Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-21:9, Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51-52, Mattityahu (Matthew) 26-27
Shabbat Shalom everyone, I am your host Ulices Rodriguez, and welcome to this week’s parasha, Shoftim. Shoftim is the Hebrew word that translates to “Judge.” A judge’s role in our modern understanding of the word is to dispense or uphold justice on behalf of their government. Well, in ancient Israel with the torah as the law of the land, a judge’s role was very much the same, only it was done on behalf of their Elohim, Yahweh. And this concept of justice was much deeper than what we may perceive in our initial thoughts, and that is what we will cover in today’s study.
We have all heard it said that Yahweh is an Elohim who loves justice. Which is taken right out of Psalm 37 which says:
Tehillim (Psalm) 37:28
28 For Yahweh loves justice; He will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
And in other places of scripture like Isaiah chapter 56 in verse 1 we read:
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 56:1
1 Thus says Yahweh: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon My salvation will come, and My righteousness be revealed.”
Well, what does all this mean? How does Yahweh define justice and righteousness? And what does salvation have to do with us keeping justice and doing righteousness? Well, in essence what Yahweh is stating, is that through His salvation that comes by way of His son Yeshua The Messiah; Yahweh’s righteousness and justice is personified in Him.
As we can see from Isaiah 54:17, Yahweh says:
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 54:17
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh (meaning His saints) their vindication. (Or their righteousness is) from Me, declares Yahweh.”
And as mentioned, Yahweh’s righteousness, and justice, was revealed and personified through His Son Yeshua The Messiah. The Apostle Paul writes about this revelation to the Romans, He says, that:
Romim (Romans) 3:25
25 Elohim put forward (Yeshua) as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show Elohim’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.
Yahweh’s righteousness was revealed in Yeshua, by the very fact that Yahweh still demanded payment for mankind’s, past, present, and even future sins, which clearly demonstrates that Yahweh is a just judge, and that He will not allow sin to go unpunished. However, Yahweh is not heartless. He is not cold and calloused. He still loves us dearly, He still wants us to be reconciled back to Him; but there is nothing that we can do to redeem ourselves, and Yahweh knows this.
And that is why Yeshua was born, because Yeshua simultaneously did two things with His life. He lived in perfect obedience to His Father; therefore, He lived a life without sin, and in order to have right relationship with Yahweh, one must be pure and without sin. We know that Yahweh Himself is far too pure to look upon sin and ignore it.
Habakkuk (Habakkuk) 1:13
13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do You idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
And the second thing, Yeshua did with His life was that He poured out His blood as payment for our sin, and through all this, Yahweh’s wrath was satisfied, and His justice was complete. And because His justice is complete, because our sin has been atoned for, and because we now have Yahweh’s righteousness, His love and His goodness personified in the perfection of His Son Yeshua The Messiah. Now, all those who repent and accept Yahweh’s gift of grace, all those who pursue a sincere and meaningful connection with Yeshua, and walk in obedience to Him, will be forgiven. They will be covered by the blood of Yeshua, and Yahweh will no longer look up the sinner clothed in their own unrighteousness. Instead, He sees His Son, who was perfect in every sense of the word. He lived a perfect life, and with His death, canceled all debt. And that is what Yahweh sees when He looks upon the repentant sinner, He see us clothed in Yeshua’s righteousness.
Now, that we are more familiar with how Yahweh’s righteousness, and justice was revealed through salvation in His Son; it is evident that our part as believers in upholding justice, and doing righteousness is to hold each other to the standard of living which is personified in Yeshua The Messiah. All while simultaneously being patient with one another and extending forgiveness to one another when we sin against each other, never casting judgment upon each other. Because Yahweh is the only judge. Our purpose is to love one another, edify each other and constantly reference Yeshua as the model for all of us to live by.
Therefore, with this being the background for today’s study. We will analyze various verses through our torah portion, and we will walk away with a more profound comprehension of Yahweh’s commandments, the role of a judge, and how they were supposed to model Yahweh’s example of justice and righteousness. And we will see how these principles that we learn about, pertain to us today, in the Melchizedekian order.
To begin our study today, we read in Deuteronomy that Yahweh is commanding the children of Israel, to appoint judges and officers in all the towns they live in. Their purpose is to judge the people with righteous judgment on behalf of Yahweh.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18
18 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that Yahweh your Elohim is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
This is important structuring for Yahweh’s people to have because, without it as we know from scripture, and history; every man will seek to do what is right in his own eyes. Therefore, there must be appointed leaders to govern the people, but especially Yahweh’s people.
Shoftim (Judges) 21:25
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Now in order for us to understand what the proper structure is and the correct model of righteousness to govern ourselves by we must understand the role of a judge and an officer. The distinction between a judge and an officer was that the officer or the official was subject to the judge. The judge was the one who would govern the people, the judge was the one who would pronounce sentences and their greater overall responsibility was to understand the deeper theological aspects of the torah. So that they would govern the people according to Yahweh’s righteousness, not according to their own wisdom or understanding.
