Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Deuteronomy 1:17b. “And the thing which is too hard for you, you shall bring near to me and I shall hear it.”
The context of this passage is a message delivered by Moses who instructed the elders to judge matters of conflicts and bickerings that would arise among the people of Israel. If a matter were too difficult to handle, they were to bring it to Moses who would hear it.
There are some questions that come to mind when you read this verse. First the word for thing is “davar” which is literally “word.” The Talmud teaches that this “matter” or word in relation to kasah – harsh, stubborn obstinate, relates to an obstruction. In other words “if this thing becomes an obstruction to hearing the voice of God.” It seems this verse is trying say that if the elders hear something that is very difficult such that they can not discern the voice of God in the matter, they are to take it to Moses. The word “mekem” (for you) grammatically does not belong here. This is a separable pronoun, which does not add anything to this verse. The sages teach that the mekem is there to emphasize the point that the obstruction is in the elders.
You ever have a problem in your church and as a pastor you have to mediate and somehow the conflict is just overwhelming. It is very easy to just say these people are impossible and maybe even be tempted to tell the person in the center of the conflict that it would be better if they worshiped somewhere else. Or if not a pastor, a conflict in your home, or at work where you find yourself in the middle trying to mediate a problem and you reach that point where it is too kasah, hard, stubborn. You are tempted to just crawl under yon rock and hide or even quit your job. Consider what Moses is telling the elders. If the problem is too stubborn “mekem” for you.
Moses says to bring it to me and “I shall hear it.” The word for hear is shama which means to listen intently. Why does he not say: “I will make it know.” Moses does not say he will give them the answer, only that he will listen.
The sages teach that a person’s preoccupation which the physical world and desires will cause a wall of separation between himself and God causing him to be unable to hear the voice of God. You see the conflicts that these elders were to deal with would ultimately be resolved through hearing the voice of God. But they become so personally involved in the conflict that they will not hear the voice of God. They become preoccupied with the earthly or physical matters and forget the spiritual matter involved. So, the sages teach, that they were to go to Moses. We learn in earlier passages that the elders were to remove their shoes when they approached Moses. This was not a sign of respect but a sign of removing oneself from all physical desires. Then before Moses they will hear the voice of God and learn God’s way of resolving the conflict.
Next time you find yourself with a conflict to mediate at home, work or in the church, it might not be a bad idea to find yourself a Moses who is totally removed from the conflict and spiritually remove your shoes or remove yourself from your physical desires. In other words you motives of self interest in resolving the conflict (find personal peace, get rid of a personal headache, feel more secure in your position etc.). The let your Moses listen to the matter and together come into agreement or Amen what you discern is the voice of God and what He is saying.
Your Friend
Clyde
“And the thing which is too hard for you, you shall bring near to me and I shall hear it.”
The context of this passage is a message delivered by Moses who instructed the elders to judge matters of conflicts and bickerings that would arise among the people of Israel. If a matter were too difficult to handle, they were to bring it to Moses who would hear it.
There are some questions that come to mind when you read this verse. First the word for thing is “davar” which is literally “word.” The Talmud teaches that this “matter” or word in relation to kasah – harsh, stubborn obstinate, relates to an obstruction. In other words “if this thing becomes an obstruction to hearing the voice of God.” It seems this verse is trying say that if the elders hear something that is very difficult such that they can not discern the voice of God in the matter, they are to take it to Moses. The word “mekem” (for you) grammatically does not belong here. This is a separable pronoun, which does not add anything to this verse. The sages teach that the mekem is there to emphasize the point that the obstruction is in the elders.
You ever have a problem in your church and as a pastor you have to mediate and somehow the conflict is just overwhelming. It is very easy to just say these people are impossible and maybe even be tempted to tell the person in the center of the conflict that it would be better if they worshiped somewhere else. Or if not a pastor, a conflict in your home, or at work where you find yourself in the middle trying to mediate a problem and you reach that point where it is too kasah, hard, stubborn. You are tempted to just crawl under yon rock and hide or even quit your job. Consider what Moses is telling the elders. If the problem is too stubborn “mekem” for you.
Moses says to bring it to me and “I shall hear it.” The word for hear is shama which means to listen intently. Why does he not say: “I will make it know.” Moses does not say he will give them the answer, only that he will listen.
The sages teach that a person’s preoccupation which the physical world and desires will cause a wall of separation between himself and God causing him to be unable to hear the voice of God. You see the conflicts that these elders were to deal with would ultimately be resolved through hearing the voice of God. But they become so personally involved in the conflict that they will not hear the voice of God. They become preoccupied with the earthly or physical matters and forget the spiritual matter involved. So, the sages teach, that they were to go to Moses. We learn in earlier passages that the elders were to remove their shoes when they approached Moses. This was not a sign of respect but a sign of removing oneself from all physical desires. Then before Moses they will hear the voice of God and learn God’s way of resolving the conflict.
Next time you find yourself with a conflict to mediate at home, work or in the church, it might not be a bad idea to find yourself a Moses who is totally removed from the conflict and spiritually remove your shoes or remove yourself from your physical desires. In other words you motives of self interest in resolving the conflict (find personal peace, get rid of a personal headache, feel more secure in your position etc.). The let your Moses listen to the matter and together come into agreement or Amen what you discern is the voice of God and what He is saying.
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