re רֵעַ neighbor

During our time of study and fellowship together we have learned about many laws that regulate our behavior to our neighbors. We have seen that to love our neighbor as ourselves is the the 2nd most important law of the Torah. I want us to try to understand what is our neighbor. Some of us may be quick to say everyone is my neighbor. You would be correct that answers that who question but what is our neighbor. To do this let us look and see how a neighbors was though of through out several points in the history of Israel.

First let us look at the way Israel during the wandering in the dessert and first entering the Holy land was to think of a neighbor. Although it is never explicitly limited as such, the prominent connotation of “neighbor” in the OT is that of a fellow member of the covenant community; that is, another Israelite and those that we commonly today call God Fearer. This would include the stranger and the sojourner that where attaching themselves to Israel.

The Scriptures Chapter 19

33 ‘And when a stranger sojourns with you in your land, do not oppress him.

34 ‘Let the stranger who dwells among you be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Mitsrayim. I am יהוה your Elohim.

Within the covenant community, love of neighbor involved certain responsibilities explicitly set forth in the Law. The neighbor was to be treated fairly, provided for when in need, and to be respected.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible In the Old Testament

Within the covenant community, love of neighbor involved certain responsibilities explicitly set forth in the Law. The neighbor was to be treated fairly

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Neighbor,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1539.

The Scriptures Chapter 19

9 ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land, do not completely reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest.

10 ‘And do not glean your vineyard or gather every grape of your vineyard, leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim.

11 ‘Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive one another.

12 ‘And do not swear falsely by My Name and so profane the Name of your Elohim. I am יהוה.

13 ‘Do not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of him who is hired is not to remain with you all night until morning.

14 ‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind, but fear your Elohim. I am יהוה.

15 ‘Do no unrighteousness in right-ruling. Do not be partial to the poor or favour the face of the great, but rightly rule your neighbour in righteousness.

16 ‘Do not go slandering among your people. Do not stand against the blood of your neighbour. I am יהוה.

17 ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Reprove your neighbour, for certain, and bear no sin because of him.

18 ‘Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people. And you shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am יהוה.

As the relationships where fostered with justice and mercy the neighbor would become a brother or sister of sorts. What the covenant community began to understand is how one treats their neighbor is a reflection of one’s relationship with Adonai. Israelites were to treat their neighbors in the same loving way they had themselves been treated by Adonai.

The Scriptures Chapter 22

21 “Do not tread down a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim.

The Scriptures Chapter 25

35 ‘And when your brother becomes poor, and his hand has failed with you, then you shall sustain him, and he shall live with you, like a stranger or a sojourner.

36 ‘Take no interest from him, or profit, but you shall fear your Elohim, and your brother shall live with you.

37 ‘Do not lend him your silver on interest, and do not lend him your food for profit.

38 ‘I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to give you the land of Kena‘an, to be your Elohim.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Neighbor,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1539.

These practices of mercy and grace we show to our neighbors are the very same way in which our heavenly father shows mercy and grace to us.

The importance of the neighbor relationship within the covenant community is also demonstrated by the fact that when such responsibilities were ignored, a societal breakdown or national turmoil followed. That the Israelites often did neglect love for neighbor, particularly the neighbor in need, is a contributing cause for the divine punishment of the exile.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Neighbor,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1539.

36 ‘Take no interest from him, or profit, but you shall fear your Elohim, and your brother shall live with you.

The Scriptures Chapter 4

4 Hear the word of יהוה, you children of Yisra’ěl, for יהוה has a case against the inhabitants of the land: “For there is no truth or kindness or knowledge of Elohim in the land.

2 “Swearing, and lying, and murdering, and stealing, and committing adultery have increased. And bloodshed follows bloodshed.

3 “Therefore the land mourns, and everyone living there languishes, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens. And the fish of the sea are taken away.

37 ‘Do not lend him your silver on interest, and do not lend him your food for profit.

As this was the cause of divine punishment it is also the way of Israel’s hope and the purpose of Yeshua’s coming. As they remember to treat each other neighborly again then Adonai will rescue them and heal them.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Neighbor,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1539.

38 ‘I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to give you the land of Kena‘an, to be your Elohim.

The Scriptures Chapter 31

33 “For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ěl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

34 “And no longer shall they teach, each one his neighbour, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know יהוה,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares יהוה. “For I shall forgive their crookedness, and remember their sin no more.”

This same prophecy of restoring the neighborhood so to speak. Is also found in encourage everyone to read as it speak to our hope and the coming of the Messiah. The high priest Joshua is named however, Joshua is the English form of Yehoshua or Yeshua. The chapter ends with this important statement.

