Commentary - Year 3 Sabbath 8

Numbers 15:1-41   -   Jeremiah 17:19-27   -   Psalm 107   -   1 John 2:1- 3:24
 

Iyyar 22, 5763 / May 24, 2003

Iyyar 22, 5766 / May 20, 2006

Iyyar 22, 5769 / May 16, 2009

Iyyar 20, 5772 / May 12, 2012

Iyyar 20, 5775 / May   9, 2015

Iyyar 20, 5778 / May   5, 2018    The thirty-fifth day of the Omer. 

Iyyar 19, 5781 / May   1, 2021

Ki Tavo'u el Eretz / When You Come into the Land    SCRIPTURES should be read first

Setting:

The people doubted God’s promise concerning the Promised Land, and sent spies to explore it. After forty days of exploration, ten of the spies said that the inhabitants were too great to be conquered. The people sought a leader to return them to Egypt. God vowed that they would wander for forty years – a year for each day of spying – and all the adults would die in that time, except Caleb and Joshua. The ten spies died immediately of a plague.

Now, thirty-nine years before they would enter the land, Moses gave God’s instruction concerning offerings to be performed upon entering the Land.

Numbers 15:

(V.3) Three kinds of offerings are mentioned here.

Elevation offerings were burned entirely upon the altar. Their pleasing aroma ascended to God, thus the term “elevation offering”. They were brought according to what one could afford – bulls, lambs or kids, doves, or grain (see Leviticus 1: commentary Y2-25). These offerings were brought by someone desiring to overcome traits such as anger, jealousy, greed, or cynicism. When one must pay a price – an expensive offering, and make a public confession, it brings remembrance when one's wrong attitudes surface.

Paul said to the Corinthian church, “I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Messiah. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly” – 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.  If we are to become “spiritual,” we must become elevated beyond greed, hedonism, jealousy, cliquishness, exalting men, profaneness, etc. In today’s religious world, the Torah offerings are mostly ignored as irrelevant; so also are spiritual attributes ignored as unnecessary – even undesirable. Who wants to overcome this world’s manner of seeking riches and power and pleasure? Who seeks the good of others more than his own? Who desires even this milk of God’s Word, much less meat? The offerings are the Torah basis for so much of what Paul taught; but in ignoring them, we lose the foundation of much basic Christian/Messianic understanding.

Offerings were required upon the fulfillment of special vows. Paul brought such an offering, as we see in Acts 18:18 and 21:26.

“8 And Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow. . . . 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple, giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them. 27 And when the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the multitude and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people, and the Law, and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

Feast offerings are brought to celebrate festive occasions, and are eaten by the owners and their invitees. These are peace offerings and thanksgiving offerings. They are brought voluntarily (hence the term “free-will offering”), and are not to atone for sins.

When the offering is a lamb [lift stuffed lamb], it is accompanied by bread made from one-omer of fine wheat flour mixed with a quarter-hin of olive oil. I spent part of this week’s preparation in the kitchen, making this sample [lift ten loaves]. About five pounds of wheat flour is mixed with enough water for kneading: it sticks to your hands in one big glob of paste! Then, a liter of olive oil is added: it takes a lot of squeezing to get that much oil mixed into the paste. Finally, salt is mixed in, and it is baked (it may instead be deep-fried or cooked on a griddle).  The local subway shop cooks their dough at 350 degrees for ten minutes; I cooked these at 350 degrees until they browned – two hours! I found that there was no need to oil the pan: the oily cakes won’t stick to anything. During baking, oil surrounds the cakes, such that baking and frying are not very different. There is some here that you may taste; it is somewhat like corn bread.

On the First Day of the Omer (thirty-seven days ago), a lamb was waved with unleavened cakes made from an omer of barley flour.

Also, with a lamb, a quarter-hin of wine [lift one-liter bottle] was poured out of a golden pitcher [lift golden pitcher] into a special golden bowl. This bowl fastened to the southwest edge of the altar, and had a spout that allowed the wine to pour down over the altar, from whence it drained through a pipe and trough out of the Temple.

(V.13) Gentiles are included in these instructions concerning the bringing of offerings. The offerings must be accompanied by unleavened bread, and wine.

