Behar/Bechukotai - Reading #5

BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Reading #5 -  Leviticus 26:10-46

My Thoughts:

We read today all about the “cost” of not following Hashem and His Commandments. And it is so sad and horrible. The worst is the “scattering” out of the Land. If we can’t be in the Land -- we can’t go to the Temple or even have a Temple. The punishment for sinning against Hashem is HUGE and always has been. But, He continues to be full of mercy and grace. Verses 40 and 41 give us the solution, the resolve. First, we must repent. Earnestly, confess to Hashem our sins and make restitution. Secondly, we must walk humbly before Him. In other words, put Hashem first in our lives. Revolve our lives around Him and His Scriptures, not expect Him to revolve Himself around what we choose. And lastly, we must accept our punishment. We learn when we are punished and most likely we will be more careful not to sin again in fear of Hashem and His punishment. We know sin has consequences, and it is super hard to accept these. But, we must so that we can return to Him, and return to the LAND! We want to stay attached to the Covenant with Hashem. Let’s be careful from now on.

Challenge:

Priorities. This week I was miserable. We are in the middle of getting ready to sell our house, and as most of you know that is an incredible amount of work. I have been working hard and have been overwhelmed. What really happened is that I started to worry about a lot of things and it brought great stress. All my priorities were getting “out of order”. Put “stuff” before Elohim, instead of keeping Him in first place! Then through talking with some prayer partners I realized that I was not trusting Hashem. I have been trying to do everything in my own strength, instead of relying on Him. It has been suffocating to live this way. Last night I made a decision. My life is Elohim’s and whatever and however He wants to move in my life -- it is time to surrender it all to Him. I want Him to be in my everyday life, showing me the way. I want to go back to trusting Him and following Him. I want to depend on Him to lead my way, and not try to do this all on my own. That is my challenge to you today, to turn everything over to Hashem today. If you are struggling, ask Him for help and then wait on Him. Try to stop doing things on your own and trust in Him. Put Elohim back in the first spot in your life. Make Him number one! Then everything else will fall into line. Amen!

Reading #5 -  Leviticus 26:10-46

26:10 You shall eat old supplies long kept, and you shall move out the old because of the new. 11 I will set My tent among you, and My soul won’t abhor you. 12 I will walk among you, and will be your Elohim, and you will be My people. 13 I am Adonai your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you walk upright.

14 “‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments, 15 and if you shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances, so that you will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you.

18 “‘If you in spite of these things will not listen to Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. 19 I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won’t yield its increase, neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit.

21 “‘If you walk contrary to Me, and won’t listen to Me, then I will bring seven times more plagues on you according to your sins. 22 I will send the wild animals among you, which will rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number. Your roads will become desolate.

23 “‘If by these things you won’t be turned back to Me, but will walk contrary to Me, 24 then I will also walk contrary to you; and I will strike you, even I, seven times for your sins. 25 I will bring a sword upon you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant. You will be gathered together within your cities, and I will send the pestilence among you. You will be delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight. You shall eat, and not be satisfied.

27 “‘If you in spite of this won’t listen to Me, but walk contrary to Me, 28 then I will walk contrary to you in wrath. I will also chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons, and you will eat the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and My soul will abhor you. 31 I will lay your cities waste, and will bring your sanctuaries to desolation. I will not take delight in the sweet fragrance of your offerings. 32 I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell in it will be astonished at it. 33 I will scatter you among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you. Your land will be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. 34 Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land. Even then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. 35 As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, even the rest which it didn’t have in your Sabbaths when you lived on it.

36 “‘As for those of you who are left, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. The sound of a driven leaf will put them to flight; and they shall flee, as one flees from the sword. They will fall when no one pursues. 37 They will stumble over one another, as it were before the sword, when no one pursues. You will have no power to stand before your enemies. 38 You will perish among the nations. The land of your enemies will eat you up. 39 Those of you who are left will pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers they shall pine away with them.

40 “‘If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against Me; and also that because they walked contrary to Me, 41 I also walked contrary to them, and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land. 43 The land also will be left by them, and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them; and they will accept the punishment of their iniquity because they rejected My ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes. 44 Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break My covenant with them; for I am Hashem their Elohim. 45 But I will for their sake remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their Elohim. I am Hashem.’”

