Shoftim (Judges)
This parashah speaks volumes about the identity of Mashiach and yet you would be surprised at how people view Messiah. Judaism is not monolithic but is comprised of many groups. This congregation is trying to practice Biblical Judaism, which is very different from rabbinic or intellectual Judaism. As Jews who are believers in Messiah Yeshua, it is our duty and responsibility to teach G-d’s revelation as found in His Word; this simply means that we do not follow a religion per se but we clearly follow the G-d of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. People have the tendency to define themselves by what they have learned from others. Some of us may have been protected from the doctrines or dogmas of religion as they were growing up but most were very influenced by it. Some of us have attended Christian seminaries or Hebrew schools but struggled with and never accepted some of the things that were taught. Every religion is a system in which man tries to explain and worship its own deity. We are blessed enough today to have the written Word of G-d and its revelation. The sad thing is that out of this Book have come thousands of versions and interpretations resulting in the formation of thousands of religious groups each one claiming to have the right interpretation. No one can claim to have the whole Truth. We need to give each other room and admit that we simply don’t know and can fail in our attempt to understand it. We need to have a humble spirit and ask for chochma (wisdom) and revelation from the Most High G-d.
With that short introduction let us look at the Shoftim portion beginning in Devarim 16:18 with “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates (shearim)….” giving us the idea of G-d having set up a system whereby we could live in peace and be protected within our own walled (Shearim) communities. In those days kings would attack other cities to take wealth and slaves so every city needed to be surrounded by walls and gates for protection.
Chapters 16, 17 & 18 give us four descriptions of leaders: judge, king, priest and prophet all of whom are “anointed” and are indirectly called Elohim— a term which pertains to the specific duty of each of the leaders called by G-d to fulfill this function. In the case of Mashiach or anointed one - Yeshua, he fulfilled all these duties. Kings and judges were called Elohim or gods or lords. They were Shlichim or sent ones by G-d. They were not the Supreme G-d but they represented him in their functions and duties. For example, the ambassador of the US living in a foreign country represents the President of US in that country. The embassy itself in that country is actually considered part of the US even if it is on foreign soil. If the ambassador is attacked, it is as if the President himself was being attacked and can be considered an act of war. He is given full authority to represent the President. This is the idea of Mashiach. Mashiach means anointed but there is no definition anywhere in Scripture for Mashiach. When we try to define him we begin to create doctrines and dogmas and form a religion taking verses out of context to make our points valid. This is a theological salad and happens in every religion.
Let us open our eyes for a moment and not be narrow-minded concerning the Scriptures. Whether we like it or not, we have been brain-washed by well meaning people. Let us drop our religion, prejudiced baggage for a moment and begin with the premise that all humanity is under one G-d alone. In his vast wisdom, He selected a people—Israel, through whom He would bring redemption to the world. All Israel is part of Him and outside Israel there is no salvation. This has nothing to do with ethnicity or being a race—it is a calling! It doesn’t matter where we come from whether from a line of rabbis or a line of pagans…if you are called then you are part of the Israel of G-d.
Devarim 18: 15-19 clearly speaks of false prophets and the occult in which we are not allowed to take part. [Ha Satan and his army are real. Rav Shaul warned us that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. (Ephesians 6:2)].
Devarim 18:15-22: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. 16This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: ‘If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.’ 17Then the LORD replied to me: ‘They are right in what they have said. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet* shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’ 21You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a word that the LORD has not spoken?’ 22If a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.
In verse 15, we read that G-d will raise up a prophet like me from among your brothers….like who? Moshe Rabbeinu, the very special man called by G-d for a particular purpose (to redeem Israel from the slavery). Why didn’t G-d allow us to ever find the body of Moshe or know where he was buried? Humans have the tendency to worship those who have died and He did not want Moshe to be worshiped. Again in verse 18…I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers. He never said I will raise up a G-d. Verse 19…Whoever does not listen to My Words…How will we know who that prophet is? It is simple... read verse 22. Everything he says needs to come to pass.
In the Messianic Writings the followers of Yeshua never called him G-d, they called him, lord (Elohim), teacher, rabbi, ben Elohim, all of which have a meaning in the context of those times. Yeshua totally submitted himself to the Father all the while representing G-d in the redemption of Israel and the world. He had the full authority and the anointing of G-d to tell the people what G-d had sent him to tell them. The people in Yeshua’s day knew that if they accepted him they themselves would be totally wrong. They wanted to stone him to death for being a false prophet as spelled out in Devarim 18. They were not stoning him because he claimed to be G-d; but He had the authority of G-d.
Yeshua’s divinity is not in question here since he certainly has the spark of divinity. There was no one like him ever nor would there ever be anyone like him on earth. His resurrection is the mark of his crowning in ‘Kevod - Glory’ as the first fruit of resurrection.
Rabbinic Judaism reacted to Christianity for making a man into G-d which according to Numbers 23:19, we know we cannot do. We are not saying that G-d cannot become a man because there is nothing that G-d cannot do but did He? G-d does not contradict Himself. We can say G-d is in the man but to say man is G-d is a total different statement.
We know that Mashiach came and G-d gave him the authority to speak in His Name to the point of death. In Judaism death is the point that is celebrated, not birth. We do not celebrate birthdays. This was picked up from pagan tradition. Death is the last birth when we enter the afterlife and await the resurrection of the dead at the coming of Mashiach. This life is a short temporary one.
What the first man - Adam did, Yeshua needed to undo; the Mashiach as the second man – Adam needed to be perfect in every detail. If we make Yeshua into a god, we invalidate everything that he came to do. Why would Satan bother to tempt Yeshua 3 times in the desert if he were G-d? G-d cannot be tempted. James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone." It also says in Heb 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Satan tempted him with the three basic desires of man— food, wealth and power. He could only tempt him with the things over which he has control…Satan is the god of this world. However Yeshua, the second man conquered Satan in these three very things in which Adam, the first man was beaten. We already we have an example in Job, how he also rejected Satan’s intimidations.
How could Yeshua have suffered and died for us on the Roman execution stake? Was he a great actor, faking it? A Superman could not be killed or defeated.
Yeshua is the first fruits of redemption, seated at the right hand of G-d in all His Glory. What does this expression mean? He was the messenger to whom G-d have all authority and a position greater than any other being, celestial or human. When he returns he will come in all authority in order to fix this mess that humanity has made of the world.
We fight about who he is. Man forces the Scriptures to say things that it does not say and call others heretic when we do not see the Scriptures in exactly the same way they do. Thank G-d that one day He will put all things straight when he returns.
May G-d add blessings to His Word.