Lev. 25 : 01 - 05 Faith, Rest, & Presumption

[Mark]

You could almost read it as a personals ad: SOD (Single Omnipotent Deity) seeks DIN (Divorced Insignificant Nation) for committed, long term relationship. The Parashah of Leviticus ends with dividing the calendar into seven year and fifty year cycles. Such says at the very surface: I am in this for the long haul.

The Sabbatical year is a testimony of Adonai's providence... first. Then, as a response, we are commanded to act in faith. It is the idea of firstfruits put to the test. Normal entropy would suggest that the yield of produce would decrease by measure each succeeding year as the nutrients in the soil are depleted. The sixth year should be marked a significantly lesser crop yield than the first year. Adonai says that the sixth yield will be a bumper crop: able to sustain us until the eighth. The seventh year is treated as a Sabbath (on the sixth year a douple portion is stored to be ate on the Sabbatical year. (We should remember this each erev Shabbat as we display our two loaves of challah.) Adonai isn't asking us for "blind faith". He gives the providence in advance and commands that we respond in faith. Such is not the system of thought that we hear from the Missionary fund boards in various denominations: "step out in faith" is their appeal to us. Psalm 19:13 rings hauntingly in my mind at such thinking, "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me..." Biblical faith is not blind confidence that Adonai will bail me out of the jams I get myself into (though He will, but not always in the way we might have hoped or expected).

The promises of are unique from many religious promises because there is a cause and effect in this life, not just promises of benefit in the after-life. Keeping will result in our dwelling in the land safely and that the land will yield her fruit ( you won't go hungry). Often these verses are misunderstood and may seem to be lying to us: many people who are obedient suffer hardship as a result of their obedience; but the promise is not given to each individual but to the nation. Your obedience may result in some immediately negative consequences for yourself; but the result upon your children and the nation will be blessing. See Luke 18:29-30.

While the Jubilee is a the finale of a fifty year cycle, we, as do many Jewish sages, interpret it as testimony of our final state. The Sabbath of Sabbaths may be definitive of what we read as our eternal rest in glory.

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Amein! I just got a chance to read this. Great d'rash (teaching) on parashah Behor/Bechukotai!

Shalom,

Reuel

[R' Y'hoshua Moshe]

Faith, Rest, & Presumption

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By Reuel D.[/center]

There are three particular Hebrew words that relate to this parashah that I wish to cover. The first Hebrew word is “Shabbat”. If anyone has a Strongs concordanance they can look up the Hebrew #7773 for the Hebrew word, “Shabbat” (Shabbat - shaw-bawt). It can mean to repose, that is, desist from exertion; used in many implied relations (cause to, let, make to) cease, rest, or to be still.

The other Hebrew word I would like to focus on can be found in Strongs #530 and is the Hebrew word, “Emunah” (emunah - em-oo-naw). It literally means; “firmness; figuratively security; moral fidelity: - faith (-ful, -ly, -ness), stability, steady, truly, truth, verily”. In the book of Habukkuk 2:4 we see this word employed. It states, “Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith (emunah).”

The third Hebrew word that I would like everyone to consider is found in Strongs #6075 and is the Hebrew word used to describe the English phrase, “puffed up”, as found in our previous scripture passage. The Hebrew word in question is pronounced; “awfal” (aphal - aw-fal ). And, it is indeed an awful thing when we allow sin to corrupt us. The Hebrew word “awfal” can mean to “swell or to be lifted up:, but it can also mean “to presume”. How do these three Hebrew words tie into this parashah? Let us take a closer look…

In Vayikra (Lev.) 25:1-5 it reads; “HASHEM spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai; he said, "Tell the people of Yisra'el, 'When you enter the land I am giving you, the land itself is to observe a Shabbat rest for HASHEM. Six years you will sow your field; six years you will prune your grapevines and gather their produce. But in the seventh year is to be a Shabbat of complete rest for the land, a Shabbat for HASHEM; you will neither sow your field nor prune your grapevines. You are not to harvest what grows by itself from the seeds left by your previous harvest, and you are not to gather the grapes of your untended vine; it is to be a year of complete rest for the land.”

