The Foolish Man Builds His House Upon the Sand

This picture was taken a few days ago on the island where I grew up. It is still amazing to me to think that I lived my entire life on this tiny little barrier island that is less than a quarter mile wide in some places.

When I was a little girl, my mom taught me a little song that goes like this:

The wise man built his house upon the rock.

The wise man built his house upon the rock.

The wise man built his house upon the rock,

And the rains came tumbling down.

The rains came down, and the floods rose up.

The rains came down, and the floods rose up.

The rains came down, and the floods rose up.

But the house on the rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand.

And the rains came tumbling down.

The rains came down, and the floods rose up.

The rains came down, and the floods rose up.

The rains came down, and the floods rose up.

And the house on the sound fell down. CRASH!

After singing this song a few times, I got to thinking..."Mom, why is our house built on the sand like the foolish man? If a hurricane comes, our house could go CRASH???" My patient mom would then try to explain how the "stilts" that our house sat upon actually were dug very deep into the sand, so our house shouldn't go anywhere.

Well, as I was reading the Torah portion this week, I was struck by how much I feel like Noah's family at this time. There's so much going on around us - the economic crisis, a crazy election process for our nation, a "holiday" that exhorts witchcraft and paganism, just to name a few. In the midst of all this confusion where even fellow believers seem to be "going with the flow" of society, following God's Word can definitely make you stick out like that proverbial old sore thumb.

However, as we read about Noah and his family, it's comforting to know that most of the time the people who ARE following the Scriptures ARE different. And that is simply because the Word of God has not, does not, and will not ever change. It is that Rock spoken of by Yeshua in Matthew 7. Yes, in this world it is popular to be flexible, to be fluid, to be like "shifting sands." "The Constitution is living," they say. "It is to be interpreted differently with the times."

It's time for the people of God to be unpopular. To do hard things. To be different. To be built on the Rock and not on the sand. I will not apologize for offending anyone. I'm not being judgmental. God is the Judge of all. He alone judges me and everyone else in the world. However, we can know how to please Him - we just need to look in the Book!

As you read the Torah portion for this week, be sure to check out Matthew 7 along with it.

Shabbat Shalom!

In case you were wondering, read "Do Jews Celebrate Halloween?" here.

Parasha Ponderings: When You Go Out

This week's parasha is Ki Tetze or "When You Go Out" for us English-speakers, and can be found in Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19. At first glance, it seems like a bunch of random rules all thrown in one chapter and stirred a bit for good measure. I seriously had to read the portion 3 times before I felt confident even to even write about it. Why all the "random" laws? If God is so powerful, couldn't He be a bit more organized???

Here's the thing - God's idea of organized is much, much different than our idea of organized and this portion is yet another to prove this theory. For example, the first section talks about what to do if you go out to war and see a pretty lady from the other side that you want to marry. This follows into a section about what to do if you have two wives, one loved and the other unloved. Hmmm...and then of course, the very next section talks about what to do if you have a very rebellious son...which a few verses later digresses into what to do if you are walking along and happen upon a nest with a mother bird and some chicks. See what I mean?

I was listening to the radio as I was getting ready for work this morning, and one of the morning show hosts was telling a story about how one day he prayed for a car. "And make it a convertible while You're at it," he added, rather sarcastically. Well, about two hours later, someone had given him a car. Yep, it's a convertible. He went on to say that while he's very thankful for the car and still amazed that this happened, the only explanation is that for some reason God decided to give him a car that day. A convertible.

People could say that was random, or that it was just "coincidence." Well, I happen to not believe that anything is coincidence, but I also do not believe that there is a "magic formula" when it comes to prayer. God is just not like that. Yes, there are prayers in the Bible that are all fine and great to pray, and I do so myself quite often. However, we have to get passed this idea that this infinite, all-powerful, King over kings over kings confines Himself to this teeny, tiny little box that we so often deduce Him down to. He just doesn't fit.

