Weekly Sermon Shabbat 9/11/04
For the real McCohen, Join the Video and/or Audio Club
For the full message to share with family and friends!
https://yati.hosting-advantage.com/AUDIOVIDEOCLUB.htm
_______________________________________________________________________
Devarim 29:9-12-16- This week’s parsha opens with a brit (covenant) between B'nai Yisrael and YHWH, as they are about to enter Eretz Yisrael. As the word says, "You are standing here today...for you to pass into the covenant of YHWH" (Devarim 29:9-11). A new generation had to have the eternal covenant renewed personally and deliberately.
This brit is the third renewal of the covenant in the Torah. The first covenant was the Brit Bein Hav’tarim (between the pieces), at the time of Avraham Avinu. The second was the brit at Har Sinai with the receiving of the Torah, as it says, "Behold, here is the blood of the covenant that YHWH has sealed with you" (Shemot 24:8).
The procedure of making a brit is taken from the words for you to “cut and to pass through.” Those who make the covenant set up two partitions and pass between them. Walking in a narrow place between two partitions. Yahshua told us the way of faith was the STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH between the pieces (heaven and earth!) Matthew 7:12-14.
The entire world passes before Him like young sheep on Yom Teruah since Yom Teruah is the day of creation, or the renewal of all creation. As such, we all pass before Him between heaven and earth. Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Teruah, or the reason for Yom Teruah. Much of what we know is tradition. (Read Wayiqra 23: 24-25, Bamidbar 29:1-6) Its called Yom Hazcharon but scripture doesn’t tell us what we are remembering, or supposed to remember. It gives us rituals to follow, but no reason for the ritual is explained, as is the reason for days like Passover.
That’s where the Ruach Hakodesh must teach us the true meaning of the day! As Yisrael, we believe the world was created on Yom Teruah, so for us it is a time to remember CREATION and for YHWH to renew, or RECREATE His covenant with us, as he has done throughout our history, and as he did in today’s parsha. It appears that every individual renews his brit with YHWH every year on Yom Teruah, AS WE PASS BEFORE THE PIECES. WHAT PIECES? HEAVEN AND EARTH! THE TWO-KEY PIECES TO YHWH'S UNIVERSE.
Moreover, a brit is made when two people, or nations are at the climax of their relationship. The two people (Yisrael and YHWH, and redeemed Judah and Ephraim), who have warm feelings for each other, make a brit to ensure that despite any hard times or strains their relationship might undergo in the future, they will always conduct their relationship according to the situation of trust, transparency faithfulness and forgiveness.
With Abraham the blood covenant was established for all generations. At Sinai it was expanded to make sure all Yisrael walked in blood covenant even when seeing YHWH’s visible manifestations, and again before entering the land when it was passed on to a new generation who would engage in a new level of work for YHWH. In Yahshua it is renewed ONE FINAL TIME! To guarantee all of us Shabbat rest and chayai olam.
As we approach Yom Teruah how can we prepare to renew the covenant? According to our parsha in Devarim 30:10-15 the covenant renewal is now up to us! What does it mean the Torah is not in the heavens? The gemara explains that once the Torah was given at Sinai, we no longer walk with YHWH based on heavenly voices AS DOES THE KIRCH, or Islam where the crescent moon god calls out instructions to shoot innocent and vulnerable Russian children in the back. According to this understanding of the word, the, we no longer follow heavenly voices, or even “personal rhema words” of prophecy in deciding the way to walk, but by the standing rules of revealed Torah. We also learn that a navi/prophet does not have the authority to alter one iota of the Torah as given to Moshe. The covenant is ESTABLISHED. Dev 30:12 is in essence saying there can be no new revelation outside of Torah and the exposition of the Torah by Yahshua AS HE AND MOSES TAUGH IT ON EARTH!!
Devarim 30 verse 14 teaches us that the words of the covenant is in our minds and hearts and should come from our mouth because it is established and because we as believers are not to search for new revelations outside the boundaries of Torah. THAT’S REAL REPENTACNE. Repenting from things we have swallowed as truth, EVEN PERCEPTIONS POF OTHERS BASED ON UNRELIABLE EMOTIONS that are not established in the written Torah and renewed by the living Torah.
The Torah was not meant to stay, or be searched for in the heavens, to be followed by those removed from normal, earthly existence. It was given to human beings who live "in this world." The Torah does not demand people to act in an unnatural manner, to live as ascetics or in isolation, just to sanctify themselves while within this world. The Torah is designed to make one’s life pleasant and bring health to both body and soul. Indeed the Torah is a Torah of life for those who live on the face of the earth (eytz chaim he lemachazichim ba) and those who find it there, and not in the heaven. Those in heaven have YHWH’s Lamb to behold and guide them!
Close- Romaiyah 10:5-10- Read. Because the Torah was not meant to stay in heaven, in order to be consistent, YHWH had to send His Son or His word to earth. Because Torah revelation and covenant renewal is for those who live on earth and not like those who are taught to bark like dogs and clack like chickens in a so-called Toronto blessing.
The man who wants covenant renewal will live by Torah and do Torah as Yahshua lived it, not as the Pharisees did. The righteousness of Torah and trust in Yahshua as its author causes one to live it by expressing faith in the living author and Savior and the way he lived it! Since Torah abides with us on earth there’s no need to pull Yahshua down from heaven again, or up from Sheol again, since the Torah and the Spirit to perform Torah remains in us as His Temple, we as believers should not look to spiritual things and written things outside the earth, or the word, but on the earth, for that is where we’ll find Yahshua in our hearts and Temples by the Ruach HaKadosh. He is our guidance manual on the earth for our hearts and our mouths. As we walk in this manner, we will soon discover that the written and living Torah never contradict each other and thus their revelations are renewed within us daily while on earth, (not in the heavens, or in the grave/Sheol, which is empty after Yahshua conquered it) as long as we walk on earth!