The Scriptures Chapter 3

10 ‘In that day,’ declares יהוה of hosts, ‘you shall invite one another, under the vine and under the fig tree.’ ”

Institute for Scripture Research, The Scriptures (South Africa: Institute for Scripture Research (Pty) Ltd, 2000), Zec 3:10.

Institute for Scripture Research, The Scriptures (South Africa: Institute for Scripture Research (Pty) Ltd, 2000), Le 25:35–38.

It essentially asserts that we will fellowship together lovingly and inviting each other not out of obligation but out of true appreciation.

So we see how the ancients had this importance on being neighbors but did we answer what they thought their neighbors was. In a way we did it was their brother. If someone was a neighbor they where a brother they where a friend.

During the time commonly referred to as the 2nd temple period, Israel recognized that divine blessing was conditional somewhat on justice and love exercised toward one another This is evidenced in

The Scriptures Chapter 8

14 “For thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘As I purposed to do evil to you when your fathers provoked Me,’ declares יהוה of hosts, ‘and I did not relent,

15 so again in these days I have purposed to do good to Yerushalayim and to the house of Yehuḏah. Do not fear!

16 ‘These are the words you should do: speak the truth to one another, judge with truth and right-ruling for peace in your gates.

17 ‘And do not plot evil in your heart against another, and do not love a false oath. For all these I hate,’ declares יהוה.”

The problem that existed was that neighbor identity. Several factors suggest that “neighbor” was limited in this period to the fellow Israelite and the proselyte (gentile convert to Judaism). Evidence from rabbinic material excludes Samaritans and the Gentiles living in the land from being considered “neighbors” and thus worthy of love. Within the Jewish Essene community at Qumran, the “neighbor” to be respected and treated fairly was restricted to one’s fellow community members.We see this evidenced in when Yeshua recalls, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’ ” he is only partially quoting the Torah but is fully quoting some of the teachings of the various religious authorities. The last part of the quote “… and hate your enemy” reflects the feelings and thoughts of the Jewish teachers at the time. It might even be the 2nd point of Yeshua’s ministry. To correct the misunderstanding of the neighbor Identity.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Neighbor,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1539.

44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you,

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Neighbor,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1539.

The Scriptures Chapter 5

43 “You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’

44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you,

45 so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

46 “For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too?

47 “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are the tax collectors not doing so too?

48 “Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.

We see this idea of neighbor best expressed in the recounting of the lawyer seeking everlasting life with Yeshua in

44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you,

45 so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

46 “For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too?

45 so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

The Scriptures Chapter 10

25 And see, a certain one learned in the Torah stood up, trying Him, and saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit everlasting life?”

26 And He said to him, “What has been written in the Torah? How do you read it?”

27 And he answering, said, “ ‘You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbour as yourself.’ ”

28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly. Do this and you shall live.”

29 But he, wishing to declare himself righteous, said to יהושׁע, “And who is my neighbour?”

30 And replying, יהושׁע said, “A certain man was going down from Yerushalayim to Yeriḥo, and fell among robbers, who, both stripping and beating him, went away, leaving him half dead.

31 “And by a coincidence a certain priest was going down that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 “And likewise a Lěwite also, when he came to the place, and seeing, passed by on the other side.

33 “But a certain Shomeronite, journeying, came upon him. And when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

34 and he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And having placed him on his own beast, he brought him to an inn, and looked after him.

35 “And going out on the next day, he took out two pieces of silver, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Look after him, and whatever more you spend I shall repay you when I return.’

36 “Who, then, of these three, do you think, was neighbour to him who fell among the robbers?”

37 And he said, “He who showed compassion on him.” Then יהושׁע said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

46 “For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too?

47 “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are the tax collectors not doing so too?

So what is a neighbor? A neighbor is a friend, brother, spouse, enemy, and so on. One is to treat their neighbor well and with love. They are to be friends with their neighbor. We are all neighbors because we are all in this fellowship together but more than that because we all have the same God. Because we are all neighbors we are also all friends. When we start saying to our neighbor you are not my friend or treating them poorly we are inviting the wrath and judgement of Elohim upon us. When we build the neighborhood we are building the Kingdom of Elohim. So let us be builders, let us be neighbors.

48 “Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.

47 “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are the tax collectors not doing so too?

48 “Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is perfect.

Institute for Scripture Research, The Scriptures (South Africa: Institute for Scripture Research (Pty) Ltd, 2000), Mt 5:43–48.

Institute for Scripture Research, The Scriptures (South Africa: Institute for Scripture Research (Pty) Ltd, 2000), .

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