And I pleaded/sought

Ve'etchanan - And I pleaded/sought
Torah: Deut. 3:23-7:11
Haftorah: Isaiah 40:1-26
Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Mark: 12:28-34

This commentary is based on Deuteronomy Chapters 3 to 7.  Moses is re-telling his people the Ten Commandments and warning them not to forget Adonai and all His deeds for them.  One thing that stands out here is the Shemah, which is fundamental to our faith.  It is followed by the first commandment; to love God.  We repeat it every Shabbat in Hebrew and then in English here at TAK.  Such important words that speak about the oneness of Elohim.  Adonai Echad.

In Mark 12 Yeshua also mentions the first commandment: “Yeshua answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these”.  By practicing these two, we accomplish all the rest and certainly please God.  This means that God’s purpose for creating us was that we would walk in love.  If we are moved by what moves the heart of God, we are unequivocally moved first and foremost by His ahava, His love.

We can love Him because He first loved us.  He is LOVE.  He loved us so much that He GAVE us Yeshua, in order to bring us to Him.  The blood and sacrifice of Messiah are so that you will have an intimate relationship with God. Let go of your sin and your idols because they separate you from Him.  Prepare the way of the Lord in your heart. Guard your heart by sowing to the spirit.  Let the crooked be made straight and the rough places plain and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed to you.  Love not the world; let your affection be fixed on God.

Adonai so desires to be loved by us that He gives us this mitzvot to love Him with much emphasis; to keep His words in our hearts; to teach them diligently to our children; to talk about them when sitting in our house, when walking on the way; when we go to sleep and when we wake up; to bind them as a sign on our hand and as frontlets between our eyes; (Tefillin). He wants us to write his words on our doorposts and our gates; (Mezuzot).  He is serious.  He wants us to remember Him, to think of Him constantly.  He says: “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame”.  He is so passionate about loving you.  He is jealous of your love.

Elohim, the powerful Creator, the King of the universe is pursuing you.  Remember him; run to Him.    O, the Father is seeking worshipers that will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  Come, seat down under His shadow and enjoy great delight; His fruit will be sweet to your taste.  He will bring you to His banqueting house and His banner over you will be love.

When we are immersed in the love for God, we can also love our brothers and sisters in Messiah.  Conversely, If we don’t love our brother who we can see, how can we love God who we do not see?  Yeshua gave us a new commandment, to love each other.   We are to wear love as a garment and walk humbly with each other.  Encourage one another, build each other up.  Help each other.  Love each other so truthfully as to be willing to give our lives, as a true friend, as Yeshua.  As the Father, Yeshua and the Spirit are echad,  one; Yeshua wants us all to be echad, one.  Love is the bond of perfectness, the more excellent way.  Prophecies, tongs and knowledge will cease, but love is eternal.  Faith, hope and love remain, but love is the greatest of these three.  Love shows your growth in Messiah. Maturity.

The world will know we are His disciples and will want of that love.  Unity and fervent prayer bring us the strong presence of God, the Ruach/His Spirit.  God commands a blessing upon us and we are anointed with power by His Spirit to be effective witnesses for Him.

We are also to love ourselves.  If God loves you so much, that means you are forever loveable to Him.  If He did not condemn you;  don’t you condemn yourself either.  Be also patient with yourself and love on yourself by instructing yourself to follow hard after God.  Accept love, allow yourself to be loved.  Receive your mishpocha’s (congregation/family) love and God’s love with humbleness.

Beloved, let us heed the call to love God, our neighbor and ourselves, because doing so we will give Him glory and honor and praise.  Hallelujah.