PARSHA COMMENTARY

BLESS THE LAND

BLESS THE LAND

Parsha Commentary Study

Mishpatim  "Judgments"

Bless the Land

Written by Hutch Church

February, 2010

Torah: Exodus 21:1-24:24:18

Haftorah: Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26

Sugg. N.T.: Matthew 5:38-22

Gospels/Acts: Mark 9

Welcome: "...to the strangers scattered...elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied" (1 Peter 1:1-2).

Peter describes his scattered readers as strangers. Hebrews 11:13 also speaks of Believers as "strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Both writers remind us that here we have no continuing city, but are instead sojourners of the dispersion, scattered here and there in a world of spiritual darkness, and journeying onward to Zion. We press forward in faith, which like a telescope, brings the prophesied restoration of all Israel into our range of vision, motivating us to follow Yeshua. His Kingdom, of which we are part, is also not of this world. YHVH gives us multiplied grace [favor] and peace [with Elohim, and in our souls], and His power draws us onward, and we discover by experience that "the path of the just is as a shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18). This week, let us keep ourselves under the grace and power of the Almighty, and continue to grow the kingdom, power, and glory of the Holy One of Israel

Introduction to Mishpatim "Judgments"

Last week: "It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening" (Ex. 18:13).

In the Wilderness, on the way to Sinai, Moses attended to the disputes of the people. He was stressed and his human strength was heavily taxed by the gigantic task, and his soul was burdened. The people were also under strain from the long waiting lines and the increased delays in adjudication. Moses, in need of good advice, was prepared in heart and mind to consider recommendations, but from a respected source. Then Jethro showed up in camp with an affectionate interest in the concerns and needs of the people, and the burden of Moses weighed upon his heart. He conceived a better way of handling the court workload, and with piety and simplicity approached the prophet, and offered his counsel. It was received, acted upon, and Moses and the people were relieved and refreshed. Jethro's presence in camp was very timely, and his counsel was anointed, and we discern the unseen hand of YHVH in the whole matter. From there, Moses and Israel moved on to Mount Sinai. Learn: "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Messiah" (Gal. 6:2).

This week: "Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them" (Ex. 21:1).

Moses on Mount Zion is a remarkable story. In our parsha he had ascended the mountain again, at the bidding of the Most High, and entered the very courts of heaven. The children of Israel remained behind in tents while Moses, in the glory cloud and under the divine Voice, received instructions dealing with the rights of individual people, property, various miscellaneous laws, and the blessings/benefits of obedience. These were mishpatim.

Mishpatim means "judgments", and it is synonymous with laws, decrees and statutes. Mishpatim, however, best refers to laws that are sensible, easily understood; rules that any moral, civilized society would want to institute. The mishpatim given to Moses on the mountain were judgments which were not necessarily new to the leaders of Israel, but when acted upon in faith, united them with YHVH's divine vision for His people. Parsha Mishpatim reveals details concerning the giving of the Torah to Moses and Israel that are left out in Yitro, particularly on the 4th and 5th days of Sivan, the month of Pentecost.

Actually, there are three kinds of laws according to the Talmud. First, as we've mentioned, are the Mishpatim. Again, these "laws" are moral judgments that would have been devised by sensible men even if they had not been divinely ordered. The secondly, classification of statute, or law, is eidot. These are "testimonies" that are rational, able to be explained and appreciated, but not foreseen or necessitated by normal considerations. In other words, mankind would not have thought them up if YHVH had not commanded them to be instituted. Thirdly, there are chukin regulations. These are best called "decrees". These are laws that transcend mankind's understanding but which we obey simply because they are the Word of Elohim. These three kinds of laws comprise the mitzvot, or "body of the Law."

Moses was commanded on the Mount to "place before" the Israelites His mishpatim.  This phrase clearly emphasized to Moses that he was to carefully explain [teach by explanation] the reasons for the laws, so the people would have a clear understanding and appreciation of the mishpatim and thus welcome them as an important, beneficial framework for their society. Mishpatim were not meant to be mere dogma; the judgments were not supposed to be  tenets put forth without adequate or reasonable grounds. The Almighty's intention was for His laws to appreciated, and to (eventually) enter the inward depths of every Israelite's soul. To that end, He spoke through the prophet Jeremiah saying, "...I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people" (Jer. 31:31-33).

[Note: Fifty three mitzvah are given in our reading this week. Mitzvah is a singular Hebrew word meaning "law" or "commandment."  Mitzvot is the plural form and is used now to refer to the 613 Torah commandments, and seven Rabbinic commandments added later. Mitzvah (singular) has also come to mean any expression or act of human kindness of a nature that would gain YHVH's approval. Mitzvot are the responsibilities of Israelites to their Elohim and fellow man which must be honored if they want to enjoy the unimpeded blessings of the Almighty where they live. The key, of course, to intimacy with YHVH is (1) faith in Messiah Yeshua and

(2) obedience that is motivated by love. He is our GREAT Reward! "Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:5).]

Therefore, YHVH's laws (instructions for a contented, prosperous life) are for the order and well-being of the nation, and for the Almighty to dwell in the midst of their camp. But He does not require people to obey and serve Him for nothing, with no recompense of blessing. "He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). So, He always puts before His people the promise of blessing, or reward, as a simple encouragement. In this week's reading, Elohim gave Israel promises that are actually great incentives that He will undertake to fulfill if they will keep His commandments and walk in His ordinances. Some of His encouragements to obedience include: His presence among them, sending His Angel to guide and help them, delivering them from all their enemies, giving them the entire land of Canaan-- everything from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, from the Euphrates to the Desert--blessing their labors, healing all their sicknesses, multiplying their numbers, and prolonging their prosperous days on earth! However, in turn for these blessings, Israel would have to, without compromise, serve YHVH and destroy the idols of the land.

To the extent which Israelites kept their responsibilities, Elohim would fulfill His. If they fell short of their duties, He would be entitled to limit or curtail the blessing. Some of YHVH's promises are absolute, as in the Abrahamic Covenant. Some are conditional, as with the Mosaic Covenant. Therefore, much of Israel's welfare depended upon them.

With this in mind, let us hold fast to His Word and remain in the blessed "secret place of the Most High," where "no evil befalls us, and no plague comes near our dwelling," by living consistently by His truth. In this manner the Apostle Paul lived, and he wrote, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward man" (Acts 24:16).

Parashat mishpatim includes various ordinances, sundry laws, the Sabbath and three national feasts, the ratification of the Mosaic Covenant, covenant meal on the Mount with Moses, the elders, and Elohim, and Moses back on the mountain for forty days.

Knowing the Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh

"Then Moses went up to the mountain [the seventh time], and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai...like a consuming fire on the mountaintop. Moses entered the midst of the cloud..." (Ex. 24:15-18). Moses' servant attitude and quick response to the voice of Elohim are inspirational for Believer's today. He had: (1) a ready heart. "Moses rose up"--he did not drag his feet and say, "suffer me first" to do something else; (2) a concern for his people, and provided for their care. "Tarry ye here...seek ye to Aaron and Hur if ye have matters to do." (3) Moses desired to bring people higher in faith, closer to YHVH. "Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua." (4) Like Abraham before him, Moses was patient. He fasted and waited reverently six days outside the cloud for the divine summons to enter the mountaintop sanctuary and be alone with YHVH.

"And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district" (Luke 4:14). In the time between Yeshua's temptation in the wilderness and His appearance at the synagogue in Nazareth (in Galilee), He had gathered disciples, changed water into wine at Cana, cleansed the Temple, spoken to Nicodemus, won converts at Jacob's Well, and healed a nobleman's son. He too demonstrated the above mentioned qualities to perfection! His entire life-giving, fruitful ministry was by the inspiration, revelation, compassion, and power of the Holy Spirit.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, and proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18). Yeshua went into His home synagogue in Nazareth and was invited to preach. Only a remnant of Judah had returned from Babylon centuries earlier, and the land and villages were under the bondage of servitude, poverty, ignorance, discontent, and Roman garrisons. The Jewish inhabitants of Israel looked for the Messiah to bring to them deliverance and a golden age of prosperity and political power. This was the interpretation the listeners gave to the passage from Isaiah read by Yeshua that day. However, Yeshua greatly startled the congregation when He, the carpenter's son, informed them that He Himself was their long-looked for Deliverer. They set upon Him but with no avail.

