Parashat 30 Portion 99 ‘’Kodeshim’’ Lev 19:23-20:27 Is 65:22-66:2, 4,5, 10-11

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah – especially we who were once gentiles excluded from the citizenship of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no expectation and without Elohim- have now through the blood of Messiah have gained access into the covenants and have obtained citizenship into the commonwealth of Israel.  Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah and the Guardian of Israel.

ונטעתם כל עץ - planted all kinds of trees – this may sound insignificant but it is deeply profound.

Lev 19:23  ‘And when you come into the land, and have planted all kinds of trees for food, then you shall reckon their fruit as uncircumcised. For three years it is as uncircumcised to you, it is not eaten. 

Lev 19:24  ‘And in the fourth year all its fruit is set-apart – praises to יהוה. 

Lev 19:25  ‘And in the fifth year you eat its fruit, so that it increases its yield to you. I am יהוה your Elohim. 

Gen 17:10  “This is My covenant which you guard between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male child among you is to be circumcised. 

Gen 17:11  “And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall become a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

Symbolically circumcision signifies the removal of any hinderance that could impede our enjoyment of our covenantal relationship with YHVH. Before Abraham was circumcised, he fathered Ishmael after he was circumcised, he fathered Isaac – the son of promise.

The scriptures compare righteous men to mature trees. (‘’circumcised’’ 

Jer 17:7  “Blessed is the man who trusts in יהוה, and whose trust is יהוה. 

Jer 17:8  “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit. Also see Ps 1.

This process takes time immature carnal men are ‘’unfruitful’’ and grieve the Spirit of YHVH.

Rom 8:7  Because the mind of the flesh is enmity(hatred) towards Elohim, for it does not subject itself to the Torah of Elohim, neither indeed is it able, 

Rom 8:8  and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim. 

Rom 8:9  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, this one is not His. 

1Co 2:14  But the natural man does not receive the matters of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him, and he is unable to know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

1Co 2:15  But he who is spiritual discerns indeed all matters, but he himself is discerned by no one. 

The scriptures also teach that young converts should first learn to grow in the favour and wisdom of YHVH before giving themselves to the teaching and ministry of the word. 1 Tim 3:6 teaches that young converts should not be allowed to be leaders and elders in the Assembly.

Heb 5:13  For everyone partaking of milk is inexperienced in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Heb 5:14  But solid food is for the mature whose senses have been trained by practice to discern both good and evil. 

This opening instruction of this Torah portion lays a foundation for the rest of the instructions found in this portion. If these spiritual foundations have not been established in the life of a believer the evidence is seen in the following verses which are evidence of an uncircumcised heart –

Even the disciples of Yahshua seemed to have followed this pattern after his departure from earth – they were first mentored by the Master before they went out to minister, to make disciples not converts.

Deu 30:6  “And יהוה your Elohim shall circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, so that you might live.

 

Lev 19:26  ‘Do not eat meat with the blood. Do not practise divination or magic. 

Lev 19:27  ‘Do not round the corner of your head, nor destroy the corner (Heb – edge) of your beard. (‘’bok baardtjie’’ and small or no mustache)

Lev 19:28  ‘And do not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor put tattoo (קעקע) marks on you. I am יהוה. 

Lev 19:29  ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a whore, so that the land does not whore, and the land becomes filled with wickedness. (mothers sexualizing daughters with revealing clothing is a very unhealthy practice)

Lev 19:30  ‘Guard My Sabbaths and reverence My set-apart place. I am יהוה. See 1 Sam 15:23

Lev 19:31  ‘Do not turn to mediums, and do not seek after spiritists to be defiled by them. I am יהוה your Elohim. (if you disregard the sabbaths you open up demonic portals for all kinds of deception)

Lev 19:32  ‘Rise up before the grey-headed. And you shall favour the face of an old man, and shall fear your Elohim. I am יהוה. 

Lev 19:33  ‘And when a stranger sojourns with you in your land, do not oppress him. 

Lev 19:34  ‘Let the stranger who dwells among you be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself. For you were strangers in the land of Mitsrayim. I am יהוה your Elohim. Jer 29

Lev 19:35  ‘Do no unrighteousness in right-ruling, in measurement of length, in weight, or in measuring liquids. 

Lev 19:36  ‘Have right scales, right weights, a right ěphah, and a right hin. I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim. 

Lev 19:37  ‘And you shall guard all My laws and all My right-rulings, and do them. I am יהוה.’” 

