If you love Him, love them: Re'eh, 1 John 4, and the Sin of Inhospitality

Re'eh | ראה | "See"                                                           08.23.2025

Torah: Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17

Prophets: Isaiah 66:1-24

Brit Hadasha: John 16:1 - 17:26; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ; 1 John 4:1-6

Now that I’m back here editing and cleaning up my typos.  It’s funny that when I sat down, I wasn’t sure that the Lord was going to let me cover the Torah portion this week. I thought it was going to be end times. 

But what do I know?  He just let’s me type.   But God did remind me earlier this week that my favorite Jim Staley teaching, ever… and that’s a mouthful, was one that he did on this week’s portion, Re’eh. I don’t remember the details of it now, but I know I’ve probably watched it 10 times in the last 15 years.  He does a great spiel on Mt Gerizim and Mt Ebal -  two places on my bucket list someday.   I’ll try to post or send out that link. 

So as I was wrapping up reading, He stopped me at the last few scriptures in this week’s reading of the Brit Hadasah.  It was 1^st John Chapter 4.  And there’s nothing new in there.  I mean no new ideas, we read the V’Shamru every single week.  But reading 1^st John 4 this morning, He said there’s a second in the Love Dare series. And he said this: 

The first book was for the first and greatest commandment, to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength.  And that was great.  But….. the second, like it, is this:  the love our neighbor as ourselves.

Here are just a few snippets from 1John 4:

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. ⁸ He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.¹² No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. ¹⁷ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

¹⁹ We love him, because he first loved us. ²⁰ If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? ²¹ And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

So guess what’s coming? 

This morning I’m starting Love Dare: The Second Like It (Loving Your Neighbor in Deed).

Afterall, this is how we are known as His disciples. By our Love. God is Love. If we are made in the image of God, we should be walking Love Dispensaries. The first book covered the first and greatest commandment, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. But the second like it is this. Love your neighbor as yourself.

On that note, I did print out the first week of the original Love Dare: Indeed, I love God.  I love God in deed.  I also have about the first 30 days scheduled to auto post on the church facebook page every day at 10 am. I’d love for you guys to follow along.  Join in, if you will.  

God has never failed to move for us when we are operating in unity.  If we could, stay on the same page, for the next 40 days.  Especially during this time when the King is said to be nearest, right among His people, I can only imagine how God would respond to a group of people intentionally getting up every day to love on Him. I want nothing more than for God to know how much we love Him.

Also, on the note of loving your neighbor, our blessing box will go up this week!  Let me know what ideas you have.  So far, I’m just thinking some of your typical non perishables.  Something a bug can’t get in.  And perhaps adding a Bible or two.

And with that, I get to go back to the Torah Portion.  It’s a pretty easy summary of this portion.  The primary theme is still, keep the commandments, and God will bless you.  If you don’t keep the commandments, it’s likened to false god worship and you received curses. This universal law applies to you all the days that you live upon the earth.

He has some very strong words against those who worship false gods, and warns us not to consider their ways, to protect ourselves from being tempted to try to worship Yahweh in that way.  He was very clear, we better not worship Him in that way. He sums it up pretty clearly:  In Deut 12 in other words He says, listen, don’t overcomplicate this.  Whatever I tell you to do, just do it, without adding anything extra on top of it, or trying to skirt out of something.  Just do it as I said.  Easy Peezy.

But with that being said, He goes on to remind us again, that there will be tests. 

One of the ways, in which we can guard ourselves is by what we call the Deut 13 test.  If someone is teaching you to not follow all of the commandments, well.. He has some harsh words for them too.  He says it doesn’t matter if their prophecy came to pass.  Test them by the word of God.

But here’s the other big thing that jumped out at me today, and for some reason, I never put it together before.  But before I spoil it, let’s go read those scriptures again:

Deut 13:12-16

¹² If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,

¹³ Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

¹⁴ Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

¹⁵ Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

¹⁶ And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

Does that not make you think of Sodom & Gomorrah?  Let’s replay that too.

It was bad there.  I imagine really bad, based on what happened after the angels went inside Lot’s house.   But what did Yahweh do?  Of course, He has to follow His own law.

He did exactly this.  

• Inquiry: He comes down with His angels, saying:

“I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:21)

• Search & Diligence: The angels enter Sodom, and Lot hosts them. The men of the city surround the house, confirming the wickedness was indeed as reported.

• Judgment: Fire and brimstone rains down from heaven, consuming the cities — a direct parallel to the command in Deut 13:16.

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We see a prime example of what not to do.

The destruction – Complete annihilation is a big deal.  It wasn’t cruelty. It was justice against their persistent rebellion and an absolute stop to keep it from spreading further.

It was also Deut 13 in your face. A can’t miss it example.   Had it not been for the fire of devastation from the hail and brimstone, the sin would have continued to be spread like wildfire.  In the same way you back burn to put out a fire; Yahweh does the same thing.