As we revisit the word “Shabbat” we see that this Hebrew word also known in English as “Sabbath” means, “to cease, stop and rest:”. Most often when we think of “Shabbat” or “Sabbath” we think of the Seventh Day Shabbat. But, as we see the reality is that Adonai has many kinds and types of Shabbats. Much of what Adonai created from the beginning was created with a specific design…specifically with a need for a Shabbat. When we review the beginning of our parashah we see that even the land required a Shabbat…every seven years. How would one live during that seventh year where they could not reap during the year the land experienced it’s rest?? For this we would require “emunah”, the Hebrew word for “trust”, or “faith”. If we continue to read we see in verse 6-7 in chapter 25…“But what the land produces during the year of Shabbat will be food for all of you - you, your servant, your maid, your employee, anyone living near you, your livestock and the wild animals on your land; everything the land produces may be used for food.”

We must have “emunah” to even follow Adonai’s words. In the book of Romans chapter 10:17 it says something interesting; “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So, what does that have to do with verses 6-7 in chapter 25 of this parashah?? By observing that Shabbat in verses 6-7 it produced something, it produced a special fruit that can be consumed, which would lead to future blessing. The word, “hearing” in Romans chapter 10:17 just does not mean to simply audibly listen to something. For how many have heard the word of God and rejected not having faith?? A Biblical faith requires action. The famous statement of faith in Judaism goes like this, “Shema, Yisrael Adonai Elohenu, Adonai echad” and is derived from the passage in Devarim (Deut.) 6:4 where in English it is translated to mean; “Hear, O Yisra'el: Adonai our God; Adonai is one”. The Hebrew word for “hear” and the title for this statement of faith is, “Shema”.

Does the Hebrew word for “hear”, the Hebrew word “shema”, simply mean to audibly hear? And, what does this have to do with Romans 10:17 and verses 6-7 in chapter 25 of the book of Vayikra (Lev.)? Let us take a look at the Hebrew word “Shema” H8085 (shama, shaw-mah)). It means, “to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively to tell, etc.): call (gather) together, consent, consider, declare, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear, listen, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim (-ation), publish, regard, report, understand, witness”.

So, when the Hebrew word for “hear” is used in the connection with the Word Of God, and in connection with God’s instruction for His people it is used with the sense of hearing with the intent to obey. Therefore, when we read in Romans 10:17, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”…This can mean that faith is developed when we not only hear the word of God, but also when we incorporate it into our lives in the form of obedience. So again, what does this possibly have to do with Vayikra 25:6-7 (Lev.), trusting in God for the Shabbat rest, and this parashah? It is not until we “hear” God (obey Him) and rest from our own personal works, our own personal logic, and our own personal ways that we will be able to experience the fruit that is produced from observing Adonai’s Shabbat, His rest. This time of ceasing from our own works will produce a spiritual type of food and sustenance for us that will build our faith, our trust, our “emunah”, which will see us through the hard times.

But, if we don’t “hear” Adonai and His words, and if we are characterized by the Hebrew word “awfal”, than we will not be upright or be able to stand before our Heavenly Father. The soul that is described as “awfal” presumes that they are wiser than God as the word “awfal” is also translated “to presume”. People that presume that they can live by their own ways as apposed to the word of God become “puffed up” (the other way this Hebrew word “awfal” can be translated). In the minds of such people they become puffed up and whether they admit it or not they essentially believe that they are above the wisdom found in God’s instruction, the wisdom found in His . Sometimes because they think they understand the intent of a particular commandment they presume that they can actually avoid keeping the commandment as long as they don’t violate what they consider to be the intent or spirit of the command. But, does the word of God give us such liberty to ignore His commandments as long as we feel we understand His mind??

For example, in Shemot (Exo.) 16:23 we are told by God to boil and cook our food on the day prior to the day of Shabbat. We were not to cook and boil our food on the Shabbat. But, there are some that believe as long as they are doing something that is in accordance with resting on Sabbath (seeing this as the sole intent of the command), they presume that it is alright to relax the command not to cook or boil food on Shabbat. They think as long as it is not burdensome it is acceptable. I do believe there is a difference between cooking and preparing the food into a dish, and simply warming a dish up. I don’t believe warming an already prepared dish would be a violation of the commandment. But, the dish itself or the food itself should be prepared on the previous day, as instructed by our God. Or, what about kosher eating according to Vayikra (Lev.) 11? Some believe God gave these commands simply because modern conveniences were not available to keep us from getting various disease and parasites. They say that now that we understand and have grown wise that we really don’t need to keep these commands any longer. Have we really become smarter than God? In 1Corinthians 3:18 Sha’ul (Paul) states the following about the wisdom of men and the wisdom that they world offers us, “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.” Therefore, let us contrast worldly wisdom with godly wisdom.

In Mishlei (Prov.) 10:8 we read, “The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall.”.