Lev 20:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, 

Lev 20:2  “Say to the children of Yisra’ěl, ‘Any man of the children of Yisra’ěl, or of the strangers who sojourn in Yisra’ěl, who gives any of his offspring to Moleḵ, shall certainly be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. (73 million abortions annually – 200 000 each day)

Return of the ancient gods – Jonathan Chan -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OehIpZOAL1k

Lev 20:3  ‘And I, I shall set My face against that man, and shall cut him off from the midst of his people, because he has given of his offspring to Moleḵ, so as to defile My set-apart place and to profane My set-apart Name. 

Lev 20:4  ‘And if the people of the land at all hide their eyes from the man, as he gives any of his offspring to Moleḵ, and they do not kill him, (abortion carries the death penalty)

Lev 20:5  then I shall set My face against that man and against his clan, and shall cut him off – and all who go whoring after him, even go whoring after Moleḵ – from the midst of their people. 

Lev 20:6  ‘And the being who turns to mediums, and to spiritists, to go whoring after them, I shall set My face against that being and cut him off from the midst of his people. 

Lev 20:7  ‘And you shall set yourselves apart, and shall be set-apart, for I am יהוה your Elohim, 

Lev 20:8  and you shall guard My laws and do them. I am יהוה, who sets you apart. 

Lev 20:9  ‘For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death – he has cursed his father or his mother, his blood is on him. 

Punishments for Sexual Immorality

Lev 20:10  ‘And a man who commits adultery with the wife of another man, who commits adultery with the wife of his neighbour: the adulterer and the adulteress shall certainly be put to death. 

Lev 20:11  ‘And a man who lies with the wife of his father has uncovered the nakedness of his father, both of them shall certainly be put to death, their blood is upon them. 

Lev 20:12  ‘And a man who lies with his daughter-in-law: both of them shall certainly be put to death, they have made confusion, their blood is upon them. 

Lev 20:13  ‘And a man who lies with a male as he lies with a woman: both of them have done an abomination, they shall certainly be put to death, their blood is upon them. 

Lev 20:14  ‘And a man who marries a woman and her mother: it is wickedness, they are burned with fire, both he and they, that there be no wickedness in your midst. 

Lev 20:15  ‘And a man who has intercourse with a beast: he shall certainly be put to death, and the beast you kill. 

Lev 20:16  ‘And a woman who approaches any beast and mates with it: you shall kill the woman and the beast, they shall certainly be put to death, their blood is upon them. 

Lev 20:17  ‘And a man who takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness: is it loving-commitment? And they shall be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, he bears his crookedness. 

Lev 20:18  ‘And a man who lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness: he has laid bare her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood, both of them shall be cut off from the midst of their people. 

Lev 20:19  ‘And do not uncover the nakedness of your mother’s sister nor of your father’s sister, for that is laying bare one’s own flesh, they bear their crookedness. 

Lev 20:20  ‘And a man who lies with his uncle’s wife: he has uncovered his uncle’s nakedness, they bear their sin, they die childless. 

Lev 20:21  ‘And a man who takes his brother’s wife: it is uncleanness, he has uncovered his brother’s nakedness, they are childless. 

You Shall Be set apart

Lev 20:22  ‘And you shall guard all My laws and all My right-rulings, and do them, so that the land where I am bringing you to dwell does not vomit you out. 

Lev 20:23  ‘And do not walk in the laws of the nation which I am driving out before you, for they do all these, and therefore I loathed them. 

Lev 20:24  ‘But I say to you, “You are going to possess their land, and I Myself give it to you to possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am יהוה your Elohim, who has separated you from the peoples. 

Lev 20:25  ‘And you shall make a distinction between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean birds and clean. And do not make yourselves abominable by beast or by bird, or whatever creeps on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean. 

Lev 20:26  ‘And you shall be set-apart to Me, for I יהוה am set-apart, and have separated you from the peoples to be Mine. 

Lev 20:27  ‘And a man or a woman in whom there is a medium, or who are spiritists, shall certainly be put to death, they are to stone them with stones. Their blood is upon them.’” 

Paul also gives sound teaching on need for solid spiritual foundations – without these foundations people have little idea about what is offensive to the Set Apart Elohim.

Heb 6:1  Therefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Messiah, let us go on to perfection,[a] not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of belief toward Elohim, Footnote: a Mat_5:48. Spiritual maturity – evidenced in circumcised hearts.

Heb 6:2  of the teaching of immersions, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of everlasting judgment. 

Heb 6:3  And this we shall do, if Elohim indeed permits. 

Heb 6:4  For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Set-apart Spirit, 

Heb 6:5  and have tasted the good Word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, 

Heb 6:6  and fall away, to renew them again to repentance – having impaled for themselves the Son of Elohim again, and put Him to open shame.[b] Footnote: bSee Heb_10:26-31. 

