Shalom.
Our Teaching today from Torah, The Law of Moses will continue from Deuteronomy 8.4-20.
AND THE TITLE OF OUR MESSAGE IS, MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ONLY BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD DOES MAN LIVE.
And with that said, Let’s read Deuteronomy 8.4-20.
The English name Deuteronomy comes from the Septuagint Bible, and taken from the Greek words “deuteronomion touto” that means “Second Law.”
Second Law can not be correct because GOD has only One Law that is called The Torah, The Law of Moses that is written in the first five Books of The Bible. And GOD’S Law never changes or ends. ISAIAH 40:8
However the Rabbis have a better translation for the Book of Deuteronomy which they call, Mishnah Torah, or Repitition. Repitition meaning, The Repeating of The Torah.
And The Book of Deuteronomy is also understood to be The Book of Law.
Essentially, The Book of Deuteronomy repeats The Torah, GOD’S Law of Moses.
By the way, the Septuagint is the oldest Greek version of The Tnakh, The Old Testament that was written between 200 and 300 B.C.E./B.C.
According to the Minor Tractate Soferim 1.8 (A Minor Tractate is from the Talmud or other Rabbinic works that deals with a specific subject), this Minor Tractate reads that at the command of the Egyptian Ruler Ptolemy Philadephus (288-247 B.C.E./B.C.), Eleazar The High Priest sent seventy-two Jewish Scholars from Jerusalem to Alexandria to translate The Tnakh, The Old Testament into Greek for the Royal Library because of the growing Jewish population in Egypt.
There was no New Testament at the time. The Messiah Yeshua had not yet been born. And keeping in mind that the seventy-two Jewish Scholars were sent to translate The Tnakh from Hebrew into Greek. They were not sent to comment on The Scriptures.
Therefore I would like to add this thought before we proceed to our study in Deuteronomy 8.
It is written in the various Hebrew Bibles in Isaiah 7.14, Therefore The LORD Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, “THE YOUNG WOMAN (OR MAIDEN)” shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.
The point I’m making is that the Septuagint that seventy-two Jewish Scholars translated from Hebrew to Greek some 200 to 300 years before the birth of The Messiah Yeshua uses the Greek word PARTHENOS that means VIRGIN.
THEREFORE THE CORRECT TRANSLATION FOR ISAIAH 7.14 SHOULD READ, THEREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL GIVE YOU A SIGN: BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A SON AND SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL.
The Hebrew Words in Isaiah 7.14 for Young Woman, or Maiden, or Virgin are Ha Almah, meaning, THE VIRGIN. And when doing a Bible Study on The Hebrew Word Almah, The Almah is always virgin.
YESHUA THE MESSIAH WAS BORN FROM THE JEWISH VIRGIN MIRIAM JUST AS PROPHESIED IN ISAIAH 7.14. AND MESSIAH YESHUA IS IMMANUEL, GOD WITH US. MATTHEW 1.23
Let’s move to Deuteronomy 8 and review the first three verses.
GOD Commands everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish to observe and do All His Commandments. That is, GOD Commands all mankind to observe and do all His Laws that are Written in The Law of Moses. And GOD promises that you will live. That is, you will live a good life, and a healthy life with blessings, and happiness from GOD. And you will have Eternal Life.
As you know, during the days that Moses reviewed The Torah in The Book of Deuteronomy, the animal sacrifice for Atonement was performed twice daily on the Tabernacle altar in the wilderness. Later, the sacrifice for Atonement was made at The Temple during first and second Temple times. And continued until The second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E./A.D., some 37 years after Messiah gave His Life for our Atonement.
There has been no Temple in Jerusalem since the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and The Temple.
However there was an interruption of The Sacrifice when The Children of Israel were in exile in Babylon for seventy years from 586-516 B.C.E. NUMBERS 28.1-4
And as you well know, GOD does not allow the animal sacrifice when there is no Temple in Jerusalem.
THEREFORE, SINCE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SECOND TEMPLE IN 70 C.E./A.D., THE NEW COVENANT FOR ATONEMENT THAT GOD PRONOUNCED IN PROPHESY, AND FULFILLED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS FAITH IN THE MESSIAH YESHUA FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
AND FAITH IN MESSIAH YESHUA FOR THE ATONEMENT OF OUR SINS, ALONG WITH OBEDIENCE TO TORAH, GOD’S LAW OF MOSES THAT NEVER CHANGES OR ENDS, RESULTS IN A GOOD LIFE ON EARTH, AND ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN. LEVITICUS 17.8-9, ISAIAH 53.10, JEREMIAH 31.31-34,
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT TORAH, THE LAW OF MOSES MUST ALWAYS BE OBSERVED BY JEWISH PEOPLE AND NON-JEWISH PEOPLE WHETHER THERE IS A TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM OR NOT.
