Readings
- Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25
- Isaiah 49:14–51:3
- Hebrews 11:8–13
Companion readings for Va’etchanan from the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament) from MessianicJudaism.net (also has through-the-Bible readings for prophets and B’rit Chadashah) and First Fruits of Zion:
- John 13:31-15:27 (First Fruits of Zion)
- Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; James 5:7-11 (Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern)
- Hebrews 11:8-13 (Parashiot From the Torah and Haftarah by Jeffrey E. Feinbe of Flame Foundation)
- Luke 24:13-32 (Chayyei Yeshua Three-Year Besora Reading Cycle by Mark Kinzer)
Studies
Listen to and read studies on the following passages in Ekev by Hallel Fellowship teachers over the years:
‘Not by bread alone’: Messiah’s answer for temptation (Deuteronomy 8; Matthew 4; Luke 4)
God is not one of many gods. Rather, He is the only Creator, the only One worthy of worship. The main theme of the Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eykev (“consequence,” “because,” Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25) is explanation of the First Commandment, “Have no other God’s before me.”
And there are key lessons we can get from comparing what Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) experienced after His baptism and during His three temptations in the wilderness with what Israel experienced between the Exodus and 40 years of judgment in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.
Why are the righteous punished with the guilty? How can the righteous save the guilty? (Deuteronomy 7–9)
Here’s a key point in Moshe’s talk with the second generation of Israel freed from Mitzraim (Egypt), as recorded in עקב Ekev/Eikev (“consequence,” Deut. 7:12-11:25): Teach the next generation how to be righteous, or they will slip into sin and corruption.
Discover how this is fundamental to Heaven’s mission through Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ), that the righteousness of One can save the many who have suffered since the sin of one, Adam.
Don’t you forget about Me: How to remember God, Who never forgets you (Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25)
Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eikev (“consequence,” Deut. 7:12-11:25) us how to keep the first of the 10 Commandments. God is telling the children of Israel to remember Him when they enter the Promised Land. He is bringing them into the Promised Land because of the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Remember the Promised Land; remember the Promise Giver.
It’s good to know God’s commands, but it’s also good to have examples of how those commands were either kept or broken as a lesson for us. The 10 Commandments (Exodus 20) give us knowledge, but Deuteronomy has been given to us so…
Do you know whom you really serve? (Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25)
Whether we’re secular or religious, we all worship something. What does it mean to worship or not worship?
The Torah reading עקב Ekev or Eikev (“consequence,” “because,” Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25) focuses on an elaboration of the First and Second of the Ten Commandments.
The lessons in Ekev also teach us that Heaven’s blessings come with a condition: Listen to God; observe and follow. Some will say that salvation doesn’t come from obedience, but the lesson in Ekev is more about building the relationship with Heaven than forming it. Discover how.
Deuteronomy 7–11: Having a Messiah-like heart for God’s words
Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) gave three answers to HaSatan (the devil) after His 40 days in the wilderness. What was Yeshua trying to say with, “Man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)? In His refutations of HaSatan while being tempted, Yeshua quoted heavily from the Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eikev (“consequence,” Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25.
What did Yeshua want His disciples to learn from this account, recorded in Matthew 4:1–11? Anytime Yeshua cited scripture, He seemed to referred to the entire context of that verse, not merely the verse…
Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25: Stay with the One Who brought you this far
We are seeing the heart of God in the book of Deuteronomy. He makes promises and follows through with them. There are those who believe that the foundation of the modern state of Israel has nothing to do with God, because the current state of Israel is largely a secular state. But what does it mean about the LORD’s promises if He were to turn them off like a light switch? What would that mean for another great promise from the LORD, the grace given us through Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ)?
Continuing with the explanation of the First Commandment…
Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25: ‘I took you into this Land, and I can take you out’
Some have disregarded Israel at the time of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) ministry and in modern times as having anything to do with Bible prophecy, because of perceived failings of the people in trusting God.
But as we see in the Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eikev (“consequence,” Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), God is faithful to His promises. We should be grateful for God’s mercy and bigger plans for our lives.
Deuteronomy 11: The LORD speaks to parents so they can teach their children about God
Moses specially addressed the adults of the community who are preparing to enter the Promised Land to teach their children God’s charge, commandments, judgements and statutes. There are two parts to sanctification: mind and heart. Once the mind is sanctified, the heart will follow. Once the mind and heart are sanctified, the person will not depart from God.
Deuteronomy 9-10: Israel must remember her rebellious acts before ridding the Land of its rebellious peoples
God required Israel to fear Him, walk with Him, love Him and serve Him with all their hearts and souls. Notice we have to fear Him first, then walk in His ways, then we love Him and serve Him and others. Many Christians teach that the first thing we need to do to respond to God is to love Him, but that is not what God tells us. Our first response to Him should be fear. Loving God comes later, after we have cultivated an appropriate fear of God and have learned to walk in the ways He calls us…
Deuteronomy 7-8: God’s tough love
The Torah has a reputation of being offensive, but it is always truthful. The words in Deuteronomy center on God’s statutes, judgments and commandments. When we come to understand and hear God, we start to ask God why? He says, “because I love you.” Why does He punish us? Because He loves us.
Deuteronomy 10: ‘40’ means new birth, new status, new life
The number 40 plays heavily in this chapter. Both Moses and Yeshua had to spend 40 days and 40 nights alone in prayer with God to prepare themselves to teach and lead His people through difficult times ahead. It’s no coincidence that a woman carries a child in her womb for 40 weeks either and the correlation is purposeful as Moses’ 40 days and nights with God brought forth the 10 commandments into the world. Yeshua’s 40 days and 40 nights gave Him the strength to resist temptation and defeat Satan.
Deuteronomy 9: The Lord is a consuming fire
Deut. 9 starts with the refrain “Hear O Israel.” This time God is not declaring His own unity, or telling the children of Israel what they need to do. This time, God is telling the children of Israel what He will do for them: “Know therefore today that it is the LORD your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the LORD has spoken to you.” (Deuteronomy 9:3 NASB)
Deuteronomy 7-8: Israel were to be distinct from Gentiles, not isolated from them
God chose the people of Israel as His primary representatives and He wanted them to remain pure and distinct from the Gentiles but He did not call the children of Israel to isolate themselves from the Gentiles.
The Gentile nations, for the most part, are have always been obsessed with anger, depression and death. God reveals His will even to the Gentiles where there’s rampant rebellion against it.