Deut. 26:1–29:9; Is. 60:1–22; Lk. 23:26–56
By Raphael ben Levi
“26 1.When you have come to the land Adonai your God is giving you as your inheritance, taken possession of it and settled there; 2 you are to take the firstfruits of all the crops the ground yields, which you will harvest from your land that Adonai your God is giving you, put them in a basket and go to the place where Adonai your God will choose to have his name live.
8 and Adonai brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and a stretched-out arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders. 9 Now he has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 Therefore, as you see, I have now brought the firstfruits of the land which you, Adonai, have given me.’ You are then to put the basket down before Adonai your God, prostrate yourself before Adonai your God, 11 and take joy in all the good that Adonai your God has given you, your household, the Levi and the foreigner living with you.
As we see from the text, Israel were instructed to bring their first-fruits (‘bikurim’) to God when they entered Canaan. “2 you are to take the firstfruits of all the crops the ground yields, which you will harvest from your land that Adonai your God is giving you…” as a permanent regulation for them and all future generations.
So the previous generation had all died who had been “an unorganized and oblivious mass of people who didn’t know where they are going or the hardships they would have to face and the length of the journey. They were enslaved and with the mentality of enslaved people, and that is why God dragged them 40 years in the wilderness with a series of tests that were not only miracles but also the building of trust.” Rabbi Yosi Shulum
Despite all the ups and downs, God had always been faithful and provided for their needs; “5 I’ve led you through the wilderness for 40 years. The clothes on your back and the sandals on your feet haven’t worn out. 6 You haven’t had bread to eat or wine or strong drink to consume, but I’ve fed you each day with manna so you’d know that I, the Eternal, am your God who protects you and provides for you.”
But now, as the new generation prepared to enter Canaan, a land overflowing with ‘milk and honey’ (abundance) they would seek to cultivate the land that God had given them. Instead of being wanderers in desert places they were now settlers responsible to sow and reap the land with joy as they possessed the land given to them by God.
They had matured spiritually from spiritual babies to those who had matured and also held a greater accountability towards God. Under the leadership of Joshua they were poised to enter the land that had been promised to them all the way back to the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And one of their first commands when they entered the land was to offer the first fruits of the land to God to wholeheartedly give Him their best as a statement that their lives were a “bikkurim” – a first fruits unto Him.
God always deserves our best and the measure we love Him is demonstrated by the measure we submit our lives under His Lordship, (living sacrifices) regardless of our position in life, (kings or slaves) our material possessions (rich or poor) our education, background or any other outward criteria. Anything less than our best (our bikkurim) falls short and robs Him of what rightly belongs to Him. Better to overcome much with very little than much with an abundance – to contend for the faith no matter how meagre our provision may appear.
The act of offering their first fruits (bikkurim) to God became an integral part of the Israelite’s worship during the 1st and 2nd Temple period but following the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70AD, it became no longer possible to offer sacrifices and was replaced with tzedekah (charity) – giving to the poor and needy.
Tzedekah is still to this day an obligation in Judaism which even the poor themselves are expected to uphold.
The sages taught that tzedekah is the highest offering that is eclipsed only by the manner in which one gives. God loves a cheerful giver. We see here the context in 2Cor.9:6: “… whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Yeshua Himself illustrated this point with the widow’s mite (Mk.12:41-44) the least valuable Roman coin, which amounted to only one sixty-fourth of a day’s wages for a labourer. “Then Yeshua sat down opposite the Temple treasury and watched the crowd as they put money into the offering-boxes. Many rich people put in large sums, but a poor widow came and put in two small coins. He called his talmidim to him and said to them, “Yes! I tell you, this poor widow has put more in the offering-box than all the others making donations.”
Rom.12:1-2 defines for us the true meaning of giving in its broadest sense: our time, our talents, our energy not just our material wealth. This is reflected in a Jewish phrase closely related to tzedekah called ‘gemilut hasadim’ – lovingkindness, and generosity that embraces all aspects of compassion towards others without differentiation that even includes our enemies because once we were also enemies of God as Paul makes clear in Coloss.1:21-22 who offered us “gemilut hasadim” for our salvation: “And you yourselves, who were strangers to God, and, in fact, through the evil things you had done, his spiritual enemies, he has now reconciled you through the death of his body on the cross, so that he might welcome you to his presence clean and pure, without blame or reproach.”
