"Delivered From Ourselves"
Parashat HaShavua Ki Teitzei / When You Go Out
This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 54:1-10
Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 5:1-5
Devarim {21:10} When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and HaShem your G-D delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive,...
What an encouraging passage of Scripture! It is encouraging because we are learning that the battle is the L-rd’s! We sing these words in our Messianic congregations. We read these words or ones that are similar time after time in Scripture, where we are told that HaShem fights for Yisrael, defending her and defeating her enemies before her. We experience these words in our own lives when HaShem delivers us out of the hand of enemies that have come against us with the intention of harming us in one way or another. By faith we believe these words – the battle is the L-rd’s!
However, this passage is also ominous because, although the battle is the L-rd’s the victory, in most cases, depends on us! You will recall the incident of the twelve spies; ten of the twelve men sent out by Moshe to spy out the land of Canaan came back with a negative report. They succeeded to turn the hearts of the entire nation away from believing and serving G-d. However, when HaShem struck the spies with a plague and they died, bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel) then realized their mistake and they repented and agreed to go in and fight for the land, but it was too late for fighting; worse than that it was too late for them to stop the consequence that would come for their sin of rebellion.
Bamidbar (Numbers) {14:40} In the morning, however, they rose up early and went up to the ridge of the hill country, saying, "Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place which HaShem has promised." {14:41} But Moshe (Moses) said, "Why then are you transgressing the commandment of HaShem, when it will not succeed? {14:42} "Do not go up, lest you be struck down before your enemies, for HaShem is not among you. {14:43} "For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following HaShem. And HaShem will not be with you."
HaShem will fight our battles for us, and He will deliver up our enemies into our hands; however, we do have some responsibilities toward Him. G-d will do all that He has promised, but we need to participate if we want the victory. We need to be obedient! Obedience unlocks the door to all our blessings.
Devarim {28:1} It shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the voice of HaShem your G-D, to observe to do all his mitzvot (commandments) which I command you this day, who HaShem your G-D will set you on high above all the goyim (nations) of the earth: {28:2} and all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you, if you shall listen to the voice of HaShem your G-D. {28:7} HaShem will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be struck before you: they shall come out against you one way, and shall flee before you seven ways.
All this seems quite simple and straight forward, but bnei Yisrael was not able to accomplish this simple task, nor can most of us. Something as simple as obedience turns out to be the hardest thing to accomplish. We have to ask ourselves why? Why is it that, despite the assurance by G-d that He will bless us and deliver all our enemies up to us if we are obedient that we can not be obedient? Is it because we do not want to be blessed? Is it because we are sadistic and enjoy pain and sorrow? I do not think so! So why do we have so much difficulty being obedient? Most people would like to say it is because, “The devil made me do it,” but the fact is that we are the ones to blame. Our own selfishness, our own desire to have our own way and do things our own way; our own craving to satisfy our flesh is what does it.
Romim (Romins) {7:19} For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. {7:20} But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. {7:21} I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. {7:22} For I joyfully concur with the Torah of G-d in the inner man, {7:23} but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the Torah of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. {7:24} Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? {7:25} Thanks be to G-d through Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) our L-rd! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the Torah of G-d, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Let us face it; we are our own worst enemies! However, thanks to Yeshua HaMashiach, we have been delivered from ourselves!
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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber
Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher,our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
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