Haftarah BeChukotei

Haftarah BeChukotei

Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

Jer 16:19  YHWH, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, to you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, [even] vanity and things in which there is no profit.

Jer 16:20  Shall a man make to himself gods, which yet are no gods?

Jer 16:21  Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is YHWH.

Both Judah and 10-Israel have inherited a pack of lies, the one from the oral law and the other from the Roman Church.  So it is true that this applies to “all nations,” though Orthodox Judaism denies they are included, as does the church!  The prophet spoke truth – we have been taught falsehoods.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 17:1 The sin of Yehudah is written with a pen of iron, [and] with the point of a diamond: it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of your altars;

Jer 17:2  while their children remember their altars and their Asherim by the green trees on the high hills.

Jer 17:3  My mountain in the field, I will give your substance and all your treasures for a spoil, [and] your high places, because of sin, throughout all your borders.

Jer 17:4  You, even of yourself, shall discontinue from your heritage that I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you don’t know: for you have kindled a fire in my anger which shall burn forever.

Jer 17:5  Thus says YHWH: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from YHWH.

Jer 17:6  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited.

The same warnings that Moshe just gave in Leviticus.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 17:7  Blessed is the man who trusts in YHWH, and whose trust YHWH is.

Jer 17:8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?

Jer 17:10  I, YHWH, search the mind, I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

The same blessings also.  But it’s not an intellectual exercise – your actions have to be in accordance with Torah.  Faith in Hebraic thought isn’t something in your head, it’s your way of life, it’s the things that you do!

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 17:11  As the partridge that sits on [eggs] which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches, and not by right; in the midst of his days they shall leave him, and at his end he shall be a fool.

Jer 17:12  A glorious throne, [set] on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.

Jer 17:13  YHWH, the Mikvah  of Yisra’el, all who forsake you shall be disappointed. Those who depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken YHWH, the spring of living waters.

Yeshua did just this:

Joh 8:6  They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Yeshua stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.  Joh 8:7  But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”   Joh 8:8  Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.

They used the Torah for political and selfish uses – and Yeshua was not amused.  I wonder if they “got it” and that’s why they walked away.  And, of course, the Word of Yeshua to the woman snared in their trap is the same Word Yeshua has for us today:

Joh 8:10  Yeshua, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”   Joh 8:11  She said, “No one, Adonai.” Yeshua said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”   Joh 8:12  Again, therefore, Yeshua spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

If we are still disobeying Torah, we are still walking in darkness.  The very definition of “sin” is the violation of Torah!

1Jo 3:2  Beloved, now we are children of Elohim, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

1Jo 3:3  Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

1Jo 3:4  Everyone who sins also transgresses the Law [Torah]. Sin is the transgression of the Torah.

1Jo 3:5  You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.

1Jo 3:6  Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him, neither knows him.

1Jo 3:7  Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1Jo 3:8  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of Elohim was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

1Jo 3:9  Whoever is born of Elohim doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of Elohim.

1Jo 3:10  In this the children of Elohim are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of Elohim, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

And, of course, Yeshua Himself, as YHWH, Incarnate, told us that:

Deu 6:24  YHWH commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear YHWH our Elohim, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day.   Deu 6:25  It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this mitzvah before YHWH our Elohim, as he has commanded us.

Jeremiah, continued:

Jer 17:14  Heal me, O YHWH, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for you are my praise.

The context here is not physical healing, though this verse is certainly used in that regard in many parts of the siddur and other prayers.  But the healing we need is due to the consequences of our sin, our transgressions of Torah, and not just due to random physical illnesses.  Some illnesses and injuries are just cause and effect of this fallen world, but many of our ailments we have brought on ourselves, in one way or another – forbidden diet, uncleanliness, lack of family purity, other sinful actions, and so on.  YHWH is the only true source of healing for these things.  We can take pills from doctors to mask the symptoms, but that will not truly heal us.  Only giving over every aspect of our lives to obedience to Elohim as written for us in the Torah will begin to heal us physically – but in order to believe the commandments, we have to first believe in Him who gave them, and who came to earth to pay our penalty for them Himself, and that is our salvation.  It comes from YHWH Himself and nowhere else.

Next:  Talmidim BeChukotei.