So, back to the "random rules" of Ki Tetze. I actually don't think they are random at all. Do I have an explanation for why they are where they are? Not at all! I actually don't have a clue...but that's the beauty of God. When you read these teachings, they actually make a lot of sense and I think we would do well to observe them today. (Read my last post here). Especially the part about paying a hired worker before sunset! I would LOVE to get paid everyday!

The last part of the portion seems really out of place, especially the first two times I read the portion this week. However, this evening as I was reading it, it all made sense. Deuteronomy 25:17 -19 says,

Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

Today, the seventh anniversary of 9/11, we remember what was done, in hatred and evil, to our country. The motto of the day is, "Never forget!" How fitting that we read this portion this week as we remember that infamous day when modern-day Amalekites allowed evil to prevail and killed many precious lives. May those who perished be remembered for good, and may we all be reminded that life is short and we must use the time that we have to do good and live for what is ETERNAL.

Shabbat Shalom!

Picture courtesy of Allposters.com, who is having a $4.98 poster sale!

Parasha Ponderings (Re'eh - "See")

This week's parasha (see my Hebrew Dictionary on the sidebar) is Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17, and is called Re'eh ("See" in English). It begins with a frequently quoted passage,

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot [commandments] of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; and the curse, if you don't listen to the mitzvot of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow gods that you have not known. (CJB)

Seems like an easy choice, right? I mean, who is going to say, "Well, God, I think I'd rather have the curse." But here's the thing: We do it all the time. I do it, you do it, we all do it. We all do things, at times, that end up bringing not-so-good consequences into our lives. That's the bad news.

The good news is that God is very forgiving - VERY, VERY forgiving. Just read the Torah and the Prophets through one time, and you'll see how many times He forgave His people time and again for some pretty bad stuff (bowing down to idols, child sacrifice to other gods, etc.). It's funny to me when I hear preachers read from the Scriptures, and contrast themselves with the children of Israel. Basically saying, "Look at how bad THEY were, but look at how good I am!" Come again? I'm pretty sure it says, "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23)

Ok, so God promises amazing blessings for those who follow His Word. But, the thing is, not everyone who lives according to God's teachings drives a Mercedes or has a Coach purse. Actually, and I have seen this myself when I traveled to China and Israel, some of the people that live their lives totally for God, end up having the most trouble and are, by this world's standards, quite impoverished. How is that fair???

I love this story about the Chofetz Chaim, a Polish rabbi from the 19th century:

There was once a man traveling through Europe in the 1800’s. He came to the town where the Chofetz Chaim had lived. The traveler stopped in to meet the great Talmid Chacham. When he arrived at the house, he saw that the Chofetz Chaim lived in a tiny home. He knocked on the door and when he looked inside he saw a nearly empty one-bedroom apartment. The traveler asked the Chofetz Chaim, “aren’t you the great Chofetz Chaim? How can you live like this? Where are all of your possessions?” The Chofetz Chaim turned to the traveler and posed the same question. “Where are all of your possessions? All you have with you is a suitcase.” The traveler answered, “Well, I am just passing through,” to which the Chofetz Chaim responded, “I too am just passing through.”

I think this story is a beautiful way to explain this enigma. As my father always says, "We live in an upside down world." That is to say, the people in this life that are called "poor" are many times very "rich." However, there is good news. And that, I believe is summed up in an awesome way by the words of Yeshua in the following parable (Matthew 25:31-46):

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

(Copyright New International Version)

Therefore, we have two choices: blessing (obedience) or curse (disobedience). The blessing may or may not come in this life, but rest assured that God will reward the righteous in the end.

(Picture from Flickr)

Parasha Shlach Lecha "Send for Yourself"

This week's portion is Shlach Lecha, Numbers 13:1-15:41, in which we read the story of the spies whom Moses sent out to get a good looksie at the Promised Land. My first question is, "Why would they need to spy it out?" God told them to go, so why not just go?

Honestly, I think it was a test. God gives them to us all the time. We all have had instances in our lives, situations that we have been given promises or hopes of a "personal promised land," and yet when it comes to actually getting there, we hesitate. We want to "search it out first" or "wait on the Lord." Don't get me wrong, it's not good to rush into anything. But it's when we know something is from the Lord, and we turn back or get scared that we fall into "wandering in the wilderness" just like the children of Israel.

