Torah Portion: Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27
Haftarah: Amos 9:7-15
Apostolic Scripture: Mark 12:28-34
Reading #7 - Leviticus 20:23-27
My Thoughts:
Verse 24 includes a very important message, “I am Hashem your Adonai who has separated you from the peoples.” Hashem has made His people set apart. This is for an obvious reason. If we were not set apart, we would be like the rest of the world - sinners at the least. Hashem desires worship and obedience, to do this we must not be like others who do not worship the one true Elohim. We must be different. And when we are not the same we will shine like a bright light. Many will be attracted to this light. This is a situation and lifestyle where it is very, very good to be different – to be set apart. Think about this, and act on it. Follow Hashem and do not follow man. Be different.
Challenge:
Verse 27 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 #7 - Leviticus 20:23-27
23 You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. 24 But I have said to you, “You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am Hashem your Adonai who has separated you from the peoples.
25 “‘You shall therefore make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean fowl and the clean. You shall not make yourselves abominable by animal, or by bird, or by anything with which the ground teems, which I have separated from you as unclean for you. 26 You shall be holy to Me, for I, Hashem, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be Mine.
27 “‘A man or a woman that is a medium or is a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones. Their blood shall be upon themselves.’”
Haftarah
My Thoughts:
The people of Israel have been dispersed. Hashem has let the enemy take the land over. This is because of sin. But there is hope. In verse 9 we read about a sifting, “I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve…”. This means He will sift out the sinners and return the righteous (those obeying Torah) back to Israel. It was a promise then and it is a promise now. He is in the process of returning His people to the Land. And there is a sifting. I want to be one of those who returns, not who is destroyed. How about you?
Challenge:
When the days come, of the olam haba, as written about today – Hashem’s chosen people will return to the Land. And with the promises of fruitfulness and prosperity. That will be wonderful. But, what will be truly the best will be that Hashem will reside with us. The Mashiach will rule from Jerusalem, and the glory of Hashem will fill the world. Every knee will bow to the King of Kings. Let’s get excited about this. Let’s study how this is going to happen. And let’s get ready!
Haftarah: Amos 9:7-15
7 Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to me, children of Israel?” says Hashem. “Haven’t I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir? 8 Behold, the eyes of Hashem Adonai are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the surface of the earth; except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” says Hashem. 9 “For, behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet not the least kernel will fall on the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people will die by the sword, who say, ‘Evil won’t overtake nor meet us.’ 11 In that day I will raise up the tent of David who is fallen, and close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old; 12 that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations who are called by my name,” says Hashem who does this.
13 “Behold, the days come,” says Hashem,
“that the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
and the one treading grapes him who sows seed;
and sweet wine will drip from the mountains,
and flow from the hills.
14 I will bring my people Israel back from captivity,
and they will rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them;
and they will plant vineyards, and drink wine from them.
They shall also make gardens,
and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant them on their land,
and they will no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them,”
Says Hashem your Adonai..
Apostolic Scriptures
My Thoughts:
Yeshua the Rabbi correctly answers the question of the scribes by saying the two greatest commandments are loving Hashem and love each other. If we could teach anything about Hashem to our friends it would be this. If people could understand this basic rule of law, the world would change. If we wrapped our actions and deeds around these two requirements – everything would look different. Start spreading this information to those around you. Take away their doubts and fears. Make it easy for them. They will discover the rest later!
Challenge:
Yeshua says if you follow these two commands, to love Hashem and others, that you are not far from the Kingdom of Adonai. Don’t you want to be close to His kingdom? I do! At the surface these are simple commands, but when you live your life daily and try to follow them you may experience some challenges. How do you love someone who has hurt you badly? How do you treat them kindly? How do you love Hashem when you feel He wasn’t there for you (but He was). Ponder these things and change the things in your life that need changing. Start it all today. It will make the world such a better place!
Apostolic Scriptures: Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that He had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”
29 Yeshua answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, Hashem our Adonai, Hashem is one: 30 you shall love the Hashem your Adonai with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that He is one, and there is none other but He, 33 and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Yeshua saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from Adonai’s Kingdom.”
No one dared ask Him any question after that.