“14 And if an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to Yahweh, just as you do, so he shall do. 15 As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before Yahweh. 16 ‘There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’ ”

These offerings are brought as though one offered his soul. A “soul” (nephesh) may bring a grain offering (minchah), made of unleavened finely ground wheat flour, olive oil, salt, with granules of hardened frankincense (an aromatic tree resin). Grain, the staple of human diet, represents our very existence being dependent upon God. Oil symbolizes comfort and healing, and frankincense represents joy and satisfaction; salt symbolizes God’s immutable covenant, because it preserves. No leaven or fruit-honey is allowed. The soul’s service should not be sluggish (represented by the slow action of leaven), nor should it be reduced by pursuit of pleasure (represented by adding the sweetness of honey).

(V.17) Dough offering

During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins with the Passover Seder, if you look at you box of matzah from Israel, you will see the words: “Challah is taken”. This paragraph in Numbers is the reason. From every batch of bread-grain, the first/best part is to be given to the kohanim (priests). Only then is it permissible to eat the remainder.

(V.27) Sin offerings are for unintentional sin. They are to be brought when one discovers that he has trespassed. They are to be brought on the day that the sin is discovered – that is, without delay.

(V.30) Intentional sin requires excommunication – being cut off from the people of God. There is no offering. The only recourse after intentional sin is to ask God for mercy, as David did in Psalm 51.

“10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Thy praise. 16 For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

David would have been willing to bring and offering for atonement, but God provided for no such offering.

(V.32) When a man was found intentionally desecrating the Sabbath, God instructed that he should be put to death.

“ ‘Therefore you are to observe the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to Yahweh; whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall surely be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall observe the Sabbath, to celebrate the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.’ And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God” – Exodus 31:14-18.

 “For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a Sabbath of complete rest to the Yahweh; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day” – Exodus 35:2-3.

Jeremiah 17

(V.21-22) “Do not carry any load on the Sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. And you shall not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers.”

“As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or a Holy Day” – Nehemiah 10:31.

So we see Paul’s teaching: “On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come” – 1 Corinthians 16:2. Each week’s increase is to be left alone until after the Sabbath, then the tithe is to be separated. In most so-called “Sabbath-keeping” groups today, we see monetary offerings being sought on the Sabbath, because leaders think that they cannot afford otherwise! Like with Israel in the wilderness, God’s instruction is superceded by man’s supposed ways of taking care of his own needs.

Going back to the Torah portion, the final paragraph is instruction to place tzi-tzit (tassels) on the four corners of one’s garment. This is to be for a reminder in front of one’s eyes, to remember Yahweh’s good instruction, and to avoid following the dangerous ways that naturally seem pleasing. We are told to not follow after our own heart and eyes!

Psalm 107:

This entire Psalm is aligned with the Torah portion. For brevity’s sake, let us look at the last line: “Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things; and consider the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh.”

Psalm 107

1.

1. O praise Yahweh, for He is good; His mercies still endure;

Thus say the ransomed of Yahweh, from all their foes secure.

He gathered them from out the lands, from north, south, east, and west.

They wandered in the wilderness, no city found to rest.

2.

Their weary soul within them faints when thirst and hunger press;

6. In trouble to Yahweh they cried, He saved them from distress.

He made the way before them straight, and He became their guide,

That they might to a city go in which they would abide.

3.

8. Let them give thanks unto Yahweh for all His kindness shown,

And for His works so wonderful which He to men makes known.

Because the longing soul by Him with food is satisfied;

The hungry soul that looks to Him with goodness is supplied.

4.

Some people in the darkness lived, in death’s shade did abide,

The prisoners of misery, with chains of iron tied.

Because against the Words of God they in rebellion turned,

And counsel of the One Most High they had despised and spurned.

5.

He therefore humbled them with toil; they fell without redress,

13. In trouble to Yahweh they cried, He saved them from distress.

He brought them out of darkness great and took them from death’s shade;

He broke apart the iron bands which had them helpless made.

6.

15. Let them give thanks unto Yahweh for all His kindness shown,

And for His works so wonderful which He to men makes known.

For He the mighty gates of bronze has shattered with a stroke;

He cut the bars of iron off and them asunder broke.

7.

For trespass and iniquity fools were afflicted here.

