Moses said: So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that Yahweh elohe of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of Yahweh elohekem with which I am charging you.

You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” For what other great nation has elohim so near to it as Yahweh elohenu is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.

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This is the optional Track 2 Old Testament reading for the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 17], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. If chosen, it will be read along with Psalm 15, which asks in song, “Yahweh, who may dwell in your tabernacle? who may abide upon your holy hill?” Those will then be followed by a reading from James, who wrote, “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.” All will then accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”

I wrote about this reading selection the last time it came up in the lectionary cycle, back in 2018. At that time there had been a political change in America that was showing how divided this nation had become [and is only getting more greatly divided now], which leaned my opinions too far away from the point of this reading to fully appreciate now. I stand behind what I wrote then and see how those comments still hold truth today. Therefore, I welcome all to view that commentary by searching this site; however, I will now make additional comments that were not made then.

In 2018 I was not focused on correcting the English translations that deny Yahweh His due. Moses met with Yahweh regularly. Moses did not refer to Yahweh generically, as a “lord.” Moses called Yahweh by name, and that name was told to the Israelites. Thus, looking up the Hebrew word “כַּיהוָ֣ה” will find it transliterated as “Yah-weh,” regardless of what Jews today say about that pronunciation. The definition of the word-name is “the proper name of the God of Israel.” (Strong’s) By substituting a generic title for the proper name is an insult to any souls who claim Christianity is spawned from Yahweh, because there are many “lords” in the world, none of them offering eternal life.

In the time since 2018, I have become more drawn to see the importance of the Hebrew word “elohim” as much more that the English translators of the Old Testament give it credit for meaning. To translate a word that is clearly the plural form of “el” as “God” is just flat out wrong, constituting a lie perpetrated against all who seek eternal salvation. In addition to the literal translation of “elohim” being “gods” [not “God”], I have since found the usage to have a much deeper meaning, which is relative to a soul’s devotion to Yahweh. Therefore, because of this importance needing to be seen, I have restored the language above so it reflects where Yahweh was identified; and, I present how the forms of “elohim” must be seen, in order to have the truth be understood.

In 2018 I placed greater importance on Moses calling those who followed him a “nation.” The Hebrew word translated as such is “gō·w,” which stems from “goy.” The word translates into English as “nation, people” (Strong’s), but there can be no “nation” that exists without “people.” For that reason, I wish to redirect my focus on the “people” who followed Moses, as the intent of this reading.

With that now understood, when verse one begins with Moses saying, “Now Israel,” he must be seen as addressing the “people” who followed his lead from their lives as “people” of Egypt, where those lives had become oppressive in that “nation.” In reality, the people following Moses were the descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons [not counting Joseph]; but as “people” all related by one central ancestor, Moses did not call them Egyptians, nor did he call them Jacobites. Every one of the “people” who followed Moses did so because they worshiped one specific God; and, that made the Egyptians see them as outsiders or aliens that needed harsher treatment in their “nation.” That demands one understand how Jacob took on the name Israel, which his descendants also took.

Jacob was not an upright individual. His mother influenced him to take advantage of his brother, who was more manly than the fair skinned, relatively hairless Jacob. Jacob learned recipes from mom and cooked stew, while his brother was out working hard all day, coming home famished. Rather than feed his brother the stew he made, he used food as a way to make Esau to swear away his birthright. Then when his father Isaac was not about to let stew be the reason to give blessings to a second-born twin, with Isaac old, blind and near death, mother Rebecca told him to paste fur on his body so he could trick Isaac into thinking Esau was about to receive his blessing. Then, after Jacob stole Isaac’s blessing, when Esau went in to see Isaac to be blessed, he was cursed. So, Jacob was not anyone to hold up as a hero. Jacob reflects everyone who is a sinner, because he sinned. The name Israel has nothing to do with Jacob, whose name means “Supplanter.”

After Jacob’s two wives and two maid-servants (who bore him sons) had given him eleven sons [before Joseph and Benjamin were born from Rachel], Jacob wrestled with his own soul [which is an elohim or “angel of Yahweh”]. This was to purge Jacob of the sinful soul that had possessed his being. Jacob had been led by a demonic elohim in his acts that led him to steal from Laban, the father of Leah and Rachel. When Laban found out, Jacob fled from Laban, but Laban came after him and had a confrontation. Jacob then realized he had to change. He returned to make amends with Esau but encountered “angels elohim,” which led Jacob to send messengers ahead to tell Esau he was returning in peace. That night Jacob’s soul wrestled with the evil elohim within him, with the assistance of a Yahweh elohim. The demonic possessing spirit was removed and Jacob was then possessed by Yahweh, in a divine marriage of his soul to the Spirit. It was then the new soul presence within Jacob that the Yahweh elohim told Jacob that he was then “He [who] Retains God,” the meaning of “Israel.”

It is vital to realize that the demonically possessed Jacob had sired eleven sons, who had been raised to witness a father who lied, cheated, and stole to get his way. The sons of Jacob, after Jacob had been delivered a twelfth son, Joseph (who he loved best of all his sons), those sons of evil Jacob acted demonically in attempting to kill Joseph, only to fail and then sell him into slavery, telling Jacob Joseph had been killed by wild beasts. They were no prizes to write home about either, being the sons of an evil father. They are the bloodlines that beget the “people” who followed Moses. So, to call that collection of “people” “Israel” meant everyone of them had done the same as their forefather Jacob and rid their souls of demonic possessions, all having become divinely married to Yahweh. That must be seen as the truth of Moses’ address to the “people” as “Israel.”

The word “Deuteronomy” literally means “second law” from Greek deuteros + nomos.” This means the firsts law was given as soon as Moses brought down the Commandments, which are the marriage vows one must agree with to become a Yahweh elohim, as an “Israel.” The Hebrew name of the fifth book of the Torah [a.k.a. Deuteronomy] is “Devarim,” which means “The Words [of Moses].” This book is the ‘parting reminders’ given by Moses, about the Laws [about the marriage agreements], before the “people” would be released into the land they had been promised by Yahweh. Those reminders were to make sure all the “people” understood the Promised Land was (in essence) a womb into which the seeds of righteousness would develop into a lineage of most holy priests, who would be born into the world serving Yahweh forevermore.

Thus, when we read Moses say, “to enter and occupy the land that Yahweh elohe of your ancestors, is giving you;” “keep the commandments of Yahweh elohekem;” and “what other great people has elohim so near to it as Yahweh elohenu,” the focus is not on national pride but on the maintenance of the divine presence of Yahweh elohim. There can be no “people” and no “nation” worthy of being freely taken from a land and nation where they lived before and then be transplanted into another land, where other people have lived and existed equally. The only reason physical land [a place on earth] was promised must be seen as Yahweh making a spiritual promise to a soul that says, “I will take you from your father and plant you into your mother and let you develop in her womb, until the time that you will be born and I will breathe my divine Spirit into you, so you can serve me in the world.” The father was Abraham’s soul and Abraham’s blood, promised the womb of Canaan, where Yahweh had called Abram to come, leading him away from Ur. The promise made by Yahweh to Abraham was not that of a forthcoming nation with a human king, to forever be installed in what is now called the Middle East. The promise made by Yahweh to Abraham was Christianity, which would come from the soul of Abraham’s lineage, not his genetics; and, his soul’s lineage means all who will be Yahweh elohim.

This reading leads to the conclusion that states, “But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.” When Moses warned, “watch yourselves closely,” that speaks loudly of the ways of a soul that has not married Yahweh. Moses had murdered out of anger. He knew he needed to watch his actions (and forty years of leading bellyachers and complainers around the wilderness certainly aroused his anger often), because without a soul married to Yahweh all sin can break loose. Yahweh promised Abram he would have many descendants. As a Yahweh elohim, Abram would become the father of many “peoples.” Yahweh promised to make a covenant with those descendants; and, those descendants would be given Canaan. Moses was warning that the promises made between Yahweh and Abram were only for Yahweh elohim, so “take care and watch yourselves closely.”

When Moses said, “neither forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life,” this still applies to all who read these words. Your eyes have read them, your mind’s eye has formed a picture for you to see. You have seen the works of Yahweh manifest through a divine Yahweh elohim, in the deeds of Moses. Regardless of how many “people” heard Moses speak, all “people” forever who wear the face of Yahweh as His wives will possess His eyes and see the truth that comes to all Yahweh elohim. To be led around life by a brain that has become controlled by a demonic spirit having possession of one’s soul is the danger of never letting slip from one’s mind the powers of Yahweh manifested within His elohim. To forget is to be wayward and lost.

When Moses said, “make them known to your children and your children’s children,” this means one is not blessed by Yahweh, so as to be given the freedom to do nothing and gain eternal life. A true Yahweh elohim is a minister of His Word. All the world becomes the children that need to be taught to submit their souls, willingly and lovingly to Yahweh, in divine marriage. The souls of those whose genetics can be traced to Abram does not guarantee them this promise of Yahweh, of which Moses talked. To be a child of Yahweh is to be Jesus resurrected with one’s soul. All your children and their children are from the Jesus in your soul-flesh being passed on to their souls. They too have to become Yahweh elohim. Otherwise, the world is full of demonically possessed Jacobs and his evil son’s descendants, none of whom are promised anything.

As an alternate Old Testament reading possibility, in contrast to the Song of Solomon that sings of a bride’s attraction to her bridegroom, the message can cut two ways. The flesh can hear these words of Moses as a promise to gain wealth from property in the world, as an inheritance that means little more than being born a descendant of someone holy. Likewise, a sensual young sex partner can seem like all the wonders of the world are youthful … until things change and things grow older. The truth of this reading is one must submit one’s soul to Yahweh, in order for His laws of marriage to be written on the walls of one’s heart. In like manner, the divine truth of the love song of Solomon says a soul must long for marriage to Yahweh. As readings chosen for the fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, the lesson is submit your soul to Yahweh. Without Yahweh possessing your soul, making your soul a Yahweh elohim, there is nothing more to expect, once the world comes to an end [and it will eventually]. Ministry for Yahweh – the purpose of your soul being promised the land that is your flesh – is to bring other souls to the same divine realization. Otherwise, one’s soul is just wasting its time in the flesh.