Parsha 49: Ki Tetzei (‘When you go out’)
DEUT. 21:10-25:19 HAFTORAH: Isa. 54:1–10; N.T. Luke 23:1–25; 1 Cor, 5:1–5
This Parasha focuses varieties of domestic and civil laws within the community and covers many items conveniently ignored within the Church in today’s society. For example, it speaks about honouring ones’ parents (21:18-22); adultery (22:22); loans and interest (23:20); vows (23:22); marriage and military service (24:5) and exploiting employees (24:14).
How we treat others is of utmost importance and constitutes a shadow or outworking of who we are as believers. It is a very practical command echoed throughout Scripturebut one that can be the most challenging to implement – something we are reminded of in this month of Elul.
Some of the laws contained within this Torah portion may appear at first glance very severe such as consequences for repeated rebellion of a child against their parents (22:18-21).The formation of godly character within children was considered the sacred duty of parents. Should a child flagrantly disregard the godly example of their parents and instead rebel against them, it would result in the most severe consequences. We only need to fast forward to our modern times today to understand why. Although rebellion may only begin with one person, (as with Lucifer when he rebelled against God in heaven) it has a ripple affect and unless dealt with decisively will jeopardise the very identity of a community or nation. Interestingly, the consequences for a rebellious child was stoning by death, but it was never implemented in Scripture, because we must assume there was never the need.
This Torah focuses upon many ethical and moral issues, some that are quite clear and others that need to be interpreted to make proper sense. 74 of the Torah’s 613 commandments (about 12%) are contained in this Parasha. These include laws of inheritance rights to routine items as small as returning a lost object, and the various forms of ‘kilayim’ (mixture). In Deut.22:9 it forbids the crossbreeding of animals and using two species of animals to plow together (do not be unequally yoked – an ox and an ass – clean and unclean) planting various plant species together, (i.e., spiritual assimilation – the parable of the wheat and the darnel) wearing a garment with ‘shaatnez’ (linen and wool – garments worn close to the heart – double-mindedness). Maimonides explained that pagan priests were required to wear garments made of wool and linen. The prohibition may have been established to separate Jews from pagan practices. But the clothing of the priests in the Temple was exempt because as believers who are “Kings and priests of God” the blur between the sacred and the secure has become redundant. All life is consecrated to God and although we are no longer of the world we yet remain in the world.
In respect to cross-breeding, It is interesting that in these end times scientists are experimenting in developing the creation of human chimeras as in Greek mythology with the existence of creatures having a human head, a goat’s body, or mermaids. A chimera is a creature with a diverse genetic constitution; a hybrid created through fusion of a sperm and an egg from different species. They are doing this in an attempt to create “super-soldiers” with super-human abilities. By understanding these things places God’s prohibitions in perspective which would have been almost impossible to comprehend even more recently in our history. It is Satan’s counterfeit in an attempt to manipulate and distort God’s creation as part of his agenda to destroy and replace it with his own forms of hybrids as in Gen. 6.
Lodged in between all these different instructions is the command in v.12 to: “Make tassels for the four corners of the cloak you wear, as a reminder of God’s instructions.”
And then there are legal procedures and penalties for things such as adultery, rape, and certain interesting procedures such as for the wife of a deceased childless brother should the brother-in-law not wish to marry her which he was duty-bound to do (known as ‘Orchalitzah’ – removing the shoe)
Some of the things listed are particularly relevant in today’s society. For example, honouring ones’ parents (21:18-22) transgender and gay lifestyles that are ‘detestable’ in the sight of God (22:5) and for protecting the weak and vulnerable from terrible things such as human trafficking.
The laws in this parasha concern issues great and small ranging from the things just mentioned to human cleanliness (use of a latrine – 23:13-15) and caring for the environment (e.g not disturbing a birds nest ) All of them have a spiritual application for our lives. This was clearly understood by the Sages who taught that every single word in Scripture needs to be teased out and elaborated upon because not one of God’s words are obsolete and every jot and tittle has meaning that can transform lives.
