Parashah 50: Ki Tavo (When you come)
Deuteronomy 26:1 through 29:8

Parashah 50: Ki Tavo (When you come) - Deuteronomy 26:1 through 29:8.

Haftarah reading: Isaiah 60:1-22.

B'rit Hadasha suggested reading: Matthew 13:1-23; Luke 21:1-4; Acts 28:17-31; Romans 11:1-15.

Tanach Scriptures are from Stern's Complete Jewish Bible; B'rit Chadash Scriptures from the Aramaic English New Testament.

Welcome "newbies" and "oldies!" As you all know, Torah was written by Moshe (Moses) and consists of the first five Books of the Bible which contain God's original Divine Instructions in Righteousness. Since this is a Netzarim (Nazarene/Messianic) website, we refer to God by His proper Name: Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, transliterated into English as YHWH, and most likely pronounced "Yah-way" (see Exodus 3:13-15). His Son's Name is Y'shua (most likely pronounced "Ye-shoo-ah"). Enjoy this week's Torah portion!

For those who are able to understand the words of this parashah at the "gut level" it becomes obvious that YHWH's words through Moshe (Moses) have reverberated throughout the millennia to reveal that the state of the world today is a direct result of our disobedience to Torah (YHWH's Divine Instruction in Righteousness!) Please allow His words to speak to your heart as you follow along with this study, beginning with Deuteronomy 26:16-19, where we discover what it takes to be a holy people for ADONAI:

Deuteronomy 26: 16 "Today ADONAI your God orders you to obey these laws and rulings. Therefore, you are to observe and obey them with all your heart and all your being. 17 You are agreeing today that ADONAI is your God and that you will follow his ways; observe his laws, mitzvot and rulings; and do what he says. 18 In turn ADONAI is agreeing today that you are his own unique treasure, as he promised you; that you are to observe all his mitzvot; 19 and that he will raise you high above all the nations he has made, in praise, reputation and glory; and that, as he said, you will be a holy people for ADONAI your God."

Note that Deuteronomy 26:16-19 alone provides the very clear message that YHWH's people (that includes YOU - not just "the Jews" but ALL who accept the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!) are to OBEY His mitzvot (words/commands), WHICH IS WHAT MAKES THEM HOLY! YHWH's people are not about any of the world's many "religions"; they are all about HIM! Please let that sink in…

Unfortunately today, how many actually know what it means to "be holy?" For many of the Hollywood types and our government officials, for instance, "being holy" means occasionally attending, and being seen, at their respective churches of whatever religion they adhere to, or the wearing of huge crosses around their necks to show the world how "holy" they are. Do they even realize that the "cross" was a Roman DEATH device?

Yes, Y'shua died on a thing similar to "a cross" but why would anyone want to wear it around their neck? (It's a good thing Y'shua wasn't hanged, or else they would all be wearing nooses around their necks....) How many truly "godly" actors, singers or dancers and government officials do we know? How many have given themselves to YHWH and actually bother to obey His Torah?

We at The Refiner's Fire receive many emails from Christians who insist the scripture cited above "was only for the Israelites" or "the Jews" back then, and they insist they don't have to bother with this today because "Jesus paid it all, and the only thing we have to do today is 'believe in Him', because we're under grace and the Law is now written on our hearts."

Our response is usually something like this:

Let's move on to today's lesson where we see YHWH AGAIN reiterating that His people are to obey His Torah:

Deuteronomy 27: 1 Then Moshe and all the leaders of Isra'el gave orders to the people. They said, "Observe all the mitzvot I am giving you today. 2 When you cross the Yarden to the land ADONAI your God is giving you, you are to set up large stones, put plaster on them, 3 and, after crossing over, write this Torah on them, every word -so that you can enter the land ADONAI your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as ADONAI, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 When you have crossed the Yarden, you are to set up these stones, as I am ordering you today, on Mount 'Eival; and put plaster on them.

5 There you are to erect an altar to ADONAI your God, an altar made of stones. You are not to use any iron tool on them, 6 but are to build the altar of ADONAI your God of uncut stones; and you are to offer burnt offerings on it to ADONAI your God. 7 Also you are to sacrifice peace offerings, eat there and be joyful in the presence of ADONAI your God. 8 You are to write on the stones all the words of this Torah very clearly." 9 Next Moshe and the cohanim, who are L'vi'im, spoke to all Isra'el. They said, "Be quiet; and listen, Isra'el! Today you have become the people of ADONAI your God. 10 Therefore you are to listen to what ADONAI your God says and obey his mitzvot and laws, which I am giving you today."