Last night I was listening to a song from the new Bible Study resource pack I mentioned on here a few days ago, Feast. On it was a song by Sara Groves, and the lyrics tell perfectly not only what is going on in the portion, but in my own life as well. It's been a trying time, and I have been "Painting Pictures of Egypt" just like the song says. Here are some of the lyrics to this beautiful song:

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt Leaving out what it lacked

The future seems so hard And I want to go back

But the places that used to fit me Cannot hold the things I've learned

And those roads closed off to me While my back was turned

It's true. We all do it. The future looks scary, and the past is comfortable. We begin to reminisce and think, "If only I were still (fill in the blank - young, skinny, had taken this major in college, etc...)" Last night as I listened to this song, I realized that God was whispering, "Please just trust in MY plan for you. You don't have to worry and wish for the past or your comfort zone. I have had all your days planned for you from before you were even born!"

I feel so loved. I know He does have the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, in store for each one of us. We simply need to rest and let HIM show us the way!

Shabbat Shalom!

Cartoons appearing in this post are Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - http://www.reverendfun.com/

Parasha B'chukotai, Leviticus 26:3-27:34

This year we read B'chukotai (Lev. 26:3-27:34) all by itself, as it is a leap year. In regular years we read it along with last week's portion, B'har (Lev. 25:1-26:2). I was so excited as I read both of these portions, as it is simply amazing that we are seeing a prophecy from waaaay back in Leviticus come true before our very eyes! Allow me to explain...

In Leviticus 25:1-5, God commands the people to observe a sabbath for the land, a shmittah year. That means that every seven years, they are to allow the land to rest or lie fallow. Basically, it was a year "off" for everyone once every seven years. God taught them to stockpile their food throughout the other six years so that they have enough to eat not only for the sixth year, but also for the seventh and eighth years (remember, since they would not be planting on the seventh year, they would have to have enough to eat during the eighth year as well - see Lev. 25:20-22).

In Leviticus 26:14-16, God sets before the people blessings for obedience and punishments for disobedience. When you read "punishments," don't read it as God is an angry, vengeful being just sitting up there waiting to slap us when we go astray. He really is much more loving than that! Read it as a loving parent who only wants to teach his children the way of life, and to draw his children closer to himself. Here's one of those "punishments" from Lev. 26:31-33:

I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it. (NIV)

Therefore, God was saying, "If you don't observe my teachings and way of life, I'm going to disperse you throughout the nations and allow the land to have it's sabbaths." And that is just what He did...evidence for the existence of God! Have the Jewish people not been scattered to the uttermost parts of the earth?

BUT, they were not cast away forever. As He says in Lev. 26:40-44:

But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them.

I am the LORD their God.

So now God is saying that the Jewish people will be dispersed to all the other nations, and they will be humbled and repent to Him. He says that He will NEVER break His covenant with them. Interestingly enough, some in the Body of Messiah hold to view that God in fact did break covenant with them, and replaced them with the Church. However, if God did do that, then He does not keep His Word. This "Replacement Theology" is unBiblical, anti-God, and must be "replaced" itself with the Truth of the Word. This is a whole other topic for another day, but just as Sha'ul says in Romans 11 says, believers are not replacing the branches, but are grafted-in among them.

So far we have seen God's commandment to observe the sabbath year for the land, the punishment for disobedience, and God's promise to respond in the event of Israel's repentance. Jeremiah 31:1-5 gives us what happens next:

"At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people." This is what the LORD says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel."
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel.

Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful.
Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria;

the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit.
There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim,

'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.' "

This is the really exciting part! God promised to bring the people back to the land...and He did exactly that, in our generations! The modern state of Israel is celebrating her 60th anniversary this year! As we watch God's plan unfold, we must remember that God ALWAYS keeps His Word. To me, the fact of Israel's existence is proof that God is. Without Him, there would be no Israel today. I've heard this story many times, but I love it:

One day in the late 19th Century, Queen Victoria of England reportedly
asked her Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, this question...
"Mr. Prime Minister, what evidence can you give me of the existence of God?"
Disraeli thought for a moment and then replied, "The Jew, your
majesty."