Heb 6:7  For ground that is drinking the rain often falling on it, and is bearing plants fit for those by whom it is tilled, receives blessing from Elohim, 

Heb 6:8  but if it brings forth thorns and thistles, Gen_3:18 it is rejected and near to being cursed, and ends up by being burned. 

Heb 6:9  But although we speak in this way, beloved, we are persuaded, concerning you, of better matters which possess deliverance. 

Heb 6:10  For Elohim is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shown toward His Name, in that you have attended to the set-apart ones, and still attend. 

Heb 6:11  And we desire that each one of you show the same eagerness, to the entire confirmation of expectation until the end, 

Heb 6:12  in order that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through belief and patience inherit the promises. 

Yahshua said you will know a tree by its fruits- Mat 7:16  “By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 

Mat 7:17  “So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. 

Mat 7:18  “A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. 

Mat 7:19  “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

Mat 7:20  “So then, by their fruits you shall know them – 

Finally - Gal 5:19  And the works of the flesh are well-known, which are these: adultery[a], whoring, uncleanness, indecency, Footnote: aSome manuscripts omit adultery. 

Gal 5:20  idolatry, drug sorcery, hatred, quarrels, jealousies, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 

Gal 5:21  envy, murders, drunkenness, wild parties, and the like – of which I forewarn you, even as I also said before, that those who practise such as these shall not inherit the reign of Elohim.[b] Footnote: bSee 1Co_6:10. 

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, 

Gal 5:23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no Torah. 

‘’ Against such there is no Torah’’ implies that the fruit of the Spirit is without end. That is, one can never find a legislated prescription by which one can measure love joy peace…The work of the Spirit is not measured by a fixed measure but is unending.’’ Jn 3:34 Yahshua had the Spirit without measure.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.

Parashat 30 Portion 98 ‘’Kodeshim’’ Vayikra 19:1-22 Yesh 4:3-5:5 Amos 9:7-15 Eph 4:17-24

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah – especially we who were once gentiles excluded from the citizenship of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no expectation and without Elohim- have now through the blood of Messiah have gained access into the covenants and have obtained citizenship into the commonwealth of Israel.  Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah and the Guardian of Israel.

This short Parashah contains a total of fifty-one instructions for a set apart people.

Our concept of “kedoshim”(or set apartness) does not define what is set apart.  Only the Set Apart One Himself determines what is set apart to Himself and what is set apart to destruction – these instructions were meant to be engraved (chok)upon the hearts of them who YHVH has called to be set apart to Himself. The phrase “I am YHVH your Elohim” appears sixteen times in chapter nineteen alone!  Chapter twenty sees another four uses of these phrases. 

Paradoxically, ‘’Kodesh or kodeshah’’ can also mean a male or female who have ‘’set themselves apart’’ to prostitution and depravity – Speaking of His people Yisrael, YHVH says- Hos 4:12  ….. For a spirit of whorings has led them astray, and they went whoring from under their Elohim. 

Note once again the positioning of chapter 19. Chapter 18 and 21 describe unthinkable sexual perversions. Perhaps we can learn from this that when men, especially religious men who change YHVH’s Torah, set themselves up for spiritual perversion and destruction – they prove themselves to be more disgusting than street prostitutes - 

This week’s portion: קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ

Lev 19:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,

Lev 19:2  “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘Be set-apart, for I יהוה your Elohim am set-apart.

ב  דַּבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם--קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ:  כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.

Note the use of future tense – “tiheu” you shall become set apart, implying a progressive work of becoming set apart.

2Co 5:21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of Elohim.

Gk – ‘’might become’’’’ – present passive plural verb. The action of verb indicates an ongoing passive action happening to the person, not an action he or she is initiating – an action that is yet to be completed.

 

Lev 19:3  ‘Each one of you should fear (תיראו)his mother and his father, and guard My Sabbaths. I am יהוה your Elohim.

 

Even Yahshua feared his Father-

 

Isa 11:2  The Spirit of יהוה shall rest upon Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of יהוה, Isa 11:3  and shall make Him breathe in the fear of יהוה. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears. 

 

Lev 19:4  ‘Do not turn to idols, and do not make for yourselves moulded mighty ones. I am יהוה your Elohim.

 

 “Molded” suggests  that false ideas have been carefully crafted and developed in our minds and control our lives. A ‘’molded image’’ implies perverted ideas about the truth of YHVH, His Son and His Word.

 

Talking about believers Paul says in 1Ti 4:1  But the Spirit distinctly says that in latter times some shall fall away from the belief, paying attention to misleading spirits, and teachings of demons, 1Ti 4:2  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having been branded on their own conscience, 

 

Lev 19:5  ‘And when you bring a peace offering to יהוה, bring it for your acceptance.