Yehoshua (Josh.) 1:7-8 states, “Only be strong and very brave, so that you may take heed to do according to all the which Moshe My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may act wisely wherever you go. This book of shall not depart out of your mouth, and you shall meditate on it by day and by night, so that you shall be on guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall prosper your way, and then you shall act wisely.”

* Some versions will translate “act wisely” as “good success” or “prosper”, but the Hebrew word is “sakal”, meaning to be “circumspect”, “act intelligently”, “act wisely”, or “guide wittingly”.

In Tehillim (Psa.) 119:97-100 King David proclaims, “How I love your ! It is my meditation all day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for your commandments are always with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have kept your precepts.”

The following is stated of King Shlomo (Solomon) in Melachim Alef (1Kings) 4:29, “God gave Shlomo exceptional wisdom and understanding, as well as a heart as vast as the sandy beach by the sea.” At the end of the book Kohelet (Eccles.) 12:13 King Shlomo in all his wisdom states the following, “This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”. Brothers and sisters, anything that someone may communicate to the contrary is simply the foolishness of the world that should be rejected. And, if the World believes that it is wise to reject the keeping of Adonai’s , let us become fools in their eyes. I would rather be a fool for The Lord, than a worldly wise-guy. My dear friends, let not the Hebrew word “awfal” (to be presumptuous and puffed up) be descriptive of our theology.

In verse six of Vayikra (Lev.) chapter 25 we see in order for Yisrael to enjoy the eighth year’s special fruit they had to trust Adonai for the seventh year. Here we also can see that for us to enjoy the new beginning, (the eighth year) and the freshness that the Sabbath will produce for us, we must have “emunah”, we must “trust” our Heavenly Father for all of our needs during His Shabbat, during the time he has called us to cease, during the time He calls us to rest in His bosom. Many times our Heavenly Father asks us to do things that do not make sense to us. In fact, in Judaism there are a whole body of instruction in the known as “chukim”. These instructions, these “chukim”, are generally considered mysterious and for the most part we don’t understand exactly their intent, as there are no specific reason given.

Rabbinic Judaism makes a distinction between commandments (mishpatim) which can be rationally justified, and statutes (chukim), who's purpose is mysterious. An example of the former would be "You shall not murder," a rule for which almost anybody can find a superabundance of justifications, ranging from inherent emotional revulsion at the act to sophisticated theories of an implied social contract for civil order. An example of the latter (chukim) would be the Biblical prohibition on wearing wool and linen together as it does not tell exactly why we are to observe this statute.

The Rabbi Rashi was quoted saying, “that the nations taunt us for such rulings”. It has been said that “in reality, the is taunting us, as if to say: “You, who are always seeking rational explanations, try to explain this!” Rashi goes on to state, “Don’t bend the to your mind, bend your mind to the .” Bend your mind to the , and you will find the greatest mysteries of life and death, expounded in clear terms.”.

It has been said that the has been compared “to a work of solid gold, covered with tin; the tin covering has small holes. The wise person examines the tin, notices the holes, and discovers the gold shining beneath. To discover the gold that is underneath we must examine it very closely, which requires us to closely observe it. Therefore, to truly experience what has for us and perhaps a closer understanding of it’s purposes is for us to indeed be observant. The fool sees only the superficial tin covering, and rejects the work as a worthless piece of material. So too, to some the looks like tin; but when examined very closely one will find solid gold shining through the holes... The fool, however, does not take the time to examine the ‘tin’; he doesn’t notice the gold shining through... It is only through examining the ‘Chukim’ -- the mysterious decrees -- that we come to glimpse the real meanings of the ‘Mishpatim’”. (Portions of the above derived from “Sefer Panim Yafos”).

I believe one of the reasons that “chukim” like these are given is so that we would trust our Father and lean upon Him and not always lean upon our worldly logic for the reasons why we trust and follow Adonai. We should observe our Heavenly Father’s whether or not we think we understand it through our own logic. That is what having “child-like” faith is all about. I child-like faith trusts our Heavenly Father and follows Him without question because we believe He loves us and we believe that everything He says is the truth. After spending time observing our Father’s instruction we often find out that His wisdom is indeed superior to ours, and as a result our “emunah” (trust) is built up in Him. We are commanded to trust in the Elohim of Yisrael. For we will never enjoy His rest, His renewal, and His restoration that He has prepared for us if we are constantly worrying about what will happen, if we are constantly relying on our own arm to bring us comfort, security, salvation, and rest…If we rely on ourselves for these things we will be disappointed and unfulfilled because our own arm can never bring us these things…these gifts only come from a right relationship with our God. In chapter 25 verses 8-13 in the book of Vayikra (Lev.) we read….

