God-ordained, created purpose that we must respect even in the heat of battle.

You see, when the elements of Yah’s creative order are fulfilling their respective purpose and the will of its Creator, Yehovah blesses and promotes their continued function in His creative order. However, when these elements fail to fulfill their purpose and the will of their creator — and we’re talking human, animal, and plant life — they stand to be eliminated from the creative order (e.g. Yeshua curses the fig tree — Mat 21).

Godly Justice related to the shedding of innocent blood in a Hebrew community (21.1-9).

The Levitical Priests were required to inquire and resolve every complex legal dispute. Every case of assault would be subject to their ruling. The council of elders of the town where the remains of a murdered soul was found would be required absolve itself of the shedding of innocent blood by washing of that town’s leaders’ hands over the carcus of a hamstrung/slaughtered heifer to be placed in a dry riverbed.

This ritual would be required of the involved community’s leaders in the event that there was no identified or known murderer. The leaders of the community who, before the ears and sight of Yehovah, would profess that they knew nothing about the demise of the innocent victim. Their profession of innocence was to be bolstered by performing this “heifer” ritual.

The point of this ritual, despite its seeming futility and pointlessness, was meant to officially address and acknowledge that there was indeed a shedding of innocent blood in their community. Thus, Yah’s continued support and promotion of the value of human life, which, as Tim Hegg of Torah Resources points out, is contrary to our modern secular views and treatment of human life (e.g. the prevalence of abortions; euthanasia; murder; violence; hatred at all levels; etc.; Hegg; Commentary on Deuteronomy; p. 136). The devaluing of life is self-perpetuating. It will always lead to continued and increased incidents of violence and murder in any society if it is not properly checked.

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Haftorah Reading 141: The Renewal of the Mosaic Covenant Under Joshua — Joshua’s Appeal to Yisra’el to only serve Yehovah (Jos 24:1-15).

After the conquest of the Land of Promise, our leader, Joshua, son of Nun, called every Yisra’eli Tribe  to assemble at Shiloh. He set each tribe’s elders, scribes, and judges before Yehovah (Jos 24.1-15):

Before the nation and her tribal representatives, Joshua reaffirms the Mosaic Covenant after briefly rehashing the nation’s history: 14 And now, fear the Lord and serve him in uprightness and in righteousness, and put away the foreign gods that our fathers served in the region beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if it is not pleasing to you to serve the Lord, choose for you yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers in the region of them beyond the river or the gods of the Amorites among whom you live upon their land. I and my household will serve the Lord because he is holy.’ ”Rick Brannan, Ken M. Penner et al., The Lexham English Septuagint, Second Edition. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Jos 24:14–15.

Here we have an official rejection of paganism/idolatry of any form and an irresistible call for us to serve Yehovah with a “wholeness of heart” (Hegg; p. 136). This whole-hearted service to Yah is tightly linked to this week’s Apostolic reading.

Apostolic Reading for 141: We are not to covenant with the World

15Do not love the world nor that which is in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16Because all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but the one doing the desire of Elohim remains forever. The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), 1 Jn 2:15–17.

The overriding concept of our Apostolic Reading is the contrast of “love” (i.e. agapao) for this world and the things of this world, versus “love” for Yehovah and His Ways.

The Koine Greek term Agapao means to be fond of or to prize someone or certain individuals or something or certain things that are associated with this world or with our God. Consequently, the Apostle points out the realities of there being a distinct contrast between the love (i.e. the agapao) that we may have for the world and its trappings, as well as for the love we may have Yehovah and His Ways. And clearly, at the expense of stating the obvious, the overwhelming majority of folks on this planet love this world and all that this world has to offer them (Joh 3.19). Of course, this is unacceptable to the Creator who demands that His chosen/elect ones instead love Him and His ways unequivocally.

