Parashah 18: Mishpatim

Parashah 18: Mishpatim (Judgements) - Exodus 21:1 through 24:18.

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Jeremiah 34:8-22; 33:25-26.
B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Matthew 5:38-42; 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23;
10:17-31; Acts 23:1-11; Hebrews 9:15-22; 10:28-39.

Summary & Overview

TORAH
o Exodus 21:1 | The Law concerning Slaves
o Exodus 21:12 | The Law concerning Violence
o Exodus 21:28 | Laws concerning Property
o Exodus 22:1 | Laws of Restitution
o Exodus 22:16 | Social and Religious Laws
o Exodus 23:1 | Justice for All
o Exodus 23:10 | Sabbatical Year and Sabbath
o Exodus 23:14 | The Annual Festivals
o Exodus 23:20 | The Conquest of Canaan Promised
o Exodus 24:1 | The Blood of the Covenant
o Exodus 24:9 | On the Mountain with God

Last week we looked at the Mountain experience that every believer in Messiah
will face on their journey to the Promised Land. The Mountain is associated with
YHVHs Commandments and His Spirit and we looked at the importance on
how the Spirit of YHVH will speak (amar) His words of creation over us like He
spoke the Ten Commandments over the Nation of Israel. Messiah is known as
the Living Torah, that He can only be, if you have His Spirit Who can bring His
Word to life. Then He will become your personal God, (my God that helps), as
we learned from the meaning of Moses sons name. Travelling on this journey
is not about gaining knowledge, it is about knowing YHVH and having a real
relationship with Him.
This Torah Potion lays the foundation to a nation that just came out of slavery,
of how to live as free people, as they travel on their journey to a land of promise
and blessing. This Parashah starts with 53 Commandments, and you may think
that this not about freedom at all, but of bondage, placing more restrictions on
the people after they recieved the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai.
The name of this Torah Portion is Mishpatim
that is found in the
opening verse of this Parashah; HaMispatim asher suwm panyim, that can be
literally translated as; The judgements - which set before them.
Panyim ,ynp means open, before, face, presence and countenance. This
has to do with man being restored back into the presence of YHVH.
Asher rsa means which as well as happy, implying that the judgements
will make you happy.
Suwm ,vs means to set, to lay upon, to appoint, to mark. This word is used
first in Scripture in Gen 2:8 where YHVH planted a Garden and placed (suwm)
man in it. It is also used in Gen 4:15 where YHVH placed (suwm) a mark on
Cain to cover and protect him so that he will not be killed.

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 Spiritual Insight: This gives us a beautiful picture of man living happily in the
Garden of Eden, in the Presence of YHVH. This is the picture of the restored
Garden with humanity being restored, having a restored relationship with
YHVH, all of this as a result of the Judgements of YHVH. These Judgements
mishpatim are His Commandments that recreate and reverse the effect of
sin, so that His fallen creation can be restored back to its intended state. Just
as He spoke everything into existence, so is He speaking His restoration
words over fallen man. We form part of this restoration process where He
appoints us through His mishpatim to fulfil a certain function within this
process. Not only that, His Judgements will place a mark on you or cover
you so that you can be protected while living in this fallen world until the
restoration process is complete.
One thing you need to understand is that YHVH expressed His Torah in such a
way so that people could relate to it and understand it, meeting them on their
level. The Book of Exodus captured the Words of YHVH speaking to an
audience that consisted of people that lived a few thousand years ago, who just
left a land of slavery, going into an agricultural type of economy. He used terms
and examples of situations that related to their everyday lives so that they could
understand His Torah. This may cause issues to the modern day reader that
cannot relate to these mishpatim or Judgements.
All these Commandments may not apply to you, but they are all spiritual
creative words through which YHVH reveals His wisdom and Himself to us.
When we study His Commandments, we get to understand what was on His
mind and which things are most important things He wants the new convert to
understand. Studying His Commandments is like reading YHVHs
Autobiography, finding personal details underneath the surface, characteristics
of the unseen God and Creator of all things. To get this undersanding, you need
to go beneath the surface of His Word to look into the heart and mind of the
Creator.
When you read the Commandment about an ox falling into a ditch, you cannot
just say that this does not apply to me. You have to search beneath the surface
to glean the wisdom, in order to understand what YHVH was on about, when He
gave that particular Commandment to His people. This Torah Portion contains
53 Commandments or Judgements and there is not one of these
Commandments that will not apply to you in some way or form. We have to
respect YHVHs Word, treat it with reverence and guard it, so that we can peel
away its layers to find the hidden gems of wisdom that will enrich your life.

