Parsha Shoftim "Judges" ~ August 21 - August 27, 2009

Parsha Shoftim "Judges" · Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9    

Haftarah:    Isaiah 51:12–52:12

Supplemental Readings:

S	Ezra 1, 2; 1 Peter 2
M	Ezra 3, 4; 1 Peter 3
T	Ezra 5, 6; 1 Peter 4
W	Ezra 7, 8; 1 Peter 5
Th	Ezra 9, 10; 2 Peter 1

Comments

[Marla Knepper]

Hypnotists and the act or BEING hypnotized fall under the same heading, do they not? Against ADONAI?
thank you,
Marla Knepper

[John A. Schutz]

- False witnesses receiving the sentence they wanted applied to their victim(s). Dt 19:16-21
- Whole towns stoning their rebellious teens. Dt 21:18-21
- The wages of sin is death. Rom 6:23

My wife works in childcare and she told me that these days the teachers are not allowed tell the parents about any misbehavior, or to use "time out" in the class setting. A far cry from the "olden days" when children were taught accountability early on; and a very far cry from the way things were in portion!

Personally I think God's way of handling false witnesses (from the reading the other day) and disobedient children (from today's reading) would be MUCH more effective. People DO learn from examples, and society would benefit.

To demonstrate that doing wrong has harsh penalties is a great deterant to crime and sin, and evil.

We should show mercy yes, but the model for those obtaining mercy is that they are repentant. They have to repent(including the change) and accept the mercy as in the portion concerning the rebellious children who after being disciplined had a choice.

If people are allowed to continue down the wrong road unchecked it will hurt everyone else.

How would you like to be in the kingdom and be cheated, or find your home broken into or vandalized?

Is that possible? Mt 7:21, 1 Cor 6:9-10

"9 Do ye not know that unrighteous persons shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who make women of themselves, nor who abuse themselves with men, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor abusive persons, nor the rapacious, shall inherit the kingdom of God."

(Darby, J. N. (1996). The Holy Scriptures : A new translation from the original languages (1 Co 6:9). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.)

[John A. Schutz]

On Devarim 18:14-22

So many people are wrapped up in Nostradamus these days, and what ever happened to Jeanne Dixon? We couldn't help but know some of her 'prophecies' each year. At least here in the US. They were in our face every time we went into the grocery store. I've read in a Hal Lindsey book many years ago that most of them were wrong. I guess that says something about her, but also sadly about him...?

This always reminds me of people at services who presume to shout out prophecies. That is not to say that HaShem doesn't work that way, I'm only refering to those who presume, and we all know it happens. However good their intentions may be they are NOT acting in accordance with His will if He has not directed them, and that is FAR MORE SERIOUS than they think!

It also brings to mind the new series on the SyFy channel here in the states called 'Ghost Hunters' where inverstigators enter premises thought to be haunted in order to document proof of the existance of the afterlife. Now give pause a moment, we know from scriptures that 'ghosts' do exist, however we are commended to have nothing to do with them! The show may be fascinating and they may be making contact with the dead, or with demons, or both, but the question they should have asked themselves is 'just because we can do this does that make it right?' Well ADONAI very clearly said NO! He also gave harsh penalties for those of His people who did!

We should not bother with that stuff! We have REAL prophets from a REAL God who tells us all we need to know.