And so we have an established pattern. God always works in patterns, rhythms and heartbeats. - Before judgement we see two things:  Investigation and Confirmation.

The Larger Theme

• God is Just: He never destroys without cause, and He ensures truth is established before judgment.

• God is Consistent: The same standard He sets for Israel in Deuteronomy is the standard He Himself follows at Sodom.

• God is Merciful: Abraham intercedes, and Lot is spared. In Deut 13, Israel too would be spared if they removed the evil.

We saw it even in the first Exodus.  Many times and opportunities there were for Pharoh to follow the commandment of the Lord.  But his death was in water.  Just as the flood account of Noah - the first end of the world.

Sodom and Gomorrah ended in fire, just as the second  and final destruction of the world. 

We see Yeshua connect these together in Matthew 10:15.

 Matthew 10:14–15 – “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

• Jesus is sending His disciples out as witnesses of the Kingdom.

• If a city rejects the message of the Gospel, it is treated as an apostate city — just like Deut 13 describes.

• But here is the other caveat…. Was it only because they rejected the message of the Messiah Yeshua, or was it how they treated the messengers?

  
  

Let’s compare again.  How did Abraham treat the Messengers & Yahweh in Genesis 18?  Very enthusiastically!

Genesis 18 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

² And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

³ And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

⁴ Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

⁵ And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

⁶ And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

⁷ And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

⁸ And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

Abraham was ALL in!  He dropped everything. Did it quickly and did ALL he could.

Now let’s compare to Lot’s response in Genesis 19.

Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

² And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your (own) feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

³ And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

In other words, Lot wasn’t as sold out as Abraham.  Abraham jumped up and ran to greet them.  Lot rose up and waited for them. 

Abraham bowed with his body to the ground.  Lot just bowed looking down.

Abraham ran begging them to stay,  and made them a feast, a young tender calf and wanted them to eat and rest.  Lot basically said they could hang out, wash their own feet and then get out of there.  But he pressured them to stay.  Not nearly as inviting or hospitable, or enthusiastic.

But the final comparison, how did Sodom and Gomorrah receive them? Surrounded them by mob and very real & violent threats.

Let’s see what Ezekiel had to say about them:  Ezekiel 16:49-50

⁴⁹ Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

⁵⁰ And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

And one more… 2 Peter 2:6-8

⁶ And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

So in other words… It was the entire sum of the ungodliness.. They didn’t love God & they didn’t love their neighbor.  Can you believe that’s what’s called out here?  With a list like pride, gluttony, laziness, sexual immorality  - not taking care of the poor and needy made their top list. 

Now let’s read Isaiah 1:10-17 

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

¹¹ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

¹² When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?

¹³ Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

¹⁵ And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶ Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;

¹⁷ Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

The advice to avoid the same destruction: stop doing evil (this means, Love God & keep his commandments, aka seeking righteousness) AND vs 17.  Love your neighbor as yourself. 

🤯

I knew coming into this weekend that we wanted to talk about end times, but 100% did not expect to find end times in Deut 13.

Here’s one more proof text.  Jude 7:7 ⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Sodom & Gomorrah are examples for the next coming judgement of the world.

So, one more time, lets read Matthew 10:14–15 – “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

WARNING 🚨Sodom and Gomorrah will be better than then end day’s judgement?  🤯

Brothers & sisters, we are warned we will be tested.  The Lord will inquire of us, and search us to see what is true, whether or not we will keep his commandments.  But we have to be all in.  We have to be Abraham’s.  Lot barely made it, only because of Abraham’s plea.

Lot’s wife looked back.

Luke 17 tells us ²⁸ Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

²⁹ But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

³⁰ Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

³¹ In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

³² Remember Lot's wife.

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My call to action for us today and for the next 80 days. 

1.) Love the Lord your God with ALL, not some, not one day a week, not just here and there, or when it’s convenient.  ALL your heart and soul and mind and strength.

That means:

·       Love the Lord with the things you love and care for.

·       Love the Lord with all your being.

·       Love the Lord with all your thoughts.

·       Love the Lord with all your actions. (In everything you do, do it as if you are doing it for the Lord)

And the second like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.

We are going to be tested.  Shoot… I’m going through a test right now. 70x7 is all I can say.. it’s not easy. But we have to be sold out.  ALL in.  Running to serve.  Because we love Him, not because it’s just the right thing to do. 

People are still coming to the faith because of the faith of Abraham. Lot couldn’t even convert his family.

Let’s be Abrahams.  Let’s take back what the enemy is trying to steal.

Let’s be sold out to the Lord.  Don’t look in your rearview mirror.  Don’t yearn for the leeks of Egypt when you’re hungry.  Don’t yearn for the Saturday shopping sprees or football games.  It’s not worth it.  Don’t look back. 

Let’s be Abrahams and be the difference makers.  This week’s reading says we can. 

John 17: ²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

²⁴ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵ O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

²⁶ And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.