Because of God’s infinite compassion towards us so we can do no less than be truly thankful to the One who has saved us from a lost eternity and reach out in kind to others without differentiation.
There are various types of giving to God, of which one is thankfulness: “Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart. Give Thanks To The Holy One. Give Thanks Because He’s Given Jesus Christ, His Son. And Now Let The Weak Say, “I Am Strong”. Let The Poor Say, “I Am Rich because of what the Lord has done…” We recall the root meaning in the ancient Hebrew alphabet (pictogram) for the word “thanks” (baruch) which means to bless God with a gift on bended knee (I.e., in humility). What greater privilege is there in life than this? And what is the best gift we can ever give Him but a life fully surrendered unto Him consecrated with a heart filled with thankfulness!
And another form of giving which is perhaps the most neglected one yet among the most important is forgiving. We forgive others in the knowledge that we have received an infinitely greater measure of forgiveness from God (Deut.26:5-11). This is perhaps one of the greatest expressions of thanksgiving we can offer to God that gives all other expressions we offer to Him substance that is a focus throughout the month of Elul, leading into Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur.
The terms of God’s covenant with His people are reflective of these things in our parasha for this week in Deut 28:1-14. If the Israelites would choose to faithfully follow His commandments, He would set them high above all the nations of the earth with a level of blessings that would characterise their lives. Their choice was uncomplicated, and unambiguous – blessing or curse – abundant life or enslavement.
This illustrates for us another component of Elul. God has commissioned us to be ‘tikkun olam’ (repairers of the world) by mending the damage caused by sin. God is not concerned with damage limitation or sticky plaster solutions but to bring full restoration to our lives with Divine love and precision. God is rebuilding stone by stone the things that have been broken down through sin and rendered a heap of rubble, that through our restoration we will contribute towards ‘Tikkun olam’ (repairers of the world).
God is busy transforming our garments into ones that mirror His bride. Though our garments were stained and soiled with sin, they shall become as white as snow: ““Come now, let us reason together,” says Adonai. “Though your sins be like scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they will become like wool. And this is why the season we soon will enter is described as “The Time of our Joy,” “Zeman Simchateinu!”
Another word similar in scope to joy is “happiness.” To understand it correctly we must view things through a biblical lens. The Hebrew word is (‘ashrei’) the first word in the book of Psalms, translated as ‘blessed’ in the Greek (“makarios”) was used by Yeshua in the sermon on the Mount. Observant Jews recite the prayer known as ‘Ashrei’ three times each day from Ps.145;1-13; 14-21 which defines happiness in the biblical sense and opens with the words, “…I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king; I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you; I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised; his greatness is beyond all searching out. Each generation will praise your works to the next and proclaim your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
People will speak of your awesome power, and I will tell of your great deeds. They will gush forth the fame of your abounding goodness, and they will sing of your righteousness. Adonai is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and great in grace.”
It’s interesting that the Hebrew word for joy (simcha) occurs almost ten times as frequently as the word ashrei (happiness) and is one of the fundamental themes of Deuteronomy. Both “Simcha” and “Ashrei” clearly stand side to side with each other but why is there a wide discrepancy with their usage in Scripture?
The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote something insightful here that’s linked with first fruits. “Joy plays a key role which has to do with the bringing of first-fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem. After describing the ceremony that took place, the Torah concludes: ” You are then to put the basket down before Adonai your God, prostrate yourself before Adonai your God, 11 and take joy in all the good that Adonai your God has given you, your household, the Levi and the foreigner living with you.(Deut. 26:10-11).
Scripture is here implying (remez) that bringing one’s first fruits before the Lord is symbolic of a person who presents his best in his life wholeheartedly to God as commanded in the “Shema” (“…to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.” Deut.6:5). This will always result in the “joy of the Lord” – to rejoice in Him in all circumstances.
Interestingly, out of the 39 books of the OT, the one most focused on joy is Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) written by King Solomon (“the preacher”) a book usually associated with unhappiness although it is always read during Sukkot a time of great rejoicing! And yet it uses the word ‘simcha’ 17 times, which is more than the whole of the 5 books of Torah combined. After every thought and reflection regarding the pointlessness of life, Kohelet ends on a note to rejoice: (Eccl.3:12; 3:22; 8:15; 11:8) This is puzzling since the whole book of Ecclesiastes is simultaneously filled with the word “hevel” (“futility”) Our clue is contained in this Hebrew word which properly translated means “a shallow breath.” Our mortal lives are NOT futile (wrongly translated) just a fleeting breath and Kohelet eventually discovers it not fundamentally in happiness with enjoying the material things of life but in the joy of the Lord!