Obviously obedience to Torah is NOT a suggestion! And Yeshua confirmed this time and time again! (See Matthew 5:17-20 and then ask yourself if ALL has already happened and heaven and earth have passed away!)

Please note verse 2, "when you cross the Yarden." Remember, the word "Hebrew" means "to cross over." YHWH's people this time are crossing over both physically and spiritually, as they are in the process of being taught the history about how YHWH came to be their God and how they are to be a light to the nations THROUGH OBEDIENCE to His Torah! Nowhere are we ever told to STOP obeying the Mitzvot YHWH gave His people! (Granted, many of the Torah laws cannot be kept today because most of them were for the priests of the day, some were only for men and others only for women. But there are several "forever" commands we can and should keep.)

Please note verse 8 which says "THIS Torah"; not "a" Torah or "the" Torah, but THIS Torah (haTorah)! Same thing in Deuteronomy 27:26 which says: "'A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah by putting them into practice. 'All the people are to say, 'Amen!' (WOW! Could it be ANY clearer? Torah is not "a curse" as most Christians insist; one is cursed if one doesn't obey Torah!

If you'll look ahead to Deut. 28:69/29:1, you'll see YHWH saying: 1 These are the words of the covenant which ADONAI ordered Moshe to make with the people of Isra'el in the land of Mo'av, in addition to the covenant which he made with them in Horev." The Covenant at Horeb was giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. THIS ONE - the one spoken of in today's parashah - was given at Moav in addition to the former one that was given to the original people who came out of Egypt. Remember, today, YHWH is addressing their offspring and those who lived to see this moment, to remind them of their history.

Most don't realize they've cursed themselves because they do NOT believe the Torah is relevant today! (Please read Numbers 15:13-16 again.) Christianity has changed the dates, times and laws because of the erroneous assumption that "the law is a curse and all we have to do to be saved is believe in Jesus!"

Exodus 31: 13 "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am ADONAI, who sets you apart for me. 14 Therefore you are to keep my Shabbat, because it is set apart for you. Everyone who treats it as ordinary must be put to death; for whoever does any work on it is to be cut off from his people. 15 On six days work will get done; but the seventh day is Shabbat, for complete rest, set apart for ADONAI. Whoever does any work on the day of Shabbat must be put to death. 16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant.

Remember: Gentile believers are a part of Israel...Halleuyah! And Yeshua didn't say He came to abolish His Father's Divine Instructions in Righteousness; rather, He came to proclaim the Kingdom and to fulfill His obligations as Messiah. Please think about that! A footnote in the AENT explains:

Check out how the Bible ends and what determines who gets into heaven! Please read it again and again until you understand that those who ignore YHWH's Torah will not enter heaven:

Revelation 22: 14. Blessed are they who do His (Master YHWH's) Mitzvot, that they may have a right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city. 15. Without (will be) dogs (those who are evil/pagan) and sorcerers, and whoremongers and manslayers and idolaters, and everyone that loves and does falsehood. 16. I Y'shua have sent my Messenger to testify to you these things before the assemblies. I am the root and offspring of Dawid: like the splendid star of the morning.

17. And the Spirit and the bride say, You come. And let him that hears, say, You come. And let him who thirsts, come; and he that is inclined, let him take the living water freely. 18. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, that if anyone will add to them, Elohim will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19. And if anyone will take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim will take away his portion from the tree of life and from the Set Apart city, which are described in this book. 20. He who testifies these things, says: Yes, I come quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Y'shua! 21. The grace of our Master (Y'shua) Y'shua the Mashiyach, (be) with all the Set Apart believers. Amen.

Moving on toDeuteronomy 27 we notice that it reveals the actions that cause YHWH's people to be cursed, specifically verse 26, which says: "'A curse on anyone who does not confirm the words of this Torah by putting them into practice.'All the people are to say, 'Amen!'

Saying "amen" after each of the curses meant you agreed with what was said, and you've therefore made a covenant with God: The root of the word comes from Hebrew aman which means to nourish and make strong. Emunah (faithfulness) also comes from aman. The ancient Greeks used the word (AMHN) from Hebrew to mean 'truth', 'surely', 'absolutely'. It is one of just a few Hebrew words which have been imported unchanged into Church liturgy.

