Morning Measure of Manna

Leviticus 26:4b ~ Yield ~ Let Go!

2012-01-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

Bedouin Tent in the Desert~Painted circa 1884

Welcome, sojourners in the way. Come in, out of the wind and cold, rest your weary feet, warm yourselves at our fire and sup with us, as we partake of this morning's measure of manna. I have been working on a sign, to put outside of our tent. GOD gave the inspiration during our last visit, "Triple S" ... representing Stop, Sit and Sup. Do you like it?

We last shared Leviticus 26:4a. Click here: to review. GOD promises to reciprocate, based on our choice (Leviticus 26:3-4): "If you walk in My statutes, keep My commandments and do them, then I will give you rain in due season ..." He set the table for us, presented us with the first course of of His blessings ... and now, the second course is about to be served:

THE SECOND OF GOD'S CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS:

Leviticus 26:4b ~ "and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit."

Oh, how I love this promise! The land and the trees hold on to their fruit and increase and, when it is due season, they let go of it. This yielding is greatly due to the seasonable showers of rain that God alone can give; He waters and softens the land. The same holds true for you and me! If we abide in the Vine, we also will grow fruit and experience increase. The LORD will send His rain, in season, moisten our ground ... and ... when the HE says it is time, we are to yield.

In order to yield, one must first relax and become less rigid; as does the earth when it gives under our feet. The land, the trees and we must become soft and giving.

The land holds tight to her roots; the plants and trees hold tight to their fruit ... until ... GOD sends His blessing and commands them to let go. Isn't it wild, that even nature has to be prepared, in order to let go??

Watercolor from: Andrew Sinclair Gallery

land 776: the earth (at large, or partitively a land) -- common, country, earth, field, ground, land, nations, way, + wilderness, world.

Double wow: This promise not only applies to nature literally, to us figuratively; but also to the nations of the world! THAT, my friends, is a whole study in itself!

If only we would recognize and obey the laws of God. *sigh* Sadly, it has become increasingly obvious that the world will not yield, until Jesus comes back to rule and reign! Then every knee will bow and every nation shall yield! I pray that you and I do not wait so long to yield the will of the Almighty God.

yield 5414: give forth, give over, give up, deliver, hand over, move, to recede.

In order to yield, we must recede, back off, hand over the increase ... wow! Again, the work of our Loving Father! He blesses us, He moves us, it is NOT a work of our own. We cannot do it ... it requires the hand of God ... whether we recognize or credit Him, or not. There was no river in Israel, as in Egypt; it was obvious that God was irrigating the land.

Wheat Field in Rain ~ Vincent Van Gogh 1889

Wesley's Notes: "Rain - Therefore God placed them not in a land where there were such rivers as the Nile, to water it and make it fruitful, but in a land which depended wholly upon the rain of heaven, the key whereof God kept in His own hand, that so He might the more effectually oblige them to obedience, in which their happiness consisted."

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: "The dependence which the fruitfulness of the earth beneath has upon the influences of heaven above is a sensible intimation to us that every good and perfect gift must be expected from above, from the Father of lights."

We serve such an awesome GOD! He ALWAYS has a plan for our best good!! He is SO faithful and loves us SO much!

increase 2981: produce of the soil, a crop or (figuratively) wealth -- fruit. To yield or furnish appropriate offspring, crops, effects, consequences, or results: Webster's dictionary.

fruit 6529: literal or figurative: bough, first-fruit, reward. Seed vessel(s): Webster's dictionary.

So, in conclusion: when we depend fully on God and obey His laws, He will shower us with His blessings. His Living Water softens/moistens the soil of our hearts, so that we may give up/let go of (yield) the fruit that He has produced in and through us. Our yielding results in the bringing forth of much increase and more fruit (which bears more seed) for His Kingdom! WOW!

What a delicious promise this is ... a gift that literally keeps on giving. The yielding process is key, the LORD waters and softens, but we must still back up, let go of, yield everything He has grown in us in order for the increase to come. We must recognize and make this choice. When we feel the Master's pull ... we must let go! This gives new perspective to the saying, "Let go. Let God."

However, there are several factors that can make yielding difficult. One is unwillingness to step back, recede, release our hold ... and let God do what He needs to do. It is uncomfortable to give up our "natural" tendency to hold onto and/or control a situation or thing ... fear of the unknown/unfamiliar can actually make us tighten our grip.