AND FOR EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN THE MESSIAH YESHUA, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO OBSERVE AND OBEY THE LAW OF MOSES FOR ETERNAL LIFE. FOR GOD SAYS IN DEUTERONOMY 8.3, MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ONLY, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD DOES MAN LIVE.
And Messiah Yeshua repeats those Words in Matthew 4.4 and Luke 4.4. Confirming that everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish people must live by The Law of Moses.
The Writer of The Book of Hebrews writes from GOD’S Words in Jeremiah 31.31-34, This is The Covenant that I will make with them after those days, Saith The LORD. I will put My Laws in their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.
And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
HEBREWS 10.16-17
WHEN GOD SAYS, I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND IN THEIR MINDS WILL I WRITE THEM, THE HEBREW FOR “MY LAWS” IS “TORAH’TI” MEANING, ” MY TORAH, MY LAW OF MOSES.”
THEREFORE GOD PUT HIS LAWS INTO YOUR HEART, AND IN YOUR MIND HE WROTE THEM WHEN YOU CAME TO FAITH IN THE MESSIAH YESHUA.
NOW, IF YOU CONTINUE IN FAITH IN THE MESSIAH YESHUA, AND CONTINUE FOLLOWING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES, GOD GIVES YOU HIS HOLY SPIRIT, AND ETERNAL LIFE.
IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO CONTINUE IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDMENTS THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAW OF MOSES, AND/OR LOSE FAITH IN THE MESSIAH YESHUA, MESSIAH SAYS, YOU DO NOT LOVE ME.
JOHN 14.23-24 KEEP IN MIND THAT YESHUA THE MESSIAH IS GOD ALMIGHTY, THE FATHER. AND HIS WORDS ARE THE WORDS OF GOD ALMIGHTY, THE FATHER WHO SENT HIM. JOHN 12.45, 49, JOHN 14.9, HEBREW BIBLE ISAIAH 9.5, CHRISTIAN BIBLE ISAIAH 9.6
AND WHEN MESSIAH SAYS, “WE” WILL COME UNTO HIM, AND MAKE “OUR” ABODE WITH HIM, THE “WE” ARE GOD ALMIGHTY, THE ONE AND ONLY GOD WHO IS THE FATHER, THE MESSIAH YESHUA, AND THE SPIRIT WHO ARE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO WILL COME INTO YOU AND MAKE HIS HOME IN YOU. JOHN 14.15, ACTS 5.32, GENESIS 1.26
THEREFORE GOD SAYS, WHEN YOU DO ALL THE COMMANDMENTS THAT HE COMMANDS YOU IN HIS LAW OF MOSES, ALONG WITH YOUR FAITH IN MESSIAH YESHUA FOR ATONEMENT, YOU WILL LIVE. YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD LIFE ON EARTH AND ETERNAL LIFE IN HEAVEN BECAUSE GOD WILL LIVE IN YOU FOREVER.
AND WRITTEN IN DEUTERONOMY 8.3, GOD MAKES IT KNOWN TO YOU THAT MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY BREAD ONLY, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD DOES MAN LIVE.
AGAIN, MESSIAH REPEATS THOSE VERY WORDS IN MATTHEW 4.4 AND LUKE 4.4, CONFIRMING THAT EVERYONE MUST LIVE BY THE SPOKEN WORD OF GOD FROM GENESIS THROUGH REVELATION.
DEUTERONOMY 8.4 This is another supernatural attribute of GOD. The clothes that The Children of Israel wore for forty years while they walked in the wilderness, and rode on horses, donkeys, and camels and in wagons from Egypt to The Promised Land did not wear out or decay. And their feet did not swell.
The miracles of GOD are an everyday thing to The LORD Our GOD. Therefore, Trust in The LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Do not depend on your own knowledge and understanding, but Trust in The LORD always in all things. PROVERBS 3.5
DEUTERONOMY 8.5 This is a Biblical Teaching that is often taught in The Bible that reads, You shall also consider in your heart, that as a man chastens his son, so The LORD Your GOD chastens you.
