Look…and see! The name of this parashah is R’eh (רְאֵה) means “behold” or “look” and is a call to “see.” And there is an interesting spiritual—and relational—connection between seeing and tasting.
So, let’s taste…and see!
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
— Psalm 34:8 (Hebrew: v. 9)
So, what exactly are we supposed to be looking at? Moses opens this parashah with this exhortation to the covenant people of God.
SEE (Look!), I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse. (Deuteronomy 11:26)
The following verses go on to explain that blessings of promise flow from obedience to covenantal obligations and curses of consequence flow from disobedience to these same obligations. We discussed the principle of the law of natural consequences last week in the blog for Parashah Ekev.
Furthermore, Deuteronomy 11:29 explains that these instructions include proclaiming these promises for blessing from the top of Mt. Gerizim and cursing from the top of Mt. Ebal. Read chapters 27 and 28 later in Deuteronomy for a more detailed explanation of this dramatic scene that would take place inside the Promised Land.
The Place for God’s Dwelling
Moses goes on to call the covenant community to look for the place God will choose among the tribes as the place for His dwelling and the place He will put His Name. The Promised Land was to serve as a platform to promote God’s reputation. Let me remind you of the continuity of God’s purposes and help you avoid the common pitfall of slicing and dicing God’s purposes in covenant. These pitfalls represent the “gutters” that you don’t want to fall into.
Renewing, Not Abrogating, the Covenant
One pitfall is to assume that under the new covenant, foretold by the prophets, God’s promise to Israel for a particular piece of set apart real estate in the Middle East is no longer valid. In this view, God has totally fulfilled His purposes in the Messiah’s first coming. In this case Christians typically dismiss and ignore God’s ongoing purposes in His relationship with Israel and the Jewish people. Jeremiah foretold this renewed covenant.
“Behold, days are coming”
—it is a declaration of ADONAI—
“when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah—
not like the covenant
I made with their fathers
in the day I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
For they broke My covenant,
though I was a husband to them.”
it is a declaration of ADONAI.
“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”
—it is a declaration of ADONAI—
“I will put My Torah within them.
Yes, I will write it on their heart.
I will be their God
and they will be My people.
No longer will each teach his neighbor
or each his brother, saying: ‘Know ADONAI,’
for they will all know Me,
from the least of them to the greatest.”
it is a declaration of ADONAI.
“For I will forgive their iniquity,
their sin I will remember no more.”
— Jeremiah 31:31-34 (Hebrew: vv.30-33)
Preserving, Not Merely Universalizing, the Promise
The other pitfall is to assume that under the new covenant God has simply universalized His land promise. In this view, God only chose the particular land and people as a stepping stone to rescue and redeem all people and the whole earth. While the end goal does include universal applications, we don’t get there by nullifying God’s particularized land promise. God has staked His reputation on the fulfillment of His promises to the particular people—the Jewish people—and the particular land—the Holy Land of Israel. Jeremiah also clarified God’s ongoing commitment to preserving Israel as a nation—the people and land of Israel.
Thus says the LORD,
Who gives the sun for light by day
and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,
Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the LORD of hosts (ADONAI Tzva’ot) is His Name:
“If this fixed order departs
from before Me, declares the LORD,
then shall the offspring of Israel cease
from being a nation before Me forever.”
Thus says the LORD:
“If the heavens above can be measured,
and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,
then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel
for all that they have done,
declares the LORD.”
— Jeremiah 31:35-37 (Hebrew: vv.34-36)
In both of the previously described false assumptions, God would be going back on His covenantal promises and purposes. But God does not change. He keeps His promises. Beloved—don’t be offended by God’s purposes. They are designed for your blessing!
For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)
Too often, Christians either ignore or misunderstand God’s heart and purpose for Israel and the Jewish people. This purpose was and is to rescue the rest of humanity and restore harmony with all creation! Come, let us reason together so we don’t fall into either of these two traps. The word of God will be our guide…through Relationally-Driven Biblical Faith for ALL.
God’s Commitments to Abraham
Let’s look back and see God’s purposes. Moses’ communication to Israel in this portion is taking place at the precipice of entrance into the Promised Land but he is continuing the good work God began with His promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. In addition to God promising blessing for all people through this set apart people, God's blessings were also predicated on a set apart land.
I will make you into a great NATION (Genesis 12:2)
A nation includes a people and a land. The nation of Israel includes both a people and a land.
The priestly inheritance (rather than those Israelites from the other tribes), however, does NOT include land. Why? Because God Himself is the ultimate inheritance! I discussed this RD4KB dynamic in the Korach blog and T’rumah blog.
The goal is restored relationship for everyone—with God and each other! Relational depth for Kingdom breadth.
We can see this relational prioritization in God’s explanation to Abraham (still Abram at this point) that God Himself was his great reward — his true and ultimate inheritance.
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I AM your shield, YOUR VERY GREAT REWARD. (Genesis 15:1)
This very great reward is the root promise of a deep personal and intimate relationship with our Creator. This deeper promise to Abram (and all those who love and follow God through His Anointed One), however, does not in any way nullify God’s covenantal purposes to fulfill the explicit and literal aspect of this covenantal promise to a particular people for a particular piece of real estate.
Just after God explained to Abram why he should not fear, God made clear that the deeper inheritance does not nullify the covenantal promise. God made this clear a few verses later in a unique interaction of unilateral commitment.
When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “TO YOUR DESCENDENTS I GIVE THIS LAND… (Genesis 15:17-18)
Consider how God has been leading throughout history to redeem His creation by putting His Name on one people group (Israel) to reach all peoples (the nations)—and by putting His Name in one place (Tabernacle/Temple) to spread it to all places.
Blessed be His glorious Name forever.
May ALL THE EARTH be filled with His glory! (Psalm 72:19)
This is the great story of Scripture and the arc of history bends toward its fulfillment.
For THE EARTH will be filled
with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea. (Habakkuk 2:14 )
Let Moses’ call to the people of God—to Look!—serve to activate your faith so you can see and taste the goodness of God.
Readings for the Week:
Torah: DEUTERONOMY 11:26–16:17
Prophets: ISAIAH 54:11–55:5
Apostolic Writings: JOHN 7:37–52
Click HERE for the online Parashah commentary. (If you prefer a printed copy, please email me at thomas@faithforall.org)
Shalom,
Thomas