Parashat HaShavua Re'eh / Behold
This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 54:11-55:5
Yochanan Aleph / 1 John 4:1-6
Devarim {13:1} If there arise in the midst of you a navi (prophet), or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, {13:2} and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them; {13:3} you shall not listen to the words of that navi, or to that dreamer of dreams: for HaShem your G-D proves you, to know whether you love HaShem your G-D with all your heart and with all your nefesh (soul). {13:4} You shall walk after HaShem your G-D, and fear Him, and keep His mitzvot (commandments), and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him. {13:5} That navi, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against HaShem your G-D, who brought you out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt), and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which HaShem your G-D commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.
This is an amazing passage of Scripture. It tells us something important. Actually, it does more than that. It is warning us about something very profound and very serious, something that is extremely relevant to our day. What it is telling us is that not all signs and wonders are from HaShem. Considering the direction that many churches and even some Messianic congregations are taking today, this is a very important warning. Why do I say this? I say it because Believers today are running to and fro, throughout the world, after the latest sign and wonder.
I think we need to be extremely discerning when it comes to signs and wonders. This applies even when that sign or wonder comes to pass, just as our passage of Scripture is saying. The fact that a prophecy, dream, sign or wonder has come to pass does not necessarily mean that it is from G-d. In fact we are warned that certain signs and wonders could come to try and convince us to server other gods.
So why then does HaShem allow signs and wonders that are not from Him? We know that HaShem is in control of everything and that nothing on the earth, under the earth or above the earth, whether in the physical or spiritual, takes place without His knowledge and approval. Well, we are told above that HaShem allows false signs and wonders to take place for the following reason:
Devarim {13:3} you shall not listen to the words of that navi, or to that dreamer of dreams: for HaShem your G-D proves you, to know whether you love HaShem your G-D with all your heart and with all your nefesh (soul).
This is quite a sobering statement considering that Toronto, Canada, the city that our congregation is located in, is home to one of the largest “signs and wonders” churches in the world.
So what is HaShem testing in us when He sends us dreamers of dreams, prophets, signs and wonders that are not from Him? He wants to test us to see if we will do the following:
Devarim {13:3b}... whether you love HaShem your G-D with all your heart and with all your nefesh (soul). {13:4} You shall walk after HaShem your G-D, and fear Him, and keep His mitzvoth, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave to Him.
What does this mean? It means that we should be extremely reluctant to believe any dream, any prophecy, any sign or wonder coming from someone, or coming from a believing church or Messianic synagogue that does not follow the mitzvoth of HaShem - His Torah!
It goes without saying that HaShem’s mitzvot are outlined in His Torah. Yeshua, as we know, is G-d. As such when He instructed us to follow His commandments, being the composer of the Torah, He was instructing us to follow Torah. Yes, we can not perform those mitzvoth which are dependant on the existence of a Bet HaMikdash (Temple) because one does not exist, nor can we perform those mitzvot that are dependant on us living in HaAretz (The Land) if we are not living in HaAretz, but we are responsible to keep all the rest. I am also one that believes that this is incumbent on both Jewish and non-Jewish Believers alike because that is how HaShem said it was suppose to be.
So next time you encounter a dreamer of dreams, a prophet or signs and wonders emanating from a person who does not say and who’s fruit does not say that they follow or even believe in Torah, they are probably speaking rebellion against HaShem your G-d. Be reluctant to believe them!
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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber
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