8.24.25 ~ Destroying God's Name

Good morning!

Why? Why would anyone choose death? Why would anyone choose a curse? Those are the options on the table for every covenant believer in Messiah Yeshua. (Deut. 11:26,27)

Mt. Gerazim, the mount of blessing, and Mt. Ebal, the mount of cursing.  All the land around it is made from the same soil. They get the same rain. They experience the same winds....everything is the same, yet one mountain rises above the rest.

Similarly, in last week's Torah portion, Mt. Gerazim, the mountain of blessing, which is lush and green, and Mt. Ebal, the mountain of cursing, which is barren and rocky, rises out from the same soil. They receive the same rain. They receive the same winds and are only separated by a valley that belongs to the inheritance of Ephraim; where Yeshua met the woman at the well (Jn. 4).

We have blessings and curses set before us today. They both come from the same soil, same rain, and same winds...which one will we choose? Hint: choose blessing! Choose life!

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you  life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deut. 30:19)

As we’ve learned over the years together, the Torah has many levels of understanding as well as application. Before we move on to this week's study I want to draw your attenttion to a verse that could easily be overlooked and misunderstood; applying to someone else and not me :-/

Toward the very beginning of the Torah portion Re'eh/to see, we learn of the Lord‘s command to the Israelites to wipe out the idols and the high places of the Canaanites when they enter the land given to their ancestors:

“These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the Earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess, serve their gods on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces, their pillars and burn their Asherah with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. (Deut. 12:1-4) 

When we, speaking of me, myself and I, read this we think that was then, this is now. I don't need to do that or I would never worship the Lord God that way.  What can we glean from these words on this 29th day of counting towards the first fruit of the oil?  Enquiring minds want to know :-)

The last instruction in this section literally reads, 

"you shall not do so to the Lord your God"  (Deut. 12:4) 

Why would the children of Israel want to do all of those things they did to the idols of the Canaanites to their own God? This doesn’t make any sense therefore many translations try to smooth out the message by saying  something like “you shall not worship the Lord your God in that way." 

They understand it to mean that the children of Israel must destroy the places of idol worship and not learn any pagan practices from them. But...if we take verse 4 into its literal context, the end of the previous verse, verse 3,  says, 

"...you shall destroy their name out of that place" (Deut. 12:3)

"...You shall destroy their name out of that place. You shall not do to the Lord your God." (Deut. 12:3,4)

How would we destroy  the name of The Lord? Through our actions. Huh? Very simple: When we act in a way that is not fitting for people who represent the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to the world, we reduce his name in their eyes. In fact, we destroy it little by little  so that they see less and less of the God we claim to represent. 

We have previously discussed how our good works can help sanctify God‘s name (Matt. 5:16)

"Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16)

Doing the opposite is how we destroy or desecrate His name. In Hebrew it's called chillul hashem/desecration of the Name. There are many ways to erase or destroy the name of God, but the most destructive is when we misrepresent and dishonor him by our actions. 

On this 1st day of the week, may we destroy the idolatrous ways in our lives and establish, through obedience, His name!

Shalom,
Alan

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