The Torah reading רְאֵה Re’eh (“see,” Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17) focuses on explaining the Second, Third and Fourth Commandments. Because of all the talk these days about misinformation, we’re going to focus on Heaven’s instructions for discerning truth from error and falsehood. And that’s drawn from Moshe’s elucidation on the Third Commandment, found in Deuteronomy 13:1–14:21.
And from that command we learn why it is so important to know Who the LORD is and why Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) came to “show us the Father.”
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
Exodus 20:7 NASB; cp. Deut. 5:11
Just as it was important in the past to test the word of any purported prophets against the Torah, it’s even more important today to test the words from would-be prophets or internet preachers. We have to be wary of those who give us advise that tickles our ears. This is what the prophet Balaam did with Balak, giving him the words he wanted rather than the word he needed. They will tell you what you want to believe, rather than what God believes.
We hear a lot these days about the danger of “misinformation,” but that’s just one of three main layers:
- Misinformation: Unintentionally or recklessly believing and spreading stories that are not true.
- Disinformation: Intentionally false to take people away from the truth.
- Malinformation: Maliciously false to take people away from the truth to bring harm to the public. Examples include phishing (official-looking email intended to steal sensitive information) and swatting (calling authorities with a fake claim of serious threat so a police SWAT mistakenly invades a target’s home).
Remember the warning in last Torah reading. Va’et’chanan, to “not add to the word … nor take away from it” (Deut. 4:2)? We see this warning again in Deuteronomy 12:32:
“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.”
Deuteronomy 12:32 NASB
The Bible is the instruction manual for life, and we should not randomly or purposefully delete or skip over truths that we find inconvenient or uncomfortable.
Do you know what you don’t know?
It’s dangerous when you don’t know what you don’t know. It’s hard to know what questions to even ask in those situations to gain more knowledge. It’s even more dangerous to pontificate about things in disciplines that you have never studied.
“‘If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, “Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,” you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.’”
Deuteronomy 13:1–4 NASB
Some leaders of Israel repeatedly demanded from Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) a sign (Matt. 12:38; 16:1; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16). Moses tells us here why such a demand can be dangerous. The more charismatic a speaker is, the more dangerous they are. I caution people that when you hear a novel teaching, is to make sure that every point they make lines up honestly with scripture.
Moses instructs us to ferret out false prophets. Here are some things that false prophets do.
- Dreamer of dreams: Claims to have an instruction from God beyond what’s in the Torah.
- Presenter of signs (אותות, like the bronze serpent on the pole) and wonders (מופתים, like the plagues of Egypt and Aaron’s serpent-rod): Just because a called-for spectacle happens may mean that it is certification of judgment, rather than an affirmation of truth.
- Inciter to apostasy: Turning away from the Source of Life — Whom Israel has witnessed bring her back from being as good as dead in Mitzraim — is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
- Promoter of infidelity: Through the Exodus, the LORD has shown Israel the better path of cleaving to the LORD with all the heart (emotions in action), soul (life) and strength (resources).
- Follow the passions of the flesh, and fall victim to scheme of Bil’am (Balaam) and Ba’al-Pe’or with the help of Midian.
- Fear death from the giants of Canaan, and be left to die outside the Promised Land.
- Crave the ample food and water of Mitzraim over morning manna and water from a rock, and be given piles of quail that becomes a plague.
Over 1,000 years later, Yeshua the Mashiakh drew from the prophet Yeshiyahu (Isaiah 29:13) to make a similar point in Mark 7, with this punchline to His teaching on whether His students were required to wash their hands.
“ ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” [Isaiah 29:13]. Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.’ He was also saying to them, ‘You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.’ ”
Mark 7:6–9 NASB
It’s fine to follow small ’t’ traditions (either Jewish or Christian) to aid in your walk with God but if you let them take precedence over the plain words of God, your walk will take you in a different direction.
Tests of a prophet: Teaching to go after other gods?
The most important thing you need to test for is this: Does the prophet tell you to נלכה אחרי אלהים אחרים אשׁר לא־ידעתם ונעבדם naylkhah ’akhray ’elohim ’akharim ’asher lo-y’da’tam v’n’avadaym (“go after other gods, whom you have not known, and serve them”)?