46 These are the statutes, ordinances, and laws, which Hashem made between Him and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai by Moses.

Behar/Bechukotai - Reading #4

BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Reading #4 -  Leviticus 25:39-26:9

My Thoughts:

In the verses 26:3-5 we learn from Hashem that if we follow His Commandments that even more blessings will come to us. We will have rain, crops growing and bearing fruit and bread to eat. And in verses 6-8 we receive even more promises if we follow Torah. We will have peace in the Land, no animal attacks and a special power over our enemies! What beautiful rewards Hashem has in store for us for simply following His instructions! Do you think these are available today? I do. I can see a big difference when I am obedient. Things in life go so much easier. I feel His Presence around me and good things happen to me and my family. And in the reverse when I am disobedient it seems like I am on my own. It’s lonely and sometimes scary. It is a negative feeling that only by repenting and obeying again -- do I feel peace. How about you?

Challenge:

In verses 26:1-2 we have a strong reminder about idols and Sabbaths. When the Israelites were going into their Land they were going to meet up with a lot of false worship and other gods. Our G-d, Elohim, wanted to make sure this didn't happen. Because what happens when people worship idols and forget Sabbath? They “stray” away from Hashem! They lose that strong Presence from Him. It only brings disaster! So my challenge for you today, in a very dark and scary world is to remember who you worship. Remember Hashem is your one and only Elohim. And He sets aside a special day for us to spend with Him -- the Shabbat. So, YOU set aside that day for Him! Start right now!

Reading #4 -  Leviticus  25:39-26:9

25:39 “‘If your brother has grown poor among you, and sells himself to you, you shall not make him to serve as a slave. 40 As a hired servant, and as a temporary resident, he shall be with you; he shall serve with you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and shall return to his own family, and to the possession of his fathers. 42 For they are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. They shall not be sold as slaves. 43 You shall not rule over him with harshness, but shall fear your Elohim.

44 “‘As for your male and your female slaves, whom you may have from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. 45 Moreover, of the children of the aliens who live among you, of them you may buy, and of their families who are with you, which they have conceived in your land; and they will be your property. 46 You may make them an inheritance for your children after you, to hold for a possession. Of them you may take your slaves forever, but over your brothers the children of Israel you shall not rule, one over another, with harshness.

47 “‘If an alien or temporary resident with you becomes rich, and your brother beside him has grown poor, and sells himself to the stranger or foreigner living among you, or to a member of the stranger’s family, 48 after he is sold he may be redeemed. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any who is a close relative to him of his family may redeem him; or if he has grown rich, he may redeem himself. 50 He shall reckon with him who bought him from the year that he sold himself to him to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale shall be according to the number of years; he shall be with him according to the time of a hired servant. 51 If there are yet many years, according to them he shall give back the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. 52 If there remain but a few years to the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according to his years of service he shall give back the price of his redemption. 53 As a servant hired year by year shall he be with him. He shall not rule with harshness over him in your sight. 54 If he isn’t redeemed by these means, then he shall be released in the Year of Jubilee: he and his children with him. 55 For to me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am Hashem your Elohim.

26:1 “‘You shall make for yourselves no idols, and you shall not raise up a carved image or a pillar, and you shall not place any figured stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am Hashem your Elohim.

2 “‘You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Hashem.

3 “‘If you walk in my statutes and keep my commandments, and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall continue until the vintage, and the vintage shall continue until the sowing time. You shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

6 “‘I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove evil animals out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7 You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

Behar/Bechukotai - Reading #3

BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Reading #3 -  Leviticus 25:29-38

My Thoughts:

Again in verses 35-38 Hashem tells us how to help out the poor. We are not to take interest on loaning money, nor give him food for profit. It seems like Hashem is always making sure ALL His people are taking care of. If we are blessed to have money we are to share it with those more unfortunate. He loves all of us, and does not want any of us to be in need. That must be what the command is to “love one another” means. It means not only to love someone but to take care of them. Let’s start that today.