This “agapao” is framed in what Greek scholars refer to as the “present active imperative.” According to Torah teacher and author Tim Hegg, of Torah Resources, the present active imperative that agapao/agapate as framed in our text  is “something that the believer must constantly be on guard against” (Hegg, T.; A Commentary on the Johannine Epistles; Torah Resources; p. 94). Of this, Hegg continues by quoting a Martin M. Culy, of McMaster Divinity College: “The imperfective (present tense) should not be pressed to imply that the readers were currently loving the world and needing to stop…Rather, it is the natural choice for prohibiting an action that is viewed as a process…” (I, II, III John: A Handbook on the Greek Text; Baylor Univ. Press; 2004; p. 42). And so, if I’m understanding Mr. Culy correctly, he is saying that John was counseling his readers to always be on guard that they do not get caught in the snare of falling in love with this world and the things of this world. For the truth of the matter is that “friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim” and that “whoever therefore intends to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim” (Jas 4.4; The Scriptures ISR).

The Hebrew understanding of “love” (aka agapao) is inextricably embedded in the Hebrew concept of “covenant.” Recall that a “covenant” (aka berit) is a “binding agreement “between “two or more parties.” The involved parties to the covenant mutually “pledge” that they will abide in the “relationship” that the cut agreement stipulates. Each covenant has stipulated “actions” that are incumbent upon each party engaging in, as well as each covenant has “consequences” if either party fails to keep their end of the agreement (Hegg, T., p. 95). And so, covenant, in and of itself, denotes a “binding relationship” that each signatory to the agreement has entered into and who has determined to continue acting in accordance with the terms of that covenant agreement. When covenants involve Yehovah and His chosen people, Yah is always steadfast or faithful in keeping His end of the covenant agreement, even when His people fall short as it relates to their keeping the terms of the covenant (Isa 54.10; Psa 89.28). (This is why those who adhere to the tenets of “Replacement Theology” find themselves in gross error and in opposition to the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov. Yah had declared that He will stay faithful to His covenant with Yisra’el and He will redeem and restore them despite their failures to keep covenant with Him.) Our love for Yehovah is then defined by our demonstrated faithfulness/steadfast loyalty and whole-hearted keeping of the terms of the covenant that Yah cut with us back in the day (i.e. keeping His Torah and the terms of the marriage covenant He cut with us at Mount Sinai). Our faithfulness/loyalty/steadfastness to the keeping of the whole covenant we cut with Yah is demonstrative of our love for Yehovah and His Son Yeshua. Is this not how Master Yeshua defined what His disciples’ love for Him looked like: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments…The one who has My commandments and keeps them, that one is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him…If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My father’s commandments and remain in His love” (Joh 14.14, 15; 15:10; LEB).

Contextually, this is what the Apostle meant by us “not loving this world or the things of this world” and believers “possessing the love of the Father” in our Apostolic Reading (1 Joh 2:15). He is reminding his readers to not fall prey to forgetting Who and what they are covenanted to. Netsarim/Nazarene Yisra’elites are covenanted to Yehovah and His ways, not to this world and its ways and cultures. For when we become loyal to the world, its ways, and its culture, we have effectively fallen out of covenant with the Almighty and have failed our Master Yeshua. The Apostle is reminding us to not compromise our stake and position in the covenant relationship we share with Yah through the Person and ministries of Yahoshua Messiah. Master Yeshua provided us with all we need to remain compliant with the terms of the covenant agreement we have with His Father (i.e. we possess His Father’s Holy Spirit and we have His Father’s instructions in righteousness), so that our relationship with Abba Yah is not adversely impacted. All of which means that we must not become yoked/bound with or joined to the things of this world (e.g., its music, politics, ways of thinking, dress, attitudes, practices, sports, movies, inappropriate human relationships, etc.). There is no room for divided loyalties, syncretism, or compromises in our walk with Messiah. Yah abhors all of these things. Consider for example the Master’s critical message to the Messianic Assembly in Laodicea:

15“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. 16“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. 17“Because you say, ‘Rich I am, and I am made rich, Hosh. 12:8 and need none at all,’ and do not know that you are wretched, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 18“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you become rich; and white garments, so that you become dressed, so that the shame of your nakedness might not be shown; and anoint your eyes with ointment, so that you see. 19“As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. So be ardent and repent. The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Re 3:15–19.