Agreeing to YHWH's curses on us if we disobey might seem strange and some might be tempted to sluff it off with, "Well, that was Old Testament stuff meant for Moses and his people." But hardly anyone stops to think that today's decadent and fallen society is a direct result of our disobedience! Harsh words? Yes, but take a look at this:

Deuteronomy 28: 1 "If you listen closely to what ADONAI your God says, observing and obeying all his mitzvot which I am giving you today, ADONAI your God will raise you high above all the nations on earth; 2 and all the following blessings will be yours in abundance -if you will do what ADONAI your God says: 3 "A blessing on you in the city, and a blessing on you in the countryside. 4 "A blessing on the fruit of your body, the fruit of your land and the fruit of your livestock - the young of your cattle and flocks.

5 "A blessing on your grain-basket and kneading-bowl. 6 "A blessing on you when you go out, and a blessing on you when you come in. 7 "ADONAI will cause your enemies attacking you to be defeated before you; they will advance on you one way and flee before you seven ways. 8 "ADONAI will order a blessing to be with you in your barns and in everything you undertake; he will bless you in the land ADONAI your God is giving you. 9 "ADONAI will establish you as a people separated out for himself, as he has sworn to you - if you will observe the mitzvot of ADONAI your God and follow his ways.

10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that ADONAI's name, his presence, is with you; so that they will be afraid of you. 11 "ADONAI will give you great abundance of good things - of the fruit of your body, the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land in the land ADONAI swore to your ancestors to give you. 12 ADONAI will open for you his good treasure, the sky, to give your land its rain at the right seasons and to bless everything you undertake. You will lend to many nations and not borrow;

13 ADONAI will make you the head and not the tail; and you will be only above, never below - if you will listen to, observe and obey the mitzvot of ADONAI your God 14 and not turn away from any of the words I am ordering you today, neither to the right nor to the left, to follow after other gods and serve them. 15 "But if you refuse to pay attention to what ADONAI your God says, and do not observe and obey all his mitzvot and regulations which I am giving you today, then all the following curses will be yours in abundance....

YHWH IS NOT KIDDING AROUND! Blessings are what we gain by OBEDIENCE; curses are what we gain from DISOBEDIENCE. Today's world is cursed; just take a look around you! We cannot pick and choose what to follow! Those who OBEY are blessed in every way, and those who do not, are cursed; simple as that!

Take a look at Deuteronomy 28:20-30. Do some of those passages "hit home" for you? Most of the western United States is presently undergoing the worst drought in history! Farmers can't grow crops or water their animals. Many have been forced to take their animals to slaughter houses to keep them from starving to death, and to keep themselves from going bankrupt.

How many natural disasters has the world experienced over the last decade? How many fires, floods, tornadoes, tsunamies, volcanoes and hurricanes have we seen in just the last ten years? And how many today have bought a home they never got to live in because it went into foreclosure? These passages weren't just for "the Jews" - they have rung true throughout history, and our Torah-less world in these "end times" is in the process of being shaken up!

Deuteronomy 28: 20 "ADONAI will send on you curses, disasters and frustration in everything you set out to do, until you are destroyed and quickly perish, because of your evil actions in abandoning me. 21 "ADONAI will bring on you a plague that will stay with you until he has exterminated you from the land you are entering in order to take possession of it. 22 ADONAI will strike you down with wasting diseases, fever, inflammation, fiery heat, drought, blasting winds and mildew; and they will pursue you until you perish. 23 "The sky over your head will be brass and the earth under you iron. 24 ADONAI will turn the rain your land needs into powder and dust that will fall on you from the sky until you are destroyed.

25 "ADONAI your God will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you will advance on them one way and flee before them seven. You will become an object of horror to every kingdom on earth. 26 Your carcasses will become food for all the birds in the air and the wild animals, and there will be no one to scare them away. 27 ADONAI will strike you down with the boils that broke out on the Egyptians, tumors, skin lesions and itching, all incurable. 28 ADONAI will strike you with insanity, blindness and utter confusion. 29 You will grope about at noon like a blind person groping in the dark, unable to find your way. "You will be continually oppressed and robbed, and there will be no one to save you. 30 You will get engaged to a woman, but another man will marry her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not use its fruit.