Challenge:

Here is a challenge for you today. It will take a little bit of work but it will go along with what Torah has taught us today. Look in your cupboards. Do you have any extra food, or an abundance of food? Separate out what you extra and put it in bags. Take it down to your local food kitchen or to a neighbor in need. Share your food with those in need today. Do a mitzvah today for those in need. Or even better, take a minute to pray and ask Hashem who needs some monetary help today. He will bring someone to mind. Follow through and help out that person. Do it today, do not delay. You will be blessed. Guaranteed.

Reading #3 -  Leviticus 25:29-38

25:29 “‘If a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it has been sold. For a full year he shall have the right of redemption. 30 If it isn’t redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be made sure in perpetuity to him who bought it, throughout his generations. It shall not be released in the Jubilee. 31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall around them shall be accounted for with the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.

32 “‘Nevertheless, in the cities of the Levites, the Levites may redeem the houses in the cities of their possession at any time. 33 The Levites may redeem the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, and it shall be released in the Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 34 But the field of the pasture lands of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

35 “‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you, then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident. 36 Take no interest from him or profit; but fear your Elohim, that your brother may live among you. 37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. 38 I am Hashem your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your Elohim.

Behar/Bechukotai - Reading #2

BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Reading #2 - Leviticus 25:19-28

My Thoughts:

What a wonderful, fair and just Elohim we serve. He tells His people not to plant in the seventh year, and He knows they are thinking “What shall we eat in the seventh year?”. So, He provides abundantly. His provision is so generous that He provides enough fruit for three years! Until they can replant the 8th year and sow the 9th year. You cannot be more fair and just then that! It shows us that He will not ask us anything unless it is fair and righteous. He does not want us to starve or fail. What He really wants is that we will love Him with our whole heart, soul and strength. And to follow His Commandments. If we do -- we have life and liberty! Forever!

Challenge:

I heard it discussed that the Year of Jubilee and the return of the Land to original owners, really teaches us that nothing is really ours. That the Land actually belongs to Hashem in the end. People are really just “leasing” it from Him in a sense. It makes you think. Is anything really ours? When we die, we die alone, naked and without any possessions. So, did we really ever “own” anything? We must appreciate our lives every day, be grateful for what we have, work hard, serve Adonai, love and worship Him and follow His Commands. My challenge for you today is to think about this and then do it. 

Reading #2 - Leviticus 25:19-28

25:19 The land shall yield its fruit, and you shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. 20 If you said, “What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase;” 21 then I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bear fruit for the three years. 22 You shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the fruits from the old store until the ninth year. Until its fruits come in, you shall eat the old store.

23 “‘The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and live as foreigners with me. 24 In all the land of your possession you shall grant a redemption for the land.

25 “‘If your brother becomes poor, and sells some of his possessions, then his kinsman who is next to him shall come, and redeem that which his brother has sold. 26 If a man has no one to redeem it, and he becomes prosperous and finds sufficient means to redeem it, 27 then let him reckon the years since its sale, and restore the surplus to the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return to his property. 28 But if he isn’t able to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hand of him who has bought it until the Year of Jubilee. In the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his property.

Behar/Bechukotai - Reading #1

BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Reading #1 -  Leviticus 25:1-18 

My Thoughts:

We read in verse 10 that the 50th year in the Land is holy, it is a jubilee! A year of rest and a year of return. I don’t know if the sages have lost track of the jubilee years, or if they just decided not to celebrate because they were not in the Land? In 2017, Israel celebrated the 50th year (Jubilee) of its current existence. Will this continue? There are some Commandments that are hard to follow if we are not in the Land. But, somehow we must compensate for this. It is certainly is a time that we should reexamine Laws like this and see those in authority in Israel to find out how we can follow them.

Challenge:

In verse 18 we read that if we follow the Law and do it faithfully, that we will live safely in the Land. This is a promise. We have seen miracles in the past 50 plus years in Israel -- of Hashem protecting His people and His Land. But we must realize this is contingent upon following and doing the Law. As we read in Torah, if the Law is not followed then He will punish. This punishment is up to Him, but Torah outlines it well. My point -- we must follow and do the Law. Those of us who live in the Land and those of us in exile. It starts with you and me. Here is my challenge today. Follow and do the Torah to the best of your ability. Start today. Review what you are not doing and change. It’s time. We want the Mashiach to return and rule and reign from the Temple in Jerusalem. In order for this to happen we must be prayerful and obedient. Let’s do that now!

