Covenant

This sabbath's reading portion is again a double title: Acharei Mot (after the death) and K'doshim (holy ones). It covers Leviticus chapters 16 through 20. The first title, Acharei Mot, or "after the death", begins after the death of Aaron's two sons, who had offered profane fire before the LORD (Lev. 16:1). The LORD begins to give the law of His covenant regarding atonement and forgiveness of the sins of His people - sins that would mean their destruction otherwise. The law given in this sabbath reading portion reflects a Law based upon justice, decency, life, and love, including, "You shall not hate your brother in your heart...You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." (Lev. 19:18). This verse is sometimes referred to as "the heart of the Law". It was so important that God signed it with His name and being: "I am the LORD". Jesus taught the same (Mt. 22:37-40, Mt. 5:22-24). Jesus said that along with our whole-hearted love of God, love towards our neighbor makes up all the Law and the Prophets. They are so vital that even though heaven and earth may pass away, none of the Law will pass away until all of it is fulfilled (Mt. 5:18-19). Jesus said that these very scriptures, as well as all of the scriptures in the Tanakh (Old Testament), testify directly of Him, the giver of eternal life (Jn. 5:39). Paul also wrote that the love of our neighbor is the fulfillment of the Law (Rom. 13:9-10). Whenever we view the law, we must keep in mind that it is not about acting holy, but being holy as the LORD is holy. (Lev. 19:1-2). Even the double title of this week's sabbath reading begins after a death from a self-righteous work, which is profane before the LORD, and then raises us up into the true meaning of holiness. We get from one point to the other by the blood of the atoning sacrifice (Lev. 16). Outward acts of "holiness" are worthless without the inner work of the Word and the Holy Spirit within each heart. Jesus pointed this out when He compared the religious people of His day to whitewashed tombs that look clean on the outside, but are filled with the corruption of death on the inside (Mt. 23:27-28). We invite the Holy Spirit when we read sripture to bring the truth of God's Word to do a work of change in our hearts (Ps. 119:11). We learn in the New Testament that the Word is not just the legalism of letters on a page, but it is living, and it is a Person, Jesus Christ. The LORD spoke often of His people keeping His statutes as they enter the land that He was giving them, according to the covenant promise He had made to their forefathers: "Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the (aleph-tav) land which you cross over (abar - march over, pass through, overtake and pass, impregnate, perish) to possess (yaras - drive out previous and possess in their place), and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore (saba - 7X oath, to seven oneself) to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, 'a land flowing with milk and honey'. For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot as a vegetable garden; but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, a land for which the LORD your God cares (daras - requires, demands, seeks with care, to beat a path); the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end (aharit/ahar - last, latter times, future, remnant/afterwards, delay, tarry) of the year (sana - year, whole age, do again, transmute)." (Deut. 11:8-12, see also Deut. 4:1-2, 5:29-33, 6:17-19, 7:12-15). "The land" is mentioned often in connection with the covenant made with the forefathers and the covenant of the Law. Why was this connection of the Law to the Land so important? The word "land" in Hebrew is eres, but it not only means a nation or specific territory, but the whole earth. The Hebrew letters that make up the word "land" are aleph, reysh, and tsadhe, which, when their meanings are put together may say, "God (Adonai) the Highest inescapably pulls toward Himself a harvest of the righteous". As we can see in the verses above from Deut. 11, and the Hebrew words used in scripture, this "aleph-tav land" is not being treated as only a natural land by the LORD, but a special land, and He wants His people to understand that there are greater and wider spiritual implications involved in their keeping His Word in the aleph-tav land. [note please: aleph and tav are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, with which Jesus described Himself in Revelation, as translated into the Greek language, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.] We will see, in the following portions from this week's sabbath reading, the importance of the Word and commandments of God "in the aleph-tav land" as the prophetic and spiritual key to renewal, not just for Israel, but for THE WHOLE EARTH. We will see that the quickening or resurrection power of the Word of God, including the Law, which became flesh in Jesus (Jn. 1:14, Jn. 11:25), as well as the Spirit of God (Rom. 6:10-11, Rom. 8:11), revived a man, a nation, and will change, revive and renew THE WHOLE EARTH. First, a man was revived: "Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king (Josiah), saying, 'Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.' And Shaphan read it before the king. Now it happened that when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes (sign of repentance and mourning). Then the king commanded...'Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." (2 Kings 22:10-12). As a result of hearing the Book of the LAW, that had been previously lost, the king of Judah gathered all the inhabitants of Judah from great to small, and he personally read to them the words of the Book of the Covenant. (2 Kings 23:1-2)."Then the king stood by a pillar (ammud/amad - pillar, upright, platform/take one's stand, endure, become servant of, be steadfast, arise, appear, come on the scene) and made a (aleph-tav) covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His (vaw [nail]-aleph-tav) testimonies and His (vaw [nail] -aleph-tav) statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the (aleph-tav) words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant." (v. 3). The king then commanded that all places of idolatry be destroyed, and all idolatrous, occultic activity and abominations cease, "...that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book...Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him." (v. 4 - 25). The words of the Book went right through Josiah's soul and heart when he heard them, and he brought a renewal to his nation as well. Josiah's name means "whom Jehovah heals". In another sabbath reading portion, the scripture says that in the latter days: "...out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Micah 4:2). Not only will this be in "the land" of Israel, but the Word will affect the nations: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore...and no one shall make them afraid." (v. 3-4). The Word (who is Jesus) will come out of Jerusalem, and from there to THE WHOLE EARTH. If you thought "world peace" was impossible, read the promise of the LORD written in His Word! The LORD reveals the glory that He has commanded for "the land" and its inhabitants in another sabbath portion: ",,,your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified." (Isa. 60:21). All of the nations of the world will come to them bringing their wealth (v. 11). The supernatural blessing of eternal light will replace natural light (v. 19). "The land" and its people are commanded by God to "Arise, shine!" (v. 1). This supernatural shining light is the glorious light that accompanies resurrection, or "the brightness of your rising"...And they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel...You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob...in your land...you shall call your walls Salvation (Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name of Jesus), and your gates, Praise (root word halal - includes "to shine, to flash forth light, give light").(v. 3, 14, 18). The Words of the Covenant, which Jesus is and fulfilled, bring resurrection newness and glory, peace and wealth, Salvation and Praise, to "the land", with its effects going out to THE WHOLE EARTH. This is the will and plan of God, for God so loved the world, that He gave His Son. This may start with the individual, as it did with King Josiah, but it is not meant to remain limited to the individual (see Mt. 28:19-20, Mk. 16:15-18). Unfortunately, the opposite is true also. When the Words of the Covenant are not kept in the land, the false gods fill the land, and the land becomes desolate: "Then the LORD said to me. 'Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: 'Hear the words of this covenant and do them...." (Jer. 11:1-14). This is the covenant of the Word, and it is joined to the covenant of "aleph-tav the land". If you would like to know more about this covenant of glory, meant to fill THE WHOLE EARTH, you can join me in my prayer: "Heavenly Father, You have commanded Your people to keep the words of Your covenant. Jesus embodies and inhabits every Word, every jot and every tittle of the Your Word, and the Holy Spirit quickens it to touch, pierce, and transmute the hearts of men. Help me, Lord, to keep Your covenant in the land, and bring it to all the nations of the world, as Jesus said. Let Your resurrection light and glory be seen upon my life, and the land, as I keep Your Word in my heart, in order to be part of the fulfilment of Your eternal plan in the earth. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."