So now that we have this knowledge, what do we do about it? I think that Isaiah 40:1-2 and 40:9-11 give us our answer:

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins...

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!" See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

*All Scripture taken from the NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

**Graphic taken by my husband in Israel, May 2007.

The Real Estate Agent's Haftarah Portion

Last night as I was reading this week's Haftarah portion (Jeremiah 32:6-27), the scenario jumped right off the pages at me. The story came alive as I was able to really see what was going on for Jeremiah in his day.
The story starts out that God spoke to Jeremiah, and told him that his cousin Hanamel was going to come to Jeremiah to ask him to purchase a field back in his home town of Anatot even though Jeremiah had been living in Jerusalem for quite some time. It is evident from the text that even Jeremiah was surprised by this because after Hanamel does this, Jeremiah says, "Then I was certain that this was the word of HaShem."
The story goes on to describe, in great detail, the real estate transaction. As I am a real estate agent and have worked in a real estate law office, I could not believe how similar the transaction described was to our present day method. They had a purchase contract ("with the terms and conditions") and had two witnesses sign it. Then they had a sealed copy and unsealed copy, which they placed in a clay jar to be preserved for a long time. Amazing!
However, the most surprising thing about this story is the situation surrounding the transaction. Most people in America today are aware that timing is everything when it comes to purchasing and selling real estate, especially down here in Florida. A couple of years ago, prices were soaring and those who had bought a few years before that were happy. Now, however, prices are very low and foreclosures are the rule, instead of the exception. This is what we call a declining real estate market (although I hope ours is not declining anymore!).
You see, Jeremiah was buying that field at Anatot in a MAJORLY declining real estate market. The Babylonians were slowly, but surely hammering their way across Israel and taking captives back to Babylon. Jeremiah, of course, knew what was happening as HaShem was telling him. The inspiring part is that despite what the situation looked like on the outside, Jeremiah trusted God. Even though he knew that most of the Jews were to be taken as captives to Babylon, Jeremiah also knew, in his mind and heart, the promise of God to return them to the Land of Israel.
This is why after the real estate "closing", Jeremiah prays a prayer of thanksgiving to God. After this, God responds,

"Look, I am HaShem, the God of every living creature; is there anything too hard for me?"

This is so important for us to remember in our present day life, that nothing is too difficult for our God! He has made many promises to His people, and not a single one of them has He ever went back on. Maybe your situation doesn't look good today, but like Jeremiah, look at His promises. As the Scripture says, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread." God has proven Himself as a "Promise Keeper" 100% of the time, so we really have nothing to worry about. Put your faith in God, and meditate on His promises! Be encouraged today!

Leaving the Corners of the Field

*My dear husband lovingly reminded me that the purpose of this blog is not only to talk about ways to save money and provide for our families, but to be an encouragement to believers. I know that I have been doing a lot of postings about shopping lately, while posts like this one have become a little more scarce. I apologize to my blogging friends, and I thank my husband who got me back on track. Todah dodi!This week our Torah portion is Leviticus 19:1-20:27, K'doshim. It is called in Hebrew "Holy People" after the first verse which says, " You people are to be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy."

K'doshim contains a list of various teachings of the Father. It is really interesting to not only read through these teachings, but to study them in-depth to learn a little bit more about the character of our Heavenly Abba. This week I hope to highlight a few of the teachings in this portion that stand out to me.

You may wonder why I am referring to the verses in this portion of Scripture as "teachings" instead of the traditional "laws" or "commandments." Actually the word Torah, which is usually translated into English as "Law," is more correctly translated into our English word, "teachings." In English, the word law, especially when it applies to the spiritual realm, usually carries with it centuries of negative connotations. I'd rather use the word with no connotations to describe the LORD's Torah, "teachings."

One of the first teachings in this portion that really caught my attention was the one about the corners of the field, Lev. 19:9-10. It says,

"When you harvest the ripe crops produced in your land, don't harvest all the way to the corners of the field, and don't gather the ears of grain left by the harvesters. Likewise, don't gather the grapes left on the vine or fallen on the ground after harvest; leave them for the poor and the foreigner; I am the LORD your God."

