Re’eh (See) Deut.11: 26 – 16:17 Isai. 54:11–55:5; Jn.16:1–17:26
by Raphael ben Levi
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing, if you listen (actively) to the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you don’t listen to the mitzvoth of Adonai your God, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow other gods that you have not known.” (ch11:26-28)
Yeshua also spoke about two paths—the narrow path that leads to life—and the broad path that leads to destruction. Sadly, it seems that few choose the narrow path but take the broad path of destruction instead. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt.7:13–14) Most people interpret this verse as referring to salvation which, although applicable, is equally true for believers in terms of living in the fullness and callings placed upon our lives even as it was for the Israelites. The things that were being presented to them were not salvation issues but addressed the quality of life they would have according to the choices they would be making – blessings or curses…
The Israelites were commanded to declare the blessings on Mt Gerizim and the curses on Mt Ebal when they crossed over the Jordan into Canaan. “When Adonai your God brings you into the land you are entering in order to take possession of it, you are to put the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.” (Deut. 11:29)
Mt Gerizim and Mt Ebal stand opposite each other, in what was the heart of Israel at the time when the Israelites’ entered Canaan. The ancient city of Shechem (modern-day Nablus) lies in the huge valley between the two mountains. Abram made his first stop in Canaan (Gen. 12:6) here where he built an altar where God promised him that this land would be given to his descendants (Gen. 12:7). And now they had finally arrived there but it would all be meaningless outside of relationship with God. This is what this was all about – blessings and curses. The same is no less true for us in the Kingdom of God in which we live.
Mt Gerizim was lush and fertile while Mt Ebal was rocky and barren, even though they stood next to each other, that graphically portrays the ramifications of our choices.
This event is repeated in Deut. 27 and Joshua additionally spoke about it on a third occasion when he addressed the new generation: “Six tribes were sent to each mountain. And all Israel, and their elders and officers and their judges, stood on this side of the Ark and on that side, before the priests the Levites, the bearers of the Ark of the covenant of the Lord … half of them over against Mount Gerizim and half of them over against Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded, to bless the people of Israel first. And afterward [Joshua] read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the Torah.”
Clearly, something of great significance had occurred for this account to have been recorded three times in Scripture. Here, where God first promised Abram the Land of Canaan was where He now offered the Israelites conditional blessings subject to walking in close relationship through obedience to His commands. Failure to do so would result in curses, but the choice was theirs which would hold consequences for their future, individually and collectively.
But there is something else here that is noteworthy. The biblical account occupies a huge portion of the book of Deuteronomy far more so even than the biblical accounts of the Creation, the Exodus and even the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.
The answer for this lies within the detailed descriptions of the commands concerning day-to-day life such as (Ex.21-24) marriage and divorce; relief for the poor – Ex. 24). God made it absolutely clear that observation of His commands is meaningless outside of relationship with God. This is the greater accountability that each person holds without which all else is meaningless. Attempting to follow His commands outside of a godly relationship invariably degenerates into an empty, rigid, legalistic habit and morphs into a monster.
This is exactly what Yeshua taught during His earthly ministry. Much of His public ministry was spent speaking out against the practices of the religious hierarchy because although they meticulously observed the Law with precision, it was devoid of this one essential ingredient – living in a relationship with a living God.
Instead, Yeshua’s message of hope to the people was this: “Whoso the Son shall set free shall be free indeed.” Free from what? Not free from following God’s commands (His Law/Torah) but free from the impossibility of attaining righteousness through its observance. This is the point which Paul makes continually throughout his letters to the churches and what we find here in the parsha – demonstrating the impossibility of following the conditions for blessings declared on Mt. Gerazim perfectly. Paul made this point strongly in the Book of Romans stating that even the best of us cannot attain righteousness through the law alone:
“20 Therefore, doing what the law prescribes will not make anyone right in the eyes of God—that’s not its purpose—but the law is capable of exposing the true nature of sin.
21 But now for the good news: God’s restorative justice has entered the world, independent of the law. Both the law and the prophets told us this day would come. 22 This redeeming justice comes through the faithfulness of Jesus,[h] the Anointed One, the Liberating King, who makes salvation a reality for all who believe—without the slightest partiality. 23 You see, all have sinned, and all their futile attempts to reach God in His glory fail. 24 Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the Anointed.”
God’s justice must express itself in some way and we see this in this parsha at Mt Gerazim and Mt Ebal. Although by nature, we want the blessing of Mt Gerazim we invariably end up choosing the curses of Mt Ebal, And so God took the initiative to restore and repair the world (tikun olam) by sending us Yeshua “that he who believes in Him should not perish but obtain eternal life.” He demonstrated His love to us that whilst we were sinners, Yeshua died for us. This is God’s restorative justice without which each one of us would be doomed.
