Parashat Vaetchanan / פרשת ואתחנן
- Mon, 23 July 2018 = 11th of Av, 5778
- י״א בְּאָב תשע״ח
Deuteronomy 4:5-40 (36 p'sukim)
commentary below:
In Pesuk 9, 15 we are warned twice, to "Watch" over ourselves lest we forget the Torah that God gave to us through Moshe.
In Pesuk 9, it is written as:
Deuteronomy 4:9 - 9 “Only be watchful and watch over your soul closely, so you do not forget the things your eyes have seen and they slip from your heart all the days of your life. You are to make them known to your children and your children’s children.
Deuteronomy 4:9 - – רַ֡ק הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֩ וּשְׁמֹ֨ר נַפְשְׁךָ֜ מְאֹ֗ד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וּפֶן־יָס֙וּרוּ֙ מִלְּבָ֣בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ וְהֹודַעְתָּ֥ם לְבָנֶ֖יךָ וְלִבְנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיךָ׃
meaning: to keep, guard, observe, give heed. It is a familiar word to those who know the Pesuk 4 of Tehillim 121:
Psalms 121:4 Behold, the Keeper of Israel
neither slumbers nor sleeps.
Psalms 121:4 – הִנֵּה לֹא-יָנוּם, וְלֹא יִישָׁן-- שׁוֹמֵר, יִשְׂרָאֵל.׃
Here in Tehillim it is "Shomer" (i.e. Guardian or Keeper) - similar to diligent watchmen on the city walls watching through the night against enemy invaders! It is a militant guard. And this is exactly how Moshe is instructing us to watch over our own souls, because we "forget".
Pesuk 15 is virtually the same:
Deuteronomy 4:15 - – " “So be very watchful over your souls since you saw no form on the day that Adonai spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
Deuteronomy 4:15 - – וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י לֹ֤א רְאִיתֶם֙ כָּל־תְּמוּנָ֔ה בְּיֹ֗ום דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם בְּחֹרֵ֖ב מִתֹּ֥וךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃
Here again, we can easily see the root word for Guardian/Keeper "Shemar" within the first highlighted word on the right: "V'nishemartem" in which that single word is actually "and guard over your..." Followed by the next highlighted word "L'nafshetechem" of which the root is Nefesh (Soul), and altogether "to your souls".
While this same warning is true also in the Brit Chadasha, there is something a little more unique in our New Covenant. A similar warning is found from Shaliach Shimon Kefa:
2 Peter 3:17 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.
This and other pesukim like it are throughout the Brit Chadasha. However, there is a unique component for those of us who are Born Anew in this covenant. It is not only dependent upon our own efforts and our own righteousness. (Not that we shouldn't also remain vigilant over our own souls), but for those of us who remain Trusting and unwavering in our Faith in Messiah Yeshua, we are promised that our souls are looked after and guarded by God Himself!
Here is the unique aspect of the Brit Chadasha:
John 17:9 “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given to me, because they are yours. 10 Indeed, all I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and in them I have been glorified. 11 Now I am no longer in the world. They are in the world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, guard them by the power of your name, which you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we are. 12 When I was with them, I guarded them by the power of your name, which you have given to me; yes, I kept watch over them; and not one of them was destroyed (except the one meant for destruction, so that the Tanakh might be fulfilled). 13 But now, I am coming to you; and I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.
14 “I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world — just as I myself do not belong to the world. 15 I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the Evil One. 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart for holiness by means of the truth — your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 On their behalf I am setting myself apart for holiness, so that they too may be set apart for holiness by means of the truth.
20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will trust in me because of their word, 21 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are united with me and I with you, I pray that they may be united with us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. 22 The glory which you have given to me, I have given to them; so that they may be one, just as we are one — 23 I united with them and you with me, so that they may be completely one, and the world thus realize that you sent me, and that you have loved them just as you have loved me.
24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am; so that they may see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you, and these people have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will continue to make it known; so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I myself may be united with them.”
Yes it is the Messiah, who intercedes and pleads with the Father who guards over us constantly protecting us. Yes He is the Shomer Yisrael, but it is more than that, it is not just us who are guarding over our own souls. We are NOT of this world. The World does NOT have this type of spiritual protection. WE DO!
We are guaranteed this guardianship by virtue of our membership in this New Covenant through repentance of our sins in the Name of Yeshua the Ben Elohim! This is the assurance of our Faith, and when we have assurance - we have PEACE.
As it is written:
Philippians 4:7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
And the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.
Baruch Hashem!
No comments:
Post a Comment