Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch
ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu
eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the
blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the
Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us
your Torah.
This portion is also known as the
“tochacha” or solemn warning. “Tochacha” comes from the word “hochacha” which
can mean “proof.” The inhabitants of this world may soon witness the proof of
ignoring YHVH’s Torah. Ignoring YHVH’s Torah is equal to ignoring YHVH’s
Messiah. The most severe judgment imaginable is about to come upon mankind
because the Torah of YHVH and His Messiah - Yahshua have been misrepresented or
ignored.
Torah Readings:
1. 26:3-5
2. 26:6-9
3. 26:10-46
4. 27:1-15
5. 27:16-21
6. 27:22-28
7. 27:29-31
8. Maftir: 27:32-34
Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
Our haftarah portion reminds us that we have inherited
folly from our fathers.
Jer 16:19 O יהוה, my strength
and my stronghold and my refuge, in the
day of distress the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth
and say, “Our fathers have inherited only falsehood, futility, and there is no
value in them.”1 Footnote: 1See Ps. 147:19, Isa. 2:3,
Isa. 60:2-3, John 4:22, Rom. 2:20, Rom. 3:2, Rom. 9:4. Zech 8:23
Lev 26:3 ‘If you walk in My laws and guard My
commands, and shall do them,
Vs 3 in the Hebrew reads: “if in my statutes (bechukatai) you will walk
and my commandments (mitzvoth) you will guard (shamar) and will do them (asah)
Remember a “chuk” or
statute is something which is to be engraved in our hearts and minds. We obey
these statutes but do not always understand exactly what they mean, for
example the appointments found in
Vayikra/Leviticus 23 where we find the words “chukat olam” is used four times –
this is a statute forever – In fact some 12 times this phrase is repeated in
the Torah. (these “chukot” are forever)
Lev 26:4 then I shall give you rain in its season, and
the land shall yield its crops, and the trees of the field yield their fruit.
Lev 26:5 ‘And your threshing shall last till the time
of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last till the time of sowing.
And you shall eat your bread until you have enough, and shall dwell in your
land safely.
Lev 26:6 ‘And I shall give peace in the land, and you
shall lie down and no one make you afraid. And I shall clear the land of evil
beasts,(chayah rahah) and not let the sword go through your land.
Lev 26:7 ‘And you shall pursue your enemies, and they
shall fall by the sword before you.
Lev 26:8 ‘And five of you shall pursue a hundred, and
a hundred of you pursue ten thousand. And your enemies shall fall by the sword
before you.
Lev 26:9 ‘And I shall turn to you and make you bear
fruit, and shall increase you, and shall establish My covenant with you.
Lev 26:10 ‘And you shall eat the old supply, and clear
out the old because of the new.
Lev 26:11 ‘And I shall set My Dwelling Place in your
midst, and My being shall not reject you.
Lev 26:12 ‘And I shall walk in your midst, and shall be
your Elohim, and you shall be My people.
Lev 26:13 ‘I am יהוה your Elohim,
who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from being their slaves. And I
have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk upright.
Lev 26:14 ‘But if
you do not obey Me, and do not do all these commands,
Lev 26:15 and if
you reject My laws,(be chukatai) or if your being loathes My right-rulings, so
that you do not do all My commands, but break My covenant, (note YHVH is
addressing His people and history is the “tochacha” the proof)
Lev 26:16 I also
do this to you: And I shall appoint sudden alarm over you, wasting disease and
inflammation, destroying the eyes, and consuming the life. And you shall sow
your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
Lev 26:17 ‘And I
shall set My face against you, and you shall be smitten before your enemies.
And those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when no one
pursues you.
Lev 26:18 ‘And
after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I shall punish you seven times more
for your sins.
Lev 26:19 ‘And I
shall break the pride of your power, and shall make your heavens like iron and
your earth like bronze.
Lev 26:20 ‘And
your strength shall be spent in vain and your land not yield its crops, nor the
trees of the land yield their fruit.
Lev 26:21 ‘And if
you walk contrary to Me, and refuse to obey Me, I shall bring on you seven
times more plagues, according to your sins,
Lev 26:22 and send
wild beasts among you, which shall bereave you of your children. And I shall
cut off your livestock, and make you few in number, and your highways shall be
deserted.
Lev 26:23 ‘And if
you are not instructed by Me by these, but walk contrary to Me,
Lev 26:24 then I
also shall walk contrary to you, and I Myself shall smite you seven times for
your sins.
Lev 26:25 ‘And I
shall bring against you a sword executing the vengeance of My covenant, and you
shall gather together in your cities, and I shall send pestilence among you,
and you shall be given into the hand of the enemy.
Lev 26:26 ‘When I
have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven,
and they shall bring back to you your bread by weight, and you shall eat and
not be satisfied.
Lev 26:27 ‘And if
in spite of this, you do not obey Me, but walk contrary to Me,
Lev 26:28 then I
shall walk contrary to you in wrath. And I Myself shall punish you seven times
for your sins.
Lev 26:29 ‘And you
shall eat the flesh of your sons, and eat the flesh of your daughters.
Lev 26:30 ‘And I
shall destroy your high places, and cut down your sun-pillars, and put your
carcasses on the carcasses of your idols. And My being shall loathe you.
Lev 26:31 ‘And I
shall turn your cities into ruins and lay your set-apart places waste, and not
smell your sweet fragrances.
Lev 26:32 ‘And I
shall lay the land waste, and your enemies who dwell in it shall be astonished
at it.
Lev 26:33 ‘And I
shall scatter you among the gentiles and draw out a sword after you. And your
land shall be desert and your cities ruins,