The Commandment of the Bondservant

The Commandment regarding the Bondservant is the first Commandment
YHVH gave Moses to reveal to Israel, right after receiving the Ten
Commandments at Mt Sinai. Looking at this from the steps a new believer has
to take, show us that this Commandment is the very next step you have to take
after the event that relates to Mount Sinai.

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 Bondservant

Leaving Red Sea Mount Promised

Wilderness
Egypt Crossing Sinai Land

Q What does the Commandment regarding a Bondservant has to do with us?

This Commandment indicates the importance of the salvation process were
Israel changed Masters; they moved out from under the authority of Pharaoh
(Satan), being a slave in Egypt, submitting under YHVH, becoming a
Bondservant of YHVH. People think that if you are set free from Egypt means
that you are free from any form of authority. The reality is that you will always
submit under one or other form of authority, from a spiritual point of view, you
either submit under the Serpent (Satan) or under YHVH.
Example: You will be surprised to know that Paul, Peter and John, all
identified themselves as Bondservants of Yshua in their letters to Believers
in Messiah. They knew what it meant to be a Bondservant and how that
applies to us following Yshua the Messiah. Let's look at the Commandment
of the Bondservant to see what the differences are between being a Slave in
Egypt and being a Bondservant in the Kingdom.
In the time of Moses, when someone owed someone else money (goods,
livestock etc.) and the person could not repay the debt, he had the option to
become a servant to the person he owed money to, for a period of six years.
After serving for six years he could be set free on the seventh year and walk as
a free man, not owing anything. But when the servant chose to stay in his
masters service, he could do so out of free will and this made him a
Bondservant.
Part of becoming a Bondservant, the servant had to confess in public that he
loved his Master and that he chose out of free will to stay a servant in his
Masters house till the day he died. To finalise this public declaration, the
servant then had to stand in his Masters house and get his ear nailed to the
doorpost. This was the visible sign in his flesh to show everyone that he
became a Bondservant of his Master.
Being a Bondservant had benefits, different to being a slave in Egypt. As a
Bondservant he had all the rights as one of his Masters children; he lived in his
Masters house, no longer in the servants quarters, he could eat at his Masters
table, and enjoy all the benefits of being part of the Masters household. He was
treated as a son and even received an inheritance. This is a beautiful picture of
what it means to be adopted into the Household of YHVH, becoming a
Bondservant through Yshua our Messiah.
Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading
to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by
which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Gal 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit
of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore you
are no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God
through Messiah.

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The way we get accepted into the Kingdom or Household of YHVH to be
adopted by the Father. This is what Paul explains that is becoming a
Bondservant through becoming a child of your Masters House and choose to
serve Him out of free will after you have been set free from your sin and
bondage (leaving Egypt).
Sonship or becoming a Bondservant, is the next step that happens after the
Red Sea experience (Baptism), as well as the Mountain experience, where you
receive His Word and His Spirit. As a Bondservant you receive the rights to
enter His House (Tabernacle) that will shelter you as you travel through the
Wilderness.
To become a Bondservant is to be adopted into the Household of
YHVH and you now have all the rights of a son in the House of YHVH.
The only thing you have to understand is that in this House of YHVH,
there are house rules. This is what the nailing of the ear to the
Doorpost represents, to adhere to the house rules of the Father. The ear
is associated with hearing YHVHs voice and listening to His voice
means that you obey the words you receive from the Father and Owner
of this House. The word for doorpost is Mezuzah, and you will find these
signs displayed in public at the entrances of Jewish homes and businesses.
This is associated with the Commandment in Deut 6:9 where YHVH told Israel
to write His Commandments on the doorpost, and that is what the Mezuzah
symbolise today. The ear nailed to the Doorpost links to the Shema that says,
hear oh Israel indicating that the Bondservant will listen and do whatever
his Master asks of him. That symbol of mounting the Mezuzah on the doorpost
of your home is one way to remind yourself, and show others, that the people
living in this house are Bondservants of YHVH and submit to His authority. Just
like Joshua said; ...but for me and my house, we will serve YHVH.
To become a Bondservant describes the process of re-birth, coming into the
Kingdom of YHVH through accepting Yshua as your Master and Savior. Then
you have all the benefits as a child of YHVH, living in His House, abiding by His
rules under His authority. You are now welcome to sit at His table and have
regular meals with Him (Festivals), that truly makes you part of His family. This
is not a foreign concept because all families have house rules by which they
teach, govern and protect their children.