"And Jesus went all about Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness among the people" (Mt. 4:23).

Moses, a type of Messiah, had a prolonged, extended communion with YHVH. Yeshua also spent forty days and nights without food, alone in communion with the Father through the Spirit. This quality of communion with the Almighty, which preceded the ministry of Yeshua, is the truest means of strengthening and refreshing the soul for life and service. Without close fellowship we tend to languish, grow weary in faith and well-doing.

Our communion, as born-again Believers, with the presence of YHVH is in the communion of the Spirit. [See: 2 Cor. 13:14.] For us, it is not restricted to forty days, but can be continual, regularly enjoyed and beneficial. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 43:5). The psalmist was depressed because of the woes of his current conditions and the unworthy thoughts of Elohim, and the unbelief, they conjured up. Yet, he also had great hope for the future, and was thus confident that there would be ample reasons to praise Him, Who was "his Elohim." When a Believer looks up to YHVH a whole new set of spiritual and mental energies go to work, different than when he is  looking down. David wrote, while under stress, "Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul". The soul that looks up, and draws close to the Redeemer by faith, prayer, and praise, comes into communion with the Almighty, his dearest Friend and Companion, and is renewed in faith and hope. "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills...my help comes from the Lord" (Psalm 121:1-2). With this kind of faith and fellowship no outsider can meddle. When we  commune with the Spirit, with the Almighty, He sends His grace and gifts into the soul, and the glorious and beneficial effect is wonderful, even effecting the salvation of the face, which is an uplifted countenance. [ :-) ] May our faces, which are often the reflection [index, barometer] of the condition of our souls, speak well of Yeshua's great redemptive work. Enter into the communion and peace of the Spirit daily. Rest in His presence as your read His Word. It is a glorious privilege and joy.

Knowing His Voice/Being Led by the Spirit

"Now the Lord said to Moses, Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction" (Ex. 24:12).

The Almighty orders Moses up the mountain again and to "remain there" (to wait), indicating the stay would be lengthy. Moses was prompt to obey. He made arrangements with the elders for the governing of the people, and then ascended Sinai with Joshua accompanying him. But Moses went alone into the glory cloud. There the commandments "that I [YHVH] have written"  were inscribed by Elohim on the tablets and given to the prophet. The remainder of the Torah (ordinances, judgments; 21:3) was not written by God, but was transmitted [impressed, inculcated] to Moses who was to write it down later and teach it to Israel. [Rambam]

Why was it necessary for Moses to actually ascend into the glory cloud of YHVH's manifest presence, that was resting on the mount, to receive the commandments and ordinances? A look at Ezekiel's vision at the river Chebar may give us the reason. "Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something like a throne, like eben-sappir [sapphire stone] in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man...the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around..so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking. Then He said to me, 'son of man'..." (Ezek. 1:26-28; 2:1).

There are a couple of things observed in the verses to briefly discuss. First, there is the condition of purity of heart. Consider: "When I saw it [the vision] I fell upon my face."  Ezekiel was overwhelmed by the divine revelation, and greatly humbled--even alarmed and fearful--with the sense of his own impurity and inferiority. Isaiah, in a similar experience "before the Lord sitting upon a throne," felt absolutely "undone" (Isa. 6:5). Daniel said of His encounter with the Almighty in a vision, "...no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength" (10:8). John, the beloved disciple, when encountering the revelation of Yeshua's majesty, "...fell at His feet as dead" (Rev. 1:17).

Even the most godly people have been overwhelmed by a dynamic vision of the majesty and glory of the Almighty One of Israel. Such encounters with Him are profitable. The experiences awaken the conscience and profoundly deepen humiliation, and thus better prepare us for the Word of the Lord. "Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted" (Mt. 5:4).  Job said, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:5-6). The cleaner and more humbled the heart, the more acute will be the hearing, and the more excellent will be the response.