Now this teaching is about harvesting, yet you may say, "I don't farm or grow crops, so how can this apply to me?" Well, of course, I don't think our all-knowing Abba meant it only for that time when most people had their own fields; He meant it also for those of us that go to the grocery store and buy our grain and wine.

It started me thinking about how different our society would be if we followed this. Even if only half of our society did this, imagine the possibilities! There would be such less need for food stamps, government health care, and all the debating and factions that go along with those things (not that those things are necessarily bad).

Think about it even closer to home now. What if I started taking this teaching seriously? I'm just one person; can only I make a difference? Yes, I believe we can! How many times have I walked into CVS and bought all 5 of whatever product, simply because I could get them for free (and not left some for those that may come in behind me)? I'm not saying that it's wrong to get all the "free" stuff; I am only using that as an example that is an easy comparison. What about free samples or coupon books at the store? How many times have I walked by and grabbed more than my fair share of those things?

Listen, this is not meant to be condemning on anyone. These are just ideas I thought of for my own personal life. It's the spirit behind this teaching that is important, the idea to leave things for other people simply because God said to even if we don't feel like it. A funny thing happens, though, after I start doing things like this. It makes me want to do more! Probably when God gave this teaching, the people that owned fields didn't desire to leave the corners for those in need. They probably wanted all of what they had; didn't they have a right to it? But, after seeing how it worked, think of how it would start getting in their spirits; it wouldn't only apply to their fields, but how about how they acted toward those in need or those that were foreigners in the land?

Also, if you want to see someone who was blessed for observing this teaching, read the book of Ruth. Ruth was both a foreigner AND in need, but Boaz allowed her to glean from the corners of his field. He then, of course, went on to marry her! He was blessed to have not only King David come from this line, but the Messiah Yeshua as well!

These were just some ideas I had this morning. Let me know how you leave the "corners of your field" for others! I'd love to hear your ideas!

Thanks to Allposters.com for the graphic!

Tazria: Is Childbirth a Sin?

Read Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Every week, there is a portion (parasha in Hebrew) of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) read by Jews, and more recently, believers all across the globe. It is amazing to read a portion of Scripture along with millions of others, and see what they got out of it. Each of the 53 portions (sometimes we read 2 portions) is named in Hebrew by one of the first words appearing in that portion. This week's parasha (Leviticus 12:1-13:59) is called Tazria, which in English means "childbirth" or "she conceives."

Tazria is one of the most misunderstood parashot (plural for parasha), as it deals with the days of uncleanness ("tuma") for a woman after she gives birth. At first glance it could seem as if God thinks that having children is a "sin." (This is actually the opposite of what God thinks of childbirth - Genesis 1:28). As I stated in the parasha post last week, uncleanness or cleanness do not necessarily have to do with sin. Pigs are not unclean because they are bad. They are unclean because the Creator said they are. Being in a state of cleanness or uncleanness has much more to do with the spiritual reality than the physical. If you read this portion and are wondering why there is a difference in the number of days for purification are doubled if the woman has a baby girl, I have read two theories on this. The first is that since a boy baby would have to be circumcised on the eighth day, the wife would want to be clean and be able to be at the circumcision. The second explanation is very interesting, although I'm not sure about it. I've read that the reason is that females are naturally more spiritual people than males. Men have to do the physical work of providing for their families, but also strive to connect with God. Women, on the whole, are by nature more prone to look at the spiritual side of things, and strive to nurture that spirit (as in raising children, etc.). Therefore, the rabbis say, when a baby girl is born, she has great potential to live up to (as well as boy babies). Therefore the mother must take double the amount of time preparing to raise her. As I said, I'm not sure if I believe all of that explanation, but it is interesting to note. I do know that there are differences in the male and female emotional makeup, but sometimes it seems as if the rabbis are saying that women have greater potential for spirituality than men do, and I don't believe that part to be true. Ok, on with the rest of the parasha!

I read a great commentary on this portion by First Fruits of Zion. If you have not yet signed up to receive Messiah magazine, do so now!

Thanks to Pictopia for the picture!

The Holy Diet?

These days as people read through the Bible, Leviticus is on the top of the list of "Books of the Bible Most Likely to be a Sleep-Inducer" (it actually is just shy of first place, with Numbers leading the pack). When I hear people complain about this book, though, I have to admit it kind of bothers me. Why should our awesome, indescribable Father's words be boring? Is there something missing?
Well, one of the reasons that Leviticus is decidedly unexciting to us, is that half of the book relates to laws that only had to do with the Temple (or tabernacle), so they are commandments that we can't possibly live out today. The other half are laws that can be applied today, but most people would rather not do them or are taught that they don't apply. I'm sorry if that sounds mean or harsh; I'm only stating my observations. Please don't take offense, just bear with me for a few minutes.
However, on a very good note, in recent generations, our Heavenly Abba has breathed new life into the pages of the "testament before the new one" as slowly, but surely He is drawing the hearts of His people nearer to His, an actual real revival - not in the charismatic sense, but as a return to the Scriptures. This is going on in every area of the world, in every aspect of life. I will talk more about this after we discuss this week's portion, Shemini ("Eighth" - Leviticus 9:1-11:47).
Contained in this week's portion is the story of Aaron, the High Priest, and his sons, Nadab and Abihu. You see, Nadab and Abihu thought it would be cool to offer up some fire to God in their own way. I guess you could call it "creative worship." However, God didn't see it that way; in fact, fire came out and consumed Nadab and Abihu in front of all the Israelites. The Holy One was sending a very clear (and costly!) message that is echoed from this point to Revelation - "to obey is better than sacrifice."
The next part of this portion talks about a very interesting, much misunderstood and much debated topic. I even had qualms about talking about it on here, because I really dislike controversy; as my Dad always said - "HE said it, I didn't say it." The topic is that of the "holy diet" or the laws concerning which animals are given the Heavenly stamp of approval for human consumption. Before you click away from this blog right now, let me tell you that I have learned something over the course of the past ten years that may give you a new perspective...if not, I hope it's at least mildly entertaining.
"Yeah, I know, God told the Jews not to eat pork or shellfish (what! no lobster or Alaskan snow crab legs?) or a bunch of other animals that no one here in America eats anyway (well, actually I have heard tales of squirrel stew). If that is your current attitude, please bear with me for a few more minutes; I promise I'll explain what changed my own thinking.
What was the reason for these obscure laws? Why does God care about what His people eat? There are at least two theories about this.
1) God wanted His people to be healthy.
The health reason is probably the most popular reason, and is made more widely known by Jordan Rubin's book, The Maker's Diet. You will most often hear this reason today - "I'm eating Biblically for my health." It is actually said to be the reason that the Jews in Europe were not as harmed by the Bubonic Plague (and then were blamed for causing it). I agree - I do believe that our Creator knows what is good for our bodies, and what is not. However, there is another less-commonly spoken of reason for following the holy diet.
2) God said it.
That's it? That's the reason? Yes, I believe that that, in itself, is sufficient reason for His people to follow the holy diet. Look, I'm no nutritionist, so I can't get into all the chemical molecules and digestive systems of those "unclean" animals (well, maybe I do know a little) as to why they are "unclean." But there's a whole lot more to this "clean" and "unclean" thing (tahor and tamei in Hebrew, respectively) than we give credit to God for. You see, in this context, those words are actually not referring to the physical essence of something, but the spiritual. In other words, the Israelites of this time knew something that their children would forget; that is, that something can be physically "clean", but spiritually "unclean." This is exactly what Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name) was talking about when he was telling the Pharisees to wash the inside of the cup, and then the outer part.
But what about Peter's vision?!!!
I know there are so many Scriptures from the newer testament going off in your head right now that you could scream! I don't have room or time to address every single one of them today, but perhaps on later posts. Simply put, if you read the context of those verses, they are either talking about one of two things:
1) Allowing Gentiles to come into the faith.
2) Food sacrificed to idols. That is, meat (pork was not even considered "food" at the time of these writings) that was sold in the market that could or could not have been offered to idols.
Now what?
Probably half of you are denouncing me as a heretic at this moment and are never going to read Tavita's Purse again. The rest of you, if you would like more information on the holy diet, I have a few suggestions:
1) Pray - definitely ask God for continued wisdom and guidance.
2) Read this portion of Scripture, and re-read those portions in the newer testament to really discover the context.
3) Read some books. As I said, the Maker's Diet talks about this, as well as Holy Cow! Does God Care About What We Eat?.
4) REMEMBER - this is NOT a salvation issue. For it is "by grace you have been saved, so no man can boast." But also remember, there are blessings for obedience! That has been my personal experience, for sure!
My family slowly started adopting the Biblical diet when I was about 10 years old. I can't say that I was terribly disappointed, even though I had enjoyed lobster when we went to Canada in the summer or that I grew up in North Carolina, the home of the "best" pork barbecue. My younger sister and I really were excited to be able to read about something in the Bible and then actually do it...just like the Israelites! It was so fun as we began to celebrate the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23), and see the pages of the Bible spring to life!
For those of you that feel like you are not part of this because you have no Jewish background, take a look at Ephesians 2:11-22. Throughout the books of the older testament as well, this phrase is repeated "this law shall be the same for you as for the sojourner (or foreigner) dwelling with you." Everyone's invited! This is an equal employment opportunity!
Have any questions or comments? Please feel free to leave them, just remember to be nice!