And the officer or the official was the one to dispense or enact the judge’s rule. Now, understandably you would want the official to be as well versed and understood in the torah as the judge. However, it’s not necessarily a requirement for the official to have the same level of depth in understanding the torah, as the judge. However, the official should still be an upright and upstanding man who fears and loves Elohim.
In the following chapter of our torah portion, we read if there is a case too difficult for the local elder to judge, they are to go to the Levitical Priests and to the judge that is in office at that time. It is their responsibility to seek Yahweh’s counsel an declare the verdict.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:9
9 And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.
Hence, a judge and a Levitical Priest were very similar in many ways regarding the sort of role that they served in Israel. At this point in Israel’s history a judge was someone who would have been, full of Yahweh’s wisdom, someone who loved and feared Elohim. And obviously would have been well-versed and understood in the torah. Because the torah are the laws given by Yahweh so that when we are in connection with His Spirit, we may govern each other justly and righteously. The attitude of a judge should or would have been like King Solomons, when He spoke to Yahweh saying:
Melachim Aleph (1 Kings) 3:9
9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this Your great people?”
Now a small but important distinction to make is, there were two types of judges. An anointed judge and an appointed judge. There were far more appointed judges than there were anointed judges at any given time. When I use the word anointed, I mean hand selected by Yahweh. Examples of an anointed judge would have been someone like Moshe, Joshua, Samson, Gideon, Deborah and even Samuel. These were people whom Yahweh hand selected. Whereas an appointed judge would have been someone like the local elder who is wise, understood the torah, loves and fears Elohim, and who can serve as an example for the people of his community. These appointed judges likely were appointed to this role by the Levitical priests.
Now, the anointed judge served almost like a king would have. Their role effectively was that of a king and prophet combination. They would have had similar levels of influence, similar levels of judicial and executive power. However, not necessarily the same level of legislative power. Their role was not to create more laws or create any sort of complex tax system for their benefit. Their purpose was to unify the people around Yahweh. Their purpose was to teach the people how to keep Yahweh’s torah according to His spirit, with a strong focus and heavy emphasis on teaching the people, that ultimately, Yahweh is the King. Therefore, the judge would serve as the people’s example, by walking faithfully with Yahweh, by constantly seeking Yahweh’s will for their lives, and the lives of the people that they led. Now, this doesn’t mean that they were perfect, however they were people who clearly had a strong love and commitment for Yahweh.
Now in many respects, the role of a judge was a precursor to the sort of structure and roles that we have in the Melchizedekian order. As we have learned thus far whether anointed or appointed, a judge had to have the same level of understanding towards Yahweh’s torah as a Levitical priest did. Now this simple explanation does not necessarily capture the nuance of everything, but this same principle exists for the Melchizedekian order. In the Melchizedekian order our equivalency of an anointed judge/levitical priest combination is that of the role of the apostle. And the role of an official/appointed judge combination would be the role of an Elder or Deacon respectively speaking. Now, this is important to remember and understand, because ultimately as we analyze various verses in the New Testament. This will help us to comprehend how and why Yeshua’s priesthood is organized the way it is. It will help us to better understand how the spiritual gifts work for the edification of Yeshua’s body.
In Ephesians chapter 2, we read:
Ephesim (Ephesians) 2:19-21
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of Elohim,
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, (with) Messiah Yeshua Himself being the cornerstone,
21 in Whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a Set-Apart temple in Yahweh.
Therefore, akin to the Levitical priesthood who did the set-apart work for Yahweh in His physical temple, and akin to the judges who helped the Levites govern the people and taught the people to keep Yahweh’s torah and to focus on Yahweh, and love and acknowledge Yahweh as their King. This same basic principle exists for Yeshua’s priesthood, better known as the Order of Melchizedek.
Ivrim (Hebrews) 5:10
10 being designated by Elohim a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
Later, in Ephesians chapter 4, we read that:
Ephesim (Ephesians) 4:11-14
11 He (meaning Yeshua) gave the (positions of the) apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Messiah
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Messiah,
14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
The purpose of these roles with in the five fold ministry, and with all the spiritual gifts that are attached to these various roles. All of it, is to help govern the flock and teach the flock about the commandments of Yahweh, about the doctrine of Yahweh. With a strong focus and heavy emphasis on acknowledging Yahweh as our Elohim and Yeshua as our King and Messiah. This way, the body of believers is not led astray by heresy. This is why it’s imperative that no matter where we are in relation to this structure, we make Yeshua the chief cornerstone to this very structure. As we discussed earlier, Yeshua is the personification of Yahweh’s justice, His goodness, His righteousness, His love, and forgiveness.