Freedom and the Bondwoman

When we hear about Commandments, we think of rules and laws that constrain
us, but we never think of them in relation to freedom.
Freedom is the word chuphshah hspx. It is first found in Scripture in Lev
19:20 where it is in relation to a Bondwoman who is married, but she engaged
in a sexual act with someone else, she will not be put to death but only
punished if she is not yet set free, but still a Bondwoman.
Spiritual Insight: This gives us the idea that a Bondwoman (Bride of
Messiah) who fell into sin, engaging adulatory (following foreign service
avodah zerah idolatry), will only be punished and not put to death
because she is still married to Messiah.

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 This is an example of YHVHs grace for His people and how He is willing to
take back the defiled Bride who was deceived and defiled by the enemy.
Bondwoman is the word shiphchah hxps that use the same letters as
chuphshah, only rearraigned, that means freedom. This passage in Lev 19:20
speaks about a covenant relationship between a Bondwoman and her husband,
but she played the harlot. There is a beautiful story in Scripture that colour in
the detail of this passage and relates to the Bride of Messiah who plays the
harlot doing avodah zerah or foreign service unto Him.
This is the story that played off about 760 years before Yshua was born,
Jeroboam II was on the throne of the northern kingdom of Israel, and the people
of Israel were enjoying a period of unprecedented prosperity. As is often the
case, with prosperity came moral and spiritual degeneration. But the thing that
grieved the heart of God more than anything else was the sin of idolatry (Hos.
4:12, 13; 13:2) where golden calves were set up by Jeroboam I, about 150
years earlier, allowing Israel to engage in foreign service or idolatry. YHVH
viewed Israel as His wife, and this was seen the sin of adultery. (Deut. 31:16;
Judg. 2:17).
YHVH had told Israel from the beginning that he would not share her with
others. YHVH chose the first a prophet named Amos to speak to the people in
order to repent, but the nation paid little attention. So YHVH spoke again, this
time through the prophet Hosea isvh that is a family name of Yshua isvhy,
both meaning YHVH is Salvation. What is interesting is that Hosea represents
Yshua prior to His encounter with John the Immerser, after He received the
Spirit in the form of a dove (added yod y as we discussed last week), then
He became the anointed Messiah Yshua. Yet another example that the Name
of Messiah is Yshua and He came to do what the prophet Hosea did; preaching
repentance and seeking out His Bride (Bondwoman in slavery, entangled in
foreign service - idolatry).
Hos 1:2 Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of
harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking YHVH.
The very first thing YHVH told Hosea to do is to
marry a prostitute. This was to show Israel what
they have been busy with, serving and worshipping
YHVH through golden calf worship, just like their
fathers did at Mount Sinai.
YHVH directed him to take Gomer, the daughter of
Diblaim, as his wife. Gomer rmg means perfect, to
be complete, to end. This is a similar meaning to
Shalom that means the completion of the building process. We look at someone
and see a harlot, YHVH looks at the same person and sees a potential bride
that is perfect, once He made her complete.
The early days of their marriage were beautiful, and she got pregnant and bore
a son named Jezreel lairzy, that means Elohim sows.