Thank you to Chic-fil-A for the above picture!

"And he assembled"...Vayak'hel

Exodus 35:1-38:20

This week's portion starts out with the reiteration of the commandment to make the Sabbath holy, to set it apart. Now we know that God's Word is not written haphazardly; on the contrary, every word, and even the placement of that word, carries great significance. In other words, there is a bigger picture here than as first meets the eye.
Why did God feel the need to yet again stress the importance of the Sabbath to His people? I believe the answer lies in the rest of the portion. This was an exciting time for the people of God. They were preparing to build the tabernacle - the place where the Shekinah, the presence of God, would come down and dwell among them. I can imagine what a flurry of activity, what a spark of expectation was buzzing throughout the camp! Men were helping to bring gold, silver and bronze, along with skins and hides and olive oil; the women were consumed with spinning colorful yarns, in blue, purple and scarlet, along with fine linen to beautify the sanctuary. Not only did they do all of this, but the Scripture says that they performed all these activities with their "whole hearts" (35:21) and "willingly" (35:29). This was not the forced labor of Egypt, but a freewill offering of praise to their Redeemer.
But in the midst of all the excitement and worshipful activity, there is a tug at their hearts. It's almost time for the Sabbath! They might have ignored it and continued working - after all, weren't they doing something good? They wanted to see this tabernacle completed, in all its glory - with the Shekinah abiding with them.
Our gracious Father knew this would happen. That's why He lovingly reminded them about His special "date" with them before they began the work. He was saying, "No matter how important this work you are doing unto me seems, nothing is as important as meeting with me - not even the building of My tabernacle!"
Wow. How much does this apply to us today? We often become so involved with "religious" activities - prayer meetings, Bible studies, discipleship groups, mentorships, conferences, conventions, youth groups, breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, worship practices (the list goes on and on) - that we forget to STOP and just enjoy the work that He has already completed. I am hugely guilty of this. I enjoy all of those activities; they are fun and I feel good as I am "building up" the Kingdom. But in those times that I find myself becoming too busy with the "things of God" rather than with God Himself, I need something to remind me to STOP. He gave us that reminder - the Sabbath!
What was the purpose of the tabernacle? Again, as stated in my commentary on last week’s portion, it was a physical reminder to us about something spiritual. God knows that we are spirits, but we live in these physical bodies with which, at times, we become preoccupied. However, the tabernacle was to remind God’s people that He, unlike the “gods” of the nations, desired to come down and dwell in their midst. It is also a picture of what was (and is!) to come – Messiah Yeshua. Consider these verses as we study this context:

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (“tabernacled”) among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Philippians 2:6-7 “…Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Colossians 2:9 “For in Messiah all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…”
Colossians 2:17 “These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Messiah.”

