Parashat Mishpatim (Ordinances or Statutes)
Shemot (Exodus) 21:1-24:18
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24
Shabbat Rosh Chodesh

What ought to set apart faith in Yeshua from any other religion? I believe faith in Yeshua, whether you are Jewish or Gentile, means that you are motivated not by what your faith can give you, but by what you have already received. In other words, because we have received the greatest love known to humankind, the “byproduct” of our faith is action clothed in reverence and gratitude to the LORD. We get to serve the LORD; we do not have to.

Now comes the question that we should all ask ourselves (and I believe the answer must be based on God’s standards and not our own): by which standards and precepts do we live?

Our weekly Scripture portion opens with a very interesting verse, which is usually interpreted negatively. However, I believe we misunderstand the essence of what the LORD is saying to us in it, and I argue for a more positive interpretation of it: 

And these are the ordinances (statutes) המשפטים that you shall set before them.
Exodus 21:1 (*All quoted scripture is my translation directly from the Hebrew.)

God tells Moses that He is about to give statutes (המשפטים) to the Children of Israel.  I chose to translate the Hebrew word, המשפטים (mishpatim) as “ordinances/statutes” and not “judgments” since they are far more than just a set of laws. And we know that the LORD never uses a word without a specific purpose, so I believe that as we dig deeper into the different laws, we will find a profound and logical basis to them. Furthermore, I believe that we can find the solutions to the world’s problems in God’s Word, and that its statutes make sense when we look at them from the right perspective.

The psalmist also acknowledges the importance of God’s word:

“Thy word is a candle (lamp) to my feet and a light to my path”
Psalm 119:105

The Word must be central in the life of the believer. God’s Word, His precepts, and His boundaries exist for us to walk in His ways. They are to guide us to live holy lives in all that we think, say, and do.

“Heaven is My throne and the earth is the footstool for My feet. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, so all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. But I will look to this one, at one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles on My word.”
Isaiah 66:1-2

The One who sits on the throne is looking for those who will serve Him with humble spirits and who tremble at His Word. In other words, He seeks a person who reveres Him and His Word.

How do you view God’s Word? Is God’s entire Word the lamp that lights your path or do you pick and choose what you are comfortable with?

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran