Acharei Mot/Kedoshim - Reading #6

ACHAREI MOT/KEDOSHIM

Combined readings

Leviticus 16:1-20:27

Reading #6 - Leviticus 19:33-20:7 

My Thoughts:

Verse 20:3 contains the declaration if you are offering your offspring to Molech - you are "Profaning My holy name." People would give their children, mostly babies as an "offering" to a god that didn't even exist.  Hashem says that in doing this you are profaning His holy name. Why? Because HE CREATED your offspring - they came from Him. And now you are giving them away, totally away to a foreign idol. How insulting and horrible. Unspeakable is this action. And yet today we are doing the same. We offer our preborn babies to the idols of selfishness during an abortion. I know this is hard to hear, but think of it. We are taking what Hashem has created and killing him/her. Destroying His creation. But, here is the good part.  We can repent and teshuvah. We can ask forgiveness and He will forgive us. He has grace for every sinner and if we have had an abortion we need to ask Him to forgive us. Today.

Challenge:

Verse 20:6 is about not following wizards – once again. It is really obvious that Hashem does not like playing around with magic. It is brought several times throughout Scripture. The Land they were going into was full of people and cultures who practiced sorcery. Hashem wanted His people to know this was not acceptable. Look at your life and think about what you do that is not acceptable to Hashem. Stop doing it and teshuvah. Turn around to do good. We must start becoming sensitive to sinful ways and what Hashem requires of us. Let’s start today.

Reading #6 - Leviticus 19:33-20:7

19:33 “‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Hashem your Elohim.

35 “‘You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measures of length, of weight, or of quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Adonai your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37 “‘You shall observe all my statutes and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Hashem.’”

20 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Moreover, you shall tell the children of Israel, ‘Anyone of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners in Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone that person with stones. 3 I also will set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given of his offspring to Molech, to defile My sanctuary, and to profane My holy name. 4 If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person when he gives of his offspring to Molech, and don’t put him to death, 5 then I will set my face against that man and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.

6 “‘The person that turns to those who are mediums and wizards, to play the prostitute after them, I will even set my face against that person, and will cut him off from among his people.

7 “‘Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am Adonai your Elohim.