And so it alarms us when we see the very practices forbidden by God such as itemised in this parasha being frequently promoted within the Church, but unless we stand against them we will also become party to them. This is not always an easy thing to do and Scripture teaches us that in the end times such things would be particularly prevalent. In 2Tim. 3:1-5 we are reminded that “…in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith].”
But let us now focus on one thing in the 74 commandments contained in this parasha relating to the phrase about the ‘curse and death on a tree’ as it relates to Yeshua and it begins with the punishment by flogging for serious offences in Deut. 25 1-3. According to the law, someone could receive anything up to 40 lashes in number. The sages limited this to 39 lashes. Flogging was barbaric and brutal with the custom of 13 strikes to the chest and 26 to the back; often the victim died from the beating. When Pilate wanted to release Yeshua with a flogging (cf Luke 23) he was not letting Yeshua off the hook lightly. But Yeshua was willing to endure it and take the punishment we deserved upon Himself combined with the complete humiliation and mockery He was subjected to: “Pilate then took Yeshua and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted thorn-branches into a crown and placed it on his head, put a purple robe on him, 3 and went up to him, saying over and over, “Hail, ‘king of the Jews’!” and hitting him in the face.
6 When the head cohanim and the Temple guards saw him they shouted, “Put him to death on the stake! Put him to death on the stake!” Pilate said to them, “You take him out yourselves and put him to death on the stake, because I don’t find any case against him.” 7 The Judeans answered him, “We have a law; according to that law, he ought to be put to death, because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”
Here is a brief extract taken from an in-depth study conducted by a medical doctor which highlights the harsh brutality of Roman flogging:
“… flogging consisted of 39 lashes with a whip made up of multiple leather straps, 18-24 inches long that had small metal balls woven into them. There were also piecs of sharp metal, bone or glass attached to these straps. After repeated blows, the metal balls would bruise and eventually open the victim’s skin. The pieces of metal and bone would become embedded into the skin and then rip outwards as the wwhip was recoiled. The lashes would target the entire back, buttocks and the back of the legs of the victim. Sometimes, the bowels would be opened up and most ofetn blood vessels and veins would be severed. This led to tremendous blood loss and dehydration. This condition led to hypovolemic shock, which leads to the following bodily reactions: The heartbeat will become rapid in order to try to pump more blood throughout the blood-starved body. Of course, it pumps in vain. Blood pressure drops drastically. The kidneys shut down so to save fluids for a now fluid starved system. `due to the loss of fluids the victim will thirst, can faint, and go into shock. Lastly the heartbeat becomes erratic and eventually goes into cardiac arrest. Many died simply from the flogging.”
But this was only the beginning, for we know that following the flogging, Yeshua was compelled to carry the crucifixion stake He would be crucified on. Crucifixion was beyond horrific one of the most torturous ever devised by man. The full graphic description can be read in Isa 53:
“He was despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and pain and acquainted with grief; And like One from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or esteem Him. But [in fact] He has borne our griefs, And He has carried our sorrows and pains; Yet we [ignorantly] assumed that He was stricken, Struck down by God and degraded and humiliated [by Him]. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, each one, to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] To fall on Him [instead of us]. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth [to complain or defend Himself]; Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before her shearers, So He did not open His mouth. …He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death] For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due…Because He had done no violence,Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.Yet the Lord was willing To crush Him, causing Him to suffer;… My Servant, shall justify the many [making them righteous—upright before God, in right standing with Him], For He shall bear [the responsibility for] their sins.”
Yeshua willingly took upon Himself our sins and the punishment we deserved in order to make possible a restored relationship with Him. Col.1:22 states:
“21 Once you were alienated from God and hostile in your attitude by wicked deeds. 22 But now He has reconciled you in Messiah’s physical body through death, in order to present you holy, spotless and blameless in His eyes— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, established and firm, not budging from the hope of the Good News that you have heard.”
