SHABBAT MISHPATIM/LAWS: The TORAH Portion Study

Shalom Brethren,

Shabbat Mishpatim in year 2021 was fell on Saturday 13th February.

TORAH PORTION MISHPATIM STUDY:

Exodus 21:1 – 24:18
Isaiah 66:1-24
Matthew 26:20-30

SHABBAT SHALOM Brethren in YAHUSHUA. Greetings in YAHUSHUA’S (JESUS’) Name!

MISHPATIM/LAWS ARE GOOD FOR US! WE NEED THEM. THE CREATOR SET UP LAWS FOR US TO LIVE BY! The Laws are a Guide! They give us direction in life so that we don’t transgress against HIM. HalleluYAH HalleluYAH HalleluYAH

Note that THE LAW IS YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH (JESUS CHRIST, not Yeshua)! In the Hebrew language, the LAW is known as TORAH!

*2 weeks ago from Saturday 13th February 2021, we studied the TORAH Portion called BESHALACH/AND HE LET GO (Exodus 13-17) .* Here we were reminded of how with A VERY MIGHTY HAND, YAHUVEH (YAHWEH) GOD ALMIGHTY delivered HIS beloved People from the bondage of Egypt (which signifies bondage to Satan) and thereafter continued to nurture HIS Beloved Specially Set Apart People, Israel.


*Then, 1 week ago from Saturday 13th February 2021, we studied the TORAH Portion called YITRO/JETHRO (Exodus 18-20).* Here we see the Children of Israel meeting Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law.
*Moses gets reunited with his wife and children. He also give Moses a very good idea that formed the foundation of leadership generally.*
The LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY then instructs the Children of Israel to consecrate themselves after which HE meets with them on Mount Sinai to give them the TORAH (Ten Commandments.

*@(YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH) The Chief Cornerstone Ministry & Congregation it is our understanding that the Ten Commandments are a summary of the 613 commandments given to us by YAHWEH GOD ALMIGHTY!*

YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH (JESUS CHRIST; not Yeshua!!!) further summarised the Ten Commandments into Two Main/Greatest Commandments. These can be found in:

*Matthew 22:36-40 KJV*
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 YAHUSHUA (JESUS) said unto him, Thou shalt love the LORD YAHWEH thy GOD with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
*38 This is the first and great commandment.*
*39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.*
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

*In order for us to know how to observe the Two Greatest Commandments, we have to look into the 613 Commandments that were given to us through Moses.* Only the Sacrificial Laws no longer apply because YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH (JESUS CHRIST) was the Final Sacrifice unto the LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY (to appease HIM)!

👍👍All the Commandments are called YAH’S (GOD’S) LAW a.k.a TORAH.

👍👍All the First Five Books of the Old and New Testaments are referred to as TORAH a.k.a LAW because they form the foundation of the Holy Biblical Scriptures. Both the Old and New Testaments are categorised as follows:

👉TORAH
👉PROPHETS
👉WRITINGS (Poetic Writings/Letters) 

*Receiving The Ten Commandments and agreeing to be obedient to them was YAHWEH GOD’S Seal upon HIS Specially Set Apart People, Israel. This was later extended to the Goyim/Gentiles.* 👉👉👉Note that this event occurred on Pentecost years before Joel 2:28-30 manifested then on the same day years later, HOLY SPIRIT appeared as tongues of Fire which filled YAHUSHUA’S (JESUS’). So, it was and still is a very important event and every believer in and follower of YAHUSHUA should observe it!


Then this week, we have studied the TORAH Portion, MISHPATIM/LAWS. Note that the word for family in the Hebrew language is Mishpacha. This is very important to take note of. Receiving and Agreeing to observe YAH’S Laws makes us to be well aligned with YAH Almighty.
*It is only when we are well aligned with YAH, that we are able to prosper in all we do plus we would be able to excercise HIS Authority accordingly.*

The Two Main Outstanding Chapters for me in this TORAH Portion are *Chapters
23 (Justice For All, The Law of Sabbaths, Three Annual Feasts & Tha Angel and The Promises ) and 24 (Israel Affirms The Covenant) of Exodus.* This doesn’t imply that the others are not important!

