#42 — Parshat Re’eh
Devarim 11:26-17:17
Overview
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse (Deuteronomy 11:26). Moses sets before Israel the curse for disobedience and the blessing which follows keeping the commandments. Israel is instructed to do the same ”when the Lord brings you into the land” – specifically, at the mountains of Ebal and Gerizim, at the oaks of Moreh (Deuteronomy 11:27-32; also chapters 27-28).
Then Moses focuses especially on the commandment to destroy the Canaanite places of false worship. Israel should rather bring their sacrifices to the LORD and enjoy God’s blessing at the one place where God will let His Name, His personal presence, dwell (Deuteronomy 12).
A false prophet who tempts Israel to follow other gods must be killed, even if he is able to do miracles (Deuteronomy 13:1-5). The same applies to anyone else who incites others to follow idols. If an entire city decides to go after other gods, that city must be devoted to destruction (Deuteronomy 13:12-18).
As God’s own holy people, Israelites should not cut themselves or make themselves bald for the dead, nor eat what should be considered an abomination. Animals which are declared “unclean for you” are distinguished from animals Israel can eat (Deuteronomy 14:1-21).
At the end of every seventh year, there will be a year of release from debt and bondage for fellow Israelites. If Israel will obey God’s voice there will be no poverty. At the same time Israelites “shall open wide their hands” to their brothers to give or lend even when the time of debt release approaches. A Hebrew slave should not leave empty handed at the time of release. If he so desires, he can choose to remain a slave forever (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).
All firstborn males from the herd or the flock must be sacrificed, unless they are blemished. Then they can be eaten, buy not their blood (Deuteronomy 15:19-23).
Israel shall appear before the LORD three times a year – not empty handed – on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot (Deuteronomy 16:1-16), giving “according to the blessing that the LORD your God is giving you” (Deuteronomy 16:17).
Enjoying the blessing in the place which the L-RD chooses
In between curse and blessing
Israel literally has to place the curse and the blessing in the land of Canaan: the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. The words of the law have to be written on large plastered stones on Mount Ebal. In addition, the blessing, following obedience, has to be pronounced from Mount Gerizim and the curse, following disobedience, has to be pronounced from Mount Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:2-3). [NOTE: all this was all done under the leadership of Joshua (Joshua 8:30-35).]
When we observe all this well, the future of Israel seems to be hanging in the balance, as a pendulum between curse and blessing. It is ominous that the words of the law are to be placed on Mount Ebal, the mountain of the curse. Does that indicate that Israel will be disobedient and end up under the curse? The book of Deuteronomy tells us that indeed will happen.
The pendulum indeed seems to swing in that direction, because of rebellion and disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15, 32:16-22, see also Joshua’s last words in Shechem - the same location - recorded in Joshua 24:19-27). But thankfully there is more to the story….
Location, Location, Location
To discover that, let’s look closely at the location where Israel is to put the curse and the blessing. Coming from the east, our parasha zooms in on a very specific place: “Are they [Ebal and Gerizim] not across the Jordan, west of the way toward the sunset, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oaks of Moreh?”
The camera of our parsha zooms in on a very specific place at the site of Shechem. A place where something very important happened. The book of Genesis mentions “the Oak of Moreh” as the place where Abram first settled down. And there at that very place “the L-RD appeared to Abram”. There for the first time G-d promised specifically the land of Canaan to him. “To your descendants I will give this land, so he [Abram] built an altar there to the L-RD who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12:6-7)
When Israel has to place the blessing and the curse there, it also has to bring sacrifices (Deuteronomy 27:5-7). And because of God’s promise and because of sacrifice, the pendulum definitely sways towards blessing!
The next section of the parasha focuses specifically on enjoying the blessing of God. It gives us glimpses of the joy that is possible if we abandon our idols and truly worship God. It focuses on enjoyment of God’s blessing in the place He chooses.
The place where God’s name dwells
The place which God ultimately chose was not Shechem, between Ebal and Gerizim. [Very unfortunately, against the strict warnings of our parasha and of Joshua, Israel turned that place where the covenant was so solemnly ratified into a place of syncretistic worship (Deuteronomy 12:1-4; Judges 9:4-6,10:46).] God chose Jerusalem instead.
Jerusalem will be the place of true worship where Israel is to seek the One and Only God. There God will make his name dwell (Deuteronomy 12:5-6). God’s name is His personal and glorious presence (compare Exodus 3:12-15, 34:4-7).
And there you shall eat before the L-RD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households in all that you undertake, in which the LORD your God has blessed you. (Deuteronomy 12:7).
The feast in Zion
Our parasha emphasizes that all of Israel – young and old, male and female, servants and Levites who have no inheritance – should be included in the enjoyment of God’s blessing (Deuteronomy 12:12). Even the sojourner or stranger must not be forgotten (Deuteronomy 14:29).
But as we keep reading the scriptures, the scope of God’s blessing becomes even wider; it becomes worldwide shalom:
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow of aged wine well refined.
And He will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the LORD God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken (Isaiah 25:6-8).
We believe this will come about because of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. He died with the words of Psalm 22 on His lips. “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” Because He took the curse of our covenant-breaking upon Himself. But His resurrection has unlocked the future of endless blessing about which the end of Psalm 22 speaks:
The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek him shall praise the LORD!
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD
And all the families of the nations
shall worship before you (Psalm 22:26-27).
Because of the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah who died in Jerusalem, the pendulum swings forever in the direction of the blessing. Because of Yeshua, the law of Moses is not a witness against us anymore (Deuteronomy 31:26-27), leaving us under God’s curse. No, now the Torah rather points us towards the blessed life in God’s presence.
We would love to talk with you about this.