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It consists of two words El la, that is the short form for Elohim (God) and
zarah irz that means scatter seed, sow, conceive. This is the first prophetic
warning to Israel where they open themselves up to scattered seed from
foreign lovers through their practice of idolatry.
This also shows them their future where YHVH will sow or scatter them into the
nations because of this grievous sin.
Later on, Gomer became restless and unhappy, like a bird trapped in a cage
and she became less interested in Hoseas ministry and started to meet other
lovers. She got pregnant again and bore a girl and Hosea was convinced that
the child was not his and called her Loruhamah , which means no
mercy or unloved. After that, Gomer conceived again and, it was another boy
and Hosea to call him Lo-ammi , which meant not my people, or no
kin of mine. This symbolized Israels alienation from YHVH and the children
that came from relations of foreign service.
Hosea tried to stop her on occasion (2:6), but she continued to seek her
companions in sin (2:7). Hosea would take her back in loving forgiveness, and
they would try again. But her repentance would be short-lived, and soon she
would be off again with another new lover.
One day word came by way of the grapevine gossips that Gomer had been
deserted by her lover. She had sold herself into slavery and had hit bottom. This
was the last straw. Certainly now Hosea would forget her. But his heart said
No. He could not give her up. Gomer was still beloved of Hosea even though
she was an adulteress, and YHVH wanted him to seek her out and prove his
love to her. And he found her, ragged, torn, sick, dirty, destitute, chained to an
auction block in a filthy slave market, a repulsive shadow of the woman she
once was.
Hosea bought her from her
slavery for fifteen shekels of
silver and thirteen bushels of
barley (Hos. 3:2). Then he
said to her, You shall stay
with me for many days. You
shall not play the harlot, nor
shall you have a man; so I will
also be toward you (Hos.
3:3). He actually paid for her,
brought her home, and eventually restored her to her position as his wife. This
is what true freedom means, when we as the Bondwoman (Bride) play the
harlot, YHVH does not give up on us, He send His Son Yshua to seek us out,
to look for us at the slave market so that He can redeem us to take us back as
His Bride and restore us to our former glory prior to when sin entered the world.

Freedom and Grace

Freedom is found in the context of a slave being set free, and this is the first
Commandment in this Torah Portion presented in Exo 21:2, right after the Ten
Commandments. The slave is set free at no charge; this implies no cost to the
slave.

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Free (no charge) is the word chinnam ,nx , that comes from the root word
chen that is translated as grace. So grace is connected to the price that was
paid to ensure that there is no cost to the slave who is redeemed.
Grace or chen ]x is first found in Scripture in Gen 6:8 where it said that Noah
found favour (chen) in the eyes of YHVH. We all know the story of Noah where
YHVH saved him and his family in a time of Judgement, and this is the context
of wherein Grace and Salvation is found in. We see the same theme of
Judgement when YHVH freed Israel from Egyptian bondage. This means that
Israel was Saved through Grace in a time of Judgement, setting them free as
slaves at no charge. The same applies to us where we will be saved through
grace during a time of Judgement at the Second Coming of Messiah.
YHVHs Grace set them free from sin and bondage (Egypt), not from His
Authority or Commandments. Sin and bondage came into the world through the
fall of man, creating a sinful nature within us. This freedom has to do with
reversing the effect of sin, freeing us from our sinful nature or old man as Paul
teaches in Rom 6:6.
Q If we have His Spirit, do we still need His Commandments?
If you ask this question, then you still do not understand that the relationship
between His Commandments and His Spirit and that they are actually One
(Echad). The Spirit reveals the Commandments to us and writes them on our
hearts. The Spirit is YHVHs Spirit and is known as the Spirit of Truth and the
Holy Spirit. This means that His Spirit will reveal the Truth to us, and His Truth
is non-other than His Commandments. His Spirit helps us to become Holy or
set apart, to be Holy as He is Holy.
Real freedom is when you are set free from judgement, and His
Commandments are the barriers along the road that guards and leads you to
the Promised Land. His Commandments protects your salvation until to the
day when you need the salvation during His Final Judgement.