CHAPTER 21:1-11
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10:
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* The Law Regarding Servants

The numbers 6 and 7 are seen repeated by YAHWEH throughout Chapter 21. *It is after 6 years that a slave can be freed.*

We also see the idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. *This was declared from before the foundations of the earth and first mentioned when Cain killed Abel.*
The LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY during YAHUSHUA’S First Coming modified this by saying that we should love our enemies and do them good plus pray for them and let YAH fight for us. 

These laws was set to put us in check. It is there to cause us to be disciplined so that our morals reflect YAH’S good Morals while we are on earth in the flesh. They were a guide and a standard to live by.

*The understanding we should have with regards  to the law concerning an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is that is that whatever we do in the physical realm to cause harm or hurt to others somehow has a way of coming back to us in the future if we don’t genuinely repent of the evil we have done though sometimes despite repenting, the evil comes to back to us in another way and from another person.* Additionally, when one dies without repenting, they are repaid with that very evil that they did to others. *The law was therefore a physical picture of what happens in the unseen realm (spiritual realm).*


CHAPTER 21:12-33
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* Protection
*Verses 12 – 36 of Chapter 21 of Exodus explain what YAH meant by the 6th Commandment which instructs us not to murder!!! Not that it does not say kill. Rather, it says murder.* Kill is intentional setting out to get rid of someone however murder is when you get rid of someone out of self defense or by accident. YAH gives judgement to animals also regarding this matter. I find this very interesting.
It just shows you to what extent YAH ALMIGHTY goes to care for us – every little detail counts to HIM.


CHAPTER 22:1-15
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* Protection of Property

The  LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY teaches the GODLY way to handle stealing, thieves. losses, borrowing,



CHAPTER 22:16-31
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* Social Responsibility

Here, YAH ALMIGHTY talks about intimacy, giving in marriage, how to handle widows and orphans, lending and borrowing money and items, being faithful when making offerkngs to the LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY! YAH confess the chapter as follows:

Exodus 22:31 NLT
*“You must be my HOLY people.* Therefore, do not eat any animal that has been torn up and killed by wild animals. Throw it to the dogs.



CHAPTER 23:1-13
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* A Call To Justice

Here are some of the ways YAH says we are to practise Social Justice:

👉 “Do not to spread a false report. Do not join hands with the wicked by becoming a malicious witness.

👉 “Do not follow a crowd to do evil. Nor are you to testify in a case, to follow a crowd and pervert justice.

👉 On the other hand, nor should you takes sides with a poor man in his case.

👉 Stay far away from a false charge. Do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify the guilty.

👉 Take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight, and perverts the words of the righteous.

👉 “With all the things that I have said to you, take heed. Make no mention of the names of other gods, and do not let them be heard in your mouth.

Etc…

*YAH places emphasis on observing HIS Holy Sabbath by repeating the instruction in verse 12.*


HE ends the section by instructing us not to call on any other god but HIM alone!


CHAPTER 23:14-19
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* Three Annual Feasts

YAH names the Festival as follows:
👉Passover (Pesach) – in the month of Abib/Aviv a.k.a Nisan
👉Harvest/FirstFruits (Ha Katzir Bikkurim) – see Chapter 2
👉Ingathering (Ha Asif) – at the end of the year – see Chapter 7

Exodus 23:17 TLV
Three times in the year all your men are to appear before ADONAI YAHUVEH (YAHWEH) ELOHIM.

And we must not appear before YAH empty-handed.

YAH desires that we have a Holy Convocation on the Special Days HE has set out as HE wants to meet with us in a Special Way on those days. HalleluYAH HalleluYAH HalleluYAH!