The word CHASTEN in Hebrew is YAH’SAHR that means, INSTRUCT, CORRECT, PUNISH, AND TEACH.
But The LORD Your GOD Chastens you because, Whom The LORD loves He chastens, for your good, and to grow you in righteousness.
And while the difficult time of chastening is happening in your life, Deuteronomy 8.6 reads, Therefore you shall Keep The Commandments of The LORD Your GOD to Walk in all His Ways, and Fear Him.
To Walk in All GOD’S Ways is to be like GOD Who Leads His Own Life according to His Own Commandments that are Written in The Law of Moses.
YESHUA THE MESSIAH WHO IS GOD ALMIGHTY DID NOT SIN BECAUSE HE WALKED IN THE WAYS OF GOD. 1 PETER 2.21-22, 1 JOHN 3.4
By doing no sin, Messiah led His Life in obedience to all His Commandments that are Written in The Law of Moses. And by so doing, Messiah did not fulfill The Law of Moses and abolish it. Rather Messiah Yeshua walked in The Ways of GOD to leave us an example that we should follow His steps. And His steps to follow are to Obey The Law of Moses that prevents you from sinning against GOD.
So when you are chastened, even if you don’t know why, remember two things. Will you keep GOD’S Commandments, or not? And are you living by every Word that proceeds out of The Mouth of GOD? DEUTERONOMY 8.2-3
Deuteronomy 8.6 also reads, You shall Fear The LORD Your GOD.
Fearing GOD is exactly what the word Fear means. Not only do you love, respect, and honor GOD, GOD requires you to Fear The LORD Your GOD. And when you begin to Fear The LORD Your GOD you will begin to do a better job of Obeying The LORD Your GOD and His Commandments.
PROVERBS 1.7, PROVERBS 8.13, PROVERBS 9.10, PROVERBS 10.27, PROVERBS 14.26-27, PROVERBS 19.23, PROVERBS 22.4, PROVERBS 23.17, PROVERBS 24.21, PROVERBS 29.25, ECCLESIASTES 12.13
Let’s look at some Scriptures that pertain to chastisement and wisdom. PROVERBS 3.11-15, DEUTERONOMY 11.1-2, 8-9, HEBREWS 12.4-11
HEBREWS 12.9 Being in Subjection to THE FATHER, GOD ALMIGHTY, is obeying All GOD’S Commandments that are His Laws Written in The Law of Moses. And the reason The Writer of Hebrews wrote these words is to teach you to Obey GOD so that you will have a Good Life and Eternal Life in Heaven.
DEUTERONOMY 8.7-9 Though GOD is talking about Canaan that the LORD had The Children of Israel conquer and possess for their own Homeland that is called The Land of Israel, GOD might as well be talking to you and me who live in The United States of America that has all those great attributes that The Land of Israel has. Brooks of water, and fountains, and valleys and hills, and wheat, barley and vines, and so on.
DEUTERONOMY 8.10 Many of us pray before we eat, but GOD tells us, after we eat, we should Bless The LORD Our GOD for the good land that He has given us.
DEUTERONOMY 8.11-20 Beware. The word Beware comes from the Hebrew Word SHAH’MAHR that means, Be Careful. Be Careful not to forget The LORD Your GOD in not keeping His Commandments, and His Judgments and His Statutes which GOD Commands you this day.
Lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good and beautiful houses and dwell in them, and when your work has succeeded, then your heart is lifted up when you feel lofty and proud, and you forget The LORD Your GOD Who sometimes humbled you, and tested you to do you good at the end of your days on earth and has given you Eternal Life in Heaven.
And you say in your heart, My ability and might have gotten me this success.
But you shall remember The LORD Your GOD, for it is He Who has given you ability to succeed, to establish His Covenant with you. GOD’S Covenant is His Word that is His Law which He has established with you. PSALM 105.8-10
And it shall be if you at all forget The LORD Your GOD and walk after other gods and serve them, and worship them, GOD testifies to those who follow after other gods that they will surely perish as the nations that The LORD destroyed because they would not be obedient to The Voice of The LORD Your GOD.
So I say, Beware of Bible teachers who teach you not to obey The Commandments of The LORD Your GOD that are written in The Law of Moses.
Remember, Messiah Yeshua came to be your Atonement to forgive you your sins. He did not come for you to continue breaking The Law of Moses which is sin. He came to give you Life by not sinning.
Shalom.
Ira Weinstein
www.bethelohenu.org
bethelohenu@gmail.com