Ki Tetse (When You Go Out)
6) Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19
When your first child goes off to college—it’s a big deal. Going out of the house and into the world is a huge step for the child, the parents, and the family. I am writing from an airport after just dropping off my oldest child at college. This feels like a big deal.
The world can be a scary place but as her parents, my wife and I helped my daughter make these choices and take these next steps. While there will be challenges ahead for her, we had her ultimate benefit in mind.
How much more does God do the same thing.
The parashah for this week is Ki Tetse which in Hebrew means “when you go out.” Israel had gone out from Egyptian slavery under God’s strong hand of power poured out through plagues. Furthermore, Israel has now spent about 40 years wandering though the wilderness learning about God’s character and how to trust Him and follow His leadership to stay on the path of blessing. (See last week’s blog, Shof’tim, for more on humans as proxy for God’s leadership through Judges, Kings, Priests and Prophets intended to promote justice on earth.)
This week’s portion opens with Moses talking about the Israelites going out to war. That’s a big deal.
WHEN YOU GO OUT [Ki tetse, כִּי־תֵצֵא] to war against your enemies…(Deuteronomy 21:10)
While my daughter going off to college is not as intense as the Israelites going out into battle, both “goings out” can be scary. The call to trust God’s good leadership and experience His loving Presence amidst the challenge is a universal struggle.
Going out in faith—not fear—marks the path God blesses with His shalom, His peace. But this peace goes beyond merely the absence of bad circumstances and the pleasantness of good circumstances. The peace God offers His people is both deeper and more durable than mere circumstances. The peace that God promises when we trust His leadership and follow His lead—following the voice of the Good Shepherd—transcends our limited intellectual capacity to necessarily understand God’s purposes. God’s Presence will literally quench the thirst of our souls. That’s a really big deal.
But how does the Torah teach us to access and enter into this peace? Deuteronomy 23:14 holds the key.
Because the LORD your GOD WALKS (mit’ha’lech, מִתְהַלֵּךְ) IN THE MIDST OF YOUR CAMP, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. (Deuteronomy 23:14)
The context of this passage has to do with the way God’s covenant community was to handle nocturnal emissions (Deut. 23:10) and going to the bathroom (Deut. 23:12-13). But the core purpose is ultimately relational. RD4KB.
God is giving good instructions in the Torah—not always easy to understand—but ultimately intended to restore the intimacy humans once had with God and each other described historically in B’reisheet, and prophetically previewed as the restoration of all things described by the prophets and confirmed by the apostles.
The key is mit’ha’lech. God walking with us. The Hebrew word, mit’ha’lech, comes from the root word halach, meaning “to walk.” This is the root word from which we get halachah, traditionally understood as the law, or the way to walk. The way to walk with God.
God promises to be relationally present with us and His Presence is the true source of peace. The first time the Hebrew word mit’ha’lech shows up in the Bible is in the third chapter of Genesis.
And they heard the sound of the LORD God WALKING (mit’ha’lech, מִתְהַלֵּךְ) in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)
Beloved, view your Bible as God’s loving words of invitation for you to “Come! Be with Me!” Sit at His feet and learn His ways so you can be His hands and feet in this world.
The portion this week describes many things that will tempt you to be offended at His ways. Don’t. Don’t idolize your own understanding but surrender your heart to the One who knows you best and loves you most. He is good, and His love endures forever (see Psalm 136).
Readings for the Week:
Torah: DEUTERONOMY 21:10–25:19
Prophets: ISAIAH 54:1–10
Apostolic Writings: MARK 12:18–27
Click HERE for the online Parashah commentary. (If you prefer a printed copy, please email me at thomas@faithforall.org)
Shalom,
Thomas