Freedom & Forgiveness

Jer 34:8-17 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from YHVH, after
that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which
were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them; (9) That every man
should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an
Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of
them, to wit, of a Jew his brother. (10) Now when all the leaders, and all
the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one
should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that
none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let
them go. (11) But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and
the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them
into subjection for servants and for handmaids. (12) Therefore the word
of YHVH came to Jeremiah from YHVH, saying, (13) Thus says YHVH,
the Elohim of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that
I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondmen, saying,

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 (14) At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew,
which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years,
thou shall let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto
me, neither inclined their ear. (15) And ye were now turned, and had
done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his
neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is
called by my name: (16) But ye turned and polluted my name, and
caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye
had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into
subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids. (17)
Therefore thus says YHVH; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in
proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his
neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, says YHVH, to the sword,
to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed
into all the kingdoms of the earth.
This passage is part of the Half Torah reading that relates to the setting free of
Bondservants after a six-year period. King Zedekiah agreed that all the
Bondservants be set free and yet the leaders placed them back under bondage
after their release.
Spiritual Insight: This is an excellent example of people who come to faith
in Messiah are placed back into bondage of the leaders within different
Denominations.
Q What bondage was placed upon the people?
The Leaders allowed the free servants to return to their previous masters and
work as slaves again. This indicates that some went back to their old ways,
serving their former master called Pharaoh, that is allowing them to
compromise and sin again. Others returned to the rule of the Masters that
relates to man-made laws and traditions.
The other insight we can glean from this is that people still enslaved other
people through the act of unforgiveness. The idea of a Bondservant is that
he/she is set free after a six-year period, symbolically represents a sinner
being set free from their sins. The problem is when some people decide not
to set people free, and according to them, still owe them something,
because of a wrong that has been committed against them. This is the act of
unforgiveness, holding someone in bondage as a slave over something that
was committed against the other person.
Forgive is the words nesah asn that means, to lift, bear up, to carry, to
take, sustain, endure, to forget, deprive, be a creditor, debt, something lifted
up, one lifted up, chief, prince, captain. It is first used in Scripture in Gen 4:13
where YHVH cursed Cain after he killed his brother and this curse was too
heavy for him to bear (nesah). What was the curse? That the land will no longer
produce for his benefit and that he would be a fugitive and people would want to
kill him.
This is similar to the curse we see in Jer 34:17 where YHVH will release a curse
over Israel that will cause them to be scattered among the nations, the land will not
produce for their benefit (famine), and they will be persecuted by their enemies
(fugitives), and they will want to kill and destroy them (sword).

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This is exactly the same curse that came on Cian after he killed his brother and
gave us the connection between murder and unforgiveness, sharing the same
consequences.
Q What is the solution to this curse we bring upon ourselves?
The load was too heavy for Cain to bear and YHVH bestowed His mercy upon
Cain by giving him a mark that would cover him so that he would not be killed.
Prophetic Insight: This is a prophetic picture that man would receive a mark
(sign) so that man would not die and YHVH would carry the burden of death.
The mark YHVH gave Cain is the word oth, aleph-vav-tav tva and is the
combination of the Aleph-Tav ta with a Vav v inserted in the middle.
Aleph-Tav is better known as the Alpha & Omega [Rev 1:8], that represents
the Messiah, and the Vav represents man. This is a beautiful picture of Man
in Messiah.
Rom 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who
are in Messiah Yshua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah
Yshua has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 3:22-26 For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of YHVH, 24 being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yshua, 25 whom
YHVH set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance YHVH
had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to
demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might
be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Yshua.

We are all sinners, born into a sinful nature and received the curse that came
upon humanity. The only way to free us from this curse is to be in Messiah,
in the Aleph-Tav ta. This is the only way you will be covered or forgiven.
The result of sin is death and will be carried (nesah) by the One Who Bore
the sins of the world (nesah); and through faith in Him and His redemptive
work, you are in Messiah tva.

Heb 9:28 so also the Messiah, having been offered once to BEAR
THE SINS of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to
those waiting for Him, unto salvation.
The Scripture also says that we should bear each others burdens, implying
that we should bear each others sins or forgive one another, setting people
free who done you wrong or owe you something.
Eph 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling
and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in
Messiah, YHVH forgave you.
If you do not forgive, then the curse of Cain will come upon you again and
you will become a fugitive, the land will not bring its produce and you will face
death.

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 Matt 6:9-15 This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father
in heaven, hallowed be Your Name, 10 Your kingdom come, Your
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our
daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive other people
when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your
Father will not forgive your sins.

