Post by alon on May 9, 2018 7:34:22 GMT -8
This week’s readings: Par’shah 32
Date of reading: 12 May 2018/27 Iyyar 5778
Name of Par’shah: B’har (On Mount)
Par’shah: Vayikra 25:1-26:2
Haftara: Yirmeyahu 32:6-27
Brit Chadashah: Luke 4:16-21; 1 Corinthians 7:21-24; Galatians 6:7-10
D’rash: Here we have the introduction to the laws and details of Yovel, or Year of Jubilee, stated in Vayikra 25:8-55. The highlights of this special appointed time are as follows:
1. Count seven Shabbats of years, i.e., 49 years.
2. Blow the shofar on Yom Kippur throughout the land.
3. Consecrate the fiftieth year proclaiming freedom to all inhabitants throughout the land.
4. Everyone returns to his inherited property.
5. Everyone returns to his family from being a slave or bond servant.
6. It is a Shabbat year for the land --- no sowing or reaping of the land; what grows of itself shall be food for all.
As mentioned above, the dominant theme of Yovel was freedom for everyone. It was instituted for the purpose of preventing generational poverty and an unending concentration of the national wealth into the hands of a small percentage of the population. If this law was instituted and obeyed in our country, how much better off would we all be? One may say, “But we have welfare and numerous government programs for the poor already.” Unfortunately, because of sin and irresponsibility, these are inferior to G-d’s laws of Yovel and only perpetuate and increase poverty, placing more strain on the responsible through excessive taxation. Yovel is G-d’s way of giving individuals a second chance; for some, they may have become poor because of circumstances beyond their control and for others it is a time to make necessary changes in their lives so that they don’t repeat any past sins or mistakes that put them in poverty in the first place. Because of the length of time between Yovels, it is likely these individuals will make well use of it since they will not live long enough to see a second one.
The purpose of Yovel also applies to the redemptive plan of Adonai through Yeshua HaMashiach. When Yeshua stood up in the synagogue to present the public reading of scripture, it was not a random choice when He read Isaiah 61:1-3, applying it to Himself, which is full of the language of Yovel:
“The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon Me, because Adonai has anointed Me to announce good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark; to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai and the day of vengeance of our G-d; to comfort all who mourn, yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn, giving them garlands instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness, planted by Adonai, in which he takes pride.”
In Galatians 5:1 Messiah has set us free from legalism, which is a perverted obedience of
. It says, “What the Messiah has freed us for is freedom! Therefore, stand firm, and don’t let yourselves be tied up again to a yoke of slavery” (see also Galatians 3:13-14).
Ephesians 1:13-14: “Furthermore, you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, and put your trust in the Messiah were sealed by Him with the promised Ruach HaKodesh, who guarantees our inheritance until we come into possession of it and thus bring Him praise commensurate with His glory.”
That time of possession comes when,
Matthew 24:31:” He [Yeshua] will send out His angels with a great shofar; and they will gather together His chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
In Ephesians 1:10 Adonai’s plan is to, “…place everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship.”
And in 1 Corinthians 15:52b-55: “For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed. For this material which can decay must be clothed with imperishability, this which is mortal must be clothed with immortality. When what decays puts on imperishability and what is mortal puts on immortality, then this passage in the Tanakh will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?’” (Yesha’yahu 25:8, Hoshea 13:14).
Then, true and permanent freedom comes when all of creation is restored to its original perfection and order.
There is also a strong connection of Yovel to Shavu’ot:
Leviticus 23:15-16: From the day after Firstfruits, count seven full weeks until the day after the seventh week, fifty days.
Shavu’ot represents the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh in the last days according to Yoel 3:1-4, which is a future event.
The freedom granted in Yovel can correlate with the freedom that comes from the Ruach HaKodesh: 2 Corinthians 3:16-18: “But, says the, whenever someone turns to Adonai, the veil is taken away. Now, ‘Adonai’ in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Adonai is, there is freedom. So all of us, with faces unveiled, see as in a mirror the glory of the L-rd; and we are being changed into His very image, from one degree of glory to the next, by Adonai the Spirit.”
So, in summary, we see that Yovel teaches:
Forgiveness of debt and freedom from slavery reminds us spiritually that Adonai forgives us of our debt of sin and that we can be free from slavery to it. (John 8:34-36).
Each one of us spiritually experiences Yovel when we repent and turn to Yeshua HaMashiach. Some may experience more of an appreciation for it depending on how much they are forgiven (Luke 7:47).
True freedom in the olam haba means complete restoration to a perfect sinless state so that we may forever dwell with Adonai. (Revelation 21:3-4).