Lev 19:6  ‘It is eaten the same day you slaughter it, and on the next day. And that which is left on the third day is burned with fire.

Lev 19:7  ‘So if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable, it is not accepted,

Lev 19:8  and he who eats it bears his crookedness, because he has profaned the set-apart offering of יהוה, and that being shall be cut off from his people.

 

A reference to the season of Messianic redemption – we have had 2000 years (2days) to make peace with YHVH through the Messiah- in the third millennium (third day) when Messiah returns it’s too late.

 

Hos 6:1  ‘Come, and let us turn back to יהוה. For He has torn but He does heal us, He has stricken but He binds us up. Hos 6:2  After two days He shall revive us, on the third day He shall raise us up, so that we live before Him.

 

Lev 19:9  ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land, do not completely reap the corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. (See Ruth 2 – Gentile bride)

Lev 19:10  ‘And do not glean your vineyard or gather every grape of your vineyard, leave them for the poor and the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim.

 

Mat 23:23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint and the anise and the cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah: the right-ruling and the compassion and the belief.[d][ These need to have been done, without neglecting the others. Footnote: dThe wording in Luk_11:42 is somewhat different.

 

Lev 19:11  ‘Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive one another.

Lev 19:12  ‘And do not swear falsely by My Name and so profane the Name of your Elohim. I am יהוה.

Lev 19:13  ‘Do not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of him who is hired is not to remain with you all night until morning.

Lev 19:14  ‘Do not curse (Heb ‘’’kalal’’ to diminish) the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind, but fear your Elohim. I am יהוה.

Make disabled people feel special and protected – they often feel inferior and even ‘’cursed’’ because of their disabilities. (Maybe they can hear and see more than able bodied people)

 

Lev 19:15  ‘Do no unrighteousness in right-ruling. Do not be partial to the poor or favour the face of the great, but rightly rule your neighbour in righteousness. Deut 16:20 - צדק צדק

 

Lev 19:16  ‘Do not go slandering among your people. Do not stand against the blood of your neighbour. I am יהוה.

 

Heb “You shall not stand on(upon) the blood of your neighbor.” This part of the verse is also difficult to interpret. The rendering here suggests that one will not allow a neighbor to be victimized, whether in court (cf. v. 15) or in any other situation (consider the implications of the ‘’’threshold covenant’’)

 

Lev 19:17  ‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Reprove your neighbour, for certain, and bear no sin because of him. See Matt 18:15-20

Lev 19:18  ‘Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the children of your people. And you shall love your neighbour as yourself. I am יהוה.

Lev 19:19  ‘Guard My laws. Do not let your livestock mate with another kind. Do not sow your field with mixed seed. And do not put a garment woven of two sorts of thread upon you.

https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/1227/the-mitzvah-of-shatnes/

 

The famous Rashi says that this is the “quintessential chukim” (decree) for which no man knows the reason.

Maybe another great Hebrew sage – Shaul gives us some insight in 2 Cor 6:14-18

 

2Co 6:14  Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness? 

2Co 6:15  And what agreement has Messiah with Beliya‛al? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? 

2Co 6:16  And what union has the Dwelling Place of Elohim with idols? For you are a Dwelling Place of the living Elohim, as Elohim has said, “I shall dwell in them and walk among them, and I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”[a] Lev_26:12 Footnote: aSee also Exo_29:45, Lev_26:12, Jer_31:1, Eze_37:27. 

2Co 6:17  Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you. Isa_52:11. 

2Co 6:18  “And I shall be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says יהוה the Almighty.” Isa_43:6, Hos_1:10. 

 

Lev 19:20  ‘And when a man has intercourse with a woman who is a female servant, engaged to a man, and who has not at all been ransomed nor redeemed, there should be an inquiry. But they are not put to death, because she was not free.

Lev 19:21  ‘And he shall bring his guilt offering to יהוה, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, a ram as a guilt offering.

Lev 19:22  ‘And the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the guilt offering before יהוה for his sin which he has done. And the sin which he has sinned shall be forgiven him.

 

Shifchah Charufah – The designated maidservant. (The end time Hebrew roots restoration movement)

 

 CLV In case a man who lies with a woman has an emission of semen when she is a bondmaid designated for another man, yet has not been ransomed, yea ransomed nor freedom given to her, a distinction shall there be: they shall not be put to death since she was not freed.

