Reflection for Ki-Tavo
“Eyes to See”
Matthew 13:1-23
Luke 21:1-4
Acts 28:17-31
Romans 11:1-15
excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections
As we will soon be commemorating the Fall high holidays, the Book of Deuteronomy starts to wind down, as Moses delivered some summary statements, which should probably be read more frequently than once a year. Our parashah for this week, Ki-Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8), is most noted for chs. 27-28, describing the blessings and curses of Mounts Ebal and Gerizim. The prophetic fulfillment of many of these declarations, can almost read like a roadmap for the history of Israel, over the past 3,500/3,300 years since these words were spoken. The waxing of righteousness has seen blessings, protection, and even spiritual revival at times—while the waning of godliness into debauchery has resulted in licentiousness, idolatry, famine, and wars, even to the point of captivity and a turning away of the Lord’s favor from Israel. While considerable attention can and should be spent addressing the blessings versus the curses of this reading, the ability to even understand the implications of obedience versus disobedience, can be better understood when one recognizes that the Holy One ultimately conceals interpretive knowledge:
“Moses called to all Israel, and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land; the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But the LORD has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day” (Deuteronomy 29:2-4, WMB).
In one of the final exhortations of Moses, the figure chosen to be the deliverer of Israel, reminded the people that despite the fact that the Exodus generation was given the privilege to visibly witness the many miracles of their escape from Egypt and the desert sojourn—the Lord Himself denied them “a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear” (NIV), what had transpired beyond the five physical and tangible senses. Instead, the fledgling escapees, freed from the bondage of slavery, were warned that the human propensity to rely on their own strength, rather than live by faith, was going to be a perpetual problem. Seeing both Biblical and world history, we know that the people of God frequently have manifested significant limitations in discerning His will, and in placing their complete and total trust in the hands of a largely unseen Creator.
Several centuries later from the time of Moses, we see how the Lord sent prophets to Ancient Israel like Isaiah, to convict the people of their lack of faithfulness to Him, and how they fell away from His Instruction. Isaiah’s admonishments include a restatement of what Moses said in Deuteronomy 29:2-4, about the people being unable to discern the plan of God:
“He said, ‘Go, and tell this people, “You hear indeed, but don’t understand. You see indeed, but don’t perceive.” Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.’…For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him” (Isaiah 6:9-10; 64:4, WMB).
We should not be surprised that within the Gospels and teachings of Yeshua the Messiah, the chronic problem of not being able to see or hear was still present. Isaiah’s message is interwoven into Yeshua’s parable of the sower, highlighting not only this teaching’s significance to Messiah followers, but also how few people might be able to really “get” its imperative points. Only those who are really pressing in to the Holy One, and desiring to know Him and His ways, may be those who really understand the Messiah’s admonishment and warnings:
“On that day Yeshua went out of the house and sat by the seaside. Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach. He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, ‘Behold, a farmer went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth. When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on good soil and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ The disciples came, and said to him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’ He answered them, ‘To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand. In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive; for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them’ [Isaiah 6:9-10]. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them. Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately with joy receives it; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matthew 13:1-23, WMB).
It is true that there are various ways of interpreting Yeshua’s parable of the sower, beyond the most common vantage point of how people receive the good news and react to it. The only way any of us can know whether we have allowed the seed sown to germinate and give forth fruit, is by beseeching the Lord for a heart which understands, for eyes which see beyond what is physically tangible, and ears which can hear the small quiet voice of the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul referenced the words of Isaiah 6:9-10 when he was able to testify of Yeshua, arriving at Rome as he had appealed to Caesar. He met with the Roman Jewish community, and many were persuaded that Yeshua was indeed the Messiah. Many others were opposed to Paul’s preaching, not having supernatural understanding, or a soft heart and mind open to receiving the good news:
“After three days Paul called together those who were the Jewish leaders. When they had come together, he said to them, ‘I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Judeans spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.’ They said to him, ‘We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.’ When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Yeshua, both from the Torah of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one message: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, “Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them” [Isaiah 6:9-10]. Be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.’ When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, proclaiming God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Yeshua the Messiah with all boldness, without hindrance” (Acts 28:17-31, WMB; cf. Romans 11:1-15).
The Apostle Paul demonstrated great commitment and faith, in spite of how his own Jewish brethren largely rejected the gospel message, by proclaiming the good news openly during the time he was in Rome. He acknowledged how “if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15, WMB). Jewish evangelism is a very difficult field in which to serve, especially today in the Twenty-First Century with the complicated historical relationship between the Church and Synagogue, and many centuries of anti-Semitism which needs to be overcome. Even in a Messianic Jewish community which acknowledges Yeshua as Messiah, there are still many issues of mission and purpose needing to be worked through, with the subject matter of Jewish and non-Jewish Believers coming together as one people in Him sometimes being a major point of contention. I simply have the faith that our Heavenly Father’s plan will manifest in His perfect timing….
The mind of God is not something which we as limited mortals can fully comprehend. While each of us surely has to make a free will choice to follow after Him and obey Him, and make the effort to discern what His will is, both for our own lives and for the Body of Messiah at large—we also have to have confidence in His predetermined plan, and take great peace and comfort that things will be accomplished in His excellent timing. Blessings come to those who love Him! I have taken great solace and tranquility from the following words for many years:
“But as it is written, ‘Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him’ [Isaiah 64:4; 52:15]. But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, WMB).
Let us diligently pray that the Eternal One enlighten each of us with greater vision and hearing, for the things He is accomplishing, regardless of our possible mortal unawareness that they are even occurring. May we have the eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand. Let our time on Earth be useful to Him, as we each play an important role in the work of His Kingdom. To Him be all the glory!
