Return to the idea of tent, אהל p.4 radiate in all directions, and the image we showed in Blog 37. Dwell in Tents, shown again here. The mental image of the ropes “radiating in all directions” is the picture to have in your mind.
But here we will put a real emphasis on “all,” not just the ropes radiating outward, but as we covered in Blog 117. אהל Tent, the influence upon those within the tent as well. And you have already gathered from our discussions on the Tabernacle אהל, the place where God can dwell with us, the Mishkan משכן, and our discussions on being in one’s house, the ideas in Scripture of house and tent are interrelated, as we would think of them, our place for shelter.
We begin with the most often repeated prayer in Judaism, the Shema שמע, which you notice speaks of house and gates and doorposts. See the same idea as in Gn18:19, with Abraham, having influence upon others.
- ⦁ Genesis 18:19
- 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children (h1121. בֵּןḇên) and his household (h1004. בַּיִת ḇayiṯ) after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
⦁ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – as a part of the “Shema”
4 “Hear שמע, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children (h1121. בֵּן ḇên), and shall talk of them when you sit in your house (h1004. בַּיִת ḇayiṯ), when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house (h1004. בַּיִת ḇayiṯ) and on your gates.
If you go through the Torah and the related Haftarah on a regular basis (be you on the one year cycle or three-year cycle), and you spend time in Scripture, quietly with God, on a daily basis, and you study deeply as we do here, AND follow what the passage above says, God’s word will have a significant influence on your life and the lives of those in your “sphere of influence.” There are a few points to be made today. One is the importance of the Word of God upon us; another, the influence of those around us upon us (both positive and negative). And though we have spoken some of responsibility, that of the firstborn and that of parents, we will see that as parents we are also influenced by our “children and our household,” IF we continue as Shem and Japheth, having our restraint, but also our openness. We should not be “ruled by” our restraint, nor “ruled by” our openness. May Shem and Japheth dwell in the same tent. The LORD is our ruler, “Blessed are you, LORD our God, King of the universe•••”
It is Shem’s tent, thus Japheth must be respectful of Shem’s restraint. Yet it is only the openness of Japheth, bringing the receptiveness to new ideas into the dwelling, that allows them to be connected with God’s ever-changing world. Thus, as Shem’s tent must be respected, so must the parent’s tent be honored; the parent’s restraint upon the child is for safety and for guidance in the world. The child’s openness and receptivity must bring new life into the dwelling. Remember the cycles, cycles of dying and new life, from Genesis 8:22. There must be summer and winter. There must also be seedtime and harvest. Recall the words of Ecclesiastes 3, once again immortalized in the Byrds’ song:
🎵 To ev’ry thing, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
ANd a time to ev’ry purpose under Heaven. 🎶
Before we move on, I want to show the background information on the word h1121. בֵּןḇên – “ones built” – that is shown in the two passages above, to show how it fits into the ideas we have been sharing together. Recall the work I have done was built upon the beginnings from Zev Clementson, whose entries are the bulleted two-letter words. I simply added the work from Clark and Hirsch in EDBH with it.
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Deuteronomy 21:18-21 – (NKJV – The Rebellious Son)
18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son (h1121. בֵּן ḇên) who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. 20 And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.
At Yeshiva, we had discussion that such a statement, as something repeated over and over, has an impact on parent and upon child. Our particular focus on that day began with Dt17:6-7 and included Lv24:10-16 and Dt 13:-11, see especially:
Deuteronomy 13:9
9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
Notice these three passages are three “witnesses” about the accuser being first to “lay hands.” Do not let me mislead, these passages do not have to do with parent and child, but have to do with blasphemy and serving other gods. The point of our discussion was that the requirement for the accuser to be first to institute the punishment was to make the event very personal. The accuser personally has to look the accused in the eye, face to face. This is not to be “mob violence.” It is not to be an accusation, then turned over to a “system” that is depersonalized. It is to make the accuser very carefully consider before making an accusation, because that accuser will live with the consequences of that act for the remainder of their days. You should return to the discussion by von Rad in Post 14. Synthetic Grasp of Life if you have not understood that previously. Before going there recall that leaven is symbolic of sin, as you read.