Reading #1 -  Leviticus 25:1-18 

25 Hashem said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to Hashem. 3 You shall sow your field six years, and you shall prune your vineyard six years, and gather in its fruits; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to Hashem. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. 5 What grows of itself in your harvest you shall not reap, and you shall not gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. 6 The Sabbath of the land shall be for food for you; for yourself, for your servant, for your maid, for your hired servant, and for your stranger, who lives as a foreigner with you. 7 For your livestock also, and for the animals that are in your land, shall all its increase be for food.

8 “‘You shall count off seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years; and there shall be to you the days of seven Sabbaths of years, even forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. 10 You shall make the fiftieth year holy, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee to you; and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee to you. In it you shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself, nor gather from the undressed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat of its increase out of the field.

13 “‘In this Year of Jubilee each of you shall return to his property.

14 “‘If you sell anything to your neighbor, or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. 15 According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor. According to the number of years of the crops he shall sell to you. 16 According to the length of the years you shall increase its price, and according to the shortness of the years you shall diminish its price; for he is selling the number of the crops to you. 17 You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your Elohim; for I am Hashem your Elohim.

18 “‘Therefore you shall do My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them; and you shall dwell in the land in safety.

Behar/Bechukotai - Week #8

BEHAR/BECHUKOTAI

Leviticus 25:1-27:34

Jeremiah 16:19-17:14

Luke 4:14-22; Matthew 16:20-28

1: 25:1-18 (18 p'sukim)

2: 25:19-28 (10 p'sukim)

3: 25:29-38 (10 p'sukim)

4: 25:39-26:9 (26 p'sukim)

5: 26:10-46 (37 p'sukim)

6: 27:1-15 (15 p'sukim)

7: 27:16-34 (19 p'sukim)

Emor - Reading #7

Emor Say — אֱמוֹר

Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23

Haftarah - Ezekiel 44:15-31

Apostolic Writings - Matthew 26:59-66

Reading #7 - Leviticus 24:1–23

My Thoughts:

Today we read the story of the men who cursed and blasphemed His Name. This is very serious. And the penalty from Hashem was they were to be stoned to death. Why? My thoughts are that Hashem wants His people truly to be holy. And if someone is not and also blaspheming Hashem, it only brings division and confusion among the people. That’s what sin does. It affects everyone. They were getting ready to go into Israel, the promised land. They were given a set of rules to keep things in order and to stay close to Hashem. This behavior did not promote unity, nor respect for our Elohim. The penalty seems strong. Today when people do this they just walk out without punishment. And the world is getting darker and darker. When the Mashiach comes He will bring Hashem’s Light and the world will change. And people will gladly follow the Torah. I can’t wait for this to happen. You?

Challenge:

In verse 20 we read, “ It shall be done to him as he has injured someone.” I believe Hashem orders this because it would make someone think twice about punching someone in the face and causing damage. A lot of Hashem’s laws let you know that there are severe consequences for doing wrong. Today we don’t get punished for many sins (except murder, etc). Yet we know the affects our sins have on others and the world can be very detrimental! Examine your life and repent of any sins. Make a strong commitment to Hashem that you will not do them again. Repay or make reparation for whatever you are able. Help repair our relationships and our world. Do it today.

Reading #7 - Leviticus 24:1–23

24:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. 3 Outside of the veil of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before Hashem continually. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall keep in order the lamps on the pure gold lamp stand before Hashem continually.

5 “You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenths of an ephah shall be in one cake. 6 You shall set them in two rows, six on a row, on the pure gold table before Hashem. 7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire to Hashem. 8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before Hashem continually. It is an everlasting covenant on the behalf of the children of Israel. 9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons. They shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him of the offerings of Hashem made by fire by a perpetual statute.”

10 The son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 They put him in custody until Hashem’s will should be declared to them. 13 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 14 “Bring him who cursed out of the camp; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Whoever curses his Elohim shall bear his sin. 16 He who blasphemes Hashem’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name.

17 “‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death. 18 He who strikes an animal mortally shall make it good, life for life. 19 If anyone injures his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: 20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It shall be done to him as he has injured someone. 21 He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. 22 You shall have one kind of law for the foreigner as well as the native-born; for I am Hashem your Adonai.’”

23 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they brought him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. The children of Israel did as Hashem commanded Moses.

Haftarah

My Thoughts:

These verses in Ezekiel are for the world to come, possibly the Messianic Era. It describes the duties of the priests which is very close to the descriptions in the Torah. That is because in the future, when the Temple is rebuilt – and it will be rebuilt – the Torah Temple rules will be followed and enforced. We are not done with sacrifices or priestly rule. Just read the Prophets.

Challenge:

In verse 23 we learn that the priests will take on a teaching role. They will instruct the people about holiness, clean and unclean. Don’t you think that would be a good idea to start learning that now? In preparation for the Temple and to follow what we can in our lives today. For example the dietary laws. Torah says they are forever. And they will be taught again in the future. It is imperative and I believe a sin if we do not distinguish between clean and unclean foods. If we think we can indulge in any meats or shellfish, etc. we are making a terrible mistake. That’s why it is good to follow Hashem and His Torah. Every day. Study, learn and obey. Start today.

Haftarah - Ezekiel 44:15-31

15 “‘“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me. They shall stand before Me to offer to me the fat and the blood,” says Hashem Adonai. 16 “They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister to Me, and they shall keep My instruction.

17 “‘“It will be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments. No wool shall come on them while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and shall have linen trousers on their waists. They shall not clothe themselves with anything that makes them sweat. 19 When they go out into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they minister, and lay them in the holy rooms. They shall put on other garments, that they not sanctify the people with their garments.

20 “‘“They shall not shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long. They shall only cut off the hair of their heads. 21 None of the priests shall drink wine when they enter into the inner court. 22 They shall not take for their wives a widow, or her who is put away; but they shall take virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest. 23 They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

24 “‘“In a controversy they shall stand to judge. They shall judge it according to my ordinances. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts. They shall make my Sabbaths holy.

25 “‘“They shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister who has had no husband, they may defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed, they shall reckon to him seven days. 27 In the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering,” says Hashem Adonai.

28 “‘They shall have an inheritance. I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel. I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the meal offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The first of all the first fruits of every thing, and every offering of everything, of all your offerings, shall be for the priest. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat of anything that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it is bird or animal.

Apostolic Writings

My Thoughts:

I suppose you could say that the chief priest and elders believed that Yeshua was blaspheming Hashem. And as we read in today’s Torah portion the penalty for this is death. If they had read Torah and studied Scriptures they would have known He was the prophesied Mashiach. They would have followed and sat at His feet, instead of condemning Him. That is why it is important to know the whole Word of Hashem and His prophets. And why now we must study to know what Hashem really says about the coming Mashiach and His role. We don’t want Yeshua to come back and we don’t recognize Him. If so, we will lose out – eternally.

Challenge:

In verse 64 Yeshua says that we see Him coming on the clouds of the sky. Many people have pondered this verse. Some think He comes halfway, grabs some of the “church” and returns to heaven. I don’t see any Scripture to support this. Others believe He will come (as prophesied) and gather His people to Jerusalem where He will rule and reign in the Temple. That’s what I believe. And we see that in the many verses of Ezekiel and other prophets. Be sure you study all of this and go to Hashem with your questions. We must be ready when the Mashiach comes and know what Scripture says. Not man — Scripture! Amen.

Apostolic Writings - Matthew 26:59-66

59 Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Yeshua, that they might put Him to death, 60 and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of Elohim, and to build it in three days.’”

62 The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?” 63 But Yeshua stayed silent. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living Elohim that you tell us whether you are the Mashiach, the Son of Adonai.”

64 Yeshua said to him, “You have said so. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky.”

65 Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard His blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”

They answered, “He is worthy of death!”