#48 SHOFTIM DEUTERONOMY 16:18-21:9

 

Shoftim means, "judges." This portion occurs in the Jewish month of Elul, just before the High Holy Days, the Fall feasts of God. It is a suitable time to think about doing better in life by following God and keeping God’s commandments. It would be good to do something in preparation for Yom Kippur (the day of forgiveness of sins – the Day of Atonement). According to the Jewish writings, Moshe came down the mountain with the second set of tablets on Yom Kippur. He went up the mountain several times, but only two times to bring down the tablets of God’s commands with him. The first time Moshe came down with the tablets, some in Israel were committing idolatry and he threw the tablets down. The second time, the people were not sinning.

 

People can be stubborn, but in the second case they repented. Many people get accustomed to the way they live. So, they do not change when the truth is presented to them. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NKJV says, "What does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good." The creator God gave us good commandments for our good, so why not listen to the creator God. God knows what is best for us.

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