bmidbarministries: devarim-words

7/28/2019 BmidbarMinistries: Devarim-Words

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H1697 dabar, daw-bawr'. From H1696; a word; by imply-cation a matter(as

spoken of) ofthing; adverbially a cause: H1696

Shalom in Gods Familydabar, daw-bar'A primitive root; perhaps properly to arrange; but

used figuratively (of words) to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) tosubdue: - answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give,name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue,talk, teach, tell, think, use [entreaties], utter, X well, X work. H1696

Strongs #1696: AHLB#: 2093 (V) (2093) (DBR) ac:Order co:Word: An arrangement or placement ofsomething, creating order. [from: - order] V) ( D-BR) - Speak: A careful arrangement of words or

commands. kjv: speak, say, talk, promise, tell, commune,

pronounce, utter, command.

1089) ( DR)Circle. The pictograph is a doorrepresenting a moving back and forth. The is the

head of a man. Combined these mean "the back and

forth movement of man". A generation is one

revolution of the family line. The Hebraicunderstanding of order is the continual cyclical process of life and death or

renewal and destruction. This root can also have the meanings of circling around of

something in a wide area or to cover a large area. (eng: adore - as honor)

Heres the beauty of Devarim. Ready? The 3-letter root word ofdevarim, or

words, is dabar, orword. The 2-letter root word found here is dar, a Dalet and

a Resh, and it means To Order, or To Arrange. There, nestled in between this

two-letter root word is a third letterthe Bet; & what meaning does it carry? It

means house, or more importantly it means familybut theres another meaning it

carries that you may not have known, which isPeace

ThisWORD that Moses is speaking is designed to bring order to Gods

fami ly through peace!Do you get it? Do you have peace? So often we see within

our brothers and sisters debate, or lively conversation about Torah. Some of the

more educated may find it engaging to participate in these lively midrashes

dissecting rabbinical commentary, attempting perhaps to garner clarity on proper


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halachic rulings of Torahbut HaShem says, Im giving Israel my Torah, or my

WORD, to bring shalom to the family! Isnt that gorgeous? What was it Zecharias,

father of John spoke upon his tongue being loosed? He made several bold

declarations that day, but the most beautiful of all I think was the following,

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: forthou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow ofdeath, to guide our feet into the way of PEACE.1

The application here is simply this

when you receive His Torah, it restores order and brings shalom.

For many, it does just that. But for some it becomes a tool of division

is this what God wants? What does Scripture say?

There are six things the LORD hates -- no, seven things hedetests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill theinnocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, afalse witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in afamily.2

1Luk 1:76, 79 KJV

2Pro 6:16-19 NLT


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A Fantastic-False Way?This is why we must always pray for understanding because as the psalmist

wrote, From Thy precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way3.

Interestingly, a false way in the Hebrew is from

the wordshaqar, from Strongs #8266, and it

means to cheat, be untrue, deal falsely, to lie.

When we rebel against Gods word

beloved, we are walking in a false way. The two-letter root word Shar ofthe

Shin and Resh means to tie up. The deeper explanation involves applying pressure

at the head or beginning of a series of ropes. The ropes are then braided, or twisted

over one another repeatedly so that they lock into place. The central letter of

shaqaris the Kuf, and it means circle, revolutionalso figurative of a way, or

path, like YHVHs miqras, or appointed rehearsals we commonly refer to as His

Feast Days. But when we elect to walk in a false way, we are essentially Twisting

His Word. We see its Greek counterpart revealed in the Brit Chadasha when

Yeshua dressed down the Pharisees in Matthew. He told them,

Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P'rushim! You are like whitewashed

tombs, which look fineon the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones

and all kinds of rottenness.

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Likewise, you appearto people from the outside tobe good and honest, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and far from Torah

4.

The word in Greek isfah'ee-nopronounced like the word final minus the

l.Its the root for such known words in our contemporary lexicons as

phenomenon, epiphany, and fantastic! Yeshua captures the essence of the Hebraic

describing the Pharisees. He says on the outside you look finebut on the inside

youre full of dead peoples bones and all kinds of rottenness. When we elect to

walk in a false way, we think we know better. I have to say there have been times

where I really thought I knew what God wanted for my life better than what Godwanted! How foolish? But we can all fall prey; you get to fixating on an issue and

suddenly its become a game ofLets twistGods simple message into something

convoluted that justifies my ridiculous (ready for this?)fantasticplan!

3Psa 119:104 NAS

4Mat 23:27-28 CJB


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Spiritual RemindersMoses begins Devarim dubbed by Jewish commentary as the Mishnei

Torah, literally a double copy. Because Deuteronomy repeats law and history

known from the earlier books of the Torah, Talmudic literature aptly usesMishnei

Torahas the name of this book5. So in large part, this prologue, or preface to

recounting Israels lessons is a testimony Moses shares to remindIsrael all

HaShem has done for them by bringing them through so much and now into that

good hill-country, The Promised Land. Moses knows once Israel settles into

Canaan that there will be the blessings ofabundance and comfort, which is why he

is so passionate in what many identify this parsha as his prologue, because Moses

understands when our physical needs are met we tend to become proud, and lazy,

and idly meander off Gods path, entertaining afalse wayenter SpiritualReminders as the figurative curtain is drawn back on chapter one of Devarim in the

plains of Moab just east of the Jordan.

Loose Lips Sink ShipsWe read the opening verses, These are the words which Moses spoke to all

Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness, in the Arabah opposite Suph, between

Paran and Tophel and Laban and Hazeroth and Dizahab6. Weve got all these

names of geographical locations, and it is confusing. In the Onkelos Targum we

read [t]his statement is unclear and problematical. Contrary to what is indicated,

the Israelites were notthen in the wilderness, or near the Reed Sea, but in the

plains of Moab. Also, Tophel and Laban are not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.