 

The law of the Shifcha Charufa,(Heb abused female servant) the designated maidservant, refers to a non-Jewish slave woman owned by two partners. While she is slave, although she must observe all the commandments that apply to Jewish women, she can nevertheless not marry a Jew. Her master may allow her to cohabit with his Jewish or non-Jewish slave to beget children, who in turn remain the owner’s property. Were this woman to be freed from slavery she automatically becomes a full proselyte and member of the Jewish people and may legally marry within the nation. If, however, she was owned by two masters and only one selected to free her, while the other chooses to maintain his ownership, she attains the ‘mixed’ status of half freed and half enslaved. The half of her which is now fully ‘Jewish’ may no longer cohabit with a non-Jewish slave, but can nevertheless effect marriage with her fellow Jew. Her ‘slave half’ on the other hand is yet incapable of becoming ‘married’ to a fellow Jew offering his hand in marriage. In this scenario where a Jew proffers marriage to this ‘hybrid’, on the one hand she is considered married while on the other hand she is still partially a slave and unwed. Whereas normally a married woman who commits adultery is punished by death, this woman who is not wholly wed to a Jew, when cohabiting with a Jew other than her husband is punished with lashes. The male violator of her relationship must only bring an Asham, a guilt-offering, where the ‘Kohen shall provide him atonement... before G-d, for the sin that he committed.’

 

This is a strange law (chok) maybe one can make more sense of such decree when thinking of the slave woman as the “gentile bride” who is “half slave and half free.”

She needs to be fully ransomed and redeemed by her Jewish husband – Yahshua Ha Mashiach.

 

There must be other deeper hidden truths around this commandment. Currently we are in a state of ‘’limbo’’ we are not as ‘’free’’ as we often claim to be, we await our Messiah to come and take us as his bride and set us free from our ‘’religious masters’’.

Could the ‘’shifcha charufah’’ be the end time remnant who ushers in the Messiah?

 

Midrash Shifcha charufa – see Parashat Yitro and Mishpatim - ‘’eved ivri’’ gematria 358.

 

Laws About Slaves – ‘’When you bought a slave you bought a master’’

Exo 21:1  “These are the right-rulings which you are to set before them: 

Exo 21:2  “When you buy a Hebrew servant, he serves six years, and in the seventh he goes out free, for naught. 

Exo 21:3  “If he comes in by himself, he goes out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 

Exo 21:4  “If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children are her master’s, and he goes out by himself. 

Exo 21:5  “And if the servant truly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children, let me not go out free,’ 

Exo 21:6  then his master shall bring him before Elohim, and shall bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl. And he shall serve him forever. 

Exo 21:7  “And when a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she does not go out as the male servants do. 

Exo 21:8  “If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who has engaged her to himself, then he shall let her be ransomed. He shall have no authority to sell her to a foreign people, because of him deceiving her. 

Exo 21:9  “And if he has engaged her to his son, he is to do to her as is the right of daughters. 

 

A chosen remnant bride has been enslaved by both Judaism and Christianity. She received into her spirit a ‘’set apart seed’’ 1Pe 1:23  having been born again – not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible – through the living Word of Elohim, which remains forever.

This was not acceptable to her two religious masters so they ‘’whipped’’ her and demanded a guilt offering from her ‘’redeemer lover” Messiah who himself became a guilt offering for her. This ‘’divine romance’’ is the most beautiful and powerful love story known to man. This is a parable.

 

The Purpose of the Parables

Mat 13:10  And the taught ones came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 

Mat 13:11  And He answering, said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, but to them it has not been given.

 

2Co 2:14  But thanks be to Elohim who always leads us on, to overcome in Messiah, and manifests through us the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 

2Co 2:15  Because we are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 

2Co 2:16  To the one we are the smell of death to death, and to the other the fragrance of life to life. And who is competent for these? 

2Co 2:17  For we are not, as so many, adulterating the Word of Elohim for gain – but as of sincerity, but as from Elohim, in the sight of Elohim, we speak in Messiah. 

 

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Amein.

 

Parashat 29 Portion 97 ‘’Acherei- Mot’’ Vayikra/Lev 18:1-30 Ezek 22:1-12 Rom 1:21-32

Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.

Whenever people suppress the truth of YHVH’s Torah there will be all kinds of manifestations of perverted human behavior. Restoration of His Kingdom will only be able to truly begin after the death (Acherei-Mot) of a current corrupt ‘’priesthood’’ teaching and proclaiming such falsehoods.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of Elohim is revealed from heaven against all wickedness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, Rom 1:19  because that which is known of Elohim is manifest among them, for Elohim has manifested it to them. Rom 1:24  Therefore Elohim gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts, to disrespect their bodies among themselves, Rom 1:25  who changed the truth of Elohim into the falsehood, and worshipped and served what was created rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Aměn. (religion is created by man)Rom 1:26  Because of this Elohim gave them over to degrading passions. For even their women exchanged natural relations for what is against nature, 

Rom 1:27  and likewise, the men also, having left natural relations with woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing indecency, and receiving back the reward which was due for their straying. Rom 1:31  without discernment, covenant breakers, unloving, unforgiving, ruthless; 

Rom 1:32  who, though they know the righteousness of Elohim, that those who practise such deserve death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practise them

כמעשׂה ארץ מצרים – ‘’like the deeds of the land of Egypt’’

Lev 18:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,

Lev 18:2  “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim.

