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A sober warning amid the three tests for a prophet of God in Torah reading רְאֵה Re’eh (“see,” Deut. 11:26–16:17) is that a false one may foretell something that actually happens. This helps us understand an equally jarring admonition from Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ): “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matt. 7:21 NASB95).
In this study, we’ll look into Moshe’s explanations of three of the Ten Commandments: Follow no other gods, make no idols and respect the Name. A thread that runs through them is respect for the LORD’s reputation. Respect is earned, and the LORD has delivered mightily.
In the Torah reading רְאֵה Re’eh (“see,” Deut. 11:26–16:17), Moshe (Moses) elaborates on how to live out several of the 10 Commandments:
- First Commandment (Ex. 20:2–3; Deut. 5:6–7; 6:1–11:32)
- Second Commandment (Ex. 20:4–6; Deut. 5:8–10; 12:1–32)
- Third Commandment (Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11; 13:1–14:21)
- Fourth Commandment (Ex. 20:8–11; Deut. 5:12–15; 14:22–16:17)
Here’s a handy outline of the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) you can print out:
1st and 3rd Commandments: Respect the LORD by learning His voice and following only it
Moses elaborated on the First Commandment in the Shema (“Hear, O Israel,” Deut. 6:4ff, in Torah reading וָאֶתְחַנַּן Va’et’chanan) to love the LORD exclusively with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. Moshe then reminded Israel that God tested them in the wilderness with the provision of the manna (Deuteronomy 8, in Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eykev).
Now in Re’eh, Moshe told them God would test them when they establish themselves in the Promised Land by bringing in false prophets to judge whose voice they would follow (Deuteronomy 13).
The test is not whether what the purported prophet says is true or false, because the warning emphasizes, “and the sign or the wonder comes true” (Deut. 13:2 NASB 1995). The test is whether the God that the prophet follows is the same as the God who reveals Himself in the Torah? The One we know closely — and knows us — versus the so-called deities we don’t know.
We live in a time where people who claim to be believers in Yeshua prefer to attend congregations that give them an entertaining show rather than assemblies who expound on God’s words with simplicity and honesty.
Here’s a key lesson in Deuteronomy 11 (expanded in Deuteronomy 27, Torah reading כי תבוא Ki Tavo): Torah is a blessing, and ignoring the Torah will bring a curse. That was likely shown visibly via the ceremony of half the tribes of Israel standing on Gerazim and half on Ebal. A lesson from the census of the second generation of Israel post-Egypt (Numbers 26, Torah reading פִּינְחָס Pinchas) is that the plagues on rebellion during the 40 years of wandering had a disproportionate impact on tribes.
| Tribe | Numbers 1–2 | Numbers 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reuben | 46,500 | 43,730 | -2,770 |
| Shimon (Simeon) | 59,300 | 22,200 | -37,100 |
| Gad | 45,650 | 40,500 | -5,150 |
| Yehudah (Judah) | 74,600 | 76,500 | 1,900 |
| Issachar | 54,400 | 64,300 | 9,900 |
| Zebulun | 57,400 | 60,500 | 3,100 |
| Yosef: Ephraim | 40,500 | 32,500 | -8,000 |
| Yosef: Manasseh | 32,200 | 52,700 | 20,500 |
| Ben Yamin (Benjamin) | 35,400 | 45,600 | 10,200 |
| Dan | 62,700 | 64,400 | 1,700 |
| Asher | 41,500 | 53,400 | 11,900 |
| Naphtali | 53,400 | 45,400 | -8,000 |
| Total | 603,550 | 601,730 | -1,820 |
| Levi | 22,300 | 23,000 | 700 |
| Gerazim: Blessing | Population | Ebal: Curse | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simeon | 22,200 | Reuben | 43,730 |
| Levi | 23,000 | Gad | 40,500 |
| Judah | 76,500 | Asher | 53,400 |
| Issachar | 64,300 | Zebulun | 60,500 |
| Joseph (Ephraim + Manasseh) | 32,500 + 52,700 | Dan | 64,400 |
| Benjamin | 45,600 | Naphtali | 45,400 |
| Total | 316,800 | Total | 267,930 |
The Hebrew word for blessing in Deuteronomy 11 is בְּרָכָה berakah (H1293). It comes from the root verb בָּרַךְ barakh (H1288, H1263): kneel, bless (Brown Driver Briggs lexicon). The BDB lexicon notes that depending on the context, the noun and verb is used in the Bible in a good way (bless) or bad (curse).
We see that potential for good or bad in the account of when the Canaani prophet Bil’am (Balaam) was hired to curse Israel (Numbers 22–24, Torah reading בָּלָק Balak). Bilam in his heart wanted to curse Israel for money, but God forced Bilam to bless Israel because that was the will of heaven. When Bilam finally woke up to that and reluctantly acquiesced to God’s will, he spoke a great oracle that revealed God’s plans for Israel. It was not only for the near future, but also for the coming of the Messiah (Num. 24:17).
While berakhah can mean blessing or curse, the Hebrew word for curse in Deuteronomy 11 is קְלָלָה qelalah (H7045), which comes from the verb קָלַל qālal (H7837): be slight, swift; appear trifling; curse; be cursed; treat with contempt (New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis).
