Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Have you ever wondered how an airplane could end up in the wrong city? It doesn't happen because the pilot suddenly turns 90 degrees in the middle of the flight. In fact, if a plane leaves the Runway just one degree off course, no one on board would even notice. The passengers settle into their seats. The flight attendants begin serving the drinks. Everyone feels perfectly normal. But mile after mile, that tiny 1 degree difference keeps growing.
[00:00:25] After hundreds of miles, a plane can arrive in an entirely different city than the one it intended to reach. And that's the danger of small deviations. They rarely look dangerous at the beginning. And that's exactly what Moses wants Israel to understand in this week's Torah portion. He doesn't begin by warning them about idolatry or exile. He begins with something much simpler. A choice, A blessing or a curse. Obedience.
[00:00:52] Disobedience Because God knows something, we often forget, destinations are determined long before you arrive there. They're determined by the direction you're traveling. Join me as we discover why in this week's five minute tour.
[00:01:12] Shalom and Blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow. I'm Darren, and before I get into the five minutes of my five minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the 47th Torah portion and the fourth portion of the Book of Deuteronomy. We are in the portion of re E. Deuteronomy 11:26 through 16:17. And here are the three things that you need to know about it.
[00:01:38] Blessings and Curses the choice before us Re E begins with the dramatic clock call to attention. See I set before you today a blessing and a curse. Deuteronomy 11:26 Moses reminds Israel that life is not morally neutral. Every choice carries consequences. Obedience leads to blessing, while disobedience leads to curse. God gives his people the dignity of choice, but he also holds them accountable for those choices. Our covenant relationship with him is active and and intentional, calling us to choose life by walking in his ways every single day. The decisions we make, both great and small, continue to shape the direction of our spiritual lives. 2. God's Place Pilgrimage Festival Details Ra commands Israel to worship at the place that the Lord will choose, ultimately Jerusalem, and provides additional instructions for the three pilgrimage festivals Pesach or Passover, Shavuot or Pentecost and Sukkot.
[00:02:42] Unlike the surrounding nations who worship many gods in many places, Israel was to bring its offerings to one central sanctuary. One important command prohibits the offering of the Passover lamb anywhere except the temple in Jerusalem. For this reason, Jewish tradition discourages eating lamb at Passover today to avoid even the appearance of offering a sacrifice outside the place God designated. This emphasis reminds us that true worship is not about personal preference or convenience, but about approaching God according to his instructions and honoring his holiness.
[00:03:16] True versus False Prophets, idols, and loyalty to God Re warns of the dangers of false prophets, dreamers, and even close friends who might entice Israel to follow other gods. See Deuteronomy 13. Miracles, persuasive speech and supernatural signs are are not the measure of truth. Faithfulness to the God of Israel is. Israel was commanded to reject every voice that led them away from the Lord and His commandments, no matter how convincing it appeared. This serves as a sobering reminder that sincerity, charisma, and power are never substitutes for truth. Our responsibility is to test every claim against God's word, remain loyal to him alone, and guard our hearts from anything that that would draw us away from him. Have you ever felt like your prayers have become repetitive? Like maybe you're saying the same things over and over but never really getting anywhere? For many believers, prayer can feel like a maze. It's confusing, repetitive, and difficult to navigate. But what if that maze is actually a map leading you into a deeper relationship with God? What if the problem isn't that you need different prayers, but that you need to learn to pray differently? I'm excited to announce the release of my new book, Lost in Prayer. It's a practical, messianic guide that will help you understand the sedur, discover the beauty of Jewish prayer, and move from feeling lost in prayer to getting lost in prayer. Pick up your copy at either Amazon or Barnes and Noble to begin your journey today. The link is in the description below. This week's Torah commentary is called the Snowball Effect and comes from my book 5 Minute Torah, Volume 1.
[00:04:53] As you know, the snowball effect is a process that begins with something that's seemingly insignificant and but then builds on itself, becoming exponentially larger over time. It comes from the concept of a snowball rolling down a hill. In theory, it picks up both mass and momentum the longer it rolls. After just a little while, it would become quite massive and very difficult to stop. This concept has been applied to many things, but it has spiritual applications as well. In Per Kayavot, Ben Azai tells us, run to pursue a minor mitzvah, meaning commandment, and flee from a transgression, for a mitzvah brings another mitzvah and a transgression brings another transgression for the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the reward of a transgression is transgression. This is from Avote4two. This is the principle of the snowball effect. If we begin traveling in a certain direction, whether toward or away from spiritual matters, we will create a momentum that will be difficult to stop. If we succeed in surrendering one area of our lives and being obedient to one instruction from the Torah, we will naturally be inclined toward the next one. We will find that obedience will have become a little easier. However, the reverse is also true. If we refuse to be obedient to one of the Torah's instructions, then it will be more difficult to obey other instructions. Soon we will find ourselves in a place of utter rebellion, where even the easiest commandments are are forsaken. This is the principle behind the introductory words of this week's Torah portion. See I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and the curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God. But turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today to go after other gods that you have not known. Deuteronomy 11:26 28 the Lord tells us that he gives us two choices, a choice of blessing or a choice of curse. The blessing comes about through obedience and the curse through disobedience. Every day we have the choice to enjoy blessings or curses. Every day we have the choice to either obey or disobey. Each one of these choices will produce fruit of its own obedience brings a blessing and disobedience brings a curse. Once we make our choice and embark on the journey of either obedience or disobedience, and we will find that it's easier to continue down that same path than it is to turn around and head in the opposite direction. The Didache, one of the earliest non canonical teachings of the Apostles, explains the ramifications of this choice. There are two ways, one of life and one of death. And the difference between the two ways is great. From didache11 does anyone ever wake up in the morning and say, I think I'll do evil today? Possibly, but but by far most of humanity does not. We don't usually set out on the wrong path with intention. However, we might end up on the path if we do not calculate steps to avoid it. Therefore, if we combine the warning of the Torah with the explanation of Benazai, we'll see the ramifications of choosing the proper path. See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God will which I command you today, and the curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God. Run to pursue a minor mitzvah and flee from a transgression. For a mitzvah brings another mitzvah, and a transgression brings another transgression. For the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the reward of a transgression is transgression. Let's get that snowball rolling. Let's take intentional steps today to pursue blessings through through obedience, so that everything we do for the kingdom will be multiplied exponentially. And even though one small act of obedience may not seem like much today, according to scripture, every step sets the direction for the next. The question is, what kind of momentum are you building? But here's something important to remember about this Obedience does not grow well in a heart that has forgotten God's goodness. It flourishes in a heart that remembers his blessings. That's exactly what we talked about in last week's episode on Torah Portion Ekev. We explored why gratitude is more than just saying thank you. It's one of the keys to cultivating a life of faithful obedience. If you haven't checked it out, you can do so right here.