What about the future? Will God again come and dwell in a physical sense with His people? Now consider these prophetic verses concerning the Messianic era:

Zechariah 8
3 This is what the Lord says: "I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain." 4 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. 5 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there." 6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "It may seem marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time, but will it seem marvelous to me?" declares the Lord Almighty. 7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. 8 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God."
Revelation 21
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

This portion speaks volumes to me, and I'm glad for yet another reminder of how much our Heavenly Abba just longs for us to dwell in His Presence. Yes, building up His Kingdom is pleasing to Him, but we must do so only after we've STOPPED, both physically and spiritually. Shabbat Shalom (Have a peaceful, restful Sabbath)!

Musings on this week's portion

Exodus 30:11 - 34:35

One of my first thoughts when I began reading this portion (something that also relates to the web address of this blog) was that Israel was being prepared, as a bride for her husband. When God used the language "I will take her to myself" as He led them out of Egypt, He was using language that would have been known to be from a marriage contract (ketubah) of that day.

Can you imagine showing up at your wedding without taking a shower?
One of the first things that He tells Moses is that when the priests would go before Him in the Tent of Meeting, they would need to wash their hands and feet. This reminds me of something my mother taught me, that is actually a part of Jewish tradition as well. My mother taught me that before reading the Bible you should wash your hands. I remember her quoting the verse from Psalm 24 that says, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." Another thing that reminds me of this is how my parents always made me "dress up" to go to congregation. Sometimes when all my friends would be wearing jeans, I would feel silly wearing a dress. But, again, it was a physical act of something that was meant for my heart.
Now I know some of you may be thinking, "Wow, how legalistic!" But here's the thing - First of all, I am not saying that the act of washing your hands before you meet with the Lord is going to save you or make you any more precious in His eyes. But (and look at the end of the Psalm 24 verse), it really is the heart behind it. We as humans are spiritual beings. However, we live in a physical world. When I do something physically, it also strikes a chord with me on the inside. In other words, as I wash my hands before I have my quiet time in the morning or I wear special clothes to congregation, it reminds me about the awesomeness and the holiness of the One that I am going to be with. No, I don't always remember to do it, but when I do it, it is a helpful reminder. The fear (as in honor, respect) of the Lord is something that I can continually strive for.

Our Spiritual Wedding Ring
In the next chapter of this portion, the Lord gives Israel her wedding ring, the Sabbath. He says, "This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy." How is the Sabbath a reminder of the Groom's holiness? First of all, it reminds us that He is the Creator, and that all creation is subject to Him. Secondly, to me, it's kind of like "date night" with my husband. Yeah, we live with each other and see each other every day. However, date night (or day) is special. It's a reminder of who we are and what we mean to each other. If I need that with my earthly husband, how much more do I need that with my unseen Heavenly Groom! Now some of you may be thinking, "Well, that's all well and good for Israel, but what about me?" Remember into whom you are GRAFTED in (Romans 11:13 -21). It's in the Ten Commandments, and it includes those who are not born of Israel, but who are joined with Israel (Exodus 20:10).

Application for Today
Today is the day of preparation for the Shabbat (in more ways than one!). We are preparing for the weekly Shabbat (it's Friday!), but we are also preparing for the Yom Shekulo Shabbat, the eternal Shabbat, in which Messiah will rule and reign (Revelation 21). I encourage you today to begin to add a little more of Shabbat into your life. Do something different in preparation for time with your Heavenly Groom. Put on a special dress or cook (or order) something different. Get some fresh flowers or put on a fresh tablecloth. Light some candles or listen to peaceful music. This is a physical reminder of who you are to Him (the Sabbath was made for man). You are His bride. You are special. He loves you with an everlasting love!

Messiah is coming soon, and we are preparing for the marriage feast. Let's all have our wedding clothes on when He comes! Even so, come Lord Yeshua!

"Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was giver her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)"
Revelation 19:7-8