To serve as visual aid, if you are unfamiliar with how stone buildings were constructed in antiquity, there was the cornerstone. It was the first stone that was laid, and all other stones that were laid after, were laid down in reference to this one stone. Thus, determining the overall position and organization of the structure. Therefore, the cornerstone must be set perfectly; and if it is not perfect by the time you finish laying all your stones in reference to the cornerstone. Even if you are only off by an 1/8th of an inch from your original plan, and design. You could be several feet off by the time you finish laying the rest of your stones, which would completely alter your building from the original plans, which then affects the rest of the builders on that project.
Which brings us back to an earlier point, a judge, or an apostle, or an elder or deacon must constantly be focusing on Yeshua. They must constantly be striving to be in connection with Yeshua because they have been called to lead and shepherd Yahweh’s flock, and if they are not constantly referencing Yeshua as the cornerstone. This is exactly how we end up in the doctrinal mess we are in today. And if the flock is not focusing on Yeshua, as their reference point. This is how we end up with the division we have today.
Now an important point to discuss about apostles is that, in Yeshua’s Melchizedekian order, in His Melchizedekian priesthood. There are only ever anointed Apostles and anointed Prophets, because again it’s imperative that Yahweh hand-select the right leaders to lead His people. After this, we have roles like Elders and Deacons, and these are the appointed positions. These positions are appointed by Yahweh’s hand selected Apostles and Prophets, because again it’s primarily the responsibility of the Apostle and Prophet to hear and discern Yahweh’s voice and lead the people in doing what He wants.
Ma’asei (Acts) 1:24-25
24 And they prayed and said, “You, Yahweh, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two You have chosen
25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”
Now, elders and deacons should be full of the Set-Apart Spirit like the apostles and prophets. However, again it’s not required, that elders and deacons be hand selected by Yahweh, this can still be an appointed position, meaning it’s up to the apostle to discern for themselves with Yahweh’s Spirit, whether someone should be allowed to serve in the position of an elder or deacon. It is also ideal that elders and deacons be as well versed in the torah and the rest of scripture like the apostles and prophets, but again this is not a requirement.
Ma’asei (Acts) 6:3
3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
However, it is required that elders and deacons be men that have a good reputation of following and fearing Yahweh and raising up their families successfully in relationship with Yahweh. Because, once more an elder or deacon is entrusted by Elohim along with the rest of the leadership to lead and teach the people in the ways and understanding of Yahweh. Therefore, by default, an elder or a deacon might not be as well versed in the scriptures as an Apostle or Prophet is. Nevertheless, because they fear and love Elohim, they can be trusted to walk in obedience to The Spirit and according to the leadership of the apostles and prophets that have been anointed and appointed by Yahweh.
Timotheus Aleph (1 Timothy) 3:4-5
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for Elohim’s assembly?
Now it’s important for the flock to also be submitted to The Spirit in order for all of this to flow properly. When the flock is submitted to The Spirit, we then know how to properly walk in obedience, according to what Yahweh wants. Which is always revealed through Yahweh’s prophets which are also His apostles.
Amos (Amos) 3:7
7 “For Yahweh Elohim does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets.”
Now when we compare all of this to what we read earlier in our torah portion. Yahweh expects His flock to go to the Levitical priests and the judge in office at that time, so that the priests and judge could hear their cases, and so that the people could be governed properly according to what Yahweh wants. And Yahweh expects His flock to obey His anointed and appointed leaders. In fact, Yahweh says, that if any man would not obey the priest or the judge, that man is to die.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:9-13
9 And you shall come to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office in those days, and you shall consult them, and they shall declare to you the decision.
10 Then you shall do according to what they declare to you from that place that Yahweh will choose. And you shall be careful to do according to all that they direct you.
11 According to the instructions that they give you, and according to the decision which they pronounce to you, you shall do. You shall not turn aside from the verdict that they declare to you, either to the right hand or to the left.
12 The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your Elohim, or the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
13 And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again.
I’m sure many are thinking to yourselves right now, what are we to do if the leadership is corrupted as was the case in the first century, and in several other places of Israel’s history? Exactly as Peter said, “We are to obey Elohim rather than man.” Yahweh does not expect us to follow His anointed and appointed leaders blindly. Thus, our first responsibility is to obey Yahweh, it’s to submit to Yahweh and walk in step with His spirit. Then after doing so, we submit to the anointed and appointed leaders if they are walking righteously before Yahweh. And if they are walking righteously before Yahweh, we are to obey them even if we do not like the ruling they give.
Ma’asei (Acts) 5:29
29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey Elohim rather than men.”