Immaturity/self-centeredness, such as witnessed during a kindergarten playtime, can keep us from handing over our fruit. We all still have a bit of a "Mine!" tendency. Are we really trusting God??? Gaccckkk! I am sure there are many more things that tighten our fists ... including the obvious sin, rebellion, the blatant refusal to submit. Surely, we have all experienced someone's unwillingness to yield, at a four way stop ... hopefully not our own! ;D

It is possible for us to allow our hearts to get so hard, that GOD's blessings run right off and cannot sink in. When this happens, our "soil" becomes like cement and will have a death grip on whatever was planted there. Not only can it not nourish us (or anyone else), it will be almost impossible to let go of (or pull up) anything and release it from that hard barren ground. This also includes the weeds that have taken root there. The plant dies, no longer produces fruit, and in turn, no longer nourishes the soil. Lose lose lose situation.

For barren land to be made productive again, it must be broken and dug into, by hoe, disc, plow or tractor. The soil must be furrowed into, turned over, amended with fertilizers; that hurts ... and ... it stinks! Then, the cycle begins again ... we must open up to receive God's rains, even into our deep broken places ... or ... we remain a hard, dry and barren wilderness. *shudder* God forbid.

So, we are back to where we started, the LORD our GOD's conditions for blessings ... walk, keep, and do! And back to this morning's manna: yield! Whew! Simple ... yet ... rich!

Our Father God sent His Son, Jesus to us, as the perfect example for us to follow. Jesus explains very clearly in John 10:10-11 ~ I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep." Jesus obediently and willingly yielded to the Father's will, and did everything He was sent here to do, without question ... up to, and including, enduring the Cross. Then, ultimately: "Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost." ~ Matthew 27:50 See below:

αφηκεν verb - aorist active indicative - third person singular
aphiemi af-ee'-ay-mee: an intensive form of eimi, to go); to send forth, in various applications (as follow) -- cry, forgive, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up.

Oh, my friends, this is just the "tip of the iceberg," the very beginning of the blessings that the LORD has in store for us, if we just do what He says!

I pray that our fellowship with God's Word has been sweet for you. I am always blessed to overflowing when we meet here. I am sure that our Lord has given each one of you, a treasure to add to our "meal" ... please, leave a comment and share with us. I sincerely welcome your feedback.

*NEW*: I have added a GoogleTranslator gadget, to the upper right of my posts OR you can Click Here.

Until we meet again, may God bless you, 우리가 다시 만날 때까지, 신의 가호가 있기를 수 있습니다. (Korean)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

Leviticus 26:4a ~ Then ... Rain in Due Season ~ Reciprocity: Part Three

2011-12-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, fellow seekers of GOD! During this "holiday" season, the highways are crowded and rushed. Fret not, there is always plenty of room in the narrow way! Here we will find peace and joy ... in all seasons! Especially during these busy days, we relish the time that we take to stop, sit and sup with our LORD. Oh, I like that! Triple S ~ Stop Sit Sup. Don't you just love how the Lord shows you stuff, while your are in His Presence?? Bless His heart!

You are welcome to taste this wonderful manna, His Living Word with us. The LORD has such a beautiful feast prepared for those that love Him!

At our last meal, we shared Leviticus 26:3 click here: to review. Basically, our Father laid the foundation for His principle of reciprocity (responding to a positive action with another positive action). He told us, exactly, what positive actions He wants us to take. He gave us three action words: walk, keep and do ... which led to some serious introspection!

Now, that we have had time to digest the richness of Leviticus 26:3; we are ready to sample the blessings that the LORD our God is about to spread before us. He has set the table with His conditions. Now, based upon our freewill choice to meet those conditions ... GOD is going to tell us, specifically, how He will respond! God's principle of reciprocity in action! Wow, oh wow! What a privilege it is, to be a child of the Almighty GOD!

Please, come in, as we stop, sit and sup (Triple S) on this Morning's Measure of Manna (Triple M). Too many acronyms ... yes? Ahhh ... but good things do come in threes! *smile*

IF you walk in My statutes, keep My commandments and do them (Leviticus 26:3) ...

THE FIRST OF GOD'S CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS:

LEVITICUS 26:4a ~ "Then I will give you rain in due season ... "

"Then I will give you rain in due season. "

God never fails to keep His promises! The Almighty God that we serve cannot lie! See: Numbers 23:19, Hebrews 6:18(b). Thankfully, God is not like me (whew!), or you, or any other being. We have good intentions; yet we often fail to follow through with our promises. (ugh)

When The LORD says, "I will" ... we can count on it ... He will! Nothing in this life, is as sure as that! Sidenote: Apologetics Press has an in depth and reassuring expository on this subject: here.

