Tuesday, May 2, 2023

A word about our “weekly date with God”

I was just thinking of the Weekly Torah portions which we read during our “weekly date” with God.

The lessons are always VERY POWERFUL - and here are their basic messages: The Book of Leviticus is not a "book of laws" as so many insist. It is our Creator asking us to be holy through obedience to HIS rules!

Throughout the Torah we not only see Divine Rules to follow, but we are told via many examples exactly HOW we can be "set apart" for Him - by not following the abominable ways of the other nations. He gives us a choice to follow Him, or not. Those who follow Him are blessed; those who don't are cut off. Simple as that. There is no gray area.

Over and over again we see YHWH saying in various ways: "Be holy because I am holy." How many times have we read His comments: "I am ADONAI (God)"....We are to "do" or "not do" because He said so! Paraphrased: "I am ADONAI! I am holy. If you want to belong to Me and be in MY holy Presence, then you will have to be holy."

And how does one know how to "be holy"? It was revealed to us in Leviticus 18:

Leviticus 18: 1 ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Speak to the people of Isra'el; tell them, 'I am ADONAI your God. 3 You are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Egypt, where you used to live; and you are not to engage in the activities found in the land of Kena'an, where I am bringing you; nor are you to live by their laws. 4 You are to obey my rulings and laws and live accordingly; I am ADONAI your God. 5 You are to observe my laws and rulings; if a person does them, he will have life through them; I am ADONAI. (CJB)

Many Christians insist “those old rules were just for the Jews.” Unfortunately that is a huge misconception as we are “one in Messiah” (Galatians 3:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-6; and John 17:20-23), which means, same God, same rules for holy, set apart living.

(Don’t forget: There were 12 Tribes standing before YHWH at Mt. Sinai, INCLUDING all the pagans who followed Moshe out of Egypt, who were told that, if they accepted YHWH as their God, they were told – FOUR TIMES IN A ROW! - to do "exactly" as His people did…)

What are a few of the rules we must keep today? (See our article.)

(1) Eat only “clean” foods (i.e., no pork or shellfish). (See our article)

(2) Keep God’s commanded Seventh Day Sabbath “rest” (which are our “weekly dates” with Him). (See our article.)

(3) Keep His seven High Holy Days, which are our “yearly dates” with Him, spread throughout the year, with each one having great significance.  (See our article.)
DOING these things will bring you closer to God than you’ve ever been!

It’s truly not that hard to do – and DOING these things will bring you closer to God than you’ve ever been!

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