Parasha Shoftim – Year 1 – Let us be grateful to Yahweh
Shabbat Shalom, Nazarene family.
This week we bring the activity of the parasha Shoftim, in it we will see that Yahweh emphasizes that we should only follow justice and not let ourselves be extorted. We will also learn the forms of worship that we should never offer to Yahweh because they come from pagan practices to false elohim. In addition we are taught some laws for the kings that would come to never deviate from the ways of Yahweh.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:20
20 You shall follow what is altogether just, that you may live and inherit the land which Yahweh your Elohim is giving you.
This week corresponds to the reading of the texts:
- Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-18:5 / 18:6-19:13 / 19:14-21:9
- Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51:1-11 / 51:12-33 / 52
- Mattityahu (Matthew) 26:1-56 / 26:57-27:26 / 27:27-66
Summary of the weekly study, Year one:
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18-18:5
These verses focuses on justice: “Appoint impartial judges; do not accept bribes. Seek justice and equity. Do not set up idols or sacred stones. Do not sacrifice your children. Consult the Levites. They will not have an inheritance; Yahweh is their inheritance. Do not imitate pagan practices. Raise up prophets like Mosheh. Listen to their words. Yahweh will put His words in the mouth of the prophet. If a prophet speaks without being sent by Yahweh, do not fear. Yahweh will judge. Do not fear false elohim.” It promotes justice, prohibits idolatry, and establishes the divine authority of prophets, warning against worshiping false elohim.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51:1-11
These verses imparts hope, urging remembrance of Abraham and Sarah’s faith. It encourages righteousness, calling for attention to the law. Yahweh’s salvation is assured, promising comfort to Zion. Encouragement is given to seek righteousness and justice, assuring that Yahweh’s salvation will be eternal. The text exhorts listeners to trust Yahweh’s power, recalling past victories. It reassures that Elohim will dry up the sea, demonstrating divine authority over chaos. Encouragement is provided amid affliction, urging the redeemed to return to Zion. This passage emphasizes faithfulness, remembrance of Yahweh’s promises, the certainty of salvation, and the call to trust in Yahweh’s power amidst trials, pointing towards a future restoration.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 15:1-21
These verses depicts Yeshua confronting religious hypocrisy. He critiques traditions that nullify divine commandments, emphasizing the heart over external practices. He warns against spiritual contamination, emphasizing that what comes out of the heart defiles a person, not what enters them. Yeshua challenges Jewish exclusivity by healing a Gentile woman, highlighting faith over ethnic affiliation, emphasizing the importance of genuine faith. Through this teaching, Yeshua emphasizes the priority of the heart over formalities, the significance of spiritual authenticity, and the universality of faith.
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Enjoy this fun activity with the whole family. Inside you will find development questions for the three weekly sections (Torah, Haftarah and Brit Chadashah). While the older ones discuss the questions and their answers, the younger ones can color the picture related to the teaching, solve a maze, find the 7 differences and much more. We encourage you to do it week by week and instill in your children the habit of studying Yahweh’s word as a family.
We hope you and especially your sons and daughters enjoy this effort. For it is through the study of the Scriptures that we can come to understand the love and care that Yahweh has always had for us. And also to perceive that He has been taking care of even the smallest detail, so that we can take care and enjoy all that He gives us. That is why it is so important that our children learn and grow up knowing that they are loved by the Creator of all that exists.
Shalom.
