Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parashah # 32: B’har (On Mount) Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:1-26:2 and B’chukkotai (By my regulations) Vayikra (Leviticus) 26:3-27:34 (read together in regular years)
Haftarah: Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 32:6-27
B’rit Chadashah: 1 Corinthians 7:21-4
Lest we forget the importance G-d places on observing Shabbat, He reminds us yet another time in this parashah. Previous commands to observe Shabbat, G-d’s Shabbat, which occurs from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday are mentioned in Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 16;23; 16;25; 16:26;16:29; 16;30; 20:8-11; 23;12; 31:13-17; 34;21; 35:2-3; Leviticus 19;2-3; 19:30; 23:3; 23:11; and Leviticus 23:38. Keep in mind that this count only includes occurrences in scripture up to Leviticus 24:23. In fact, observing Shabbat is the top priority in the list of designated times given in Leviticus 23:1-44. I don’t feel bad about repeating many of the biblical concepts of G-d’s Torah because G-d employed the practice of repetition through Moshe to the Israelites. Yet, man still rebels, ignores, modifies, and even teaches against G-d’s Torah! The price to be paid for such antinomian behaviors is also repeated throughout the Old Testament and the Refreshed, renewed Covenant (“New Testament”). There are several teachings on the subject of antinomianism (sin) on the website http://www.rabdavis.org that I encourage everyone to explore.
Today I am focusing on this subject of Shabbat because observing it and G-d’s other designated times are crucial to our salvation. There are a plethora of subjects in G-d’s Torah that are “fun” to explore and ponder, but Shabbat is not an issue that is open for debate. Although time restrictions prohibit me from exploring the second parashah reading today, I submit that the focus on Shabbat will make the point about G-d’s commands, designated times, and other instructions; what G-d will do for those who are obedient, and what will befall those who are not.
G-d tells us that Shabbat is a day of complete rest, a holy convocation which is a summoned assembly In the Hebrew it has a deeper meaning. The phrase in Hebrew is “miqra Kodesh” which literally means “a sacred calling together.” A holy convocation refers to an assembly set apart and dedicated to G-d. This applies to weekly Shabbats and special Shabbats explained throughout G-d’s Torah. All of the Feast Days are Shabbats. These special times remind us of our unique relationship to G-d. While the world operates “as usual.” Buying and selling, working, engaging in everything other than a complete day of rest are the same behaviors present in Noach’s day. The holy convocations of G-d including Shabbat strengthens our communal ties, provides a venue whereby we collectively worship and learn more of G-d’s Torah, and reminds us of our special covenantal relationship with G-d.
To illustrate how Christianity has “modified and in some cases relegated G-d’s commands for His designated times/holy convocations to historical in the Old Testament, I refer to the website http://www.answerthebible.com states “So while holy convocations were shadowy types leading up to the Messiah, Jesus is the substance that gives them ultimate meaning and fulfillment. Believers now celebrate their holy convocations in Christ by gathering for corporate worship, communion, baptism, prayer, and other means of grace through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.” In other words, they have chosen to allow the Catholic Church to change the commands, including G-d’s designated Sabbat, they do not follow the Designated Times of G-d so clearly defined in our Leviticus 23 because they look on them as historical for the Jews only at the time, and they attempt to rationalize their behaviors by claiming they fall under an unending outpouring of G-d’s grace bestowed upon them through the Holy Spirit.
I submit those who follow this paradigm of pseudo worship of G-d, have no idea Who the Holy Spirit is and that the Holy Spirit cannot and does not dwell within those who rebel against G-d’s Torah. The belief that G-d will “excuse’ such behaviors that even include pagan based traditions of men such as Easter and Christmas; choosing to gather on the day sanctioned by the Catholic Church as Shabbat on Sunday, the roots of which go back to worshiping the “sun god,” is not biblically sound. The truth of the matter is found throughout G-d’s Torah/instructions, but I will provide a catalyst by calling your attention to Revelation 20:4-6 and 20: -11-15. Understanding the importance of G-d’s Shabbat and our participation in observing it is crucial to our salvation. This is why I have made it a priority in today’s commentary.
First, I will quote Exodus 31:14 “Observe the Sabbat, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.”
I include Revelation 20:4-5 to place the narrative in context compared to those who will rule with Messiah for 1,000 years.
“Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them received authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for testifying about Yahshua and proclaiming the Word of G-d, also those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They came to life and ruled with the Messiah for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first resurrection. “
Revelation 20:11-15 follows the 1,000-year reign, the release of the Adversary from his prison, and the preparation for the final battel between good and evil; YHVH/Yahshua and the Adversary. G-d consumes these evil forces with fire from heaven, and the Adversary was cast into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were and will be tormented forever and ever.
Revelation 11-15 reads “Next, I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done. The sea gave up the dead in it; and Death and Sh’ol gave up the dead in them; and they were judged from what was written in the books, according to what he had done. Then Death and Sh’ol were hurled into the lake of fire. This is the second death- the lake of fire. Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire. “
Finally, I want to call your attention to Revelation 22:18-19. Changing the holy convocations of G-d, removing G-d’s unique right to absolve the sins of man, worshiping on a day other than G-d’s Shabbat, celebrating in pagan-rooted traditions that conflict with G-d’s Word such as Easter, Christmas, and Halloween to name a few; advocating for an believing that the Eucharist is truly the “blood and body of Christ,” which is in direct conflict of G-d’s command not to consume blood because “ blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the flesh” ( Deut. 12:23), and creating and worshipping idols and graven images, changing the words of G-d’s Word to fit the Church Replacement theology of Christianity constitute adding to and subtracting from G-d’s Word. On this subject G-d said “ I warn everyone hearing the words of the prophecy in this book, that if anyone adds to them, G-d will add to him the plagues written in this book. And if anyone takes anything away from the words in the book of this prophecy, G-d will take away his share in the Tree of Life and the holy city, as described in this book.”
