Parshah 18 - - Judgments

Torah - Sh’mot / Exodus 21: 1 to 24:18. Haftarah - Yirmeyahu / 34: 8-22, 33: 25-26. Brit Hadashah (NT) - Mattityahu / Matthew 17: 1-11. What is our foundation? This Parashah cover several Civil Laws, Statutes and Instructions. The last part of it (chapter 24), tell us a great history of when Moshe, Aharon, Nadav, Aviru and seventy Elders of Ysrael went up to the mount and “met” with Adonai. The theologians say it were a Theophony, when God takes form of mankind. In the society in which we live, where wrong has prevailed against right, where evil is accepted with the greatest normality, this Parshah is quite dissonant! I would like the judges and magistrates of this country read this words that the Lord said to the children of Israel! Well, reading is not everything, applying in their lives is what makes the big difference. However, how to charge the authorities if we ourselves have been unjust, dishonest, greedy and followers of the crowd? We the Body of Yeshua have a tremendous responsibility for what is there. Unfortunately, we are faced with situations where believers themselves act like unbelievers. What can we expect from unbelievers, if those who supposed to be "light of the world" do the same things? Beloved, please see what the Word of God teaches us and please do not use the excuse that this is thing. This is the Word of the Eternal God and Yeshua confirmed it when He said in Matthew 5:18 " until the heavens and the earth pass not even a yud or a trace of the will pass." (CJB). I choose the following verses to share with you, because I believe it is relevant for us today. Exodus / Sh’mot 23: 2- "Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil: thou shalt not devise a deed by inclining thyself to the majority, to pervert justice." (BVN).

This verse is one of the key texts in the training of the rabbis to give them authority in matters of Jewish Law and lifestyle. The meaning of the text is simple - "Do not follow the majority to do evil" - It is also inverted to say - "Follow the majority to do good" - and thus allows for majority voting decisions in both discussions and in court Rabbinic for having the power of the Torah. In recent comments by Richard Elliott Friedman, this is very well put: "Do not follow a group, a crowd, especially if what they are doing is wrong. Do not do it to be accepted, for the sense of security of being in a group, or for the sadistic pleasure of being able to exclude someone. Because it is easy to keep silent when a group does evil. All this is forbidden. It is absolutely incoherent with the Torah's concept of what a human being should be and how he or she should be behave towards other human beings.” The question of justice is clearly important throughout the Bible, we can literally say that from Genesis to Revelation, we see this question being quoted and it is usually always God calling us to walk in righteousness, justice and equity. The Jewish literature is full of warnings not to follow the wicked for sin: "My son, if sinners entice you, you do not consent." (Proverbs 1:10, ESV) or "Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil." (Proverbs 4:14, ESV). The psalmist promises blessings to those who avoid sin and keeps his focus on God: "Blessed is the man who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, or taken the way of sinners, or joined the company of the scornful, rather his delight is in the teachings of the Lord, and he studies that teachings day and night."(Ps. 1: 1-2, JPS) The Gospels show Pilate as a man who failed, twisting justice, although he knew that Yeshua was innocent. But, because of the supposed majority of the demonstrators: "Pilate, wanting to please the crowd, freed Bar- Abba, had Yeshua flogged, delivered him to be executed on a stake. "(Mark 15:15, CJB). Several years later, the Roman governor Felix was also more concerned with his popularity than with justice: "After two years, Felix was succeeded by Festus, but because Felix wished to obtain the favor of the inhabitants of Yhudah, he kept Sha'ul.” (Acts 24: 27, CJB). In a discussion with some Torah masters, Yeshua rebuked them for their attitudes, showing complicity with previous generations who had mistreated some messengers of God: "Woe to you! You build tombs in memory of the prophets, but it was your fathers the murderers of them! In this way, you witness the total approval of their actions: they killed the prophets and you build the tombs! "(Luke 11: 47-48, CJB). The prophets stood out from the crowd, proclaiming God's message to leaders and people in general. They were calling them to repentance of their sins and return to the Torah. To covenant withGod, the prophets refused to go along with the most disobedient. The Apostle Ya ´akov (James) uses the prophets as an example to the early church: "As an example of suffering maltreatment and patience, brethren, observe the prophets who spoke in the name of Adonai." (Ya´akov/James 5:10, CJB). On the other hand, Rav Sha'ul (Apostle Paul) warns us about these people who go their own way and engage in misbehavior: "You know well enough the righteous divine decree that people who do such things deserve to die; -as well as applauding others who do the same. "(Romans 1: 32, CJB). Not only do they actively commit sin, but they also build a majority around them to support them, claiming that their behavior is perfectly normal, good, and appropriate. Throwing away the social morals of the biblical heritage, they change the definitions and limits of life to suit, encourage others to vote with them and constitute the majority of opinion. We can hear the words of the Prophet Yesha´yahu/Isaiah being fulfilled: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change the darkness into light and the light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter." (Isaiah 5: 20, CJB). As believers in Messiah Yeshua, we are called to be against that present culture and to demonstrate the wisdom of the kingdom of God- the wisdom that the world regards as nonsense (1 Corinthians 1:21) - to those around us. Of course, we are not clamoring for self-righteousness or revolt, protests. We need to declare what is good and what is true, just and honest, what people need to see, that there is a difference between the children of light and the children of darkness. This is a very strong language, I know, it is out of fashion. Some believers today want to be so much like the world that it makes no difference between unbelievers. Not even with the warning that the Lord gave us in Mattityahu/Matthew 5: 13b "if the salt loses its taste it will be cast out and trodden by the people." We remain with open arms to the world, as if we need their approval. When the opposite is what the Word teaches us. Rom.12: 1, 1 John 2:15. We must allow God to shine his light through us so that the people around us see the light of Yeshua HaMashiach and follow him. We could not make excuses for not applying the principles of the Torah in our lives. If we want better days for ourselves, our children and grandchildren, we must now plant justice, righteousness and equity. Otherwise, we will be swallowed up by the world lying in the evil one and striding towards destruction. May we lay our foundation in the Holy Word of the Eternal God who tells us: "Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil”. This is my prayer and cry for the Eternal of Israel to revive His work in us, and free us from the temptation to lose our foundation, in Yeshua HaMashiach our Lord. Bible Versions Used: BVN - New Life Bible. CJB - Complete Jewish Bible. ESV - English Standard Version. JPS - Jewish Publication Society. Richmond February, 2nd ,2019 Rabbi Jaime Araujo.