Please read through to the end of the chapter 28. To understand what this means in context, we need to realize that we are YHWH's children. Like YHWH, we as parents expect our toddlers to listen, obey and learn. We tell them, "If you obey me, I will reward you with this candy bar (or whatever). However, if you don't do what Mommy/Daddy tells you (because, as adults we know that the consequences of disobedience might hurt, maim or kill our children), then I will spank you. I'm doing this because I love you and I know what's best for you. Once you grow up, you'll understand why I did this."

Without resorting to research into statistics, how often today do we see broken relationships with people "shacking up" or getting divorced soon after they marry, simply because they didn't bother to live according to YHWH's rules? Today, most don't build their own homes, but they DO buy...and lately, with the real estate market failing, many have lost their homes to foreclosures. The entire world is experiencing trials, tribulations and plagues of various types, fires, floods, volcanoes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis???.Check this out:

Deuteronomy 28: 33 A nation unknown to you will eat the fruit of your land and labor. Yes, you will be continually oppressed and crushed, 34 till you go crazy from what your eyes have to see. 35 ADONAI will strike you down in the knees and legs with painful and incurable boils; they will spread from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. 36 ADONAI will bring you and your king whom you have put over yourselves to a nation you have not known, neither you nor your ancestors; and there you will serve other gods made of wood and stone. 37 You will be so devastated as to become a proverb and a laughingstock among all the peoples to which ADONAI will drive you.

Please contemplate the above! How does it apply to Americans today? The "nation unknown" to us could well be referring to the Muslims from the Middle East whose entire government is based on the Koran (which came from the mere man Mohammed, who was a murdering, thieving pedophile); a people who have proven they hate the Western world - a people who are slowly attempting to take over the world ... Exactly what the murdering terrorist group ISIS are doing!

The terrorists who hijacked American planes to destroy the Twin Towers on 9/11 partook of the teachings of Western flight schools, and they lived in our country and enjoyed our food and our way of life before sacrificing themselves to their god. They have continuously terrorized and oppressed us over the last 30 years or so and, what's more, they don't hesitate to BEHEAD infidels!

Please note that Revelation 20:1-4 discusses that many believers in Messiah will be beheaded - not shot, hanged or stabbed, but beheaded! And who are the only people in the world today who still behead?

While most of our countries are no longer ruled by kings, this does refer to our leaders - and as you all know, some of them have been less-than-stellar examples of the qualities outlined in Scripture....

Deuteronomy 28: 43 "The foreigner living with you will rise higher and higher while you sink lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he will be the head and you the tail....

The above has happened on several levels, including the fact that the country of China practically owns the U.S. today! Furthermore, the Bank of Islam (which recently changed its name to the more "Western" sounding Arcapita has started buying up U.S. enterprises such as the Caribou Coffee and Church's Chicken chains, etc.

They have also also made it VERY clear that they will not be doing business with anyone who doesn't adhere to Sha'ria Law (Koran). Over the course of time, when the Bank of Islam has merged with other world banks and owns the business of most of the world, what will happen to us believers who refuse to bow down to Allah? It is unfathomable that they would allow us to keep our jobs! The Koran orders Muslims to kill anyone who doesn't conform to Islam. And, let's not forget, as we've seen in the headlines over the past few years, the Muslims have already started beheading "infidels" - anyone who doesn't adhere to the Koran....

America as a whole has allowed many religions and much religiosity into its core, filled to the hilt with paganism. Instead of squashing the false gods (which include love of self, money, possessions, etc.) and kicking satanism, witchcraft and Islam out of our midst like YHWH commanded us to do, we have allowed them to flourish - because, after all, "it's a free country and the politically correct thing to do"....

Please take a moment to read through the following to see what lies ahead for the world in which we live.

Deuteronomy 28: 45 "All these curses will come on you, pursuing you and overtaking you until you are destroyed, because you didn't pay attention to what ADONAI your God said, observing his mitzvot and regulations that he gave you. 46 These curses will be on you and your descendants as a sign and a wonder forever. 47 Because you didn't serve ADONAI your God with joy and gladness in your heart when you had such an abundance of everything; 48 ADONAI will send your enemy against you; and you will serve him when you are hungry, thirsty, poorly clothed and lacking everything; he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he destroys you.