In fact, none of the six sites can be identified with certainty7.

Our question then becomes, why the reference to these places which Israel

never even stopped at? (Actually a quick study does reveal Israel did camp at

Hazeroth, but none of the other locations are listed. If we consult the Onkeloscommentary we can glean a little more insight to assist which tells us Moses

reminds the Israelites of their mistakes so that they will not revert to their former

5Etz Hayyim Torah and Commentary, footnote for Deuteronomy 17:18, p.1093.

6Deu 1:1 NAS

7The Irwin Jonas Onkelos On the Torah Understanding The Bible Text Deuteronomy


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behavior (Nachmanides). A similar interpretation is given by the Targum to Amos

1:1[s]pecifically, Tophel is rendered slander, and Laban is understood as

white, a reference to Numbers 21:5: And our soul loathes this light bread

[manna]. Dizahab is taken in the sense of sufficiency ofgold. [W]e are told that

Moses reproved the Israelites on account of the golden calf that they had madewith their overabundance of gold

8. So here we have three references in the

beginning of Moses prologue, spiritual reminders of three different occasions

where Israel fell off the wagon if you will and began walking in a false way.

Slander opened the door to questioning Godremember the serpent in the garden?

Loathing the manna was being unthankful for Gods provision, encouraging the

thought that God was holding out on Israel. The gold was symbolic of the golden

calfwhich was the outright product or choosing to walk outside of Gods way,

and create their own. Slandering, Ungratefulness, and Idolatry, all three of whichrepresent rebellion and an unwillingness to make good on their vow to do

everything God told them to.Food for thought: it begins with either speaking or

listening to words that encourage removing God from the Head of our family. This

slippery slope is like loose lips that sink ships. You engage in words and counsel

incongruent with the mind of God, shalom departs, chaos enters and it puts you in

a place of compromiseremember

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it

flow the springs of life.9

40 Years of CirclingIn truth, the past 40 years were not entirely lost on Israel, God always has

divine purpose for each of our lives. I like the way one commentator describes that

period of time in Israels history, God was not rejecting his people when he

consigned them to 40 years ofwilderness wandering. He was lovingly guiding

them in a way that would bring them some much-needed discipline. Even after ourworst failures, when terrible consequences are bearing down on us, God is there

10.

The past is an excellent spiritual reminder and so what we have here in Moses

8The Irwin Jonas Onkelos on The Torah Understanding the Bible Text Deuteronomy

9Pro 4:23 NAS

10The Life Recovery Bible, footnote 2:7, p.224.


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recounting of Israels journey is the powerful reminder that when God says it is

time to moveyou move! He said, ADONAIspoke to us in Horev. He said, 'You

have lived long enough by this mountain. Turn, get

moving and go11

and again You

have circledthis mountain longenough.Now turn north

12. Circling

comes from Strongs# 5437,

pronouncedsaw-bab', and it means to

surround, revolve, or border.

In the Paleo this

word is comprised of a Samech, and two Bets. The Samech-Bet combination forms

the two-letter root word meaning a Turning of the inside. Of course the pashatmeaning is the nation turned around the

mountain several years, circling, but we

know that Abba used these episodes as

opportunities to work on Israels heart

and to turn them from the inside,

withinto YHVHsDevarim, orWord

of Shalom. On this earth, our time here is

not wasted either. We have been createdin Christ Jesus for good works, which

God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them13

. In large part, much like

our ancestors who circled the mountain for 40 years, we too are learning the same

lesson over the course of our lives as well, which is all about love. And this is

love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment,

just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it14

.

11Deu 1:6-7 CJB

12Deu 2:3 NAS

13Eph 2:10 NAS

142Jo 1:6 NAS


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FearisUnbeliefYHVH was doing something else for Israel as they circled that mountain.

They were being turned from a heart filled with fear. Recalling Israels hardened

hearts in the wilderness, we learn the root of their being refused entrance the first

time: Andso we see that they were not able to enter because ofunbelief15. And

again, Watch out, brothers, so that there will not be in any one of you an evil heart

lacking trust, which could lead you to apostatize from the living God 16! because

of the limitation of their physical eyes, to being filled with a heart of trust in the

one who vowed to fight for them all along. Moses said,

LLoo ttiirraaoooomm kkiiAAddoonnaaiiEElloohheeyycchheemm hhoooo hhaanniillcchhaamm llaacchheemm

which means You shall not fear them; for The LORD your GOD shall fight foryou!

17 It is the same thing Yeshua explained to His disciples in John chapter 15.

He essentially told them if you will abide in my word then your joy will be full!

The word used in the Greek translation comes from Strongs #5463 and is the word

khah'ee-ro, meaning to be full ofcheer, that is, calmly happy or well off. The

beautiful thing about this is as we close our study for today we confirm that by

doing a Hebrew cognate study on this Greek word brings back several words, two

of which are Strongs #H157, #H7965, and #H5937. I leave you with an example of

each below. Beloved, let us remember that our footsteps should always remain onHis path, because this journey is working out the fear, and replacing it with trust,

resulting in the following:

#H5937: The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I

am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise

him. (Psa 28:7 KJV) #H7965: Those who love yourTorah have greatpeace;nothing makes them stumble. (Psa 119:165 CJB) H#157:Long ago the LORDsaid to Israel: "I have lovedyou, my people, with an everlasting love. Withunfailing love I have drawn you to myself. (Jer 31:3 NLT)

15Heb 3:19 NAS

16Heb 3:12 CJB

17Deut. 3:22

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