References: Scriptures taken from The Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stearn, copyright 1998
MRD
Date of reading: 12 May 2018/27 Iyyar 5778
Name of Par’shah: B’har (On Mount)
Par’shah: Vayikra 25:1-26:2
Haftara: Yirmeyahu 32:6-27
Brit Chadashah: Luke 4:16-21; 1 Corinthians 7:21-24; Galatians 6:7-10
D’rash: Here we have the introduction to the laws and details of Yovel, or Year of Jubilee, stated in Vayikra 25:8-55. The highlights of this special appointed time are as follows:
1. Count seven Shabbats of years, i.e., 49 years.
2. Blow the shofar on Yom Kippur throughout the land.
3. Consecrate the fiftieth year proclaiming freedom to all inhabitants throughout the land.
4. Everyone returns to his inherited property.
5. Everyone returns to his family from being a slave or bond servant.
6. It is a Shabbat year for the land --- no sowing or reaping of the land; what grows of itself shall be food for all.
As mentioned above, the dominant theme of Yovel was freedom for everyone. It was instituted for the purpose of preventing generational poverty and an unending concentration of the national wealth into the hands of a small percentage of the population. If this law was instituted and obeyed in our country, how much better off would we all be? One may say, “But we have welfare and numerous government programs for the poor already.” Unfortunately, because of sin and irresponsibility, these are inferior to G-d’s laws of Yovel and only perpetuate and increase poverty, placing more strain on the responsible through excessive taxation. Yovel is G-d’s way of giving individuals a second chance; for some, they may have become poor because of circumstances beyond their control and for others it is a time to make necessary changes in their lives so that they don’t repeat any past sins or mistakes that put them in poverty in the first place. Because of the length of time between Yovels, it is likely these individuals will make well use of it since they will not live long enough to see a second one.
The purpose of Yovel also applies to the redemptive plan of Adonai through Yeshua HaMashiach. When Yeshua stood up in the synagogue to present the public reading of scripture, it was not a random choice when He read Isaiah 61:1-3, applying it to Himself, which is full of the language of Yovel:
“The Spirit of Adonai Elohim is upon Me, because Adonai has anointed Me to announce good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark; to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai and the day of vengeance of our G-d; to comfort all who mourn, yes, provide for those in Tziyon who mourn, giving them garlands instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit, so that they will be called oaks of righteousness, planted by Adonai, in which he takes pride.”
In Galatians 5:1 Messiah has set us free from legalism, which is a perverted obedience of
. It says, “What the Messiah has freed us for is freedom! Therefore, stand firm, and don’t let yourselves be tied up again to a yoke of slavery” (see also Galatians 3:13-14).Ephesians 1:13-14: “Furthermore, you who heard the message of the truth, the Good News offering you deliverance, and put your trust in the Messiah were sealed by Him with the promised Ruach HaKodesh, who guarantees our inheritance until we come into possession of it and thus bring Him praise commensurate with His glory.”
That time of possession comes when,
Matthew 24:31:” He [Yeshua] will send out His angels with a great shofar; and they will gather together His chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
In Ephesians 1:10 Adonai’s plan is to, “…place everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah’s headship.”
And in 1 Corinthians 15:52b-55: “For the shofar will sound, and the dead will be raised to live forever, and we too will be changed. For this material which can decay must be clothed with imperishability, this which is mortal must be clothed with immortality. When what decays puts on imperishability and what is mortal puts on immortality, then this passage in the Tanakh will be fulfilled: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?’” (Yesha’yahu 25:8, Hoshea 13:14).
Then, true and permanent freedom comes when all of creation is restored to its original perfection and order.
There is also a strong connection of Yovel to Shavu’ot:
Leviticus 23:15-16: From the day after Firstfruits, count seven full weeks until the day after the seventh week, fifty days.
Shavu’ot represents the outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh in the last days according to Yoel 3:1-4, which is a future event.
The freedom granted in Yovel can correlate with the freedom that comes from the Ruach HaKodesh: 2 Corinthians 3:16-18: “But, says the
, whenever someone turns to Adonai, the veil is taken away. Now, ‘Adonai’ in this text means the Spirit. And where the Spirit of Adonai is, there is freedom. So all of us, with faces unveiled, see as in a mirror the glory of the L-rd; and we are being changed into His very image, from one degree of glory to the next, by Adonai the Spirit.”So, in summary, we see that Yovel teaches:
Forgiveness of debt and freedom from slavery reminds us spiritually that Adonai forgives us of our debt of sin and that we can be free from slavery to it. (John 8:34-36).
Each one of us spiritually experiences Yovel when we repent and turn to Yeshua HaMashiach. Some may experience more of an appreciation for it depending on how much they are forgiven (Luke 7:47).
True freedom in the olam haba means complete restoration to a perfect sinless state so that we may forever dwell with Adonai. (Revelation 21:3-4).
References: Scriptures taken from The Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stearn, copyright 1998
MRD