Thus we arrive at the second point, the condition of purity of hearing. Ezekiel was prostrate, with his face in his hands,  "...and heard a voice speaking." The prophet was devoid, emptied of any sense of self-importance or pride. A sense of self-importance and independence will always distort His voice and dull one's spiritual hearing ability. Humility is the prerequisite condition for hearing, seeing, and declaring the revelatory visions of YHVH. The Father is looking for teachable, humble, spiritual, child-like Believers who will hear and convey His Word faithfully to His people, and dynamic encounters with His glory are effectual in producing/honing such necessary qualities within them. These are part of the curriculum of the "School of the Prophets" which Moses and Ezekiel enrolled in when they stepped out to serve the Elohim of Israel. "The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way...the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him..." (Psalm 25:9,14).

While in the glory cloud, we can safely assume that Moses was thoroughly prepared for his role as Israel's teacher. He was (1) awed and humbled by the divine scenes unfolded to him, (2) given strength by the Spirit to stand, look, and listen, and (3) put into a spiritual and mental condition to hear and comprehend, at the p'shat, remez, drash, and sod levels, the Word of YHVH which was presented to him.

Today, we saints are led directly by the indwelling Spirit! He will speak to us with visions and dreams, and illuminate the Scriptures that we might comprehend His truth and correctly proclaim it. But the pathway for deeper fellowship with Elohim, and for clarity in seeing and hearing His Word, is the same for us as it was for the prophets of old. "He has told you O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8)?

Weekly Parsha Commentary Study:  Mishpatim "Judgments"

Exodus 21:1-24:18 [Torah]: Moses receives directions, laws, Sabbath and feast instructions/descends the mountain/the people accept the covenant offer/Moses writes out the covenant agreement/builds an altar/the assembly gathers and formally agrees to the covenant terms/Moses sprinkles the blood of the sacrifice and reads the covenant words/the people receive them/Moses goes back up the mountain with Aaron and the elders/the covenant meal/they see the Elohim of Israel, eat and drink in His presence/Moses called back to the mountain to receive stone tablets/Israel waits below/Moses enters YHVH's glory cloud for 40 days and nights.

Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26 [Haftorah]: Davidic kingdom to be restored. Zedekiah rebuked. What's the connection?

[Note: Israel became a nation united under a theocracy, and later a monarchy. It became divided into two smaller kingdoms, or houses, Judah and Israel/Ephraim. Both houses forsook YHVH and His covenant for false gods, and both houses were judged and exiled. Only Judah later returned to the land. See: 1 Kings 11 and 12,; 2 Kings 17:1-23; 2 kings 25; Isa. 50:1; Hos. 1:9 2:2; Mal. 2:11; Jer. 3:8. As Mediator of the New Covenant, Yeshua's atonement (death, burial, resurrection, and ascension) makes open the way to bring them all back into fellowship with YHVH. Jer. 31:31-33.]

Matthew 5:38-42 [New Testament]: Yeshua commenting on Torah mishpatim. See: Ex. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 15:7-11; 19:21.

Mark 9 [Gospels]: Includes the Transfiguration, and warnings.

Study Questions: Listen to the Spirit.

1. In your opinion, what is the major teaching or theme found in the Torah reading?

2. What is the supporting, complementary truth found in the Haftorah?

3. What similar, corresponding idea is revealed in the New Testament reading?

4. Summarize the common teaching (central truth) that unites the entire parsha, as you see it.

5. Relate the main teaching from the three parsha readings with the assigned Gospel chapter. Where or how does Yeshua model/demonstrate your central truth?

6. What does this week's parsha teach you about your Hebraic: a. identity, b. birthright, c. heritage, d. destiny, and e. duty?

7. In what way did the Spirit of Truth (John 14:15-18) anoint and teach you this week?

Israel

"You shall sow your land for six years and gather its yield, but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow..." (Exodus 23:10).

The verse speaks of the Sabbatical Year which was unique to Israel. But periods of rest, like the Sabbath, were not uncommon in ancient cultures. Most countries, like Israel, had some sort of standard dealing with rest for the people, but not for the land.

[Note: R'Bachya notes in discussing the Sabbath, "...the Torah speaks of your field and your work, but in speaking of the Jubilee Year, it speaks of its, the field's, produce, not your produce (see Leviticus 25:11-12). The seventh year and the seventh day are interruptions in man's activities, when he is called upon to stop his material concerns and activities, but his property remains his to return to when the sabbatical respites are over. The Jubilee, however, which the Torah calls forever, symbolizes the end of time, when everything will revert back to God's sovereignty. In the Jubilee, the produce is not man's anymore." The laws of the seventh year can be read in Leviticus 25:1-7.]

The Israelite statute of allowing the land to rest was not viewed as economical, and the law was generally difficult to enforce. But in Israel, just as there were people who broke Mosaic laws and still collected manna in the Wilderness, there were many who ignored for centuries the injunction to allow the land to rest from being farmed every seventh year, or Sabbatical Year. If the divine wisdom had been honored instead of ignored, YHVH's goodness, renewal, and refreshing would have been multiplied, crops and productivity increased, and the greater bounty enjoyed not only by the land, but also by the land-owners, the poor (who gleaned), and even the grazing domestic animals.

During the seventy years of Judah's exile to Babylon, however, the land of Israel (for the most part) did lie fallow, and was finally given the full measure of rest and renewal  which it had been denied for the 490 years [7x70] the Sabbatical rests for the land had not been observed.

Israel is a nation again and is undergoing restoration. We cannot say if the government actually imposes Sabbatical Year restrictions to agriculture, but even in its present estate, Israel is like an oasis in the midst of the desert, a garden within a region of Arab nations that have never wanted or welcomed it. Instead, they have resisted her establishment by warfare, terrorism, and propaganda pledging to destroy the country no matter how long or costly may be the effort. The hostile Muslim nations around her have also tried to bring economic collapse to Israel with years of attempting to incite international  trade boycotts against her.

In the Middle East, Israel is disdainfully called, "the Zionist Entity." The nation is continually mocked and ridiculed by the Arab/Islamic media and presented as a work of western crusader imperialism. Thus Israel is falsely perceived  as being an affront and a threat to the religion of Islam, which, according to the Koran, cannot peacefully co-exist with other, infidel cultures without conquering and subduing them.

In America there is a large part of the population, primarily within Jewish and Christian communities, that favors and supports Israel. For decades the U.S. has helped Israel remain strong in the land with military and economic aid. On the other hand, Europe tends to favor Arab nations, where they have interests to protect, and develop. The European Union supports the Palestinian "cause"--ownership of Israeli land, and statehood--and gives financial aid to Palestine organizations. Surprisingly, though, trade between Israel and Europe remains robust!

Conclusion: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, this will he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). In the end YHVH's eternal truth always rises above man's foolishness and resistance, and is accomplished after-all.

Latter Days

"Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Ex. 24:18).

Continual communion and fellowship with God will be pre-requisite for functioning and over-coming in the last days.

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having the form of Godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them" (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

The period these verses refer to, and the moral condition they describe, encompass the time of the early apostolic ecclesia up to the current day. The language does not point exclusively to the hour in which we currently live. Nevertheless, we do live in a time of moral and doctrinal degeneracy marked by widespread wickedness and religious formalism. Ritualism and the outward show of devotion/piety, as a wet blanket, cover hardened hearts, grieve the Spirit and make for powerless ceremony. Godliness, evidenced by love for YHVH and for man, free the Spirit and is a religion of power. Paul therefore warns and exhorts Timothy to be diligent in teaching the Scriptures, the sacred  writings, as a preventative. He instructs, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17).

All Scripture, from Genesis through Revelation, is Elohim-breathed, inspired!  In the original autographs there was no error. YHVH's guiding influence dictated the writing and compilation of Holy Writ, and He so constructed His revelation so everything that needs to be said by God to man is therein contained. Paul ascribed to Scripture a four-fold use. First, Scripture is profitable. The truth within the Word releases us from the bondage of error and falsehood, and the despairing, costly conditions which they produce, and causes us to profit in liberty. "...and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Second, Scripture is for teaching. It reveals to us (teaches) what we, without the Scriptures, would otherwise never have known. Thirdly, Scripture is for reproof. The Word of Elohim has power to reveal to us the state of our inner man, and brings conviction when we stray from righteousness and truth. Fourthly, Scripture is for instruction. By directions, admonishments, encouragements, corrections, and exhortation it (1) keeps us on, or (2) brings us back to the pathways of righteousness and strength.