Beloved, it’s not that we can never enjoy some of the appropriate things of this world from time-to-time such as a wholesome movie or a beautiful song and music. Such things, however, become a problem when we cross that Rubicon and give all of our time, attention, and resources to the world and the things of this world. And so, it behooves us to always seek the Spirit’s leading and guidance when contemplating what things of this world are appropriate and to what extent should we engage in them. We must be able to answer the burning question of “are those things of the world that we are being drawn to conducive or detrimental to my covenant relationship with Yah? Will my delving into those questionable things of this world create a shared loyalty situation, or will it cause me to compromise my relationship with the Almighty? Who and what has my steadfast loyalty: Yah and His Son Yahoshua, or the world and its trappings? John and Joshua, as noted in our reading today, encourage us to engage in a perpetual soul searching to determine who and what possesses our loyalties so that we may make informed decisions as to Whom we will serve this day.

The enemy (aka hasatan) knows that if he is to be successful in undermining the plans and purposes of the Creator of the Universe, he must sway the hearts, minds, and souls of the citizens of this planet to not love Yehovah and His ways, but rather, to love this world and the things of this corrupt world. And having had many millennia to study people and their inherent weaknesses, the enemy has come to know all too well how to sway the hearts, minds, and souls of Yah’s human creation away from their Creator over to the world and its ways. The enemy accomplishes the bulk of his work, according to John, by pinging upon an individual’s innate longing for things that satisfy the desires of their flesh; those things that appeal to their eyes; and their lust for material possessions. Recall that all three temptation elements were deployed against Adam and Eve by the enemy in Gan Eden (aka the Garden of Eden-Gen 3.5-6). And recall further that the enemy attempted to turn Yeshua away from His Father by pinging on these three temptation elements (Mat 4.1-11). But we saw how the Master rebuffed each temptation element by standing firmly upon His Father’s Torah and throwing those elements back at the enemy.

When these longings and the pursuit of fulfilling these longing take over the hearts, minds, and souls of an individual, the love that Father Yah demands from them become eclipsed and He is effectively kicked to the curb, so to speak. Needless to say, Yah does not appreciate it when His human creation loves this world and the things of this world over loving Him and His ways. And what makes this all the more a challenging and complex dilemma is that Yah is not willing to share loyalties with anyone or anything: it’s becomes a choice of loving Him and His ways, or sticking with loving this world and the things of this world. Consequently, loving this world and the things of this world comes at a steep price. Loving this world demands loyalty and allegiance to it. But the paradigm that Yah has in place for His chosen/elect ones does not provide for shared allegiances and loyalties with this world. Because we are still human, we must exist in this world. But Yeshua requires His chosen/elect ones to be Not of this World (i.e. to not be in covenant with this world and its systems-Joh 17). And this, I think we would all agree, is a hard pill for the vast majority of peoples on this planet to swallow. To be of this world is antithetical to belonging (i.e. being in covenant with) the Holy One of Yisra’el. And if the unredeemed to make a course correction and abandon their loyalties to this world, they will sadly be “devoted to destruction” (i.e. I never knew you: depart from Me, ye worker of iniquity/lawlessness-Mat 7.23).

Anything that is outside of Yah’s Word, or that is not in alignment with Yah’s instructions in righteousness, belongs to the enemy. There are eternal benefits for loving Father Yah over loving this world. When we love Yehovah with our whole being and we obey Him and walk exclusively in His ways exclusively through Faith in the Person and ministries of Yeshua our Messiah, we are then gifted with eternal life.

Our covenant relationship with Abba Yah through Yeshua Messiah mandates we make definitive life and spiritual choices that have eternal ramifications attached to them. In making those choices, we are required to avoid those things of this life that may compromise the covenant relationship we have with the Almighty. Both the Apostle and Master Yahoshua warn us to be “on guard” of this reality:

34“And take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down by gluttony, and drunkenness, and worries of this life, and that day come on you suddenly. The Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Lk 21:34.

12Fight 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 Scriptures, 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), 1 Ti 6:12.

Indeed, remaining loyal to our covenant relationship with Yah is often a struggle and to a greater or lesser extent, it is a war that we wage against this world each and every day. But we know that we have the wherewithal to overcome the challenges and inticements of this world.

Master taught: 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Jn 16:33.

And,

4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 1 Jn 4.

And with that beloved, we will bring this installment of TMTO to an end. I pray that you were blessed as much as I was blessed this week in my preparations for sharing this word with you. My prayer is that you have a blessed rest of your Sabbath and that you have an overcoming week in Yeshua Messiah. And until next time, may you be most blessed fellow saints in training. Until next time, take care.