Devarim (Deuteronomy) 7:12 – 11:25
YeshaYahu (Isaiah) 49:14 – 51:3
Mattityahu (Matthew) 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Ya’aqov (Jacob/James) 5:7-11; Romans 8:31-39
When it comes to rocky relationships, we often seek the root of the problem. Whether it’s deliverance ministry or a business deal, finding out where the issue first began is where to begin rooting out the problems. Working on the soil of the heart, mind, will and emotions prepares the heart ground for better production and fruitfulness of the good seed.
On the other hand, how about tapping into the root where a blessing began? How about working on the soil of the heart to make it better rooted and more productive? Connecting to the source where blessings began and working on heart ground can bring new life and energy that may be lacking in life.
Yesterday I did a lot of digging in my garden, to prepare the soil for sowing seed for a fall crop. I’m wanting to promote better growth of what’s already growing. I dig deep to pull out the tap roots of weeds to remove competitors to the food crop for which I was planting seed. Breaking up the soil prepares it for sprouting and growing fruitful plants to send their roots down deep into the life-giving, nourishing soil.
The Root of Relationship with Our Father
Digging deep into the Word for a deep, nourishing relationship with our Father in Heaven always starts with the Spirit of Truth. That’s what this drash does. Yeshua promised us:
“…when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” John 16:13
My heart and mind are rooted in this promise every time I prepare a teaching. Without the Spirit of Truth directing my search, I may end up breaking the roots of a good veggie plant, like the seed of Messiah, rather than pulling out a bad, competitive weed, like a tare of the adversary in my heart. Like water to my soul, by His Spirit, I tap into the nourishing roots of my faith in the Messiah, as I prepare my heart ground for spiritual, fruitful growth. Now that’s what ‘Hebrew Roots’ means to me.
The First Occurence of Ekev
The title of the Torah portion always leads to something deeper, to begin with. Sometimes I’m led to dig into the Scriptures for a keyword that the Spirit highlights. In this case, the keyword is ‘Ekev,’ meaning ‘because, on the heels of, consequence.’
And it shall be, because (eqev) you hear (shema) judgments (mishpatim), and keep and do them, even YHWH your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers.
Deuteronomy 7:12
When studying the portion Ekev, I was led to find an amazing common thread, like a tap root, going back to Abraham and His relationship with our Father in Heaven. The lead that the Spirit gave me was the first occurrence of the word ‘ekev’ in the Torah:
The First Occurrence of ‘Ekev’ (Strong’s #H6118):
“And in your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because (eqev) you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22:18
What did YHWH tell Abraham to do that led to His seed multiplying and being a blessing to all the nations? YHWH said that it was:
‘Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son.’ Genesis 22:16
’Ekev’ in Paleo-Hebrew means ‘on the heels of.’ On the heels of our Father in Heaven offering His Son, His only begotten Son, we were consequentially born again by the same faith and the same seed of Abraham. Paul goes back to the taproot of that seed to the same covenant with Abraham.
Brothers and sisters, I speak in human terms: even with a man’s covenant, once it has been confirmed, no one cancels it or adds to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It doesn’t say, “and to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “and to your seed,” Who is the Messiah. Galatians 3:15-16
The seed of Abraham has always been the seed of the Messiah. The ‘Old Testament’ saints were born again ‘by grace through faith’ in the same only begotten Son of the Father as we are! There has always been only one plan of Salvation, only one Way to the Father, one tap root of eternal life that produces spiritual fruit in and through us. The sprouting seed of the Word of Messiah is what ‘Hebrew Roots’ means to me.
The First Occurrence of ‘Mismereth' (Strong’s #H4931):
While reading this Torah portion, the Scripture that the Spirit first highlighted in my heart was about how we are to love YHWH our God:
“Therefore you are to love YHWH your God and keep His charge (mismereth), His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments (mitzvot) at all times. Deuteronomy 11:1
I want to know how He wants me to love Him, don’t you? The very first thing He tells us to do is to keep His charge, His ‘mismereth’. What charge does He want me to keep that follows on the heels of loving Him? Again, I was led to the first occurrence:
Because (ekev) Abraham did shema (hear, believe and obey) My voice and kept My charge (mismereth), My commands, My statutes, and My laws. Genesis 26:5
Lo and behold! What do you know? This verse starts with the second occurrence of ‘Ekev’ alongside the first occurrence of ‘mishmeret’! From what I see, these verses reveal the taproot of our covenant relationship with YHWH our Elohim.
The charge (mishmereth) came from a heart that hears the voice of YHWH. The word ‘Shema’ means much more than just listening with the ear. ‘Shema’ means to hear with a heart receptive and inclined to believe and to obey what He has spoken.
The heart ground must be yielded, broken, and ready to receive the seed of the Word of Messiah that will grow and reproduce. In other words, an obedient, trusting heart will take His spoken Word as a charge (mishmereth) to go do what He said to do (James 2:14-22) and to be productive and fruitful in keeping that charge.
Here is the covenant promise granted to Abraham and to his seed, because (ekev) he did shema and keep the charge of YHWH to offer his son, his only begotten son:
And I will increase your seed like the stars of the heavens, and I will give to your seed all these lands. And all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves in your Seed… Genesis 26:4, LITV
In our Torah portion, Ekev goes on to say that on the heels of hearing and obeying YHWH and His judgments, we will experience the covenant blessing of Abraham:
And He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your body and the fruit of your land… You shall be blessed above all people. Deuteronomy 7:13a, 14a)
Sounds to me like the abundant life that Yeshua promised us!
“I came that they may have life and may have it abundantly.” John 10:10b
The Tap Root of Covenant
When we look at all these verses connected to ‘Ekev,’ they all go back to where YHWH had made a covenant with Abraham and his seed. The first verse of the portion promises that because we hear Him and keep His words as judgments as charges for our lives, on the heels of keeping covenant with our Elohim, He promises to keep covenant with us as He did with our forefathers:
And it shall be, because (eqev) you hear (shema) judgments (mishpatim), and keep and do them, even YHWH your God will keep with you the covenant and the mercy which He swore to your fathers. Deuteronomy 7:12
Mercy is a weightier matter of the Torah (Mat 23:23), something we need from Him and what we need to extend to others in our covenant relationship with Him. Mercy is what our Hebrew Roots should be deriving from our study of the Word. Mercy is what should be coming out as good fruit to be offered to our neighbors as we love them. Mercy and love in word and deed are essential in our relationship with our Father and with one other (Jacob/James 5:7-11).
His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136
As we midrash Ekev, let’s learn how to walk in covenant relationship with our Father and with one another, enjoying the abundant blessings of our Hebrew Roots.
Be blessed in your relationships, the seed of Messiah!
David