CHAPTER 23:20-33
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* A Promise Of YAH’S Presence


👉“Behold, I AM sending an angel before you, to guard you on the Way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared.

👉👉👉Watch for HIM and listen to HIS VOICE. Do not rebel against HIM because HE will not pardon your transgression, for MY NAME is in HIM.👈👈👈

👉👍👉But if you listen closely to HIS VOICE, and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.👈👍👈

YAH tells the Children of Israel the Names of their enemies.

👍👍👍YAH goes further to instruct them that if they are faithful in serving HIM, HE will make provision for them if their needs as well as take sickness,miscarrying and barrenness away from them!!!👍👍👍


YAH tells them the markings of the borders of the land which belongs to them.

👉YAH specifically instructs the Children of Israel never to enter into or make any covenant with the inhabitants of the land which HE has given to them.👈

👉👉👉HE also instructs them never to seek after the small gods of the inhabitants of the land which belongs to them. They are not to worship themselves that they don’t get ensnared!!!👈👈👈



CHAPTER 24:1-18
*BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY: Commandments 6-10: LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF* Israel Accepts The LORD YAHUVEH’S (YAHWEH’S) Covenant


YAH sets apart from the rest if Israel, Moses, Aaron, Nepal, Abihu and the 70 Elders of Israel to worship afar from the Camp. Only Moses can come closer to YAH.


Exodus 24:3 TLV
So Moses came and told the people all the words of ADONAI YAHUVEH (YAHWEH) as well as all the ordinances. *All the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words which ADONAI YAHUVEH has spoken, we will do.”*

After the Covenant is made with YAH ALMIGHTY, Moses builds an altar unto YAH with 12 Pillars representing the 12 Tribes of Israel. Burnt Offerings and Fellowship Offerings were also made unto YAH by some young men of Israel.

Exodus 24:6‭-‬8 TLV
⁶Then Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins and the other half he poured out against the altar.
⁷He took the Scroll of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. Again they said, “All that ADONAI YAHUVEH has spoken, we will do and obey.”
⁸Then Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which ADONAI YAHUVEH has cut with you, in agreement with all these words.”



Moses, Aaron, Nepal, Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel were privileged to have an encounter with YAHUVEH although all HE allowed them to see was HIS FEET. They described it as follows:

Exodus 24:10-11 TLV
They saw the GOD of Israel, and under HIS FEET was something like a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the very Heavens.
Yet HE did not raise His hand against the nobles of Bnei-Yisrael . So they beheld GOD, and ate and drank.


Moses is then called up to the Mountain of the LORD YAHUVEH to receive The Tablets of Stone on which YAHUVEH had inscribed The Ten Commandments. Moses went up the Mountain which Yahushua (Joshua) and stayed there for 40 days. He leaves Aaron and Hur in-charge of the Seventy Elders of Israel and the rest of Israel.


Exodus 24:15‭-‬18 TLV
¹⁵When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it.
¹⁶The GLORY OF ADONAI YAHUVEH settled upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. Then on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
¹⁷The appearance of the GLORY OF ADONAI YAHUVEH like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of Bnei-Yisrael .
¹⁸So Moses entered into the midst of the cloud and went up onto the mountain. Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights.

Let us compare this TORAH Portion with the Gospels as follows:

*YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH(JESUS CHRIST) SETS UP A COVENANT WITH THE 12 DISCIPLES*

*HE BECOMES ONE WITH THEM THROUGH THE HOLY COMMUNION SHARED*

In Matthew 26:20-30, we see YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH (JESUS CHRIST, not Yeshua) making a Covenant with HIS 12 Specially Set Apart People – The Disciples later turned Apostles! HE does this on the First Day of Passover (Pesach) at the Passover Seder. This has been translated as The LORD’S Last Supper/HOLY COMMUNION. The Drinking of Wine from HIS Cup and Eating of Bread blessed and broken by HIM were very significant as HE was depicting what was about to happen to HIM – the crucifixion.