Qelalah connects Deuteronomy 11 with the Deuteronomy 13 warning and tests for someone supposedly speaking for God. A false prophet is bringing the reputation and character of the Creator down to the level of the so-called gods of the nations.
And a key understanding of the Third Commandment is not just to refrain from curse words that use monikers for the Holy One. At its core, blasphemy is to make God’s name low, to make His name — reputation — of no consequence to Israel and especially the nations.
2nd Commandment: Respect the Image of God
How was Israel instructed to live out the Second Commandment (Ex. 20:4–6; Deut. 5:8–10; 12:1–32)? They were first called upon to destroy the enemy’s strongholds in the land that had enslaved the people of the land they were coming through to expel.
- utterly destroy = אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן ’abeyd t’abedoon
- Root verb: אָבַד avad (H6)
- serve = עָבַד ‘avad (H5647)
- Homophone of אָבַד ’avad
- places = הַמְּקֹמוֹת hamqomot (H4725)
- הַמְּקֹם ha-Maqom = The Place = Tabernacle Sanctuary
- Pillars = מַצֵּבֹת matzeyvot (H4675, 4676, 4678)
- Parallel uses: מִצָּבָה = army, מַצָּבָה = garrison
- Root verb: נָצַב natzav (H5324) = take one’s stand (BDB lexicon)
Here’s a lesson from Heaven’s proscribed “shock and awe” approach to these pagan worship centers in the Promised Land: Don’t keep around memories and gathering places of other masters. Remember and meet with The Master at The Place that He designates (Deut. 12:5, 13–14), not what seems good or can be “baptized” to a new purpose.
The people of the land were happily serving demons and God told them He would not tolerate Israel to do the same.
God warned the children of Israel that these strongholds would ensnare them too if they did not utterly destroy them. In Hebrew, this command אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן ’abeyd t’abedoon is translated as utterly destroy, literally, “destroy, destroy.” In Hebrew, a word is repeated for emphasis, like boldface or underline in modern text.
God is telling them to wipe these places out because He wants His people to worship them in the place where He wants to be worship. He is not interested in receiving worship in the places the demons commanded worship. He didn’t want them to just pick a place that looked pleasant, and placed the high places “under new management” but to be patient and wait for God to reveal His honored place to them.
Canaan was a land of confusion, particularly confusion about the identity of God. Like trademarks in intellectual property law are to guard against “market confusion” between the original and the usurper product, store, etc., how much more is it not acceptable for Israel to have a “marketplace” of supposedly equal options for masters. That’s why God tells Israel to destroy all the demonic high places and emphatically tells the children of Israel not to co-opt the demonic high places for His worship. They were told not to keep around the memories and gathering places of other deities. Instead, they were told to meet Him in the place He established.
We have to destroy any false deities in ourselves that we have set up that compete with our loyalty to God. Here’s how apostle Paul put it to the Greek congregation in Corinth:
I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
2Corinthians 10:2–6 NASB
Paul admitted in 2Corinthians that his prior letter to them was quite harsh and blunt because they were tolerating behavior not even the Corinthians themselves — who were just as licentious as San Francisco in our day and Canaan long before — would not tolerate (1Corinthians 5). He had to wake them up to their apathy. Fortunately, his blunt words brought about repentance in the congregation. And it’s important to note that the Corinthian Jewish synagogues and Yeshua’s believers in them were more successful in teaching righteousness there than Lot had been in Sodom, which would have been saved if at least 10 were teachable.
God established Israel in the crossroads of the Western world of the time. Major roads for major empires, especially Mitzraim (Egypt), intersected in the Land. God placed Abraham then Israel to be a positive influence in the world, not by using military power, but with what we would call “soft power.”
“When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, beware that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ “You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God, for every abominable act which the LORD hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”
Deuteronomy 12:29–31 NASB
God had already chosen His special place, when He called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The people of Israel were not instructed to “baptize” a pagan high place and co-opt it for Him. God already provided a place for His people to meet with Him in fellowship and worship.
What is the image of God?
God put His image on mankind at Creation (Gen. 1:26–27). He has already made an image of Himself. Any image we attempt to make of Him pales in comparison to what He has already created. Yeshua was born into mankind through the Virgin Miriam to maximize the image of God on Earth (Hebrews 1).
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:37–39 NASB
The “last day of the feast” referred here is the last day of Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles/Booths. This ties in to the traditional parallel reading for Re’eh, Isaiah 54-55. But earlier, in John 6, Yeshua spoke in a synagogue in Capernaum and presented a teaching that was even more jarring than the message He spoke in Jerusalem.
Then the Jews began to argue with one another, saying, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.”
These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
John 6:52–59 NASB
From Deuteronomy 8 we see that manna, bread from Heaven, was a test of Israel’s loyalty. How much more would Yeshua, the Bread from Heaven, test it more so?
Deuteronomy 12 forbids eating blood, as many pagan worship practices do to connect with the life of the animal and the force that provides it. Yet, with the substitute of the ram for Isaac and the two goats of Yom Kippur for the people, we see that only blood that covers sins, transgression and iniquities is the blood that is brought to a special place (Tabernacle/Temple) at a special time (Day of Atonement). Thus by directly talking about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, Yeshua was providing a test for Israel to whether they would be loyal to the LORD’s leading or to the way they thought the LORD was leading, or what was fashionable among the nations.
Summary: Tammy