The foundation of Scripture, the Torah, was what Moses was receiving in the Cloud. If followed the people of Israel would be kept from apostasy and enjoy His continual favor and blessing in Canaan. In the latter days we have the Holy Spirit and the complete revelation from which to benefit, and become "...adequate, equipped for every good work."

Bless the Land

1. Pray for Israel

"The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plan of His heart from generation to generation. Blessed is the nation whose God Is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His inheritance" (Ps. 33:11-12). YHVH has chosen Israel to be His peculiar people, to know and love Him. His counsel stands, His purposes are unchangeable. Prayer avails much. It does not change the Almighty's purposes, but it is the appointed means for the fulfillment of His promises. Prophesy life!

2. Pray for America/ Pray for your Nation.

"Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of our Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Ps. 124:7-8). Pray and declare His word in His Name--declare freedom and life!

3. Remember Haiti.

"...hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee..." (Ps. 42:5-6). Prayer: Faith and hope to strengthen the people. Pray for governed shelter and Spirit-led distributions.

4. Sing the New Song/Song of the Lord. Praise and Worship

The song of the Lord (YHVH) is a praise to Him, and a channel by which He can respond in love with prophetic words. Further, the song of the Lord is anointed by the Spirit and carries His glory into the soul of the participants, and it is a summons, an inspiration, to make praise for YHVH the prevailing characteristic of our lives. Psalm 150 is the crown of the Book of Psalms, and it contains verses similar to some that have been uttered or sung before, such as in Psalm 148. But Psalm 150 is like the song of the Lord, in that it is a full-blown call to praise the Almighty.

Please read: "Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent [abounding] greatness. Praise Him with [the] trumpet sound; praise Him with the harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord [Yah]. Praise the Lord [Hallelujah]" (Psalm 150).

A life of praise is a holy sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to the Almighty; it is a continual incense offering and a sweet fragrance that enters His Holy of Holies and rests before Him, as did the prayers and offerings of Cornelius. "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God" (Acts 10:4).

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord..." This is a profound directive. Everything in creation has "a breath!" That which exists in the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, even the mineral kingdom, performs respiration-oxidation functions, or exchanges gases in one form or another. "The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands" (Psalm 55:12). Nothing in the universe is exempt from the summons! Everything has breath. "...the disciples began to praise the Lord joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen [had been blessed by]...the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, Teacher, rebuke Your disciples. But Jesus answered, I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" (Luke 19:40). They will someday.

"For the creature [creation] was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it in hope (Gen. 3:15). Because [in hope that] the creature [or creation] also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God" (Romans 8:20-21). The aorist verb tense [aorist tense: Greek; refers to the past as a completed event] suggests that this present "bondage to corruption" (deterioration, decay; evidenced by the laws of thermo-dynamics) was not intrinsic; it did not belong to the original creation. [See: Genesis 1:1,2,31.] The "bondage of corruption" is related to  the angelic rebellion, and later, Adam's disobedience in the Garden of Eden, and the evil of sin. Paul seems to conceive not only of the emancipation of man from the bondage of corruption, but also of all creation. See: Ephesians  1:10; 1 Cor. 15:23-27; 2 Peter 3:13.

The longed-for deliverance has not yet come. "For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only so, but we ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption [final realization of our sonship], to wit [which is], the redemption of our body" (verses 22-23). Thus, all visible creation is moving toward the great event of Elohim's emancipation from its "corruption of bondage," the vanity (Ps. 39: 5-6), the frailty, the incompleteness, the deterioration to which it is subjected because of sin. On that glorious day, everything great and small, from the largest stars to the countless molecules throughout the unchartered, enlarging, seemingly endless expanse, will bring forth shouts of joy and songs of praise, and the empty void will be filled with heavenly light and worshipful music. Then, "...everything that has breath..."  will continually give our Redeemer-Emancipator praise!

The entire Book of Psalms, the wonderful, matchless collection of divinely inspired hymns, odes, and new songs, caps off its glorious presentation of the greatness of YHVH with this exhortation: "Praise ye the Lord!" Each Believer should take this as a personal calling.  Even though other praise is being offered, it is not enough. It must be our praise, our best praise, which emanates from a thankful soul, that is expressed and added to the chorus. 

Sing to Him this week. Use this psalm, verse by verse.