49 Yes, ADONAI will bring against you a nation from far away that will swoop down on you from the end of the earth like a vulture, a nation whose language you don't understand, 50 a nation grim in appearance, whose people neither respect the old nor pity the young. 51 They will devour the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your soil, until you have been destroyed. They will leave you without grain, wine, olive oil, or your young cattle and sheep - until they have caused you to perish. 52 They will besiege all your towns until your high, fortified walls, in which you trusted, collapse everywhere in your land, which ADONAI your God gave you....

Deuteronomy 28: 63 "Thus it will come about that just as once ADONAI took joy in seeking to do you good and increase your numbers, so now ADONAI will take joy in causing you to perish and be destroyed, and you will be plucked off the land you are entering in order to take possession of it. 64 ADONAI will scatter you among all peoples from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other gods, made of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. 65 Among these nations you will not find repose, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; rather ADONAI will give you there anguish of heart, dimness of eyes and apathy of spirit. 66 Your life will hang in doubt before you; you will be afraid night and day and have no assurance that you will stay alive.

The essence of the entire Bible hinges on whether we CHOOSE to obey or not. YHWH doesn't force us to obey; we have the choice not to. And because most of the world has chosen NOT to, we are about to be "spit out of" Yeshua's mouth (Revelation 3:16) - which is an event that is closer than most people realize!

Brit Chadasha reading:

In today's suggested Brit Chadasha readings we see the following, which brings tears to the eyes of believers because Yeshua tried so hard to make people realize they had to SHEMA (hear AND do). Please read this very carefully:

Matthew 13: 1. Now on that day Y'shua went out from the house and sat by the side of the sea. 2. And large crowds gathered around him, so that he went up to sit himself on a boat, and all the crowd was standing on the shore of the sea. 3. And he was speaking much to them in parables, and said, Behold, a sower went out to sow, 4. and while he was sowing, there was some that fell upon the side of the road, and a bird came and ate it. 5. And some others fell where stony ground was, and there was not much soil there. And at once, it sprouted because there was no depth to the ground. 6. When the sun came up and it became hot, and because it had not rooted, it withered. 7. And some others fell into a thorny place and grew up thistles and choked it. 8. And others fell on good ground and bore fruit: some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.

9. He who has ears to hear let him hear. 10. And his disciples approached and said to him, "Why do you speak in parables to them? 11. And he answered and said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. 12. For to him who has, it will be given to him and it will increase to him, and to him who has not, even that which he has will be taken from him. 13. Because of this, I will speak in parables with them because they see, and they see not, and they hear and they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14. And is fulfilled in them the prophecy of Yesha'yahu which said that, "Hearing, and you will not understand what you will hear, and seeing you will see not know what you see." 15. For hardened is the heart of this people, and with their ears they were hard of hearing, and their eyes are blinded that they should not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand in their heart and return and I heal them. 16. But blessed are you. You have eyes that see and ears that hear.

17. For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men have longed to see the things that you see, and they did not see, and to hear, and they did not hear. 18. But you hear the parable of the seed. 19. Everyone who hears the word of the Kingdom and does not understand it comes the evil one and snatches the word, which was sown in his heart. This is that which upon the side of the road was sown. 20. And that which was sown upon stony ground is he that hears the word and accepts it at once in joy. 21. But he has no root in him but is temporal. And when trouble or persecution comes, he is quickly offended because of the word. 22. And that which was sown into a thorny place is he that hears the word and the cares of this world and the deception of riches choke the word, and it becomes without fruit. 23. But that which was sown upon good earth is he that hears my word and understands and produces and bears fruit, some a hundred, and some sixty, and some thirty.

Romans 11:8 tells us: As it is written: Elohim gave them a stupid spirit and eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, to this very day....

MOST TODAY DO NOT HEAR OR SEE!

We pray that this lesson touched each of you, and made you aware of the importance of OBEDIENCE to our Creator, who only wants the best for us! Obedience to YHWH is NOT an option for those of us who are His! He provided endless and in-depth guidance for moral, holy living. That never changed just because Yeshua chose to become our Final SIN Sacrifice.

The next Parashah reading will be:

Parashah 51: Nitzavim (Standing) - Deuteronomy 29:9(10) - 30:20.

Haftarah reading: Isaiah 61:10 - 63:9.

B'rit Hadasha suggested reading: Romans 9:30 - 10:13; Hebrews 12:14-15.

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