Lev 18:3  ‘Do not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim, (כמעשׂה ארץ מצרים)where you dwelt. And do not do as they do in the land of Kenaʽan, where I am bringing you, and do not walk in their laws.

Lev 18:4  ‘Do My right-rulings and guard My laws, to walk in them. I am יהוה your Elohim.

Lev 18:5  ‘And you shall guard My laws and My right-rulings, which a man does and lives by them. I am יהוה.

Lev 18:6  ‘No one is to approach (draw near to expose yourself) anyone of his own flesh (or flesh of his flesh) to uncover his nakedness. I am יהוה. (ie show some respect)

ו  אִישׁ אִישׁ אֶל-כָּל-שְׁאֵר בְּשָׂרוֹ, לֹא תִקְרְבוּ לְגַלּוֹת עֶרְוָה:  אֲנִי, יְהוָה.  

Men are addressed first ‘’ish, ish’’ and so righteous men have the primary responsibility of ensuring sexual purity within the camp of Israel.

Lev 18:7  ‘The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you do not uncover. She is your mother, you do not uncover her nakedness. See Gen 9:22-24 Ham uncovering his fathers nakedness.

Lev 18:8  ‘The nakedness of your father’s wife you do not uncover, it is your father’s nakedness.

Lev 18:9  ‘The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you do not uncover.

Lev 18:10  ‘The nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you do not uncover, for theirs is your own nakedness.

Lev 18:11  ‘The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter, brought forth by your father, she is your sister, you do not uncover her nakedness.

Lev 18:12  ‘The nakedness of your father’s sister you do not uncover, she is your father’s flesh.

Lev 18:13  ‘The nakedness of your mother’s sister you do not uncover, for she is your mother’s flesh.

Lev 18:14  ‘The nakedness of your father’s brother you do not uncover, you do not approach his wife, she is your aunt.

Lev 18:15  ‘The nakedness of your daughter-in-law you do not uncover, she is your son’s wife, you do not uncover her nakedness.

Lev 18:16  ‘The nakedness of your brother’s wife you do not uncover, it is your brother’s nakedness.

Lev 18:17  ‘The nakedness of a woman and her daughter you do not uncover, nor do you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are her relatives – it is wickedness.

Lev 18:18  ‘And do not take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive.

Lev 18:19  ‘And do not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness in her monthly separation of uncleanness.

Lev 18:20  ‘And do not have intercourse with the wife of your neighbour, to defile yourself with her.

Lev 18:21  ‘And do not give any of your offspring to pass through to Moleḵ. And do not profane the Name of your Elohim. I am יהוה.

Lev 18:22  ‘And do not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination.

Lev 18:23  ‘And do not have intercourse with any beast, to defile yourself with it. And a woman does not stand before a beast to mate with it, it is a perversion.

Lev 18:24  ‘Do not defile yourselves with all these, for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am driving out before you.

Lev 18:25  ‘Thus the land became defiled, therefore I punished it for its crookedness, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

Lev 18:26  ‘But you, you shall guard My laws and My right-rulings, and not do any of these abominations, the native nor stranger who sojourns among you,

Lev 18:27  because the men of the land who were before you have done all these abominations, and thus the land became defiled,

Lev 18:28  ‘So let not the land vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

Lev 18:29  ‘For whoever does any of these abominations, those beings who do them shall be cut off from among their people.

Lev 18:30  ‘And you shall guard My Charge, so as not to do any of these abominable practices which were done before you, so as not to defile yourselves by them. I am יהוה your Elohim.’”

So, why did incest become such a problem? Because the ‘’seed’’ of man had become corrupted. How was the seed of man corrupted? Through the introduction of a ‘’mixed’ seed.

Gen 6:1  And it came to be, when men began to increase on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 

Gen 6:2  that the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men, that they were good. And they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. Gen 6:3  And יהוה said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever in his going astray. He is flesh, and his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 

Gen 6:4  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of Elohim came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, the men of name. Gen 6:5  And יהוה saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen 6:6  And יהוה was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 

Gen 3:15  “And I put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed.b He shall crush your head, and you shall crush His heel.” Footnote: bFirst promise of the Messiah. 

