Tag: Parashat Behar-Bechukotai

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Discussions Torah

Leviticus 26-27: Get a Heavenly transplant before following your heart

Photo Credit: Heart in my Hands by Freeimages.com/Chelsee Tysoe. Creative Commons License.

As Leviticus ends with the Torah reading בחקותי Bechokotai (“in My statutes,” Leviticus 26-27), we should remember the point of this book seen at its beginning: The LORD wants Israel in His presence, but each must be transformed to make that journey. That’s the lesson of the Tabernacle, offerings, priesthood, appointed times and years, distinguishing between clean and unclean, etc.

As promised in the New Covenant prophecy (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:25–26), the LORD will give us a “new heart,” written upon with His laws and empowered by His Spirit.

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Discussions Torah

Leviticus 25: Golden Rule behind sabbatical years and Jubilee

Photo Credit: Fallow field near Campos Castilla, Spain by Freeimages.com/Juan Carlos Rodríguez.

The lessons of rest and release in the biblical sabbatical year (shemitah) and Yobel (Jubilee) teach us how we are to be good masters and how good of a Master our Messiah Yeshua is. Embedded in the lessons of the Torah reading Behar (“on the mountain,” Leviticus 25) is we are to treat each other with the kindness Yeshua gives us — the Golden Rule.

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Discussions Reflections on Scripture

Genesis 12–17: Abram’s ‘slaves’ aren’t like American slavery

Anti-Slavery Almanac, 1838
Illustration from the Anti-Slavery Almanac, published 1838 (Public Domain photo).

God is not an American. As we study the Torah reading לֶךְ-לְךָ‎ Lech Lecha (“get going!” Genesis 12–17), we should remember that the Bible He divinely inspired should not be interpreted through the lens of American history.

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Discussions Torah

Leviticus 26: Blessings of obedience and curses of disobedience

Richard Agee

It is only God Who can restore life from death, not only the death of a person but the death of a nation. God warns Israel and He will destroy their nation if they walk in idolatry but he will also restore their nation if they will humble themselves and accept their guilt.

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Appointments With God Discussions Jubilee Sabbatical Year Torah

Leviticus 25: Shemitah (sabbatical year) and Yobel (Jubilee)

Richard Agee

The shabbats (sabbaths) of the land and the Yobel (Jubilee) are not about the U.S. or other countries, but about the land of Israel. Yet even in the diaspora (outside the land), there are lessons we can learn about how we should trust in God, how far God can take care of His people and how we are to take care of our families and each other.

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Discussions Torah

Leviticus 26-27 — God mixes justice with mercy

The topic of these two chapters is God’s anger: the just anger that comes when His people do not follow the way He has laid out for them. God reveals the blessings He will give them if they obey Him and give their hearts to Him and the curses that will come upon them they disobey Him by running towards other gods.

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Discussions Torah

Leviticus 25 — Shabbat and jubilee years

Keeping the jubilee year with both crops and servants were an act of faith on the part of the people of Israel. It is difficult to live in freedom of liberty and it is so easy to fall into bondage and slavery. God set up a safety net to protect the people from permanent bondage and slavery and to protect the land from being over consumed and dried up.