Acharei Mot (After the death) Leviticus 16:1-18:30 Kedoshim (Holy People) Leviticus 19:1-20:27
1.Leviticus 19:17. “Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.”
a.If someone sins against you, hurts you deeply, what’s wrong with just keeping silent and avoiding that person instead of going to them and talking about what they did? Can you think of an example in scripture when keeping silent made things worse?
Keeping silent causes what? Unresolved hurt can transform itself into a poison that will affect our entire being.
The verse commands G-d’s people not to harbor hatred in their hearts toward one another but to address issues openly and honestly. The instruction to “rebuke your neighbor frankly” means that when someone does something wrong, it’s better to confront the issue directly rather than letting resentment build up inside.
There are a few verses in scripture that tell what can happen when a person did not confront an issue and lets resentment build.
Absalom, Amnon, and Tamar II Samuel 13:22,13:28,13:32
20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there.
24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?”
25 “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.
26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?”
27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.
28 Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.”
29 So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
The story of Joseph and his brothers – Genesis 37:4, “4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
1b.Continuing on with the same thought, the end of Leviticus 18:17 says to rebuke someone frankly so we will not share in their guilt. What is the biblical way to rebuke someone? Are there biblical examples? Again, why will we share in their guilt if we keep silent?
First, A person should always pray about the situation before rebuking someone. We need to check our motives. Are we angry with that person? Do we want to prove we are right and they are wrong? Are we eager to “put them in their place?” Or do we desire to see them restored in their relationship with G-d and with people.
Second our rebuke should always be grounded in G-d’s truth. Our words should help individuals understand their sin and its consequences. We should concentrate on the sin instead of degrading the person.
Third, The purpose of rebuke is not to condemn or humiliate, but to lead to repentance and a change of heart, behavior and understanding. The goal of our rebuke should be to restore that person and to protect other believers that might be affected by this sin.
There are many examples of someone being rebuked in scripture.
One example of Yeshua rebuking the disciples.
Matthew 16:5-12, “When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Yeshua said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.” Aware of their discussion, Yeshua asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. ”Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Even in Paul’s rebuke he clarifies his goal of restoration in II Corinthians 13:9. And then in speaking to the whole church in II Corinthians 13:11 he says restoration not just correction was his goal.
II Corinthians 13:5-11
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that the Messiah is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.7 Now we pray to G-d that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the L-rd gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down. 11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the G-d of love and peace will be with you.
Lastly, if we see a brother sinning and G-d speaks to us about it but we choose to look the other way because we don’t want to confront the person we will be guilty of sharing in their sin.
2.The Parshah of Kedoshim begins with the statement: “You shall be holy, for I, the L‑rd your G‑d, am holy.” This is followed by dozens of commandments on how to be holy or set apart. These include prohibition against idolatry, giving charity, keeping the Sabbath, honesty in business, honoring our parents and the sacredness of life. I would like each of you to come ready to share your testimony on how you have used these commandments in your life personally when it caused you to be “set apart” from either family or friends.
I have said before and it is still true, we change the world by our example, not by our opinion.” When we read our Torah section a common thread holds these verses together. These verses speak about how to live each day as a holy person, a person who does not withdraw from the world but one who infuses each day with G-d’s standard, G-d’s holiness.
G-d did not command holiness from the people. Holiness is not a quality that can be commanded. Just as you cannot command people to love one another. You cannot command holiness. Holiness can only be a choice made freely and from the heart of a person.
Our reactions in many situations may not be like others might act. What are some situations you have found yourself in where you made a holy decision that separated you, or set you apart from others?
For Jean and I we have been invited to neighborhood cookouts a few times where pork was the only thing being grilled. We either had to decline the invitation or go and eat nothing. Eating nothing also becomes an issue.
We have been encouraged to go to local food distributions to get free food even though we do not qualify. The income level is lower than our yearly income. We were told that didn’t really matter. They don’t check your income. You just sign the paper that you don’t make more than the amount listed on their form.
Here are a few examples we see happening every day. Are they kosher for a believer to participate in?
1.You need a repair done to your home and the contractor offers to pad the cost on the form turned in to the insurance company so you won’t have to pay your deductible. Okay or not okay?
2.If someone is doing a job for you and asked to be paid in cash so he won’t have to pay taxes on the money, is that okay or not okay?
3.You borrow someone’s handicap tag to put on your car so you can get a good parking place at the store. Okay or not?
Sometimes we face small decisions that don’t seem to matter in the big picture of life. But when we act without integrity we profane the name of G-d. When a believer conducts himself no differently than the common, ordinary people around him, he makes G-d look common and ordinary, too. He damages G-d’s reputation. So our small decisions speak to those around us about who we are.
3.The Haftorah reading for Kedoshim (Ashkenazim) is Amos 9:7-15. Here we read how G-d punished Israel for their sin. What was G-d’s purpose in bringing judgement on the children of Israel when they sinned? Verses 11-15 tells how G-d will restore and rebuild. Exactly who will be planted in the land to never be plucked up again? Are there other verses that tell us G-d will restore Israel to their land?
First of all, G-d brought judgement on Israel to make them aware of their sin and how far they had walked away from G-d, just as He sometimes does with us. Second, It was G-d’s attempt, in showing them their sin, to restore them to their rightful relationship with Him.
Isaiah 11:11, 11 In that day the L-rd will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush,[a] from Elam, from Babylonia,[b] from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.
