Because

The Bride’s Walk

Parashat Ekev (Portion 46) — Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25

Because You Listen

“This shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, Yahweh your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your fathers.” (Deuteronomy 7:12)

The Hebrew word here is Ekev, which means “because” but also carries the meaning of “heel.” The heel is the first part of the foot to touch the ground when you take a step. It is as if Yahweh is whispering: My blessings follow right on the heel of your obedience.

Picture a bride. She walks a narrow path, clothed in white, her steps uncovered before Him. She has prepared herself. She is set apart, tender, and true. Every step she takes is born of love — love that listens, love that trusts, love that follows.

Wilderness Training

“You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 8:2)

The wilderness was not wasted. It was the place of training, where the Bridegroom tested His bride’s heart. Would she hunger for His Word more than for bread? Would she trust His hand to provide water from the rock?

Yeshua Himself walked this wilderness before us. He fasted forty days. He answered the enemy with, “It is written.” He bore the bruising of the heel, yet in love He crushed the serpent’s head. He tasted hunger, rejection, betrayal, even the silence of heaven — yet He remained faithful.

Our wilderness is preparation, too. Every dry place, every test of obedience, every “will you still love Me here?” is part of our bridal training.

Covenant Faithfulness and Warning

“Beware that you do not forget Yahweh your God… otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them… your heart will become proud and you will forget Yahweh your God.” (Deuteronomy 8:11–14)

A bride’s love must be faithful. Idolatry is not only sin; it is unfaithfulness. It is adultery of the heart. Yah is a jealous Bridegroom who says, “Do not give your love to another. Do not forget Me when you are satisfied. Do not trade My covenant for lifeless idols.”

The warnings are not harsh — they are tender pleadings of a Husband guarding His beloved. His covenant blessings are a canopy of protection, but stepping outside leaves us vulnerable to curses. Love stays close. Love keeps covenant.

The Heel and the Promise

From the very beginning, Yah spoke of the heel: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed. He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

The heel is tender, easily bruised, yet it carries the weight of every step forward. Jacob grasped Esau’s heel at birth, pointing to a destiny where the younger would inherit the promise. Daniel’s vision of the statue ended with feet of iron and clay — the heel generation before the Kingdom of heaven breaks into earth.

We are that generation. The heel may ache, but it presses forward. And every step the bride takes leaves a mark of faithfulness.

The Wedding and After

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)

The story does not end with the wedding day. Just as a bride’s love deepens after the vows, our covenant with Yeshua continues into forever intimacy. The wedding is the beginning of eternity with our Bridegroom. Every tear wiped away, every ache turned into joy, every promise fulfilled.

This is not just a ceremony. It is a life — a forever after.

For Us Today

Many of us come from broken homes, broken marriages, broken places. We carry wounds and wonder if love can really be this faithful. But Yah’s love is more intimate than any earthly picture. He keeps every tear in a bottle. He knows every hair on your head. He loved you before the foundations of the earth. His covenant love is the perfect love story.

That is why the Torah portions are so precious. Each year, as we walk through them again, the veil lifts a little more. Our ears open a little wider. The Bridegroom’s voice grows clearer. Sometimes He shows you one thing, sometimes another. This week, He pulled my heart to see the heel, the walk, the faithfulness of the Bride. Perhaps He showed you something different.

I would love to hear what He revealed to you. You can share with me through my contact form. Because this is the beauty of the Torah — it is alive. It speaks. And every portion, every year, is another step in the love story between Yah and His people.