National benefits of obedience to God's Law (#torah) according to #leviticus 26:
> National prosperity. v3-5
> Peace and victory over your enemies. v6-8
> Fertility and large families. v9
> Abundant national blessings. v10
> Closer national relationship with God. v11-13
The ultimate blessing for obedience to God's Law is freedom. God wants you to stand tall, unburdened.
The blessings of obedience in this passage are promised to Israel and nobody else. Fortunately, God made a way for gentiles to become part of Israel.
There is every rational reason to keep God's instructions faithfully, yet we still bend over backwards to make excuses not to.
Leviticus 26 is arranged in a loose chiasm.
-A- v1 - Covenant (No idols. I am your God.)
---B- v2 - Sabbath and sanctuary
-----C- v3-13 - Obedience and blessing
-------D- v14-17 - Disobedience and 7x punishment
-------D- v18-20 - Disobedience and 7x punishment
-------D- v21-22 - Disobedience and 7x punishment
-------D- v23-26 - Disobedience and 7x punishment
-------D- v27-39 - Disobedience and Sabbaths (7s) for the land
-----C- v40-42 - Repentance and blessing
---B- v43 - Sabbath and land
-A- v44-46 - Covenant
#chiasm #biblepatterns
FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – BEMIDBAR:
Why were the various groups within the tribes of Yisrael counted repeatedly and differently?
What was the purpose of the redemption fee?
How are these commands relevant to you as a member of the greater Commonwealth of Yisrael?
If you do not know the answers to these questions, you should. They directly affect YHWH’s order of salvation, His coming Kingdom, and your place in it.
Let’s discuss it...
FROM THIS WEEK’S TORAH PORTION – BEMIDBAR:
Vadabeir YHWH el Moshe bemidbar Sinai... ~ “And spoke YHWH unto Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai...”
As we begin the fourth book of Torah, we are presented with the image of a vast host of people preparing to cross a great and lonely wilderness on the way to a promised land that is chalav ud’vash – “flowing with milk and honey.” We know this trek will be sadly interrupted and will result in forty years of wandering in a desolate place where many will fall because of disobedience. It is surely punishment of an incredible duration and magnitude. It is horrible to our mind’s eye and imagination.
Every person who comes to faith in YHWH and chooses to walk in the footsteps of Yehoshua will also pass through a time in the wilderness. Many of you who are reading this have already done so, some have yet to enter, and others are there even now. When it is our turn, most of us “kick against the goads,” rejecting this seemingly intolerable and unnecessary fate, and resenting YHWH for putting us through it all. We cry, “Why Abba?” and we wonder where grace and mercy are. Yet this seemingly excessive or unnecessary punishment is self-inflicted – we bring it upon ourselves. Soon after we first pray and repent, then turn and are saved, we quickly demonstrate our lack of faith by turning back once again to disobedience. Then, because of our own actions, YHWH has no real choice but to subject us to the ordeal of the wilderness.
YHWH disciplines His sons and daughters whom He loves, but not in order to visit revenge upon them and hurt them. He does it in order to teach and purify them for Himself, to bring them perfected and whole into His promised land. Those who are wicked He leaves to fate alone. The wilderness is where we become the righteous people we are meant to be if we are truly His – the Qedoshim, the Bride of the Most-High. There is no other way to accomplish this, so we should embrace this time in our lives and make the best use of it that we can. Some will not. Some will plod along as they have always done, actually doing and becoming little or nothing. Some will make great plans, promises and vows, but will not follow through on them. Some will fall away and perish. That has already been prophesied. But those who endure and remain will emerge from this iron furnace refined as zahav tahor – pure gold, fit for the King.
The haftarah for Parshath Bemidbar shows us the difference between our own frightful perception of the wilderness ordeal, and that of YHWH. We think of it as only a terrible punishment and an evil turn of events in our lives. But, of this time, He says,
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly unto her.”
It is only in the wilderness that YHWH can get our full and complete attention then show us all that He wants and has planned for us. He is wooing you to Him even now. If you will come, then He has a promise for you:
V’eirastiyk liy l’olam; v’eirastiyk liy b’tzedek uv’mishphat uv’chesed uv’rachamim; v’eirastiyk liy be’emunah, v’yada’ath et YHWH ~ “I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and in justice, in lovingkindness and in compassion. I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness; and you shall know YHWH.”
What will you do? Please, listen for His voice in the wilderness, brethren. Don’t fight it, complain or turn away from Him. He is calling to you. Then, answer Him in faithfulness and obedience. Claim your place at the wedding supper of the bride. Through the wilderness with Him is the only way there.
Here are some Apostolic passages to study with the second half of this week's #torah reading, parsha #bechukotai (#leviticus 26:3-27:34), plus links to related commentary and videos: https://www.americantorah.com/....2021/02/09/parsha-be
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Day 32 of counting the omer. The number 32 in Hebrew is written with the letters lamed and beth, which form the word leb, meaning "heart"
WORD FOR TODAY “are our hearts any different today?”: Jdg 8:33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god.
WISDOM FOR TODAY: Ecc 1:9 That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.
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