Religion and especially Christianity has entrenched and nourished this ‘’corrupt seed’’ for the past 2000 years. Consider the destruction the Roman Catholic church introduced into society through their laws on celibacy. The Protestant movement don’t have any moral high ground on this issue either. (Recently the pope announced a blessing on same sex marriages – the protestants are equally guilty)

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of Elohim is revealed from heaven against all wickedness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, Rom 1:19  because that which is known of Elohim is manifest among them, for Elohim has manifested it to them. 

This has been the sad history of YHVH’s people until this day.

Eze 22:1  And the word of יהוה came to me, saying, Eze 22:2  “And now, son of man, judge, judge the city of blood! And you shall show her all her abominations!

Eze 22:8  “You have despised that which is set-apart to Me, and you have profaned My Sabbaths.

Eze 22:10  “In you they have uncovered the nakedness of a father. In you they have humbled women who are defiled during their uncleanness. Eze 22:11  “And the one has done abomination with his neighbour’s wife. And another has wickedly defiled his daughter-in-law. And another within you has humbled his sister, his father’s daughter. Eze 22:31  “Therefore I have poured out My displeasure on them, I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. And I have put their way on their own head,” declares the Master יהוה.

Returning to the truth and instruction given by the Torah regarding human sexuality is essential in bringing about the ‘’restoration of all things’’.

In this regard this Torah portion instructs us on what is forbidden sexual conduct but is silent on what is ‘’allowed’’. This puts a great responsibility on spiritual leaders to guide YHVH’s flock regarding this critical issue. It is very evident judging the present moral condition of the world and of YHVH’s people that these leaders have miserably failed and even contributed themselves to the moral crisis that humanity finds itself in at this present time.

Sadly, today many have composed their own lists of what is sexually forbidden. In doing so they exalt their own authority over that of YHVH’s Word.

Sexual activity was meant to take place between a man and a woman who are committed to each other in a way that reflects YHVH’s desire to establish covenantal life on earth and that will bring honour to His Name.

Many people experience sexual frustration and guilt because of the way their sexuality is conducted and expressed. Couples were meant to minister to one another in such a way that a wonderful sexual fulfilment would result in a drawing closer to one another and the One who created our sexuality. The very first instruction YHVH gave man was to ‘’have sex’’ - Gen 1:27  And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them. Gen 1:28  And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, “Be fruitful and increase, (ie sexual intercourse) and fill the earth and subdue it…..

YHVH invented sexual intercourse, not Hollywood.

It is significant to note that without hesitation the sages tell us that the most set apart book in the ‘’Tenach’’ (Old Testament) is the “Song of Songs” where through the use of Hebrew imagery sexual intimacy is expressed in the most explicit of ways. Many of these sages believe the Song of Songs is an allegory* of YHVH’s desire for His people Israel and Israels response to YHVH.

Regarding this ‘’explicit’’ description of human sexuality conservative Christian commentator, Adam Clarke, wrote: There are many passages in it which should not be explained. ... the references being too delicate; and Eastern phraseology on such subjects is too vivid.... Let any sensible and pious medical man read over this book, and, if at all acquainted with Asiatic phraseology, say whether it would be proper, even in medical language, to explain all the descriptions and allusions in this poem.

*Definition of ‘’allegory’’ it is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or spiritual one.

 ‘’Religious and depraved’’ men continue to hold the view that it was a ‘’mistake’’ to include the book of the ‘’Song of Songs’’ into the ‘Biblical canon’’, they conclude that it was a song sung by ‘’lewd’’ and drunk men in taverns in ancient times.

Mankind’s struggle to ‘’cover up’’ their sexual ‘’awkwardness’’   began in the garden of Eden after their fall. Fig leaves are not the most comfortable means of concealing your genitals.

This ‘’awkwardness ’prevails and man still pursues ‘’awkward’’ ways in concealing his sexual behaviour. (the message of this week’s Torah portion) Incest also remains one of the ‘’big secret sins’’.

Recent reports indicate that one in two South African children have experienced some form of sexual abuse before the age of 18, says Joan van Niekerk, national coordinator of Childline, an organisation that assists children who have experienced abuse.

Tragically most cases of abuse go unreported. The full extent of statistics therefore remains unrecorded.

According to Childline, the notion of "stranger danger" is misleading. People often think that children are only abused by strangers, but sometimes the person who abuses children is a friend of the parents or a family member. 