Jeremiah 30:3, 3 The days are coming,’ declares the L-rd, ‘when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity[a]and restore them to the land I gave their ancestors to possess,’ says the L-rd.”
The entire chapter of Jeremiah 30 tells of G-d promises to restore Israel to their promised land.
You may think it strange that I asked you who will be planted in Israel never to be plucked up again. Seems too simple. But it’s easy to find commentary on the internet that says G-d will restore the “church” not Israel to the land and that believers are grafted in to Yeshua not Israel. Truth is always found in scripture.
Emor (Speak) Leviticus 21:1-24:23
G-D’S BIBLICAL CYCLE OF TIME
I want us to take the time to cover each of these appointed times listed in Leviticus 23 as they appear in the Messianic Scripture. I believe we will see from this that these days were part of the life of the believers even after the death and resurrection of Yeshua.
Why is this important to us? It is important because it is biblical. It is important to us because it was important to the early believers. This was changed, not by G-d’s command, but by the decree of the government in the 3rdCentury of the Common Era. It was done for the historically recorded purpose of distancing the church from any connection with its Jewish roots.
So let’s take a little time and go over each of these days as listed in Leviticus/Vayikra 23 and see if we can find a connection in the Messianic Scriptures.
Shabbat
Mentioned 59 times in the Messianic Writings and well over 170 times in all of scripture.
Its purpose is to teach us to take this day each week to rest, study and worship G-d.
It is also a precursor to our future, unending, Heavenly Shabbat rest.
Paul as well as Yeshua Himself are mentioned over and over in scripture going to the synagogue and teaching on Shabbat. After the death and resurrection of Yeshua, believers continued to meet on Shabbat. Paul’s teaching on the Sabbath occurred at least 20 years after the earthly reign of Yeshua. Nowhere in scripture do we see Sabbath being replaced by Sunday.
Luke 23:55-56, “The women who had come with Yeshua from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.”
Acts 17:2, “As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures”
PASSOVER
Begins at sundown on the fourteenth day of the month of Aviv.
The Passover meal is eaten at sundown after cleaning all the leaven out of the home.
This emphasizes the necessity of cleaning sin out of our own lives. This holiday symbolizes our spiritual redemption and salvation attained by the blood of the Lamb of G-d being applied to our spirit.
Matthew 26:17-19, “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Yeshua and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover? He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house. So the disciples did as Yeshua had directed them and prepared the Passover.”
John 2:23, “Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.”
Acts 12:4, After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.”
UNLEAVENED BREAD
Begins at sundown on the fifteenth day of the month of Aviv.
This holiday lasts for 7 days and has a spiritual purpose, all leaven has been cleaned from the home and none is to be eaten for 7 days. In scripture leaven is a symbol of sin.
Mark 14:1, “Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Yeshua secretly and kill him.”
Mark 8:15, “Be careful,” Yeshua warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
1 Corinthians 5:6-8, “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Yeshua, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
SHAVUOT/FIRST FRUITS
This holiday comes exactly 50 days after Passover and in some ways is seen as the ending of Passover. It is known in scripture as, First Fruits or Pentecost and also is seen as celebrating the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai.
In the cycle of holidays, Passover being our redemption, Shavuot can be seen as the next step in our spiritual journey. It is important that our spiritual birth be followed by a time of study and learning what G-d’s Word/ Torah teaches us about how to live our life as His people.
ACTS 2:1-13, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem G-d-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of G-d in our own tongues!”Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
ROSH HA SHANA is known as, “The Day of Blowing.” It is the beginning of a ten-day period leading up to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This time is announced by the blowing of the shofar, calling people to repent. People are to forgive anyone that has wronged them and also ask forgiveness of others where needed.
In each of these verses it talks about our names being written in the Book of Life. According to the Jewish faith, the book of Life is opened in Heaven on Rosh Hashanah and ten days later closed on Yom Kippur. The term, “Book of Life,” is also seen in the Messianic Writings.
Luke 10:20, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Philippians 4:3, “Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
Revelations 21:27, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. In each of these verses it talks about our names being written in the Book of Life.”
YOM KIPPUR
This appointed time is spiritually seen in G-d’s calendar as the final judgment. It is the most important and most holy day of the yearly cycle. This was the time that the high priest entered the holy of holies to atone for the sins of the people of Israel. The Messiah did that for us giving us eternal redemption.
Acts 27:9, “Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement.”
Hebrews 9:12-15, “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to G-d, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living G-d! For this reason Messiah is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
SUCCOTH/TABERNACLES
This is the holiday that ends G-d’s religious year in scripture. This holiday is also known as the “Season of Our Rejoicing.” It signals that things have been set right between G-d and His people. Forgiveness has been given and we take joy in it. We live in a temporary structure called a succah or booth for eight days. This emphasizes our complete dependence on Him and the joy that it brings to us.
John 7: 2-3, “But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Yeshua’s brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.”
John 7:37-38, “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Yeshua stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[
I hope this study gives you a deeper appreciation of the close connection between the Hebrew scripture and the Messianic Writings. If we do not understand and appreciate this connection we cannot fully understand the depth of what the writers of the Messianic Writings are really saying. This handicaps our spiritual walk. We must always understand we are grafted in to a Jewish tree of faith not the other way around. This requires us to understand the scriptures from a Jewish viewpoint rather than a Greek or Western point of view.