The Haftarah portion from Isai.60 defines joy that’s available for all true believers: “Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you!” These words are in context with the end times such as the times we are now living in. Verse 2 describes the conditions we are currently in: “2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but…
The end of the story has yet to unfold: “…the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you. 3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 Lift up your eyes round about you and see! They all gather themselves together, they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried and nursed in the arms.
5 Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures.”
This momentous event, descriptive of the Millennium age makes us joyful even amid the perilous times we are living in because of the blessed hope that dwells within us (Titus 2:11-15) And so we “…arise, shine, (joyfully) that our lights will shine!” in the present as we prepare for what awaits us in the near future! – our blessed hope!
But here is a problem. Many people exchange God’s light for sameness in preference to the pain of His scorching light that destroys the impurities which overshadow our lives – the cost factor of discipleship Sometimes, when we seek God for more of Him, we attempt to dictate the conditions because although we hate the darkness we beg God not to make His light too bright! Sameness is the enemy of fulfilment. Therefore, “Search me O God and know my heart…” (Ps.139)
We shine the brightest when we allow the purest oil to burn within us. When the Maccabees restored the Temple they chose to rekindle God’s light and for this, they needed pure oil in place of what had been defiled. We experience the greatest change when we operate on the level of ‘pure oil’. He will work in ways that are beyond our imagination when we become saturated in His Light. Nothing will ever be mundane again! God is faithful and His light is kindled even when the oil appears to be just enough for one night, for Yeshua is our all-sufficiency.
To summarise – Ps.1 describes the happy “ashrei” (blessed) life of an individual who walks in righteousness according to the Laws of the Lord, but biblically, joy is never about an individual but rather something that we share with others. (Neh.8:10). This is important thing that distinguishes between “ashrei” and “simcha.”
Happiness is an attitude to life but by comparison, joy lives in the moment. We pursue happiness but not so with joy which rather discovers us and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23)
I want to end by sharing something that connects to the substance of this message. The Hebrew word for work and worship is the same – ‘Avodah.’ When does work become worship? When it is done with the appropriate ‘Kavanah’ (intent) and ‘Shiflut’ (humility). Avodah reflects the view of the Early Church, that work is simply one more form of worship in daily life. Clearly to the Jewish mind, work and worship are closely connected. Every act, however menial, is worship according to our ‘Kavanah’ and ‘Shiflut.’
True worshippers worship God in “spirit and in truth” and are the living expression of who they are in Yeshua, but all of this becomes downgraded to hard labour immediately our focus is diverted away from God. An example is with Lucifer’s downfall through rebellion in Isai.14 and Ezek.28. Lucifer, (Light Bearer) the lead cherub and worship leader in Heaven who communed in the very presence of God, made a badly flawed choice, blinded by pride, that led to irrevocable and unimaginable consequences. For aeons and aeons, he had served God faithfully, but his downfall occurred the instant he took his eyes off God and placed them upon himself. At that moment, the seed of corruption was ignited which paved the way to his ultimate and eternal doom. This contains a salutary lesson for us. We can so easily fall into pride and rebellion even in the midst of our ministry and service of God should we ever take our eyes away from Him and place them instead upon ourselves.
We may speak the right words, and smile the right smiles, yet deep inside of us we may still crave for recognition and praise from the lips of others above the approval of God. This is an easy trap for anyone to fall into yet if we become subject to it, our lives will yield wood hay and stubble because it is based on the wrong kind of ‘Avodah.’
We do well in this 6th month in the Hebrew calendar, the month of Elul, to ask ourselves the question: “What are our lives characterised by – true worship or hard labour?” True worship is governed by the infinite; hard labour by the finite. I may strive to acquire a fortune of material wealth, but it will never fulfil my longings: that is work. Yet, when I fix my eyes upon Yeshua, the “Author and Finisher” of my faith, He enfolds me in His arms of love, and my life is irrevocably transformed. That moment of worship becomes an infinite memory and the joy of the Lord becomes our strength which cascades into the hearts of others as we manifest His love that causes us to become “Tikun Olam” – repairers of the world as our light shines brightly in the darkness.
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