I study the Torah every year using the teaching tools of Scripture. (Why?)
Today is the 43rd Sabbath of the annual Torah cycle. The Torah reading (parashah) is Ekev (because), Deu 7:12-11:25.
The paragraph divisions for Ekev are as follows:
Deu 7:12-16 s Obedience to YHVH’s commandments = life and blessing for Israel
Deu 7:17-26 p Disobedience to YHVH = death and destruction for the nations
Deu 8:1-18 p Remember YHVH, obey Him, and live
Deu 8:19-20 p Forget YHVH, disobey Him, and die
Deu 9:1-29 p Israel cannot enter the Land by self- righteousness
Deu 10:1-11 p Israel enters the Land by the mediator of the covenant
Deu 10:12-11:9 s Fear, love and obey YHVH always for our good
Deu 11:10-12 s The goodness of the Land
Deu 11:13-21 s Listen, pay heed, observe, and teach YHVH’s commandments
Deu 11:22-25 s Carefully keep His commandments that Israel may possess the Land
In the last parashah, the Ten Commandments were given, to the end of Deu 5:21, and then the very next parsha was:
Deu 5:22-6:3 p YHVH’s voice spoke these commandments + hear + pay heed + observe
In other words, the commandments which Israel heard, which Moses is to teach, are those which Israel is to pay careful heed to and observe. Moses already told Israel that the purpose of his final speech before the congregation, before he went up to the top of the mountain to observe that Land and die, was to explain this Torah (Deu 1:5). So I believe in the very next parsha, Moses proceeds to do just that. This is what I have in my notes:
EXPLANATION OF THE FIRST COMMANDMENT: WORSHIP YHVH ONLY (through 11:25)
Deu 6:4-9 {s} Listen to YHVH’s commandments
Deu 6:10-15 {s} Pay careful heed to YHVH’s commandments
Deu 6:16-19 {s} Observe YHVH’s commandments
Deu 6:20-25 {s} Teach YHVH’s commandments to your children
Deu 7:1-11 {p} YHVH has set His love upon Israel
YHVH desires Israel to obey His commandments because He loves Israel!
Deu 7:12-16 {s} Obedience to YHVH’s commandments = life and blessing for Israel
Deu 7:17-26 {p} Disobedience to YHVH = death and destruction for the nations
Obedience means life and blessing + disobedience means death and destruction
Deu 8:1-18 {p} Remember YHVH, obey Him, and live
Deu 8:19-20 {p} Forget YHVH, disobey Him, and die
Deu 9:1-29 {p} Israel cannot enter the Land by self- righteousness
Deu 10:1-11 {p} Israel enters the Land by the mediator of the covenant
Deu 10:12-11:9 {s} Fear, love and obey YHVH always for our good
Deu 11:10-12 {s} The goodness of the Land
Deu 11:13-21 {s} Listen, pay heed, observe, and teach YHVH’s commandments
Deu 11:22-25 {s} Carefully keep His commandments that Israel may possess the Land
If we meditated on this section for several months, we could begin to see why these parshas and their meanings, explain how to worship YHVH only. Parents who desire to transfer their faith to their children would especially do well to dwell on this section, and learn why God considers all of this information essential to Woship YHVH Alone.
Now interestingly enough, I cannot make Ekev form its own chiastic structure. I can form two chiastic structures out of Ekev, the first with extra parshas added on the front of it to Deu 11:25, and the second beginning with Deu 7:12 but with an extra parsha added on the back of it. Here they are:
Deu 5:22-11:25
1a) Deu 5:22-6:3 p, Observe YHVH’s commandments that it might be well with you + children;
1b) Deu 6:4-9 s, Love YHVH alone + treasure His words + keep them before you;
–1) Deu 6:4-5, YHVH alone is God, love Him with all the heart, soul, and strength;
–2) Deu 6:6, These words shall be in your heart;
–3) Deu 6:7-9, Teach them + talk of them + bind them + write them;
1c) Deu 6:10-11, The goodness of the Land;
1d) Deu 6:12, Do not forget YHVH who brought you out of Egypt;
1e) Deu 6:13-19, Fear YHVH and serve Him + take oaths in His name;
1f) Deu 6:20-25, We were strangers in Egypt;
1g) Deu 7:1-8, Israel the least of the nations, whom YHVH loves;
1h) Deu 7:9a, YHVH is God;
1i) Deu 7:9b-11; Those who love Him keep His commandments;
1j) Deu 7:12-16, YHVH swore to your fathers + loves you + blessed above all peoples;
1k) Deu 7:17-26, YHVH will deliver the nations to Israel (because they belong to Him);
1l) Deu 8:1, Be careful to keep His commandments that you may live;
1m) Deu 8:2-16, YHVH tested Israel in the wilderness;
1n) Deu 8:17-18, Do not say, My power has gained me this wealth;
1o) Deu 8:19-20a, Israel to perish as the nations YHVH destroys before them;
central axis) Deu 8:20b, “…because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God;”
2o) Deu 9:1-3, Israel shall dispossess the nations YHVH destroys before them;
2n) Deu 9:4-6, Do not think, My righteousness has gained me this Land;
2m) Deu 9:7-10:11, Israel tested YHVH in the wilderness;
2l) Deu 10:12-13, Fear + serve + love YHVH + keep His commandments for your good;
2k) Deu 10:14, Heaven and earth belongs to YHVH;
2j) Deu 10:15, YHVH loves your fathers + chose you + above all peoples;
2i) Deu 10:16, Therefore circumcise your heart + be not stiff- necked;
2h) Deu 10:17, YHVH is God;
2g) Deu 10:18-19a, YHVH loves the least: fatherless, widows, and strangers;
2f) Deu 10:19b, The children of Israel were strangers in the land of Egypt;
2e) Deu 10:20, Fear YHVH and serve Him + take oaths in His name;
2d) Deu 10:21-11:9, YHVH’s great acts in bringing Israel out of Egypt;
2c) Deu 11:10-12, The goodness of the Land;
2b) Deu 11:13-20, Love YHVH alone + treasure His words + keep them before you;
–1) Deu 11:13, Love YHVH and serve Him with all the heart and soul;
–2) Deu 11:18a, Lay up His words in your heart;
–3) Deu 11:18b-20, Bind them + teach them + talk of them + write them;
2a) Deu 11:21-25 s+s, That your days + children’s days may be multiplied + carefully keep His commandments.
Deu 7:12-11:28
1a) Deu 7:12-26 s+s, Obedience of Israel and blessing + disobedience of the nations and destruction;
1b) Deu 8:1-6, Every commandment which I command you, you must be careful to observe, that you may possess the Land;
1c) Deu 8:7-10, Bless the Lord your God for the good Land He is bringing you into;
1d) Deu 8:11-13, Do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments;
1e) Deu 8:14-16, Lest you forget the Lord your God who performed mighty acts to bring you in;
1f) Deu 8:17-20 p+p, You shall remember the Lord your God + so that you are obedient to His voice;
central axis) Deu 9:1-10:11 p+p, Israel cannot enter by self- righteousness but only by the mediator of the covenant;
2f) Deu 10:12-11:1, You shall love the Lord your God + so that you keep His charge, statutes, judgments, commandments;
2e) Deu 11:2-7, This generation has seen the Lord’s great acts;
2d) Deu 11:8-9 s, You shall keep every commandment that you may possess the Land and prolong your days in it;
2c) Deu 11:10-12 s, The goodness of the Land;
2b) Deu 11:13-25 s+s, Carefully keep His commandments that Israel may possess the Land;
2a) Deu 11:26-28 s, Blessing for obedience + curse for disobedience.
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