Criminals who were hung on a tree after being convicted of a capital offence had to be taken down and buried on the same day. Bodies could not be left overnight, since anyone hung on a tree is considered cursed by God…“If a man guilty of a capital offence is put to death and you hang him on a tree his corpse shall not remain on the tree overnight. You must bury it the same day; anyone who is hanged is a curse of God.” (Deut 21:22–23)
The phrase “hang him on a tree” referred to death akin to crucifixion and such a person would be considered cursed of God. This practice was refined by the Romans and became the most cruel form of torture they used in the 1st century AD.
The Jewish leaders claimed that Yeshua’s hanging was “proof” that He blasphemed because He claimed to be the Messiah, and in their interpretation no true Messiah would hang on a tree and become a curse of God.
In fact we know the reverse to be true. Yeshua took the full measure of the curse that was rightfully ours upon Himself by hanging on a tree: “Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.’” (Gal. 3:13)
Why is it that the Haftarah reading for this parasha is from Isa 54:1-10 and skips the whole of chapter 53? Small wonder since it describes in minutest detail the fingerprints of Yeshua. Even though originally they believed that Isa 53 referred to the Messiah, it was re-interpreted it in the Middle Ages to reflect the nation of Israel. But the Word of God clearly states in Gal. 3:13-14 that, “…Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross)”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might also come to the Gentiles, so that we would all receive [the realisation of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith.”
So, the Jewish leaders saw Yeshua’s hanging as “proof” that He blasphemed God by claiming to be the Messiah; in their interpretation, no true Messiah would hang on a tree and become a curse of God. But in fact the opposite is true, Yeshua took the full measure of the curse on our behalf by hanging on a tree as described so graphically in Isa. 53:3-5.
When we begin to understand the full measure of physical suffering that Yeshua took upon Himself our place it leaves us wretched because we can never again say that He doesn’t understand or feel our sufferings that is so tiny compared to what He endured for us.
When our response is to follow in the Master’s footsteps, we change who we are and we decide who we are to become. The measure we act upon God’s word is equal to how much of Him we want to reflect in our lives. As we choose to place our trust in God and walk in obedience to His commands we in a real sense replicate the binding of Isaac, the hair on Samson’s head, the fishes and loaves multiplied by Yeshua, Naaman dipping in the muddy waters of the Jordan River and the blood being applied on the doorposts of the Hebrews. All these events changed the course of history and in the same way our obedience can do the same.
Yeshua came to earth the first time and became the Suffering Servant to redeem us from our sins, but will return again soon in judgment as the Conquering King. This holds particular relevance to us in this 6th month of the Hebrew month of ELUL, a month of intense preparation and Teshuva as we await the return of our Messiah.
The shofar was sounded on various occasions during biblical times, but prophetically it signifies Yeshua’s return in the clouds to gather His elect from the four corners of the earth in the rapture. In His first coming He appeared as the Suffering Servant (Mashiach ben Joseph). On the second occasion it will be as Mashiach ben David (the Conquering King) to judge all flesh, accompanied by His bride who were raptured, leading to the 7-year period known as the Tribulation. The rapture is something we all yearn and eagerly await that will be announced by the sound of the heavenly shofar – the Tekiah Gedolah, the long, unbroken sound blown on the last day of Elul known as the ‘Last Trump’.
1Cor.15:51- 53 “Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will all happen so fast, in a blink, a mere flutter of the eye. The last shofar will call, and the dead will be raised from their graves with a body that does not, cannot decay. All of us will be changed! 53 We’ll step out of our mortal clothes and slide into immortal bodies, replacing everything that is subject to death with eternal life.”
1Thes 4:16–17 “16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God’s shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise; 17 Then we who are alive and left behind will be snatched up (“Harpazo”- ἁρπάζω – to seize:—catch away, take by force) together with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. This is how we, the resurrected and the living, will be with Him forever. So encourage one another with these words.”
There is currently an acceleration in the spiritual realm as we are see a clash between the forces of darkness against the Kingdom of Light. The time for our departure is very close and Scripture urges us to be prepared and ready. Our highest desire is to walk in close fellowship with the Lord who broke the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us through His shed blood on the Cross for our sins. And so we echo the precious words of our Messiah in Ps.40:9: “ I delight to do Your will, O my God. Yes, Your Torah is within my being.”
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