"'You are to count seven Shabbats of years, seven times seven years, that is, forty-nine years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month, on Yom-Kippur, you are to sound a blast on the shofar; you are to sound the shofar all through your land; and you are to consecrate the fiftieth year, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It will be a yovel (jubilee) for you; you will return everyone to the land he owns, and everyone is to return to his family. That fiftieth year will be a yovel for you; in that year you are not to sow, harvest what grows by itself or gather the grapes of untended vines; because it is a yovel. It will be holy for you; whatever the fields produce will be food for all of you. In this year of yovel, every one of you is to return to the land he owns.”

The Hebrew word “Yovel”, translated “jubilee”, actually refers to the blast of a horn and signaled a time of release and return. Interestingly enough, we have chukim (mysterious statutes) dealing with the instructions regarding when and how this “yovel” was to be observed. It was to be observed on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the day when Yisrael’s national sins were to be forgiven. In Luke 4:16-19 we see Yeshua attending synagogue on Shabbat, and just like we have done here today they were reading the weekly parashah and it came time for the haftarah portion. Luke 4:16-19 says, "He came to Natzeret, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the day of Shabbat, and stood up to read. The book of the prophet Yeshaiyahu was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

This time of “release”, this time of “yovel” was a time that everyone had a chance to start anew. That which was lost was found, and that which was in bondage was set free. But, they were not free to flaunt the grace that was shown to them and use it as a excuse to act wickedly. This “yovel” was not given so that they could continue the same things that led to bondage and sin. In Vayikra 25:55 we read that God likened the nation of Yisrael as His own personal slaves. This is one aspect that the Yovel did not change. They were not freed from the rule of the King of The Universe. We were brought out of our own personal Egypt and the bondage of sin to be slaves to righteousness and overcome sin in our life. In the book of Romans chapter six we see the Rabbi Sha’ul (Paul) touch on this subject…

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all we who were immersed into Messiah Yeshua were immersed into his death? We were buried therefore with him through immersion to death, that just like Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. But if we died with Messiah, we believe that we will also live with him; knowing that Messiah, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Thus also consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. Therefore don't let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered. Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.” - Romans 6:1-23

We must understand that the context of our previous passage in Romans equates being “under the law” with being a bondservant to sin, because in our carnal nature it is impossible to keep God’s commandments (Romans 8). But, if we are under the authority of God’s empowerment, His “grace”, than we become bondservants to righteousness. The statutes of Adonai may not always make sense to us, but they make complete sense to Him. Shouldn’t we trust in that? In Yirmeyahu (Jer.) 32:6-27 the children of Yisrael had become characterized by the Hebrew word, “awfal”. They had failed to exercise “emunah” in Adonai. The result was that they were not able to experience “shabbat”. As seen in our haftarah reading, instead of experiencing the rest and freedom that Adonai had waiting for them, they chose captivity and grievous bondage. It sounds crazy that one would make such a choice, and it is! Indeed, we should know that if we choose to transgress the instruction of God…it is craziness! We should never presume to be wiser than our Creator. Just because we don’t fully understand the commandments of Adonai and they don’t make sense logically to us doesn’t mean we can reinterpret them in order to transgress them…or even ignore them. For if we do, we will suffer the lesson our forefathers learned and Yisrael learned with the King of Bavel. I would like to conclude with a reading of the book of Galations found chapter 6 verses 7-9…

“Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don't give up.”

[Mark]

The combined titles of the final two parashim (the Portions) reminds us of the protected religious experience in which it is formed and nurtured; but looks out toward where it is to grow and develop.

BeHar is "the Mountain", specifically Mount Sinai in the context of Scripture. BeKhutotai are the Statutes of Adonai.

We often seek after the "mountain-top" experience with Adonai. A huge multi-million dollar industry has emerged, trying to fill the emotional need to draw close to God. There are quiet retreats in pristine wilderness areas, family centers and week-end getaways, traveling speakers and musical performance groups: all offering a chance at that emotional "high" which we describe as what it means to be drawn into the presence of God.

From the Hebrew perspective, this is a bunch of nonsense. It doesn’t matter where you go or who you bring or what quality of performance is available to you- if you don’t bring Adonai with you, you’re not going to really find Him there.

