Devarim “Words”
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians who profess our faith in Jesus, we study the Old Testament to understand the historical, cultural, and contextual background of the history of our heritage in Jesus. This is commonly known as the Messianic teachings of Christianity and is a part of our Saturday Church in Norman, Oklahoma.
While customs are not commandments there is beauty for believers in Jesus (Yeshua) to understand their identity as grafted into the covenants with Israel. As descendants of Abraham, all Christians are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham even before Sinai. Christians should study and learn the Torah and show respect for their Jewish brothers and sisters. It is through the study of the law that we see another level of greatness in Jesus who is the lawgiver and the greatest Torah teacher of all time.
Devarim is the Hebrew title for “Words” and is the name for the weekly Torah portion reading for the Book of Deuteronomy starting in chapter 1 and going through chapter 3 verse 22.
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah reading comes from the book of Isaiah in chapter 1 verses 1-27.
The gospel readings that are incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Matthew in chapter 24 with verses 1 through 22.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Overview-
The forty-fourth reading from the Weekly Torah Portion cycle is called Devarim in Hebrew, which means “Words” in English. It is also the title for the last book in the Torah called Deuteronomy. The Torah Portion name comes from the opening lines “These are the words (Devarim) which Moses spoke to all Israel across the Jordan in the wilderness” (Deuteronomy 1:1).
Another common name for the book of Deuteronomy is Mishnah HaTorah, which can be translated as the “repetition of the Torah.” We also find that the Greek Septuagint named it Deuteronomos, which means “second law.” The Greek Septuagint is where we get Deuteronomy as derived from the word Deuteronomos.
The book of Deuteronomy is primarily comprised of the farewell teachings of Moses to the children of Israel. Like all good prophets and leaders in the Torah, Moses encourages the children of Israel to remain faithful to the covenants they made with God.
Moses then continues to review the stories of the giving of the Torah at Sinai, the journey to the Promised Land, the review of some of the Torah laws, and the introduction to new laws.
It is also important to point out that the format of the book of Deuteronomy also follows a general pattern of Ancient Near Eastern treaty documents.
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Deuteronomy 1:1 The retelling of Horeb events
Deuteronomy 1:9 Tribal Leaders Appointed
Deuteronomy 1:19 Israel’s refusal to enter the Promised Land
Deuteronomy 1:34 Israel’s rebellion and penalty
Deuteronomy 1:46 Israel’s desert years
Deuteronomy 2:26 The defeat of King Sihon
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Isaiah 1:1 Isaiah’s introduction
Isaiah 1:2 Judah’s wickedness
Isaiah 1:21 The degenerate city
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Matthew 24:1 Jesus Foretells the Temple Destruction
Matthew 24:3 The Signs of the End of the Age
The Book of Deuteronomy “Devarim” which means “Words.”
The Old Testament is commonly referred to as the Torah. It is the most sacred of all of Israel’s Scriptures. Most of our modern Bibles include the Old Testament “Torah” as the first five books in the Bible. The name in Hebrew of the fifth book of the Bible (Deuteronomy) is Devarim. The name “Devarim” comes from one of the opening phrases in the book of Deuteronomy which means “Words,”
The Greek Septuagint is where we find the English name for “Deuteronomos” called “Deuteronomy.”
The book of Deuteronomy is primarily comprised of the farewell teachings of Moses to the children of Israel. Like all good prophets and leaders in the Torah, Moses encourages the children of Israel to remain faithful to the covenants they made with God.
Moses then continues to review the stories of the giving of the Torah at Sinai, the journey to the Promised Land, the review of some of the Torah laws, and the introduction to new laws.
It is also important to point out that the format of the book of Deuteronomy also follows a general pattern of Ancient Near Eastern treaty documents.
As Messianic Christians, we find the book of Deuteronomy and the stories therein, as a historical account of how we as believers are grafted into the covenants and promises of God with our forefathers and how we can learn to walk and learn from their actions.
To Watch an overview of this week’s Torah Portion CLICK HERE