Conclusion

"But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries [Rather, an afflictor to your afflictors]" (Ex. 23:22).

YHVH's promises are absolute in some instances, contingent in others. He said, "Behold, I send a messenger before thee" (Verse 20). This was absolute. On the other hand He said, if "thou shalt utterly overthrow" [ripped from their foundations, broken in pieces, stumped on, and rolled contemptuously in the dirt] the idols, the images of the heathen gods of the land to which they marched, He would "bless their bread and water" (Verses 24-25), and much more.

Israel's obedience to the mishpatim (judgments) was their pathway to strength, blessing, and conquest. For instance, honoring the mishpatim of the Most High results in: (1) the great blessing of a good conscience, void of offense to YHVH and man, (2) more grace for growth in Messiah for the Believers who have esteemed and followed the grace already vouchsafed [granted, furnished in a gracious manner] them, (3) wisdom and understanding, because the people who have "done the will of God, know of the doctrine" (John7:17), (4) assistance in over-coming spiritual enemies for those who "stand firm against the schemes of the devil' (Eph. 6:11),  (5) length and strength of years [Exodus 20:12; Eph. 6:2-3.], and (6) eternal life. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city" (Rev. 22:14).

Sadly, many of the people who received the mishpatim of Exodus 21-23 from Moses at Sinai forfeited the blessings of obedience and entry into the land through their lust and fornication, idolatry, and tempting YHVH. They were "overthrown in the wilderness."

"Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fail" (1 Cor. 10:11-12).

A lesson from the Wilderness: Not everyone remained faithful. The man, who "having done all" and thus stands, is not in danger. The one who only "thinks he stands" is unstable for a cause--inconstancy with the mishpatim--and is therefore unresolved and unstable in the heart, exposed to temptation [with which we are not to flirt, but from which we are to flee], and in real peril of being toppled [failing]. See: 1 Cor. 6:18; 10:14; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22

New Testament Living

"The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud" (Ex. 24:16).

Moses was called to the mountain, and came up the slope again with his faithful servant and protege', Joshua. There he waited six days as the glory if the Almighty, like a resplendent  fire,  settled upon the mount. When the call came, Moses did not hesitate, but immediately ascended to the top and entered into the midst of the cloud to receive the stone tablets and the rest of the mishpatim.

We may not go up a mountain, into a dark cloud and enter into divine light to be alone with Him, but Yeshua explains in Matthew 6:6, "But thou [emphatic: decisive, forceful] when thou prayest, enter into thy closet [inner chamber], and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in heaven; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." The Master describes a normal prayer life for His followers.  Actually, to be unnoticed, unseen by people, is an assistance to intimate communion with Elohim. It is to be like our Father in heaven who also is unseen of men and does His mighty works while unseen.

The widow, who was instructed by the word of the prophet to enter into her home alone (with her son), obeyed, shut her door, started pouring from one vessel, and received a miraculous supply of oil, enough to fill many collected vessels she had been told to gather. "And when thou are come in...shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all thy vessels...she went from him, and shut the door...and poured out...and it came to pass, when the vessels were full...the oil stayed" (2 Kings 4:4-6). There's something special about entering your prayer place alone, and closing the door [or pulling the prayer shawl over your head]. That is where the fire and glory come to you! Press upward! Expect fresh oil.

We can glean some thoughts from Moses' encounter with YHVH on the mount when he was receiving the mishpatim. First, personal prayer is a personal approach to the Almighty, and should be free from distractions. Next, when we are alone with Him, we worship. Worship is not a performance, it is communion with the Holy One of Israel. Lastly, we desire to be (1) observed and (2) rewarded by Him with (a) answers, (b) personal fellowship in His manifest presence. When YHVH visits, and meets with us in our closet, it becomes like the top of Sinai in the day of Moses, where the fire and glory were seen. It becomes like the chamber of the widow, where the oil flowed. It becomes the place to which Yeshua withdrew. It becomes like the upper room where the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost. It becomes like the cell where Paul and Silas were secluded, and their chains were broken. It is the place where fresh manna, the rhema Word of Elohim, falls.

Complete the Study Questions.

To be continued.

Hutch Church, D. Min. / www.blesstheland.net/ blesstheland@live.com