And this same principle is actually echoed in the book of Deuteronomy, in reference to Yeshua’s priesthood, in Deuteronomy we read:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 18:15-19
15 “Yahweh your Elohim will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to Him you shall listen 16 just as you desired of Yahweh your Elohim at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my Elohim or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’
17 And Yahweh said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken.
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
19 And whoever will not listen to My words that He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of Him.
In other words, if anyone should not obey the words of His Son Yeshua, who is this prophet that Yahweh is speaking about. Then Yahweh will act as the judge for that person. And we know that this is in reference to Yeshua and His priesthood because, Yeshua said in the book of John:
Yochanan (John) 12:46-49
46I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in Me may not remain in darkness.
47 If anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
48 The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words (already) has a Judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
49 For I have not spoken on My own authority, but The Father who sent Me has Himself given Me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.
Therefore, according to Yahweh in Deuteronomy and according to Yeshua here in the book of John. Yeshua is not our judge; He is our savior. He is our Messiah, and Yahweh is the one and only judge, and has been our judge since we sinned in the garden. Therefore, Yahweh will continue to act as The Judge in whoever decides to reject Yeshua as their savior.
Now, mankind’s problem has always been our submission to Yahweh’s sovereignty. Many people do not want to crucify their flesh and follow after Yeshua. We know that Yeshua was perfect, and that He walked perfectly before Yahweh, yet so many people do not want to walk in obedience to Yeshua. You would think, since Yeshua was perfect, that people would have no problem setting aside their wants and desires to walk in obedience to Yeshua and receive Him as their savior. Sadly, many people do not do this, including believers. And if believers are unwilling to acknowledge Yeshua as the chief cornerstone in their life, even though He was perfect. What is surely to follow, is their unwillingness to submit to the authority of any anointed and appointed leader.
This problem of pride and disobedience goes hand in hand with improper leadership and stubborn and rebellious members of the flock. For the better part of 1600 years or so, people have been taught incorrect doctrines, and the flock has stubbornly and rebelliously walked in these incorrect doctrines. Many will not listen to sound leadership, and now the structure is so far off from the original plan, it is so far off from the original faith, that the aftermath is the confusion and division we have today.
Yehudah (Jude) 1:3-4
3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, unrighteous people, who pervert the grace of our Elohim into sensuality and deny our only Master and Adon, Yeshua Messiah.
Consider this example in Jeremiah, Yahweh is speaking to the children of Israel and He says:
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 3:14-15
14 Return, O faithless children, declares Yahweh; for I am your Master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15 “And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
If we have eyes and ears to see and hear what Yahweh is trying to show us and tell us here with this verse. This is us, my brothers, and sisters. We are in the middle of fulfilling this piece of scripture. I have heard so many people say that they knew there was more to the scriptures than what they had previously been led to believe in Christianity. And now, Yahweh is calling all His people out of Babylon, to include all the Babylonian faiths such as Christianity, Islam, and the large majority Judaism.
Yahweh has not anointed and appointed His shepherds to bring judgement on anyone. I will say this, it cannot be considered casting judgment on others, when you are simply telling others what the judge has already decreed. Rather Yahweh has anointed His shepherds to feed His flock with knowledge and understanding of His word, of His torah, of a deep and personal relationship with Him, through His Son Yeshua. The purpose of any of Yahweh’s leaders was always to redirect the people’s attention to Him.
Consider the following verses with what Yeshua said:
Yochanan (John) 10:27
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Yeshua also said:
Yochanan (John) 10:16
16 I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So, there will be One flock, One shepherd.
The purpose of Yahweh’s anointed and appointed leaders has never been to cast judgment on anyone, for none of us are perfect, which disqualifies any of us from judging others in the way that Yahweh can cast judgment.
Yahweh has developed these roles and has given us this structure because He is still an Elohim of order and the reality is, not everyone wants to submit to Yahweh the way Yeshua did. Not everyone wants to walk in Yeshua’s example. Therefore, Yahweh calls those who do want to be as Yeshua was, and Yahweh calls these people to serve as leaders for their families and communities. Yahweh calls these people to serve as examples for the flock to follow, because Yahweh’s anointed and appointed leaders should always be referencing Yeshua as the primary example.
Once more, whether we are anointed or appointed leaders or brand new to the family of Elohim, we should all be seeking to be just like Yeshua. We should never be looking to condemn anyone, we should always be looking to edify each other in love, and we should always be willing to forgive one another. Because in Yahweh’s righteousness He forgave us. This is why it’s so important to reference Yeshua as our cornerstone because structure and leadership is how Yahweh orders His family and His Kingdom.
And if we hope to survive the ploys of the devil, if we hope to remain unified, if we hope to be persevered forever, then we must learn to first submit to Yahweh and then submit to one another, out of reverence for Yeshua. Just as Yeshua served us, we are to serve Him and serve one another in the same way.
Ephesim (Ephesians) 5:15-21
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of Yahweh is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to Yahweh with your heart,
20 giving thanks always and for everything to Elohim The Father in the name of our Master Yeshua Messiah,
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Messiah.
Shabbat Shalom