Their souls abhorred all food; and they to gates of death drew near.

19. In trouble to Yahweh they cried, He saved them from distress.

He sent His Word to make them whole and lift from wretchedness.

8.

21. Let them give thanks unto Yahweh for all His kindness shown,

And for His works so wonderful which He to men makes known.

And let them offer thanks to Him, the sacrifice of praise;

His works let them declare abroad, in songs their voices raise.

9.

To those who go to sea in ships, and on great waters trade,

The works and wonders of Yahweh are in the deep displayed.

For His command stirred up the wind that with a tempest blows;

It lifted waters of the sea; great rolling waves arose.

10.

To heaven mounted ships and men, then sank to depths again;

Their souls were melted and were faint with fear and trouble then.

They staggered, reeled, like drunken men; no skill could they express.

28. In trouble to Yahweh they cried; He saved them from distress.

11.

The storm He changed into a calm by His command and will’

And so the waves which raged before now quiet were and still.

Then they were glad, because at rest and quiet was the sea.

He led them to the haven thus where they desired to be.

12.

31. Let them give thanks unto Yahweh for all His kindness shown.

And for His works so wonderful which He to men makes known.

Among the people, where they meet, let them exalt His name.

And where the elders have their seat, let them His praise proclaim.

13.

He changes streams to wilderness, and springs to thirsty ground,

A fruitful land to salty waste, when people’s sins abound.

He turns the desert to a lake, dry land to water springs,

And that they may prepare a home, the hungry there He brings.

14.

They plant their vineyards, sow their fields, rich harvests there they grow;

His blessing makes them multiply, their herds no decrease know.

Again they much diminished are and brought to low estate,

Through sorrow and adversity, and through oppression great.

15.

For He contempt on princes pours; He lets them go astray

And wander in the wilderness where there is not a way.

41. But He from trouble lifts the poor by setting them on high,

And like a flock, in families He makes them multiply.

16.

When this the upright ones observe, they greatly shall rejoice’

And all unrighteousness, ashamed, shall cease to raise its voice.

Is any wise? He’ll heed these things which verses here display,

43. And he’ll consider well the love and kindness of Yahweh.

1 John 2:

And in the Apostolic portion, we see similar instruction (v.1-5): “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Messiah Yeshua the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His Word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.

Readings:

Reader 1*  Amen. ¹ Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ² "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where you are to live, which I am giving you, ³ then make an offering by fire to Yahweh, an elevation offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a variable offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to Yahweh, from the herd or from the flock. ⁴ 'The one who presents his offering shall present to Yahweh a grain offering of one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, ⁵ and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. ⁶ 'Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil; ⁷ and for the drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a soothing aroma to Yahweh.

Reader 2*  Amen. ⁸ 'When you prepare a bull as an elevationt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a special vow, or for peace offerings to Yahweh, ⁹ then you shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-half a hin of oil; ¹⁰ and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to Yahweh. ¹¹ 'Thus it shall be done for each ox, or for each ram, or for each of the male lambs, or of the goats.

Reader 3*  Amen. ¹² 'According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do for everyone according to their number. ¹³ 'All who are native shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to Yahweh. ¹⁴ 'If an alien sojourns with you, or one who may be among you throughout your generations, and he wishes to make an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to Yahweh, just as you do so he shall do. ¹⁵ 'As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before Yahweh. ¹⁶ 'There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.'"

Reader 4*  Amen. ¹⁷ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁸ "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land where I bring you, ¹⁹ then it shall be, that when you eat of the food of the land, you shall lift up an offering to Yahweh. ²⁰ 'Of the first of your dough you shall lift up a cake as an offering; as the offering of the threshing floor, so you shall lift it up. ²¹ 'From the first of your dough you shall give to Yahweh an offering throughout your generations.

Reader 5*  Amen. ²² 'But when you unwittingly fail and do not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses, ²³ even all that Yahweh has commanded you through Moses, from the day when Yahweh gave commandment and onward throughout your generations, ²⁴ then it shall be, if it is done unintentionally, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one bull for an elevation offering, as a soothing aroma to Yahweh, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin offering. ²⁵ 'Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and they will be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering by fire to Yahweh, and their sin offering before Yahweh, for their error. ²⁶ 'So all the congregation of the sons of Israel will be forgiven, with the alien who sojourns among them, for it happened to all the people through error.