Here I am going to draw a parallel with a similar concept in Pesach/Passover. We discussed this concept also at Yeshiva, though I cannot say for certain the connection was pointed out between the Passover lamb and these instances just covered. (Remember PaRDeS – P is the simple, straightforward meaning of the passage. The Remez is the hint = the connection, and this is followed by the Drash, the drawing some conclusions into a midrash/message. After that the Sod, the hidden meaning becomes apparent.) As you read about Pesach/Passover in Exodus 12:1-17 and in Deuteronomy 16:1-8, I want you particularly to notice elements of time. We are going to be drawing lots of parallels from this, in other discussions as well as here. Notice two things, first the idea of “preparation time,” that is time prior to completing the action. And then notice the mention of “haste.” Please keep the following words in mind.
- Leaven שׂאר is from
שׂאר p.273 ferment; cause agitation;; CM complete/limit (E10)
- cognate with:
שאר p.253 complete; complement;; CM complete/limit (E10)
שבע p.254 submit to God; complete;; CM control movement/action (E5)
- This root includes words like swearing, as in an oath, and the number seven. The well Beersheba is derived from this root.
שבת p.254 stop work; curtail activity before completion;; CM act
surreptitiously/openly (E4)
- This is the root for Shabbat/Sabbath.
See the two components of preparation time, the seven days in in the Deuteronomy passage, and the four days in Exodus, in which you are to have the lamb in your home. This “preparation time” is time in which to get our heart right. The four days of the lamb dwelling in the home of the Israelites was to play the same purpose as the accuser being the first to lay hands on the one to be “stoned.” There would be enough time to develop a connection with the lamb, such that there would be a significant compassion felt in its slaughter. It is the connection that is important. It is that connection that has on impact upon one’s life long term.
Think about the impact such a passage as Deuteronomy 21:18-21 might have upon raising a child, and the idea – “in so doing you will put such behaviors out of Israel.” See “all Israel shall hear and fear” in both of the two passages above – Dt13:11(12H) and Dt21:21. Include the full range of definition of כל for “all” = “measure of/striving to attain/all,” and if you include the meanings for the Derivational Variant אכל, also“consider and toward increasing/reducing power.”
But, again, the impact “radiates in all directions,” as in אהל, the tent. There is impact. All directions, all Israel. Parents, accusers, are to seriously consider before acting. As in the Exodus Passover passage, once having connected with the lamb, and proceeding with the instruction of the LORD, then one acts “in haste.” But never are we to act “in haste,” without first curtailing the activity before completion and submitting to God. The time prescribed allows for the Presence of God to work within us BEFORE we act in haste; the knowledge that the accuser will have to deal the first blow, the most emotionally painful blow, makes one consider before accusing. The point is to consider consequences before acting.
This element of “time” is such a very important element in the teaching of the LORD, at I believe we have come to a point in the discussion to give you a break to consider what has been shared here before we move forward to MANY different connected threads. So, in review, for this time to ponder, think about impact upon others. Think about the impact you have/have had upon co-workers, parents, children, etc., and really reflect upon times when your impact may have been “positive” and when it may have been “negative.” And, to the extent you are able, reflect on the response of the others. And reflect upon the impact that others have had upon your life, mentors, parents, children, co-workers, etc. Use this as a time to look in the mirror with different eyes. And recall that the LORD, being “unseen,” really has three ways to have an impact upon our lives. There is no “first or last” here, each being critical pieces and all intertwined. God’s Word, the written words in the Bible, speak into our lives to mold us and form us. Events and people around us speak into our lives to mold us and form us. And quiet time, time of reflection, time to allow God’s teaching to settle within us. Each of the three works in conjunction with the others. Time spent with people; time spent in God’s Word. Allowing God’s Word to speak to you about the events and people in your life. Time to reflect is God’s time to influence your decisions. Be gracious to the LORD and allow that time, as you allow time to whatever other aspects of your life you see as important. Such time is far more productive than you can imagine.
There is much, much more to be said. ••• another time 😉
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