The Four Deadly Forces

There are a few Commandments found in Exodus chapter 21 and chapter 22
that reveals more than what is written on face value. The first Commandment
deals with a situation where someone was killed by someone elses ox. The
next Commandment deals with resolving the issues caused by an open pit and
someones ox or donkey fell into it. The following Commandment deals with
someone whose animal has eaten someone elses field or vineyard. The last
Commandment deals with fire damage to someones field.
When you read these Commandments, you might say that you are not a farmer
and you do not have livestock, a pit or a field and these Commandments do not
apply to you at all. Think again, YHVHs Word is full of wisdom that will reveal
truths that will enrich your life, or will warn you of pitfalls you need to be aware
of. Let us look at each of these Commandments, from a Hebraic perspective, to
uncover the wisdom embedded in each of them.
The Ox Exo 21:28-32, 35-36 - rvs (shor) = rvs (shur) that also
means, to look. This teaches us that one of the deadly forces in our
life is the eye. This is what caused Eve to sin, she saw the fruit,
and it was good to the eye. John taught the same where he said
that the lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh are the two things to
control in your life. Faith comes by hearing, and everything that
destroys faith comes from seeing. If you talk to people and ask them
which of your 5 senses would, you hate to lose and the answer is
always eyesight. The ox is symbolised by the letter Aleph a that means
strength. As you give in to fleshly desires, your flesh will grow as strong as an
ox, leaving your spirit-man weak. We as fleshly creatures that value eyesight
more that hearing, but from YHVHs perspective the most important one is
hearing.

The Pit Exo 21:33-34 - rvb (bor) = rvb (bur)

ignoramus or someone who is completely ignorant. The
Sages say that an ignoramus is someone who fails to
study the Torah. Not studying Torah is dangerous in your
life, does not matter if you love Yshua / Jesus, you will
sow destruction through your ignorance. We read in
Hos 4:6 that YHVHs people perish because of a lack of
knowledge, the knowledge of the Word and specifically the
Torah. What the enemy has done to our Jewish brothers is to blind them of the
knowledge of Who the Messiah is, and to the Christians, he blinded them to

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understand that the Word really is and that the Torah still applies to believers in
Yshua / Jesus.
To be ignorant of the Torah is deadly, it is like walking without sight that can
cause you to fall into a pit. The Torah provides all the spiritual nourishment you
need for life and to avoid all the pitfalls and traps set by the enemy.

The Eater Exo 22:5 hibm (mavah) = hibm (maveh) glutton.

Gluttony is to take from this world more than you need to. This Deadly
Force is rooted in the sin that is found in the 10th Commandment; you
shall not covet. This Commandment is the driving force for breaking
all the other Commandments.
Phil 3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their
appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set
their minds on earthly things.
Coveting or devouring more than required (not only food), has become their god
meaning that earthly things that people covet, become the gods they serve and
all their efforts and time goes into feeding this monster called greed.

The Fire Exo 22:6 - ribh (hevir) = ribh (heveir) anger. Anger is one
of the emotions that will cause you to act irrational and out of
control, resulting in the destruction of relationships. This Deadly
Force is connected to the 6th Commandment where Yshua said
that you commit murder, if you are angry with your brother / sister
without a cause, this anger is out of envy or jealousy. Then there is
the case of someone who is just an angry person because of
disappointments in life that they cannot seem to get over,
causing them to be an angry person. This anger can be
directed towards YHVH that will damage their relationship
with Him if they are believers.
Q What will cause this anger to stop and how do I manage anger that
accumulates within me?
Eph 4:26-27 In your anger do not sin : Do not let the sun go down
while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
These are wise words or wisdom that ensures that you never stay angry for
more than a day; make peace and forgive at the end of every day before you go
to sleep so that your anger will not grow and lead to your destruction. Talk to
the person you have issues with so that the air can be cleared before the end
of the day. Talk to YHVH about disappointments so that He can help you sort
things out, carrying your burdens when you face circumstances beyond your
control. Trust in Him; He will help you because He is a caring Father,
Pro 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up
anger.