In recent years in Israel, certain haredi (ultraorthodox) Sephardi rabbis have pressured the Chief Rabbinate to lift the ban on polygyny for Sephardi men because of sexual sin. This is not a fringe group of rabbis: former Sephardi Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yoseph was their leader until his death in 2013. Today, Yoseph’s disciples have founded an organization Habayit Hayehudi Hashalem (the Complete Jewish Home) which continues to advocate that all Sephardi men — who are childless and economically able — be allowed to marry a second wife.

http://www.avotaynuonline.com/2015/07/polygamy-in-the-jewish-and-western-tradition-religion-culture-and-class/

Regarding human sexuality, it is time for believers to ‘’face the music’’ or suffer the consequences of our disobedience and ignorance regarding this issue.

Eze 16:44  “See, all who use proverbs shall use this proverb against you, ‘Like mother, like daughter!’ 

Eze 16:45  “You are your mother’s daughter, who despises her husband and her children. And you are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Ḥittite and your father an Amorite. Eze 16:46  “And your elder sister is Shomeron, she and her daughters, who is dwelling to the north of you. And your younger sister, who is dwelling to the south of you, is Seḏom and her daughters. 

Eze 16:47  “And have you not walked in their ways and did according to their abominations? But in all your ways you soon became more corrupt than they. Eze 16:48  “As I live,” declares the Master יהוה, “neither your sister Seḏom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Eze 16:49  “See, this was the crookedness of your sister Seḏom: She and her daughter had pride, sufficiency of bread, and unconcerned ease. And she did not help the poor and needy. Eze 16:50  “And they were haughty and did abomination before Me, and I took them away when I saw it. Eze 16:51  “And Shomeron (northern 10 tribes)did not commit half of your sins, but you have increased your abominations more than they, and by all the abominations which you have done you made your sisters seem righteous! Eze 16:52  “You also, who pleaded for your sisters, bear your own shame, because the sins which you committed were more abominable than theirs. They are more righteous than you. So be ashamed too, and bear your own shame, because you have made your sisters seem righteous. Eze 16:53  “And I shall turn back their captivity, the captivity of Seḏom and her daughters, and the captivity of Shomeron and her daughters, and the captivity of your captives with them, 

Eze 16:54  so that you bear your shame, and shall blush for all that you did when you comforted them, 

Eze 16:55  “and your sisters, Seḏom and her daughters, return to their former state, and Shomeron and her daughters return to their former state, and you and your daughters return to your former state. 

Eze 16:56  “Was not your sister Seḏom a byword in your mouth in the days of your pride, 

Eze 16:57  before your evil was exposed, as the time of the reproach of the daughters of Aram and all who were around her, and of the daughters of the Philistines, who are despising you everywhere? 

Eze 16:58  “You shall bear your wickedness and your abominations,” declares יהוה. 

YHVH's Everlasting Covenant

Eze 16:59  For thus said the Master יהוה, “I shall deal with you as you have done, in that you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Eze 16:60  “But I shall remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I shall establish an everlasting covenant with you. Eze 16:61  “And you shall remember your ways and be ashamed, when you receive your older and your younger sisters. And I shall give them to you for daughters, though not by your own covenant. Eze 16:62  “And I Myself shall establish My covenant with you. And you shall know that I am יהוה, Eze 16:63  so that you remember. And you shall be ashamed, and never open your mouth any more because of your shame, when I pardon you for all you have done,” declares the Master

יהוה.’ ” 

Mat 10:14  “And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, when you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Mat 10:15  “Truly, I say to you, it shall be more bearable for the land of Seḏom and Amorah in the day of judgment than for that city! Mat 11:23  “And you, Kephar Naḥum, who were exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to She’ol!b Isa_14:13 and Isa_14:15. Because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Seḏom, it would have remained until this day. Footnote: bSee Explanatory Notes - She’ol. Mat 11:24  “But I say to you that it shall be more bearable for the land of Seḏom in the day of judgment than for you.” 

1Pe 4:17  Because it is time for judgment to begin from the House of Elohim. And if firstly from us, what is the end of those who do not obey the Good News of Elohim? 1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall the wicked and the sinner appear? Pro_11:31. 

The Parable of the Two Sons

Mat 21:28  “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 

Mat 21:29  “And he answering, said, ‘I do not wish to,’ but afterwards he repented and went. 

Mat 21:30  “And having come to the second, he said similarly. And he answering, said, ‘I go, master,’ but he did not go. 

Mat 21:31  “Which of the two did the desire of the father?” They said to Him, “The first.” יהושע said to them, “Truly, I say to you that tax collectors and whores are entering into the reign of Elohim before you, 

Mat 21:32  for Yoḥanan came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but tax collectors and whores believed him. And when you saw it, you did not repent afterwards, to believe him.

It is time to ‘’face the music’’ this is more serious than we realize - we have all sinned and fallen short of YHVH’s Esteem regarding these matters – there is still time to repent and receive mercy and times of refreshing from our Master.

Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn