MISHPATIM * ‘Judgments’

Exodus 21:1- 24:18, 30:11-16, II Kings 12:1-17, Mark 9

SHEVAT 19-25, 2015 – Year of the Seventh Shemittah cycle.

Seven has many representations. Adonai brings it to our attention quickly in Genesis in the Creation account. He sifted through the universe and pressed it to behold our earth. He told what he pressed every day to bring about that final sifting that produced REST.  Seven is that final reward of hard work.  Why do we argue about this, Rest?

I say this as the word ‘Judgment’ is taken as a negative by most humans. It is in judgment that something is clarified to make right. The punishment of a judgment can be another matter. In our Messiah Yeshua’s case, He bore the penalty of that ruling on the stake for every human being who would accept it. If man choose to not accept this substitution for their penalty of their sins while they lived on His earth, then they condemned themselves to their rightful penalty.

This study begins with the word Mishpatim or judgment because the verses chosen by the great rabbis begin with verse 21:l “Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.”

The word ordinances is used as judgments or legislation. The people needed to know how to live safely among each other. These ordinances were set before them to keep them safe.  If they did NOT live by them, then it would bring them harm.

It is the same analogy about Messiah Yeshua. God tells us that we can remain in our curse or be blessed. We choose whom we will follow. Christians follow a God that promotes physical and spiritual life and other gods do NOT offer this. In fact, some gods promote killings and murders as we clearly see in ISIS who started the newest ‘shock and awe’ in our history of humans killing one another.

Now…..let’s get into the study of what our Creator wanted to be established as a standard for His earthly children in order that they may live safely on planet earth. These are NOT ordinances to harm you, but to help you live happily.

Many of these ordinances may not even apply to me or you. There are over 613 plus that God laid out so specifically so man would not be confused on how to articulate them.   There are ordinances for men only, women only, in the land of Israel only, outside the land only…..etc, etc, etc.

To make clear….these ordinances do NOT save us, but they help us to live peacefully with man and our Creator on this planet. When we come to the next week’s study called, Terumah, we will be seeing the building of the tabernacle which will relate to our spiritual relationship with God (Elohim).

For now…let’s see what we can dig into and list some of these by categories. There have been many books written about these ordinances and for this study and blog it will have to be kept as simple as possible, but yet deep enough so we both learn the deeper things of living for God.

It is only in living out God’s will that He can be glorified. Remember this my friend, we are but His instruments. Our lives must begin and end well according to His ways….not our own!

Last week I ended with what were the first Ten Words spoken by God to the Israelites. Do you remember what they were? Do you remember the setting?

It was on the THIRD Day of their preparing themselves that they could what? Come but not touch the mountain. He set boundaries for the people to keep them safe. No hand should touch him, it soundeth long was the signal that the ‘manifestation’ was at an end, and the mountain had resumed its ordinary character. Then, the people may (if they wanted to) come up. There had been a THICK cloud with impressive thunderings and lightnings that could be seen along with an earthquake and fire. It was truly an Elijah I Kings XIX moment for them.

 

The shofar was blowing to signify an important public event as this was the proclamation to come hear ‘The King of Kings’ of the earth.

So what were the Kings first words? Chapter XX “I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

God spills out TEN ordinances before the people cry to Mosche and say, You listen to Him because if we stay here we will perish. We will do as He says.

These first TEN (yood) ordinances will be written on the walls of Synagogue and Church. These words will never cease to be remembered. But, in the ‘rest of the story’ we find that it will be sincere Gentiles that will seek to destroy these and the others.  They have decided in their own eyes that they are OT and not for them.

These TEN have been removed from churches and society.

Let’s put them in sections.  Some will be detailed here and others at another time perhaps.

THE FIRST TABLE: DUTIES TOWARD GOD

First Commandment: Recognition of the Sovereignty of God.

Second Commandment: The Unity and Spirituality of God.

The third verse begins the second commandment: thou shalt have no other gods. In fundamental dogma of Israel’s religion is the Unity of God. Therefore, there is NO other god besides God.

The fourth verse, of no graven image, forbids the worship of the One God in the wrong way. God is a Spirit and it was unpardonable to worship God under any external form made by hands. Plastic arts were not done in ancient Israel to keep the purity of the conception of God. No likeness of any form in heaven above, earth beneath or waters under the earth. God pretty much covers the issue of ‘any form.’

The fifth verse, a jealous (kanna) God is designated with one being injured. He desires to be ‘all in all’ to His children. His love requires their entire love and obedience. This jealousy is the essence of His holiness. Outside Israel, the ancients believed that the more gods the better. These heathen deities appeared to be tolerant of each other.

It is interesting to me that people keep worshiping something that doesn’t responds to them. The 93 ton Buddha statue that was moved nine feet in an earthquake never put itself back in it’s spot and it didn’t ask anyone to help him. This blog and book will prayerfully reveal ADONAI as a ‘Living God’.   Do you lack faith in what God has already revealed and shown your about Himself?  Do you believe Yeshua is God and that He came in the flesh?  If you do NOT believe this….hang in….there is more to come!

The THIRD ordinance: Against Perjury and Profane Swearing

The second ordinance gives us the duty of worshiping God alone and the third forbids us to dishonor God. We must not invoke His name to attest to what is untrue, or by joining His name to anything frivolous or insincere. In vain for ‘vanity’ or ‘falsehood’ for anything that is not real or groundless.

God is holy and His name is holy. Holy means set-apart. Holy Cow means Set-apart cow. That cow has a specific purpose. Holy does not mean ‘spiritually righteous.’

 

How do you like this ‘holy cow’?

 

My Grandkids liked her.

 

She was set-apart for fun!

 

 

 

 

God’s name should not be uttered in common conversation as it lowers Him to our human standards. Men who do this will not be held guiltless. Men’s yea should be a yea and their nay should be a nay.  If it is not, their swearing is worthless.

Exodus 21:8 reveals the Fourth Ordinance. The Sabbath

What the Sabbath? I thought the Fourth was Honor Thy Mother and Father? No….sorry! Thou shalt keep holy the Lord’s Day was moved when the Second Commandment of idols was pushed out. I memorized these in Catholic grade school and now my brain is confused and the pains of deception once again arise in my soul. Why did they not take the idol ordinance serious? Oops…we would have to remove all the statutes I prayed to.

Ah yes, the Sabbath. It does not say, The Lord’s Day. The Day of the Lord is a great and fearful day. But, The Lord’s Day….oh yes, that is Sunday! After all, let’s start the beginning of the week off correctly by attending church. Even the Feast of First Fruits is argued to wanting to be on Sunday. After all, if Jesus went in the grave on a Thursday/Friday then we can have him resurrect three days later on Easter…. on Sunday. Hmmmmmmm!

This is another topic I did not desire to entertain it in this study. But, for now, you should study for yourself what the real origin is behind Eastar. It is a pagan holiday and goes all the way back to Nimrod and his son, Tammuz.

Wow…I just said too many things.  But…really….many things have been done that it has gotten very confusing.   And, one more thing to work our minds….  You can download a calendar that begins the first day of the week on Monday.  As it happened to me, I said..what?  Now Sunday is Saturday.  Who is trying to fool whom here?  No, people..Sunday is NOT the last day of the week called the Sabbath.

 

8. remember.    Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (set apart). 9. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, not thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. 11 for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.

Remember, indicates the Israelites were familiar with the institution treasured, sacred and inherited from the Patriarchs. It also means to bear in mind, prepare for its advent speaking of its holiness. They instituted the Kiddush prayer, praising God for the distinction between the six weekdays.  They even mark the Sabbath by thanking God for it as it goes out at dusk.

To set apart the Sabbath, religious instruction can be part of it as renewal of one’s spirit. Lessons from the Torah and the Prophets (all the Bible) and discourse from teachers. Israel’s inner history since the close of Bible times can be traced in following the development of these Sabbath discourses on The Torah.

This is what this blog and book are about. I have researched events to truly know in my spirit that God is operating in men’s lives right now. This Shemittah cycle of 2014-2015 will be another research project for me.  We will study the weekly Torah portions and connect them to man’s past and current history to see The Yood of Elohim being active. So far, I’ve been impressed.  Write down what you connect and blog your own site.

I stand amazed daily as I keep digging and God’s reveals it. I can not push God’s hand….to make an event happen at a certain time. He reveals humans of contrast and humans with similarities and amazingly He shows their lives counted as a blessing or cursing upon mankind and Himself. You will decide as you read the accounts with me at yhebrew.com.

But, it all starts with Mishpatim. Will you accept these for your life, or dismiss them?

Let’s continue…

Verse 9. shalt thou labour. Idleness leads to evil thoughts and deeds. Men and woman are all to work. It is essential to man’s welfare to work six days. Then, it is essential to renew man’s spirit to rest. A one-day-in-seven rest has proven to be beneficial for over 3000 years. When the first French Republic changed it to resting one day out of ten, the experiment was a failure.  Hertz

Fifth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill. Thou Shalt Not Murder. Which is it? Neither…..

Fifth Commandment: HONOUR OF PARENTS

Parents are next because the Sabbath is the generator of the family life and the parents stand in the place of God to their children. Parents stand next to the duties towards God; Leviticus XIX,3.

Respecting parents is a primary human duty. Only in cases of parents guiding children into crime can disobedience be justified. Shem and Japhet throw the mantle of charity over their father’s shame; only an unnatural child gloats over a parent’s disgrace or dishonour. (Hertz)

I like this comment by Hertz, “The greatest achievement open to parents is to be ever fully worthy of their children’s reverence and trust and love.”

…that they may live long. Children should be rewarded with happiness and blessing. This address a person’s life in society. The home is more important than schools, professions and political life. A nation perishes without a moral society.

FIRST TABLE: DUTIES TOWARD GOD

SECOND TABLE: DUTIES TOWARDS FELLOW-MEN

Our relationship to others is a clear guide because we know how we desire to be treated. These root themselves in ‘Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself’, applying to honour, property, house and life.

SIXTH COMMANDMENT: THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE

Thou shalt not Kill? Thou Shalt Not Murder? What does the Hebrew say? MURDER.

There is a difference. Think about it…you can accidentally kill someone, but when you MURDER…you have thought about it and gave in to those thoughts.

“The infinite worth of a human life is based on the fact that man is created ‘in the image of God’.   God alone gives life, and He alone may take it away. Apart from capital punishment legally imposed by a judicial system, or in a war for the defense of national and human rights, it is absolutely forbidden.” Hertz.

SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE

adultery. “The Covenant of Marriage is highly protected in Jewish society and woman enjoy great respect. Adultery would involve the prohibition of immoral speech, immodest conduct, or association with persons who scoff at the sacredness of purity.”Hertz

EIGHT COMMANDMENT: THE SANCTITY OF PROPERTY

thou shalt not steal. It goes beyond stealing as it forbids every illegal acquisition by cheating, embezzlement or forgery. Many things that do not breach law but are base and disgraceful. One should not take advantage of the ignorance of his neighbor for increasing ones self.

NINTH COMMANDMENT: AGAINST BEARING FALSE WITNESS

false witness by mouth instead of deed. This embraces all forms of defamation, misrepresentation and slander to individuals, a people, race, a group or a Faith. The word neighbor is equal to fellowman which would include the Jew of whom has been greatly alleged with ‘false witness’ over their life time.

TENTH COMMANDMENT: AGAINST COVETOUS DESIRES

This commandment goes to the root of evil actions. Without self-control there can be no human life. Humans have predatory desires from which comes every sin against his neighbor’s goods. He will lie, rob, murder and commit adultery because of his desires.

“Who is strong?” ask the Rabbis. “He who controls his passions,” is their reply.” Hertz

 

 

BOOK OF THE COVENANT

Miscellaneous laws – civil, criminal, moral and religious. 

Exodus 20:19-23 How God is to be worshiped.

Exodus 21:1-32 THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS

Exodus 2-11 The Hebrew Servant

Exodus 12-14 Laws Concerning Murder

Exodus 15-17 Crimes Against Parents; Kidnapping

Exodus 18-27 Personal Injuries

Exodus 28-32 Injury Caused by a beast

Exodus 21:33-36 OFFENCES AGAINST PROPERTY

Exodus 21:37-21:1-3 THEFT

Exodus 22:4-14 DAMAGE BY CATTLE or FIRE, LAWS OF SAFE-KEEPING

Exodus 22:15-30 MORAL OFFENCES

Exodus 22:15-16 Seduction

Exodus 22:17 Witchcraft

Exodus 22:18 Sodomy

Exodus 22:19 Polytheism

Exodus 22:20-23 Oppression of the weak

Exodus 22:24-26 Loans and Pledges

Exodus 22:27 Respect toward God and rulers

Exodus 28-29 Offerings of First-Fruits

Exodus 30 Unlawful Meat

Exodus 23:1-3 TRUTH IN JUSTICE

Exodus 23:4-5 LOVE OF ENEMY

Exodus 23:6-9 IMPARTIALITY IN JUSICE

Exodus 23:10-12 SABBATH YEAR AND SABBATH DAY

Exodus 23:13 NO MENTION OF OTHER GODS

Exodus 23:14-18 THE THREE ANNUAL PILGRIM FESTIVALS

Exodus 23:19 FIRST FRUITS

Exodus 23:20-33 AN EXHORTATION

Exodus 24:1-18 RATIFICATION OF THE COVENANT