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The Four Guardians
We read in Exo 22:614 about four types of people who looked after someone
elses property under different circumstances and agreements.
These four types of agreements give us four different types of
relationships that we as believers can have with YHVH. In this
section we will discover which of relationships is ideal that YHVH
wants us to have with Him.
The Borrower : [Exo 22:14 ] The Borrower is a person who
benefits from what he borrows, but the owner enjoys no
advantage. He seeks self-fulfillment and may acknowledge
who the owner is, but feels that he owes him nothing. He
borrows it, uses it, gives it back saying, thanks a lot, and moves
on. This person only seeks self-fulfilment.
Spiritual Insight: This is a typical example of a non-believer who knows
about God, or a believer who do not have a personal relationship with YHVH.
They live in this life thinking that YHVH owes them and their existence and
life s only for their own benefit.
You do not belong to yourself, you are bought with a price, and you need to
give YHVH what He has purchased, and that is you. The Passover and
crossing the Red Sea as well as the Mountain experience is a process where
you lay down your rights and privileges, and accept the fact that YHVH owns
you and He becomes your Master. The moment you think that you have
rights to your life, your time or your possessions, then you are a borrower
and has not become a Bondservant that are adopted as a child of YHVH into
His Household.
The Renter : [Exo 22:15] The Renter is similar
to the Borrower, but he borrows something with
the intention of giving back to the owner. He
believes to have the right to the things he rent
but feels obligated to recognise and repay the
Owner while using it.
Spiritual Insight: This is where the most
believers are in their relationship with YHVH;
they know where they came from Him and
recognised YHVH as the Owner. In return,
they serve Him as a way to pay Him back for
living in this life and being blessed by Him.
Q - Is there any love in this or is it just a deal you made with YHVH?
This relationship is still just about yourself, your talents, your time and your
possessions, but in exchange, you will use a portion of what you received
from Him, to give back to Him. It sounds just like Jacob and the deal he made
with YHVH where he promised to give Him a 10th back if YHVH will bless
him. That is a great deal but is still selfish in nature because it is 90% about
you! Jacob is one of the examples we looked at before and he is the one who
most accurately represents us as Believers. We expect YHVHs blessings

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 first, and then we are willing to pay the 10% rent on what He gives us. We
get the most out of this deal.
The Renter is a better type of relationship with YHVH than the Borrower,
but still not the ideal relationship YHVH wants us to have with Him. We need
to learn to serve YHVH out of love, without expecting anything in return.
The Paid Guardian : [Exo 22:10] The Paid Guardian is a someone who
understands that YHVHs Will is the ultimate
purpose of his life, but he reserves the right to
be paid an interest because he thinks he
deserves some payment for his efforts. This is
similar to the Renter, but the paid Guardian only
expects 10% instead of 90%. This is much
better, isnt it?
Spiritual Insight: It is like someone who
believes in serving YHVH and all his good
works will earn him treasures in Heaven or will
give him a place of authority as a reward in the Kingdom. The difference
between the Paid Guardian and the Renter is that he knows that
everything belongs to YHVH, and he serves YHVH from a selfless heart out
of love, but he still knows that he will receive a reward one day.
This kind or relationship is another example that is quite common among
Believers. They know YHVH as their Owner, they know they are only
Guardians, but they still serve YHVH in order to receive a reward one day.
This is the best out of the three we just looked at, and YHVH will be pleased
with such a relationship with Him.
The Unpaid Guardian : [Exo 22:7] This is the highest form of
relationship we can have with YHVH that we should aspire to. This
kind of Believer is a Bondservant, owned by His Master; he knows
that all his possessions and everything he owns are YHVHs
property, and he serves YHVH without expecting anything in
return. Everything he does is out of love for His Father because he
appreciates the fact that he has been adopted out of grace and did
not deserve it.
Personal Application: This kind of relationship is where you
know you are created only for YHVHs benefit, not expecting
anything in return. It is a selfless kind of relationship that is only based on love
for the other person. The best way to describe this relationship is if we look at
a perfect marriage relationship where both parties give 100% and expect
nothing in return. This is what we call a covenant relationship, and the benefit
of all your actions is for the sake of the other person, even if the other person
does not love you back. This is the type of relationship YHVH has with us. He
sent His Son, Who gave Himself 100% for us while we were still in bondage.
YHVH wants us to grow into this kind of relationship with Him and with others,
and in doing so, can become and act like Him.
If you want to feel miserable, tell yourself that you deserve something. The
moment you think that I deserve (fill in the blank), then you will become
miserable if you do not receive it. Adam and Eve had been perfectly happy until
Satan told them they could be happier, greater and more successful. This
allowed sin to come in and everything changed for the worse.

