In this Torah Portion, Moses continues teaching the Children of Israel the things necessary for them to stay in the land that YHVH is giving to them. When YHVH gives us something it does not mean that we are to do nothing with it. As with anything everything must be set in order so that it is ready to move in. There are requirements to rid the property of pests and vermin that may have taken over the property. We are to remain vigilant so that they do not return a different way. In the Kingdom, we are to do the same. In spiritual warfare, we need to make sure that the enemy is not able to return and retake what was his. We belong to the Most High God, who has compassion and mercy on whom He will have compassion and mercy.
As I was going through this Torah Portion, I saw an interesting thing about how the Modern King James Version (MKJV) translated the concept of raising up seed for his dead brother. The MKJV translated it as Levirate marriage.
Deu 25:7 MKJV
And if the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate to the elders and say, My husband’s brother refuses to raise up a name in Israel to his brother. He will not perform my levirate.
The word in Hebrew is;
H2992
יָבַם
yâbam
yaw-bam’
A primitive root of doubtful meaning; used only as a denominative from H2993; to marry a (deceased) brother’s widow: – perform the duty of a husband’s brother, marry.
This stirred up the idea that is Israel the only nation that performed such practices then and now. What I found was that not only did Israel practice this service they are not the only ones who perform this act.
Levirate marriage – Wikipedia [i]
Many countries still follow this practice. This was not unfamiliar to the Israelites, rather YHVH formalized it in Deut.
Levirate Marriage (in the Bible) | Encyclopedia.com [ii]
Goto the footnotes, Levirate came from the Latin word Lavir meaning husband brother. In this way, the MKJV placed the word Levirate instead of stating that the brother of the deceased man. The MKJV makes sound like this practice came from the Levites. Although this custom predates the scriptures of this text in fact goes back to Tamar and Judah. This actually had been going on before the flood. The reason was that the brother’s name would not be forgotten. Also, there are indications that the widow was taken care of through this act. This in effect the seed would take care of her for the rest of her life. Property would remain with her and the inheritance would remain within the family.
The basic theme here is to love your neighbor as you love yourselves. I know that this looks like I broad brushed this yet when we show that we love YHVH with our whole being through showing that we love our neighbor as ourselves, this also shows that we love YHVH. It’s the ultimate circle of love. When Yeshua said that the Father and He is one.
Joh 14:20 MKJV
At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
Joh 10:38 ASV
But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
Joh 17:11 MKJV
And now I am in the world no longer, but these are in the world, and I come to You, Holy Father. Keep them in Your name, those whom You have given Me, so that they may be one as We are.
Shifting to the Halph Torah Portion and the New Testament, the question that is the title of the teaching is; Are you ready for His return?
If we are appointed to be in the Kingdom and treat our fellow servants with contempt and lie, cheat, and steal, what will our master do to us when He returns? For He said that in such a time that you think not, then the Son of Man will return.
Mat 24:43-51 MKJV
(43) But know this, that if the steward of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be dug through. (44) Therefore you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of Man comes.
(45) Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord has made ruler over His household, to give them food in due season?
(46) Blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find him doing so when He comes.
(47) Truly I say to you that He shall make him ruler over all His goods.
(48) But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delays His coming,
(49) and shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken,
(50) the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he does not look for Him, and in an hour which he does not know.
(51) And He shall cut him apart and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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