Occupying Territory–Parashah 46 Part 7

This passage brings us to the end of Parashah-46. As it has been throughout this lengthy portion, we see again Moshe’s admonishment that we love Adonai our God. This concept of love in the Ancient Near East continues to be misinterpreted and misunderstood; primarily within churchianity circles. Love has always been understood or interpreted from a purely emotional perspective. Certainly, emotions are a big part of love as it relates to human relationships. Interestingly, that which we deem as love is not consistent across the board of human experience and relationships. We love our spouses differently than we love our parents. We love our children differently than we love our close friends. We love possessions differently than we love the people in our lives. But at the end of the day, those relationships that we place into the category of love are based primarily on emotions. Now bear in mind, I am not a psychologist nor am I a psychiatrist. I just call things that way I see them. And the reason I contend that much of our human relationships that we assign the classification of love to are based on emotions is because that form of love wanes and ebbs–often depending on how we feel at any given time. For instance, when say our spouse really upsets us–I’m not talking about when one’s husband leaves the seat up ladies–I’m talking, when one of us really does something wrong or bad, love for the offending party is typically the furthest thing for the offended party’s mind and heart. What then happens are arguments, tantrums, remonstrations, cold-shoulders, and whatever else is common to individuals who are upset over the actions or inactions of a loved one. Often, when a situation reaches a level of being really bad or hurtful, the relationship suffers to the point of not being recoverable and the relationship is severed. Despite all affirmations and proclamations and displays of love in the past, that incident that upset the apple cart has caused a complete rift in the fabric of that relationship and love goes away.

The love that Yahovah is speaking to us about throughout Torah is not that same human emotion-based characteristic. The love Yahovah is speaking about is not based upon emotions, but based upon loyalty. Loyalty is hardly ever addressed in churchianity circles as it relates to love for God. Relationships that are built upon a firm affirmation of trust and loyalty, as Yahovah has required of us, will weather any relational storm that could possibly come in our midst. When we affirm our relationship with Father based upon our trust in Him and we back up that trust with obedience that is unwavering, we are loving our Creator. When our human relationships are based upon trust and loyalty first and foremost, then any potential problems that come within the realm of the relationship will be just a speed bump that does not impede our walk with the Father and His Messiah. Can we or should we eliminate emotions from the love equation? I’d say no. Emotions have their proper place in all relationships. The problem with emotions come when we based the relationship on emotions. Emotions, when properly factored into the relationship, can have a positive impact on the relationship, especially in our relationship with Father. In fact, dedication and loyalty and trust will often have as byproducts, emotions. Emotions can bring us joy and peace of mind; emotions can help us perform or work behalf of Father with vigor and zeal. Emotions can help us create and imagine what is and can be in our relationship with Father. Emotions can draw us closer to Him. But at the end of the day, we must always be loyal, trusting and obedient. That is what the Father is looking for in us. And Father wants that loyalty and trust and obedience to be built upon pure desire to serve and relate to Him, devoid of outside influences, prejudices and personal agendas.

This last section of Parashah 46 speaks to our love for Yahovah translating into possessing the promised land. The land of promise was significant, especially compared to what the land of Israel is today. Father assigned the land perimeters from the desert or otherwise rendered, wilderness which is south of Jerusalem; to Lebanon which would compose the northern boundaries; to the Euphrates which defined the eastern border; then to the hinder sea or the Mediterranean which composed the land’s western boundary. Because of our love for Father–that is our obedience and loyalty to Him–our nation would be a most formidable entity that no nation in the known world would be able to withstand–assuming it would ever come to that. Interestingly, this scenario–that being a formidable nation that no nation could withstand–was actually realized during the reign of Solomon. During the reign of Solomon, the full extent of land boundaries was realized and Israel as a nation was unchallenged as the one world power not to be trifled with. Although not perfect and certainly straying from Torah during his reign, Solomon and his nation Israel enjoyed unparalleled peace, prosperity and power in the whole of the region. It was the closest to paradise that we have displayed since the Garden of Eden. But once Solomon died, and the fullness of Yahovah’s promises to Solomon were completed and met, the nation of Israel plummeted into idolatry, disobedience to Torah and fragmentation into two nations. Never more would the land be as this passage described.

Our Torah Living Daily Challenge today is that we honor Father by obeying His Torah and that we obey His Torah with the greatest zeal and dedication and trust. As a result, we have a land that is promised to us that we will occupy. Oh we could rationalize that that land of promise is within us today as grafted in Israelites. But looking ahead in the future, there is coming a time when those of us who have sold out to Father and who have been obedient to His Torah and to the service of His Messiah, we will occupy that same land of promise that physical Israel currently possesses. But this go around, that occupying of the land will be unlike anything ever recorded in the annals of man. That go around, as the Tanakh says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no one’s heart has imagined all the things that God has prepared for those who love him.” (1Co 2:9 CJB)  Let us occupy today Saints. Be blessed and Shalom.