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Let's get things straight; you do not deserve anything. From this knowing, look
at everything you have and thank YHVH for it, even the smallest thing and be
grateful and thankful and content.
It is only through His grace that we receive anything from Him because He is
good and not because of your works or because of who you are, that gives you
the right to claim anything from Him. It is not to say that we will never have or
receive anything from Him, He promised in His Word that He would bless us
and look after us. The problem is with our hearts and motives, we think we are
deserving or are just selfish in nature, and we believe that it is all about us. To
follow and life for YHVH is a selfless act, and our faith is a selfless faith, it is
always about YHVH and about other people, not about you!
Q - Which one of the four relationships match your relationship with YHVH?
You can spend a fair amount of time meditating on these four types of
relationships to see which areas of your life relate to which type of relationship.
For example; you can be a Paid Guardian regarding your children and a Renter
when it comes to your abilities and a Borrower when it comes to your finances.
You need to do introspection and weigh each one up against all the areas of
your life to see what you need to work on with a view to improving your
relationship as a son / Bondservant, with the Father / Owner.
We all need to aspire to become like Unpaid Guardians where we know the
Owner; we are aware everything is from YHVH and that we are His
Bondservants who serve Him out of love. We should never keep an eye on the
reward but rather recognise Him as our exceedingly Great Reward like He
promised Abraham.

Relationship with your Father

The Torah is full of gems and can only be discovered through the Hebrew
language. One of these treasures is found in the following Commandment:
Exo 22:29 You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe fruits, and of
your liquors: the firstborn of your sons shall you give unto Me. (KJV)
On face value, this seems a bit odd finding an instruction about offerings, liquor
and your first-born son. This is one of the most mistranslated verses in
Scripture, not only the King James version, the other translations as well, they
all give a different translation:
You must be prompt in giving me the tithe of your crops and your wine,
and the redemption payment for your oldest son. (TLB)
Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats. You must
give me the firstborn of your sons. (NIV)

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The first part of this Commandment consists of four Hebrew words;
lo (do not), 'achar (delay), mle'ah (fullness), dema (tears). This can
be literally translated as; Do not delay to bring your fullness and
your tears to me.
YHVH asks us to bring our fullness to Him; when things are great,
when we are happy and full of joy about something great that
happened. These are the offerings of thanksgiving and praise to
Him as a result of the fullness we received from Him.
He also asks of us to bring our tears to Him, tears that arise from
lifes dynamics, things that happened unexpectedly that caused you
pain. He wants you to bring those tears as an offering to Him
without delay so that He can help you deal with it. Whatever you are
going through, good or bad, YHVH wants to be part of that. He
wants to share your life with you so that He can be part of your
fullness and your tears, your joys and your struggles.
We typically share these things with loved ones and friends, people
we can trust, and YHVH wants to be included in your inner circle of
confidence and be part of your family. He wants to celebrate your victories and
support you in a time of need as a loving and caring Father.
This Commandment is a beautiful picture of a loving Father and His
involvement in our lives. If you just take the Commandment only on face value,
you would have probably turned the page over thinking that this does not apply
to you, but you would then have missed the heart of the Father.

Roadmap to the Promised Land.

As discussed last week, we started off in Egypt, go through the Red Sea that
leads to the Mountain where we receive His Commandments and His Spirit.
Then we are adopted as children of YHVH, becoming Bondservants in His
Household, which is depicted by the Tabernacle or Body of Messiah. The only
thing we then must go through is the Wilderness here we will face all sorts of
enemies that will try to keep us from entering the Promised Land. The last step
before entering the Promised Land, is to face the Jordan, that means
Judgement. If you followed Messiah through the Wilderness, being part of His
Body, you will have no problem going through the Jordan, just like Israel went
through the Red Sea, leaving your flesh and all the enemies behind as you
enter the Kingdom of YHVH.

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