Reader 6*  Amen. ²⁷ 'Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall offer a one year old female goat for a sin offering. ²⁸ 'The priest shall make atonement before Yahweh for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be forgiven. ²⁹ 'You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them. ³⁰ 'But the person who does anything defiantly, whether he is native or an alien, that one is blaspheming Yahweh; and that person shall be cut off from among his people. ³¹ 'Because he has despised the word of Yahweh and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt will be on him.'" ³² Now while the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. ³³ Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation; ³⁴ and they put him in custody because it had not been declared what should be done to him. ³⁵ Then Yahweh said to Moses, "The man shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp." ³⁶ So all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.

Reader 7*  Amen. ³⁷ Yahweh also spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁸ "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. ³⁹ "It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, ⁴⁰ so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. ⁴¹ "I am Yahweh your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh your God."

Jeremiah 17:19-27

Reader 8*  Amen. ¹⁹ Thus Yahweh said to me, "Go and stand in the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as in all the gates of Jerusalem; ²⁰ and say to them, 'Listen to the word of Yahweh, kings of Judah, and all Judah and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates: ²¹ 'Thus says Yahweh, "Take heed for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the Sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. ²² "You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your forefathers. ²³ "Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.

Reader 9*  Amen. ²⁴ "But it will come about, if you listen attentively to Me," declares Yahweh, "to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to keep the Sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, ²⁵ then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. ²⁶ "They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the environs of Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of Yahweh. ²⁷ "But if you do not listen to Me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched."'"

Psalm 107    (To be sung.)

¹ Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. ² Let the redeemed of Yahweh say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary ³ and gathered from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. ⁴ They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; they did not find a way to an inhabited city. ⁵ They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them. ⁶ Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. ⁷ He led them also by a straight way, to go to an inhabited city. ⁸ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! ⁹ For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, and the hungry soul He has filled with what is good. ¹⁰ There were those who dwelt in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains, ¹¹ because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High. ¹² Therefore He humbled their heart with labor; they stumbled and there was none to help. ¹³ Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. ¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart. ¹⁵ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! ¹⁶ For He has shattered gates of bronze and cut bars of iron asunder. ¹⁷ Fools, because of their rebellious way, and because of their iniquities, were afflicted. ¹⁸ Their soul abhorred all kinds of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. ¹⁹ Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses. ²⁰ He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. ²¹ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! ²² Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of His works with joyful singing. ²³ Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters; ²⁴ they have seen the works of Yahweh, and His wonders in the deep. ²⁵ For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, Which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶ They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; their soul melted away in their misery. ²⁷ They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits' end. ²⁸ Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. ²⁹ He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! ³² Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders. ³³ He changes rivers into a wilderness and springs of water into a thirsty ground; ³⁴ a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it. ³⁵ He changes a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry land into springs of water; ³⁶ and there He makes the hungry to dwell, so that they may establish an inhabited city, ³⁷ and sow fields and plant vineyards, and gather a fruitful harvest. ³⁸ Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly, and He does not let their cattle decrease. ³⁹ When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, misery and sorrow, ⁴⁰ He pours contempt upon princes and makes them wander in a pathless waste. ⁴¹ But He sets the needy securely on high away from affliction, and makes his families like a flock. ⁴² The upright see it and are glad; but all unrighteousness shuts its mouth. ⁴³ Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things, and consider the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh.

1 John 2:1 – 3:24

Reader 10*  Amen. ^2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Messiah Yeshua the righteous; ² and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. ³ By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ⁵ but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶ the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Reader 11*  Amen. ⁷ Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. ⁸ On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. ⁹ The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰ The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. ¹² I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Reader 12*  Amen. ¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. ¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

Reader 13*  Amen. ²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but the one who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. ²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷ As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. ²⁸ Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. ²⁹ If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.

Reader 14*  Amen. ^3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. ⁴ Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁵ You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. ⁷ Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; ⁸ the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Reader 15*  Amen. ¹⁰ By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. ¹¹ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; ¹² not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Reader 16*  Amen. ¹⁶ We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. ¹⁹ We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him ²⁰ in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Yeshua the Messiah, and love one another, just as He commanded us. ²⁴ The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

© 2003  Beikvot HaMashiach
(Followers of the Messiah)