Tag: Leviticus 23

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Torah readings

Torah reading Emor (אמר): Leviticus 21–24

Studies in Torah

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.

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Discussions Tabernacles Torah

Sukkot: A reminder of Heaven’s extreme makeover of our lives

Sukkot: A reminder of Heaven's extreme makeover of our lives

In the First Commandment, God says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex. 20:2). As ancient Israel fled from Egypt and travelled to the Promised Land, they lived in booths, or סֻכֹּת sukkot in Hebrew. They weren’t supposed to live in these temporary shelters for 40 years in the wilderness. It was only because of their disobedience that they had to live that way for so long.

This study explores a key lesson of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles): We should be orienting ourselves towards God, not expecting Him to orient Himself toward us. 

It’s crucial for us to understand God’s character, to submit to His timing and molding us into His image — revealed through Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) — so that we will be a suitable people for God to dwell with for all time.

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Discussions Torah

‘You are the light of the world’: Importance of an ‘othered’ people for a world dismayed by darkness (Leviticus 21–24)

'You are the light of the world': Importance of an 'other' peoplee for a world dismayed by the darkness (Leviticus 21-24)

The otherness (aka holiness) of the Kingdom of God can be a preservative for the world and an offense. Heaven’s messages and messengers can bring life-saving hope or abhorrent reminders of a life that’s being squandered. A key lesson from the Torah reading אָמַר Emor (“say,” Leviticus 21–24) is the ongoing and recurring work Heaven does through us by way of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ).

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Discussions Pentecost/Shavuot Torah

The Torah secret to Spirit-led transformation at Pentecost (Leviticus 21–24)

The Torah secret to Spirit-led transformation (Leviticus 21-24). Dove flies amid clouds in a blue sky.

Two of the great characteristics of the Creator is that He is both the Holy One, vastly different from us, and God With Us, wanting to be near us.

The otherness of God is a key theme of the Torah reading אָמַר Emor (“say,” Leviticus 21-24), how God is separate from us, how He called the priesthood to be separate from the rest of Israel in service to Him and how we are to live separate from but near to the rest of the world.

This separation, called “holiness,” is not to be taken as a source of arrogance or pride, but as a lesson to the world that God cares so much about us that He does not want us to live in physical and moral filth and disorder. Rather, Heaven wants us to live in physical and moral cleanliness and order. 

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Discussions Jubilee Pentecost/Shavuot Torah

Heaven seeks from us authentic worship and service (Leviticus 21–23)

Heaven seeks from us authentic worship and service (Leviticus 21-23)
Heaven seeks from us authentic worship and service (Torah reading Emor, Leviticus 21-23)

We love great actors when they’re on the screen or stage, but they’re odious when they fill the pews or the pulpits. A key lesson in the Torah reading אָמַר Emor (“say,” Leviticus 21–24) is that those in the service of the Creator of Heaven and Earth (Ex. 19:6; 1Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10) must deeply respect what they’re bringing closer to the Presence: “good gifts” of the heart cry of humankind. And those who bring those gifts must not pretend they’re transparently offering their best, what Heaven has set aside in them from normal ways of an Earth in need of healing.

Parallel to that lesson in Emor is an overview of the key weekly and annual appointments of Heaven with Earth. Two key dates among them are the weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) and the annual Shavu’ot (Pentecost). Both are tied to the Yobel (Jubilee), an ever-50-years reminder that Heaven has an eternal home for humanity and that the path home requires a declaration of freedom from the past.

From these lessons Heaven has provided in time, we can come to understand how Torah is the “law of liberty” (James 1:25; 2:12) that guides us on how to be free in His Kingdom, brought to reality by Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Christ). That’s not only freedom from physical debts but also freedom from spiritual debts that we have piled upon ourselves. Learn more through this Bible study.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Trumpets

How the 7 trumpets of Revelation are revealed through the Torah and Prophets

How the seven trumpets of Revelation are revealed in the Torah and Prophets

Interpretations of the book of Revelation are numerous, but one key to understanding the mysterious imagery is to find where the same images appear earlier in the Bible. Discover in this study on the Feast of Trumpets how the account of the Exodus and the writings of the prophets Joel, Zechariah, Isaiah and others reveal how the seven trumpets of Revelation point to judgment starting at the house of God.

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Discussions Torah

God wants mercy more than rote obedience (Leviticus 21–24)

Our choices can cause irreparable harm to others, including the next generation. That’s a key lesson from the Torah reading אמר Emor (“say,” Leviticus 21-24).

The Holy One of Israel loves mercy more than rote obedience, and He loathes hypocrisy. God looks at our conduct, as well as the heart behind our actions. We can fool those around us, we might even fool ourselves, but we can’t fool God.