Part of the Golden Rule is concern for other people. One way to view the somber warnings in the Torah reading Bechukotai (“in My statutes,” Leviticus 26–27) is God is concerned about the world so much that its lifeline — Israel — has to remain pure.
Tag: Leviticus
A common catchphrase for believers in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus the Christ) is “walk by faith and not by sight” (2Cor. 5:7). Key memorials from God’s calendar that help with practicing the faith that is preached are the Shevi’it or Shemitah (“seventh” [year] and “release,” respectively, i.e., sabbatical year) and the Yobel (Jubilee). They are the focus of the Torah reading this week, Behar, covering Leviticus 25:1-26:2.
God has a grand design unfolding over eons and generations, using even flawed individuals to fulfill prophecy. This study explores how through King Saul’s massacre of the priests who gave fugitive David some of the retired Bread of the Presence, God removed Eli’s sinful priestly line as foretold years earlier. Though Saul faced due punishment, God first used his wickedness to kill Eli’s descendants as promised.
Generations after that promise and hundreds of years after the instructions given in Torah reading אָמַר Emor (“say,” Leviticus 21–24), David felt convicted for the priests’ and neighboring villagers’ death but not for what might be considered a minor Torah breach. Yet Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) affirmed that God held David guiltless. God’s plan surpassed surface events, working through personalities with long-term consequences.
The Creator of all that is reveals how different He is from the creation. YHWH’s servants, the priesthood, are called to be different from the world that lives as if the Creator isn’t in control, and the priests are to show the better way — the Way of YHWH. That’s the message of אָמַר Emor (“say,” Leviticus 21-24), a Bible reading that includes teachings from YHWH about special anniversaries, annual reminders of what the Creator is doing, particularly through the Word of YHWH made human — Yeshua haMashiakh, or Jesus the Christ.
Though 3,500 years separates us from the instructions of Heaven to Israel in the Torah reading קְדֹשִׁים Kedoshim/Qedoshim (Leviticus 19:1–20:26) and 2,000 years from Messiah Yeshua’s (Christ Jesus’) counsel in Matthew 18, the message is the same today as before: respect God and others. This study explores the surprisingly relevant principles for today’s society include the dangers of Moloch worship, which at its core is the pursuit of personal benefit at the expense of future generations (infants presented as offerings).
Among the parallels between the Ten Commandments and the “Holiness Code” of Leviticus 19 is the tie between the Golden Rule (Lev. 19:18) and the Sixth Commandment, particularly the role of empathy in addressing conflicts and corrections in relationships in the body of believers.
There’s a lot of talk about the holiness of God and being holy. But what does it mean? Thankfully, God tells us in Leviticus 19-20, the Torah reading appropriately called קְדֹשִׁים Kedoshim/Qedoshim, or “holiness[es].”
This study of Torah reading אַחֲרֵי מוֹת Acharei Mot (“after the deaths,” Leviticus 16–18) with 1Corinthians 5–6 explores complex modern moral issues, including organ donation, gender identity and spiritual decay. The seemingly paradoxical dual character of God as “high and lifted up” and “God with us” helps us understand the Messiah’s role as high priest and the two covering-removing offerings of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
These passages emphasize the need for spiritual discernment. Like a firewall against cyberattacks, we must filter thoughts and experiences through God’s words and recognizing whose voice we are listening to as we navigate the complexities of life, be they ancient or modern.