Here are the things that the Lord made clear to the Israelites – 6 things that He commanded: “You are to follow Adonai your God, fear Him, obey His mitzvoth, listen to what he says, serve Him and cling to Him.” (13:4) All 6 of these represent the pathway for blessing for the redeemed of the Lord that constitute a consecrated walk for every believer. These were inward heart choices that the Israelites were to make, that we must also choose and they have a practical application that Scripture defines as our ‘fruit.’
Mount Gerizim, has been held sacred by the Samaritans for thousands of years, based upon this portion of Scripture claiming that this mountain was more sacred than Jerusalem and the Temple established there. They built their own temple or worship that all the Northern kingdom were required to use instead of Jerusalem as a place of worship. Here is some background.
Historically, before Solomon’s death 1,000 years earlier, Samaria and Judea were part of a united Israel. A great rebellion led by Jeroboam divided the kingdom and Samaria became known as a hotbed of idol worship. In addition, the northern kings such as the Assyrians made alliances that further corrupted the people by introducing foreign customs and more pagan gods. By marrying outsiders, and through assimilation they further alienated themselves to the Jewish people.who considered them to be half-breeds.
Yeshua of course was different in His approach and much was revealed through His dialogue with the Samaritan woman that we read about in John 4: “5-8 In a small Samaritan town known as Sychar, Jesus and His entourage stopped to rest at the historic well that Jacob gave his son Joseph. It was about noon when Jesus found a spot to sit close to the well while the disciples ventured off to find provisions. From His vantage, He watched as a Samaritan woman approached to draw some water. Unexpectedly He spoke to her.
Jesus: Would you draw water, and give Me a drink?
Woman: 9 I cannot believe that You, a Jew, would associate with me, a Samaritan woman; much less ask me to give You a drink. Jews, you see, have no dealings with Samaritans.
(Also, a man never approaches a woman like this in public. Jesus was breaking accepted social barriers with this confrontation.)
Jesus: 10 You don’t know the gift of God or who is asking you for a drink of this water from Jacob’s well. Because if you did, you would have asked Him for something greater; and He would have given you the living water.
Woman: 11 Sir, You sit by this deep well a thirsty man without a bucket in sight. Where does this living water come from? 12 Are You claiming superiority to our father Jacob who labored long and hard to dig and maintain this well so that he could share clean water with his sons, grandchildren, and cattle?
Jesus: 13 Drink this water, and your thirst is quenched only for a moment. You must return to this well again and again. 14 I offer water that will become a wellspring within you that gives life throughout eternity. You will never be thirsty again.
Woman: 15 Please, Sir, give me some of this water, so I’ll never be thirsty and never again have to make the trip to this well.
Jesus: 16 Then bring your husband to Me.
Woman: 17-18 I do not have a husband.
Jesus: Technically you are telling the truth. But you have had five husbands and are currently living with a man you are not married to.
Woman: 19 Sir, it is obvious to me that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped here on this mountain, but Your people say that Jerusalem is the only place for all to worship. Which is it?
Jesus: 21-24 Woman, I tell you that neither is so. Believe this: a new day is coming—in fact, it’s already here—when the importance will not be placed on the time and place of worship but on the truthful hearts of worshipers. You worship what you don’t know while we worship what we do know, for God’s salvation is coming through the Jews. The Father is spirit, and He is seeking followers whose worship is sourced in truth and deeply spiritual as well. Regardless of whether you are in Jerusalem or on this mountain, if you do not seek the Father, then you do not worship.”
God’s grace is incredible and overflows with love. We see this demonstrated throughout the Gospels as Yeshua interacted with others such as with the Samaritan woman. He is a generous God and He calls us to be likewise.
This is well illustrated with a comparison between the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. In one, its waters are sweet and fish live there. Trees spread their branches over it and send their thirsty roots into its healthy waters. Children play along its shores, as children played in biblical times.
The Jordan River brings to this sea sparkling water that comes down from the hills. The people built their houses near its banks and the birds built their nests here, and all the animals are happy that they have settled in this place.
But the Jordan River continues to flow south, and flows into another sea. Here there is no trace of fish, no leaves, no birds singing. Heavy air hangs on the water. Man, beast, and bird do not drink from the waters of this lake.
What is the cause of this enormous difference between the two, which are not that far apart?
The Jordan is not to blame, it pours its water into both the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The environment is not to blame, nor is the land.
The Sea of Galilee receives its water from the Jordan River, but the Sea of Galilee does not store the water for itself. For every drop that flows into it, it issues a drop from it.
The Dead Sea stores the water coming into it with the greed of a miser. It will not give up its water. Every drop that comes to it is held onto.
The Sea of Galilee gives, and therefore it is a living sea. The second sea does not, and we call it the Dead Sea.
This picture represents two types of believers; those who are truly living for the Lord and those who reject His ways – the Laodicean church. May we give God our best, not the scraps under the table, filled with living water, pouring out what He has freely given us to others. All of us – unbelievers and believers will one day have to give an accounting before God, and I pray that we as believers will come into the fullness of our reward rather than to fall short of anything less.
Raphael ben Levi