I receive questions about the New Jerusalem, the Tree of Life and the twelve fruits mentioned in Revelation 22:2, so I will briefly address it in this commentary.
The concept of the “Twelve fruits” centers around the imagery found in the Book of Revelation (22:2). The twelve fruits are often interpreted as the completeness and fullness of G-d’s blessing and provision. The number 12 in itself is biblically significant, often associated with divine authority and governmental perfection personified with the 12 tribes and Yahshua’s 12 apostles. In this context, the 12 fruits can be understood as the perfect and complete nourishment/provision provided by G-d for those who have found, followed, and entered the narrow gate to eternal life (Matt. 7:13-14.)
The Tree of Life first mentioned in Genesis 2:9 and again in Revelation 22:2 symbolizes eternal life and divine sustenance. “ Aytz Chayim He” is a prayer said at the return of the Torah to the ark. The phrase translates as “It is a tree of life for those who take hold of it.” The remainder of the prayer reads “… and those who take hold of it are praiseworthy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace.”
The Tree of Life was available to Adam and Eve before the Fall but was forbidden to them after Adam’s sin and Eve’s deception. The reappearance in the Book of Revelation signifies restoration to G-d through Yahshua’s sacrifice for those “who take hold of it [Him]. The tree’s continuous fruit-bearing throughout the year for eternity underscores the perpetual and eternal nature of G-d’s provision in the new creation. Time as we know it remains to be described such as in the statement describing a fresh fruit every month. Yet, eternity has no time. The harvest will be perpetual and not seasonal, showing true believers that life is sustained by the Lamb’s provision and not of our own efforts
For true believers, the vision of the twelve fruits instills in us to live with hope and anticipation for Yahshua’s return and the ultimate eternity in His kingdom. The description of the tree and its fruits and other scriptures whereby Yahshua tells us of the place He is going to prepare for us, that we will be with Him in the future (John 14:3-10) encourage us to live a lifestyle testimony that honors G-d and contributes to making His Name known throughout the nations. We are encouraged to trust in G-d and Yahshua who in reality is G-d, Emanuel, G-d with us. This fact is substantiated throughout G-d’s Word, the depth of this reality for another study (listen to Podcast series entitled “the Mystical Shape of the G-dhead) at “Tamah’s Torah Teaching.”
Haftarah: Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 32:6-27
Talk about a man of faith and trust in G-d? In this haftarah we learn that Yirmeyahu was imprisoned by Tzidkiyahu for prophesying the truth about the Babylonian captivity that was in progress. As bad as this situation was, when we look a little deeper, we find that this was G-d’s way of pulling Yirmeyahu out of the chaos and placing him in “protective” custody so to speak. He has a prayerful conversation with G-d reflecting on all that G-d had done for the Israelites, yet G-d’s kindnesses and miracles were repaid with disobedience, neither paying attention to His voice nor His Torah, doing nothing they were told to do (Jer. 32:23).
But G-d was merciful to Yirmeyahu, speaking to him almost as a friend, explaining what was happening at that time and why: “They have turned their backs on me, not their faces; and although I taught them, taught them frequently, they have not listened so as to receive instruction.” The city of Jerusalem would be captured and by means of the sword, famine, and plague, it would be handed over to the Kasdim(Chaldeans) fighting against it. G-d showed Yirmeyahu that what he had prophesied, was happening before his eyes.
Just as it would seem that there was no future hope for Israel or Y’hudah, Adonai, the G-d of Israel said “ concerning this city, of which you say that it is handed over to the king of Bavel by sword, famine and plague: I will gather them out of all the countries where I drove them in my anger, fury and great wrath; and I will bring them back to this place and have them live here in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their G-d. I will give them singleness of heart and singleness of purpose, so that they will fear me forever- this will be for their own good and for the good of their children after them.”
Within the above narrative, we are taken back to the seriousness of lovingly following G-d’s commands/law/instructions and the consequences of deliberate disobedience. G-d is clearly telling Yirmeyahu and us that there will be a time when we are regathered from all of the places to which we were scattered and will be united in purpose and singleness, enjoying the fruits of the Tree of Life for an eternity.
B’rit Chadashah: 1 Corinthians 7:21-4
Sha’ul (Paul) is saying that if we have the opportunity to improve ourselves for G-d’s glory, we should take such action. If we do not have such an opportunity, we need not be anxious about it, rather, we should bloom where we are planted. We should regard the call by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) as sanctifying our present situation. Although Sha’ul was appealing to those who were looking for a way to dissolve their marriage, this concept applies to all true believers. It may be in the humblest of situations such as Yirmeyahu’s imprisonment, or Yosef’s captivity before he became Egyptian royalty that opportunities to glorify G-d and make His Name known throughout the nations are most effective. So let us be satisfied with our lot as encouraged by the following scriptures: “ Phil. 4:11-12, 1 Tim. 6:6-7; Hebrews 13:5,Luke 12:15, and Psalm 37:16. One day all true believers will have access to the Tree of Life (Yahshua) and share in all its blessings without want, but with singleness of purpose to sing His praises for an eternity.
Shalom,
Rabbi Tamah Davis-Hart