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The Torah portion for this Shabbat is called Eikev meaning “consequence”. Israel is told that if they will be faithful to observe Adonai’s commandments, the ‘consequences’ will be blessing and health, prosperity and protection. But that’s a big ‘IF’. God promises to go before us to drive out the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, who had spurned 400 years of opportunity and warning from God to turn from their wickedness. It is a mistake to suppose that the Canaanites, and later the Philistines, were innocent victims of an ‘occupying force’ a.k.a. Israel, or that that they didn’t realize they were sinning grievously against God.
The fact that 400 years earlier, Abraham had broken bread with Malkitzedek, a fellow monotheist, proves that there was already an awareness of the belief in a single, infinitely powerful and holy Creator, who demanded moral uprightness. The Canaanites weren’t being driven out because of their ethnicity. Rather, they were being driven out because of their wickedness, especially their horrific religious and sexual practices. Israel was to have nothing to do with such abominations; to allow the Canaanites to remain would inevitably lead to flirting with Canaanite ways, and result in corruption and breaking Covenant with God.
The ban was so strict that even the silver and gold adorning the Canaanites’ idols was to be burned. It was not to be kept as spoils of war, nor to be put into the Tabernacle treasury. This parallels the prohibition found in chapter 23: You shall not bring the monies earned by either male or female prostitution into the house of the Lord your God as an offering, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God”. This principle could be applied today in offerings received in houses of worship. No matter how difficult a congregation’s financial situation might be, it should be unthinkable to knowingly accept monies earned through objectionable practices such as drug dealing or prostitution, or even from a doctor who performs abortions. To receive their contributions would be to take blood money! God says, “Not in My house!”.
In chapters 8 and 9, Adonai announces that we are about to enter a lovely and fertile land, and we would soon eat and enjoy its bounty. We are warned not to take our prosperity for granted, or worse – to begin thinking we deserve it! We must remember that it is He who gives us the ability to make wealth, and that due appreciation and glory be given Him. I imagine some people saying, “Hey, I’ve worked hard to get where I’m at! Why should I thank anyone else?” Why? Because there are plenty of others who worked equally hard, and didn’t get the ‘breaks’ you got. So give thanks where thanks is due… or face the consequences.
Lest we arrogantly suppose we inherited the land because of our uprightness, God reminds us that it had nothing to do with any righteousness on our part, but rather the wickedness of the Canaanites. He reminds us that we had repeatedly provoked Him in the wilderness. We’re reminded of our many rebellions, not least of which was the golden calf debacle, and that Moses had had to repeatedly intercede with Adonai for us.
In chapter 10 Moses recounts going back up Mt. Sinai for another 40 days to receive the second set of tablets, the first set having been smashed by him at the time of the Golden Calf rebellion. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s grace, and of second chances. It also testifies to God’s unconditional commitment to Israel’s future and well-being. God, who is the Sovereign over all Creation, chose Israel for Himself – a decidedly imperfect people. He will never reject Israel or “replace” her. Rabbi Paul emphasizes this truth in Romans chapters 9-11 and warns Gentile believers against arrogance toward those ‘natural branches’. Unfortunately, many theologians seem to not get this.
What is the proper response to God’s love and forgiveness? Moses writes, “Circumcise then your heart, and stiffen your neck no more!” Israel is told that we should be characterized by our love and support of the poor and disenfranchised among us; orphans, widows and resident aliens. Why? Because we ourselves had been resident aliens. We learned first-hand what it means to be oppressed, courtesy of the Egyptians. How dare we ever turn around and become oppressors!
And if this was true in the Sinai Covanant, how much more in the New Covenant? Yeshua told a troubling parable; a slave indebted to a powerful land owner to the tune of several million dollars. He pleaded for time and patience, and promised to repay every penny, which they both knew was impossible. Yet his master, who by all rights could have had him sent to prison, moved with pity, didn’t just give him an extension of time, but canceled out the debt entirely!
And what did that slave do? He found a fellow slave who owed him $50 and began beating him and demanding the money. When pleaded with for patience, he refused and had the other slave thrown in prison. When the land owner found out about this, he was enraged. Summoning the first slave, he rebuked him for the hypocrisy of having been so lavishly forgiven, yet refusing to extend even a little forgiveness himself. And he was sent off to the place of darkness and torture.
Israel’s previous suffering in Egypt ought to have produced a quality of mercy, now that we were a free people. Yeshua’s people, having graciously been set free from the greater bondage of sin and death, ought to be the most gracious of all.
Finally, in chapter 11, we are enjoined to impress these words of God upon our hearts and minds, and to teach them diligently to our children, and that God would bless us abundantly if we would walk in His ways. All the territory from the Arabah (the wilderness) to Lebanon and from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River was to be ours, compliments of God, to whom belongs all the earth. And though Israel proved disobedient, and eventually went into a promised Exile, God also promised to return us to the Land in the tumultuous Last Days, and to circumcise our hearts. That is a major theme of Scripture. Do you realize we are living in the midst of those days? How troubling and exciting, all at the same time.
There is a God-guaranteed glorious future ahead for Israel, and for us.