Lots of folks are confused by the rush of adrenaline or the emotional elation that they get from a good performance and describe this as having "met with God." They seldom realize that this same state of being may come to them at any other kind of entertainment and is the "sell" offered by most daytime television. Meeting with God is not about personal gratification- it is about being drawn into holiness beyond our comprehension. It is recognizing that He is greater than our comprehension and that we are so very small.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5 KJV)

We don’t need to go looking in the Yellow pages nor searching the web to find our "mountain top". That’s not to say that there are not some really good opportunities out there, and a good retreat can be a powerful tool. Yet where you find God is not out under the pine trees. It is in beKhutotai (the statutes of God).

The idea of the khukote is that which is engrained into a person: their common practices that identify them peculiarly. A trained craftsman can tell the difference between types of wood that he uses according to its grain. The qualities described of a person’s behavior as it is described by are what bring us into the presence of the Most High God.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, (Leviticus 25:1 KJV)

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. (Leviticus 25:2 KJV)

Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; (Leviticus 25:3 KJV)

But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. (Leviticus 25:4 KJV)

That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. (Leviticus 25:5 KJV)

And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, (Leviticus 25:6 KJV)

And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat. (Leviticus 25:7 KJV)

To answer the first question on many minds is that the last "Shemitah" (Sabbatical Year) was 5768 (September 13, 2007 till September 29, 2008). The next Sabbatical Year will begin 5775 (September 25, 2014).

The Shemitah requires an absolution of all outstanding debts. (Deuteronomy 15:1-2). This is a poignant reminder that we are not to hold so tightly onto the things of this world. Everything belongs to Adonai and we are His. Those things we have been blessed with, even the debts we incur, are a product of His abiding grace and presence in our lives. As a creditor, this seems a bit flagrant. Yet, it would disallow any from incurring a debt that would require greater than seven years to pay- such would preclude the trouble our economy has gotten us into today.

It’s unfortunate; but all too common among Messianic believers to minimize the significance of Sabbath to their Christian brothers in our response to their aversion of the command. We say, "Who doesn’t like to take a day off?" Yet, if I told my wife that I was going to take mer birthday off from work, she’d probably beam with excitement that I considered her special day so important to me. But if I then, spent that day, sitting in my hammock reading a book or watching a ball game, she’d be crushed. Verse two tells us that the Sabbath year is not for the agricultural benefit of revitalizing the soil, nor for protecting the integrity of the seed crop, nor for simply demonstrating to us that we are taken care of by Adonai (and not as the result of our labor). The purpose of the Sabbath and the Sabbatical Year is to remind us that we are His and that our possessions are His: we are but guests and sojourners.

The command is not that we keep a Sabbath for ourselves but that we keep the Sabbath unto Him. It is His day, His year, His cycle. Everything within it belongs to Him though He gives us great liberty to enjoy and make decisions and reap the rewards of His blessing. The Sabbatical Year is to remind us not to hold on too tightly to these things which we are so inclined to call our own.

And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. (Leviticus 25:8 KJV)

Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. (Leviticus 25:9 KJV)

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. (Leviticus 25:10 KJV)

A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. (Leviticus 25:11 KJV)

For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. (Leviticus 25:12 KJV)

In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession. (Leviticus 25:13 KJV)

The "Yovel" or "the Year of Jubilee" is not counted because it is traditionally established from the erection of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle). When the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the counting of the Yovel ceased and will begin again when the Temple is restored.

And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buyest aught of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another: (Leviticus 25:14 KJV)

An important distinction between "neighbor" and "brother". A neighbor is, in most cases, anyone near to you physically, regardless of relationship. A "borther", in Jewish terms, is speaking of any fellow Hebrew.

According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: (Leviticus 25:15 KJV)

According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee. (Leviticus 25:16 KJV)

Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 25:17 KJV)

Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. (Leviticus 25:18 KJV)

And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. (Leviticus 25:19 KJV)

And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: (Leviticus 25:20 KJV)

Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. (Leviticus 25:21 KJV)

And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store. (Leviticus 25:22 KJV)

Imagine getting a bumper crop that is three times the normal harvest! What should we do with it? Our inclination might to be to extend luxury by at least one third, buying all those things we had wished we could afford but could not before. When blessed with a financial abundance, it is important to consider what this must be all about. Consider prayerfully the use of funds before spending them frivolously. Sometimes they are a gift simply for our pleasure. Sometimes they are to minister to the needs of others. Sometimes they are to save for the coming famine or time of worship. There are many ways that Adonai reaches to us and offers a new depth of relationship. Often we see this in the struggles set before us, less often from the gifts that He imparts.

It is essential to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit in our daily work, interpreting our circumstances through the filter and alignment of . Adonai does not command us to walk in blind faith. He provides us with the resources for obedience. Our problem is so often squandering His resources upon our own agenda, then getting mad at Him for not providing. I wonder if God ever slaps His forehead in frustration?