⁃ Go after is translated from Hebrew words הלך halakh (H1980) and אחרי akhray (H311).
⁃ Halakh means “to walk” and is used in the Scriptures (as in v. 5) to refer to the “path” or “way” toward life the Creator wants people to “walk,” i.e., how people who trust God behave.
⁃ From this comes the Hebrew term for sages’ or congregational leadership’s rulings: הלכה halakhah, or “way of walking.”
⁃ Akhray comes from the verb אחר akhar (H309), which means “to remain behind, delay, tarry.” The adjective akhar, translated “another” or “other,” means “one coming behind.”
⁃ So, נלכה אחרי אלהים אחרים naylkhah akhray ’elohim ’akharim can be translated “let us walk after gods that come behind,” i.e., let’s obey the teachings from gods that postdated or are inferior to the LORD, Who vanquished the ’elohim of Egypt, delivered Israel from בית עבדים beit ’avadim (“house of servants/slaves”).
If you want to go on an adventure and hike off the path, you need a frame of reference to where you’re going, such a map. With the map, you need to know where you are and you will also need a compass or GPS. But if you willy-nilly go off into the woods, you will endanger yourself. The wise thing to do is to stay on the path that is worn and well-documented. This is how we avoid the temptation to co-op the practices of the heathens into our worship of God.
What does it mean to follow ‘what we have not known’?
Do we know who the LORD is? Here are two seemingly conflicting instructions:
- Deut. 12:31 (Lv. 18:21; 20:2-5): Don’t olah (offer as a burnt offering) your children to false gods.
- Gen. 22:1: Do olah “your only son” to the LORD.
Is the LORD just like the no-gods? Well, let’s look at what the LORD had revealed to Abram before that moment:
- The LORD promised Abram a heritage, and Abram emunah (believed; trusted) (Gen. 15:6).
- The LORD showed Abram why it was just for the Creator of Heaven and Earth to send Sodom Inc. up in smoke, with just Lot and his daughters surviving (Genesis 18). Abram hoped that there were at least 10 righteous there, but unfortunately, that hope was misplaced as God destroyed all those cities after plucking Lot and his family out.
- Thus, when the LORD commanded Abraham to offer the child of miracle and promise, the Friend of God he’emen (trusted) the One in command, knowing the Creator could even raise His son, if it went that far (Heb. 11:17–19).
Abraham had said amen to the LORD’s promise. When we say “amen” in prayer, we are telling God, “let it be so” and agreeing with Him in faith.
Here’s why it’s essential for believers throughout time to know Who the LORD is.
- New Covenant prophecy (Jer. 31:31–34): “they will all know Me”
- Law on the heart which helps us not to commit sins
- Iniquities forgiven and forgotten with repentance
- Through the Fulfiller of the New Covenant (Yeshua):
- “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (John 12:50 NASB)
- “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3 NASB)
Noah preached his own sermon of warning to his generation, taking 125 years to build a large boat. The ark itself was an invitation to those around Noah to repent and to follow God and get into the boat. Unfortunately, they didn’t listen to Noah and they died in their sins.
Test 1: Look for a prophet like Moshe, who accurately spoke God’s words
The words God gave Moshe were the Testimony of God, revealing Who God is, what He has been doing and what He wants.
Consistent with the tests of prophets in Deuteronomy 13, this coming prophet would speak according to the words God gave Moshe.
To pass these test, true followers of God must diligently learn what God gave Israel through Moshe.
Test 2: Does the prophet’s word point you towards the Greatest Commandment?
“Hear [שמע shema], O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one [אחד ekhad]! You shall love [אהבה ahavah] the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”
“Greatest commandment”: Deut. 6:4–6; partly quoted in Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30-33; Luke 10:27
“You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”
Deut. 13:4, NASB
Based on the similar Hebrew spellings for fear and he will see, the Sages tell us that to fear the LORD is to trust that He will see all we do.
Yeshua connected love for Him with love from the Father and observance of His commandments, one of which was not to think He would abolish the Law and Prophets.
Listen for God’s direction, and respond to His call to turn back from and leave behind behavior not in line with His direction.
Summary: Tammy