So, we see Parallels between Exodus 21 – 24 and Matthew 26:20-30. In Exodus 21 – 25, YAHUVEH (YAHWEH) makes a Covenant with the 12 Tribes of Israel and in Matthew 26:20-30, we see YAHUVEH’S Only Begotten SON, YAHUSHUA make a Covenant with the 12 Disciples.
These Covenants were later extended to the Gentiles, therefore anyone who accepts YAH’S SALVATION (YAHUSHUA) also enters into these Covenants with YAH, The CREATOR/MAKER! See Romans 11.


*YAHUVEH REMINDS US OF HIS COVENANT WITH HIM*

Now regarding the Haftarah Portion, Isaiah 66:1-24, we see YAH declaring HIS GLORY and what HE desires from those who desire to enter or have already entered into Covenant with HIM. The following Scriptures are the most outstanding to me within the Chapter.

*Isaiah 66:1‭-‬2 NKJV*
Thus says the LORD YAHWEH: “Heaven is MY THRONE, And earth is MY FOOTSTOOL. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of MY REST? For all those things MY HAND has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD YAHWEH. *“But on this one will I look: On him  who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at MY WORD.*

What does it mean to be poor and of a contrite Spirit?
It means to acknowledge that YAH is Sovreign over all things, you have nothing and have a desire to be led and taught by HIM alone.

It also means feeling or expressing remorse at the recognition that one has done wrong before the LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY because after all, we have sinful nature.

*Contrite* means regretful, remorseful, or even guilty. Someone who feels remorse or guilt is contrite and in addition to feeling sorry, part of the definition includes wanting to atone for having done something wrong.

*In acknowledging that you are a creature who is susceptible to doing wrong, you also desire to be made right with YAH. It is then that HE reaches out to you and draws you closer to HIM.*


*Isaiah 66:23 NKJV*
And it shall come to pass *That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before ME,”* says the LORD YAHWEH.

The LORD YAHWEH ALMIGHTY has set HIS Calendar from the beginning of time. It is for all of creation and not just for the Hebrew people. *It is also especially for those who have accepted HIS SALVATION (YAHUSHUA, JESUS) and are endeavouring to live Holy before HIM as well as be faithful to HIM daily.*

On HIS Calendar, we find HIS Set Apart Appointments with HIM at different times yearly. Some are High Sabbaths whereas others are not.


*SUMMARY*

In Conclusion, the LORD gave us HIS Ten Commandments and the started to break them down into 613 Commandments. *We see the First Break-down here in Chapters 21-24 of the Book of Exodus.*

👉Chapters 21, 22, 23:1-9 falls within the second set of Ten Commandments which are to do with loving our neighbours.

👉Chapter 23:10-33 and 24 fall within the first set of the Ten Commandments which are to do with loving YAH (GOD). In Chapter 24, Moses goes to obtain the Ten Commandments on Two Tablets of Stone.


Next week, we continue with the Break-down of the Ten Commandments in the TORAH Portion called Terumah/Lift Apart (Heave Offerings)!



*Remember to endeavour to BE HOLY AS YAH IS HOLY.*

PRAYER:

O ABBA YAHUVEH (YAHWEH), Have Mercy on me for treating my neighbours in ways that displease YOU. Wash me with YAHUSHUA’S (JESUS’) PRECIOUS BLOOD, in YAHUSHUA’S Name, Amen!

Help me YAH, to be mindful of the way in which I treat my neighbours, guide me o YAH to do the right thing always for it is a Commandment from you to love my neighbour as myself and this you have stipulated in the 10 Commandments as well as the 613 Commandments, in YAHUSHUA’S Name, Amen!

HalleluYAH HalleluYAH HalleluYAH!


SHABBAT SHALOM/PEACEFUL SABBATH and Shavua Tov/A Good (new) Week To You!