The land shall not be sold forever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. (Leviticus 25:23 KJV)

The uniqueness of the command to release is a presumption of voluntary obligation: we are to return that which we have retained for ourselves to their rightful owners. In communism, the understanding is that all properties belong to the state and the people are collective tenants to that property. In capitalism, the property belongs to the individual and is collected and protected for his benefits. Winston Churchhill described these conditions, "The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent vice of communism is the equal sharing of miseries." In Judaism, I have what is God’s for a time and I use it for His glory, prepared to share it with others as the opportunities arise.

And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. (Leviticus 25:24 KJV)

If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. (Leviticus 25:25 KJV)

And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; (Leviticus 25:26 KJV)

Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the surplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. (Leviticus 25:27 KJV)

But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. (Leviticus 25:28 KJV)

And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. (Leviticus 25:29 KJV)

And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established forever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubilee. (Leviticus 25:30 KJV)

But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee. (Leviticus 25:31 KJV)

Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. (Leviticus 25:32 KJV)

Western understanding of "redemption" is skewed by over-simplicity, gentiles in our "we’re just as good as you" mentality, dismisses the criteria of redemption. In order to re-deem something, a prior relationship is required. You can’t just show up in the market place and redeem something (or someone). You can purchase, but the idea of redemption presumes a familiar and fraternal agenda. The popular Christian understanding dismisses this concept because it doesn’t allow our participation in such terms. Adonai is the Lord God of Israel and Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah. There is no right of redemption concerning those outside of the house of Israel. We much be purchased outright or attach ourselves to Israel to be claimant upon this relationship.

And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubilee: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. (Leviticus 25:33 KJV)

But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession. (Leviticus 25:34 KJV)

And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. (Leviticus 25:35 KJV)

Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. (Leviticus 25:36 KJV)

commands that we not take advantage of, nor reap benefit from the loss of misfortune of another. We must freely help up those who have suffered.

Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. (Leviticus 25:37 KJV)

I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. (Leviticus 25:38 KJV)

And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: (Leviticus 25:39 KJV)

But as a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubilee: (Leviticus 25:40 KJV)

And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. (Leviticus 25:41 KJV)

For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. (Leviticus 25:42 KJV)

Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor; but shalt fear thy God. (Leviticus 25:43 KJV)

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. (Leviticus 25:44 KJV)

Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begot in your land: and they shall be your possession. (Leviticus 25:45 KJV)

And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor. (Leviticus 25:46 KJV)

This seems, at first glance, a inconsistency. Repeatedly we are commanded that the foreigner and sojourner are to be treated as one who is born among you as your own people. Yet, the subject matter is pragmatic: the return to the tribal inheritances, which the foreigner bears no possession. The "release" in his case, would be to throw him to poverty. Grace is often disguised as a harsh inequity unless we have the opportunity to understand what other potential consequences result from the alternatives.

And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family: (Leviticus 25:47 KJV)

After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: (Leviticus 25:48 KJV)

Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. (Leviticus 25:49 KJV)

And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubilee: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of a hired servant shall it be with him. (Leviticus 25:50 KJV)

If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. (Leviticus 25:51 KJV)

And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. (Leviticus 25:52 KJV)

And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight. (Leviticus 25:53 KJV)

And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubilee, both he, and his children with him. (Leviticus 25:54 KJV)

For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 25:55 KJV)

Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 26:1 KJV)

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 26:2 KJV)

The "mikdash" is the place which Adonai has described as "holy". The holy places are today withheld from us- the Temple mount is occupied by Muslims. The Holy articles are lost or destroyed. Yet, we still have the Sabbaths.

If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; (Leviticus 26:3 KJV)

The sages consider the word "if" to be a miss use of the Hebrew word "eem" in this context. It is not given as an ultimatum but as an appeal. Rather many choose to interpret it, "Please walk in My statutes…" Such an understanding very much changes the relationship that Adonai is seeking to share with us: not as a authoritarian Monarch but as a loving father, seeking relationship above rote obedience.

Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26:4 KJV)

And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. (Leviticus 26:5 KJV)

And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. (Leviticus 26:6 KJV)

And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. (Leviticus 26:7 KJV)

And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (Leviticus 26:8 KJV)

For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. (Leviticus 26:9 KJV)

And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. (Leviticus 26:10 KJV)

And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. (Leviticus 26:11 KJV)

I have to say that I struggle with this passage- mainly because it is my heart’s desire to walk in obedience to Adonai’s commands; but in the cultural circumstances I live, I would be considered rather poor. Does this mean that if I live obediently to then my kids will get a Nintendo DX? No. It means I will be provided for with super-abundance in ways that I never could have possibly imagined. And when I step back and do the math- our state of being in this community is miraculous. All of our needs are met with chocolate chip cookies to spare!

The King, the Peasant and the Nightingale
By Yanki Tauber

The story is told of a king who once decided to reward a peasant who had done him a great service. "Shall I give him a sack of gold? a bag of pearls?" thought the king. "But these mean virtually nothing to me. I want, for once, to truly give something -- something that I will miss, a gift that constitutes a sacrifice for me."
Now this king had a nightingale who sang the sweetest songs a human ear had ever heard. He treasured the nightingale over all else, and literally found life unbearable without it. So he summoned the peasant to his palace and gave him the bird . "This," said the king, "is in appreciation for your loyalty and devotion." "Thank you, Your Majesty," said the peasant, and took the royal gift to his humble home.
A while later, the king was passing through the peasant's village and commanded his coachman to halt at the peasant's door. "How are you enjoying my gift?" he inquired of his beloved subject.
"The truth to tell, Your Majesty," said the peasant, "the bird's meat was quite tough -- all but inedible, in fact. But I cooked it with lots of potatoes, and it gave the stew an interesting flavor."

And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. (Leviticus 26:12 KJV)

I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. (Leviticus 26:13 KJV)

But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; (Leviticus 26:14 KJV)

And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: (Leviticus 26:15 KJV)

I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. (Leviticus 26:16 KJV)

And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. (Leviticus 26:17 KJV)

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. (Leviticus 26:18 KJV)

And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: (Leviticus 26:19 KJV)

And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. (Leviticus 26:20 KJV)

And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. (Leviticus 26:21 KJV)

I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate. (Leviticus 26:22 KJV)

And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; (Leviticus 26:23 KJV)

Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. (Leviticus 26:24 KJV)

And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Leviticus 26:25 KJV)

And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. (Leviticus 26:26 KJV)

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; (Leviticus 26:27 KJV)

Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. (Leviticus 26:28 KJV)

And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. (Leviticus 26:29 KJV)

And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. (Leviticus 26:30 KJV)

And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors. (Leviticus 26:31 KJV)

And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. (Leviticus 26:32 KJV)

And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. (Leviticus 26:33 KJV)

Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. (Leviticus 26:34 KJV)

As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it. (Leviticus 26:35 KJV)

And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth. (Leviticus 26:36 KJV)

And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. (Leviticus 26:37 KJV)

And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. (Leviticus 26:38 KJV)

And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. (Leviticus 26:39 KJV)

So, I struggle with this one, too. Why does the Christian Church appear so successful? Why are they totally unimpeded in their selfish pursuits of so-called holiness, though it is scantily disguised self-exaltation? I used to pray for rain every year for October 31st. I used to pray that it storm so heavily that even the most desperate sugar addict would be dissuaded from venturing out in the cold and wet (in Oregon this is not a prayer requiring great faith). Yet, every year it is pristine. Late October is a beautiful time of year, often with warm still evenings well lit by the moon reflecting off a soft blanket of cloud. Outraged, one year, I looked up to God and said, "Why do You do this?!" He answered simply, "They’re not mine."

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(Matthew 5:44-45 KJV)

You see, it’s the ones that Adonai loves whom He chastens. Everyone else merits whatever pleasures and desires they can get in this world (because that’s all they’re getting). It would be nice if we could say that the wickedness of this world results in immediate exacting of God’s wrath; but it doesn’t work that way (for them).

If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; (Leviticus 26:40 KJV)

And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: (Leviticus 26:41 KJV)

Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. (Leviticus 26:42 KJV)

The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes. (Leviticus 26:43 KJV)

And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. (Leviticus 26:44 KJV)

But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 26:45 KJV)

It is also important for us to realize that these promises of both blessing and punishment are intended to be understood nationally. The blessings of obedience are given to Israel as she obeys the commands and worships according to . The punishments are the consequence of disobedience and are manifest in the exile that is now realized by the people of Israel (as long as the Temple of Adonai is not resting on Mount Zion, the people are considered "galoot").

The response we must take in our striving for relationship in intimacy with Adonai is to draw the people of God back to , to repent of our sins and encourage the Jewish nation to repentance and reconciliation with Adonai. This must occur first, then the Temple will be restored, and the promise of blessing will ensue.

These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 26:46 KJV)

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, (Leviticus 27:1 KJV)

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation. (Leviticus 27:2 KJV)

And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. (Leviticus 27:3 KJV)

And if it be a female, then thy estimation shall be thirty shekels. (Leviticus 27:4 KJV)

And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. (Leviticus 27:5 KJV)

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. (Leviticus 27:6 KJV)

And if it be from sixty years old and above; if it be a male, then thy estimation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. (Leviticus 27:7 KJV)

But if he be poorer than thy estimation, then he shall present himself before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to his ability that vowed shall the priest value him. (Leviticus 27:8 KJV)

And if it be a beast, whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy. (Leviticus 27:9 KJV)

He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy. (Leviticus 27:10 KJV)

And if it be any unclean beast, of which they do not offer a sacrifice unto the LORD, then he shall present the beast before the priest: (Leviticus 27:11 KJV)

And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad: as thou valuest it, who art the priest, so shall it be. (Leviticus 27:12 KJV)

But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy estimation. (Leviticus 27:13 KJV)

And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand. (Leviticus 27:14 KJV)

And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be his. (Leviticus 27:15 KJV)

And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD some part of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: a homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. (Leviticus 27:16 KJV)

If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy estimation it shall stand. (Leviticus 27:17 KJV)

But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the year of the jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy estimation. (Leviticus 27:18 KJV)

And if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be assured to him. (Leviticus 27:19 KJV)

And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more. (Leviticus 27:20 KJV)

But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's. (Leviticus 27:21 KJV)

And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession; (Leviticus 27:22 KJV)

Then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy estimation, even unto the year of the jubilee: and he shall give thine estimation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD. (Leviticus 27:23 KJV)

In the year of the jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong. (Leviticus 27:24 KJV)

And all thy estimations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel. (Leviticus 27:25 KJV)

Only the firstling of the beasts, which should be the LORD's firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox, or sheep: it is the LORD's. (Leviticus 27:26 KJV)

And if it be of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thine estimation, and shall add a fifth part of it thereto: or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy estimation. (Leviticus 27:27 KJV)

Notwithstanding no devoted thing, that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed: every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD. (Leviticus 27:28 KJV)

None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; but shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 27:29 KJV)

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's: it is holy unto the LORD. (Leviticus 27:30 KJV)

And if a man will at all redeem aught of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. (Leviticus 27:31 KJV)

And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. (Leviticus 27:32 KJV)

He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. (Leviticus 27:33 KJV)

These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai. (Leviticus 27:34 KJV)


The portion of this week has a continuous theme of ownership. We are commanded to remember in what we do and how act, whose is whose. We are His possession, living on His creation, reaping the rewards of His labor.

Sometimes it’s difficult to remember this, as He tarries long in His coming. Sometimes we are inclined to claim ownership for ourselves, thinking all of this is ours.

Adonai gave us the Sabbath- not taking from us what is ours but offering to us what is His. So many have argued against this in twisted logic: "You worship on your Sabbath and I worship on mine." But… we’re not talking about my day of rest or your day, we’re talking about His.

So many consider their offerings and sacrifices (in whatever form they take) as a declaration of piety and righteousness, offering to God of our substance and the fruits of our labor. Yet, all that we have and possess is really His that was offered to us to enjoy and appreciate and to share with Him and others.

The Sabbath year is not about agricultural husbandry. It is about remembering whose is whose. The land is not ours. We are tenants. All of these things that we hold onto so tightly and enjoy so liberally are placed in our possession by Him. The Sabbath remembrance, both weekly and every seven years is bout remembering whose is whose, that we are His workmanship, created for His glory.

Now He is a gracious and compassionate King. He doesn’t impoverish us by taking the best and greatest portions of our labor. He simply offers to us an opportunity to rest in Him, remembering Who He is and whose is whose.

We spend so much of our time and energies grabbing for ourselves and claiming what is rightfully (or wishfully) ours. That’s the world we live in, and like it or not, we’re very much a part of it. Unfortunately, so many have to cling to the grabbiness: "If I let up for a moment, someone will take it from me." It reminds me of sitting around the table with my children when M&Ms are being served. Don’t we realize that Adonai’s bag has no bottom and that it flows to us continually? If we realized this, how difficult would it be to share, knowing we would never run out? How difficult would it be to lean back and relax, to walk away in confidence, to go next door and offer some to the neighbor, to enjoy what has been given to us.

We don’t believe it. And that’s why the Sabbath is such a very difficult concept for us to accept- that we are not giving away what is ours but that we are sharing with Him and with others what is His.