God, our Creator, gives to us ... not because we deserve it, nor because we earn it (we absolutely cannot) ... but, simply because He loves us SO much! He manifests His love for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, through His Holy Spirit, through nature, and even through you and I. It is so humbling to really think about how personal His love is towards us .... humbling and quite overwhelming.

Just as there are conditions from which flowers grow, so there are conditions from which God's blessings flow! We, ourselves, cannot make either of these things happen. We can only follow the instructions we are given, do the best we can, and trust God for the outcome.

Once the conditions are right ... woohoo ... look out for blessings!!

The LORD, in His infinite wisdom, promises to give us rain ... in His appointed time. Only God knows that time. We "sheep" (baaa) tend to expect that He should give us the "rain" we ask for, when we ask for it. Sometimes, it works out that way ... but many times it does not. We do not and can not know God's ultimate plan. His ways are not our ways ... His thoughts are SO far above ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Hallelujah!

The LORD is our GOD! He created us, He alone, knows what is best for us ... and how to accomplish it! He says that He will send the rain, when His conditions are met! That settles it.

Oh, my fellow sheep, we are in the hand of our Shepherd (Psalm 95:7) He wants us to truly and fully trust Him ... at all times! I believe that those times when we don't "see" the rain or the provision ... are the times when our trust is being tested. Yikes, I am already having "test anxiety," just thinking about it. I SO desire to trust Him completely. I want to lean fully, with all my weight, on You, Lord; I know You will never fail me.

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven ... He hath made every thing beautiful in His time ..." Ecclesiastes 3:1 and Ecclesiastes 3:11

season: an appointed time, appointed occasion, appropriate time
time: after, always, certain, continually, evening, long, due season, so long as

I think of how beautiful a new life is, when it is born in due season. Not as much, when it is not.

In Due Season

Before Due Season

Fruit and vegetables are never as beautiful, yummy and nutritious, as when they are "in season." Fire is magnificent when it warms, cooks and cleanses ... as purposed. Even death can be beautiful at its appointed time.

The sun is so warm and fun, in the Summer ... the winds carry seeds of new life, in the Spring. Dying and falling leaves are beautiful, in the Autumn ... as is snow in the Winter.

But outside of GOD;s seasons, each of these things can be not beautiful, at all ... even tragic and terrifying. Premature births, senselessly caused death, drought, rain out of season, floods, tsunamis, blizzards, hurricanes, tidal waves, tornadoes, premature frost on blossoms, a seed unearthed before its time, fire out of control ... and the list goes on endlessly.

When those showers do come, in His appointed time, (not ours) we know it in our "knower" ... we feel it in the core of our being ... they are obviously a gift of God! Gratitude and love for our Maker gushes out, like a fountain, as we point to the Source of our blessing and provision. His glory is obvious over all the circumstances ... many see, take note, and look toward God. In God's eyes it is the perfect time, place and purpose.

We need to learn to see as our Father sees ... when the rain hasn't come ... yet. Will I trust Him and act on my belief that His provision IS on the way??? I pray so.

Boy, I surely needed this lesson! It is so easy to get discouraged and disgruntled, when we don't "see" our rain coming. *Gasp,* I believe that I actually get impatient with God!

Oh Lord, please forgive me. Help us all to follow Your instructions for the conditions that You have laid before us. Your time and Your way is always perfect, we do trust You. LORD GOD of heaven and earth, shut out the voices of doubt that whisper to us. Let us hear only Your voice. Draw us into Your Word; equip us with the Truth, to come against the lies that we are bombarded with. Thank You, Lord, amen.

My dear sisters and brothers, as we part company today... and we each go about learning how to walk in GODs statutes, how to keep His commandments, and how to do them ... let us encourage one another. We all need loving reminders, that the rain is coming ... especially during difficult times!

The rain IS coming!

The Lord's mercies are fresh every morning, but some days we just don't feel it, our the body and/or mind is weak/clouded/confused and vulnerable to doubt. Let us recognize these signs and help each other to re-focus on God's promises. Let us praise Him and thank Him for His grace, mercy and faithfulness ... no matter what we see or do not see! This is the kind of faith that delights our LORD!

This measure of manna has been the "first course" of blessings that our awesome LORD has promised to us from Leviticus 26. Next visit, Lord willing, we will finish Verse 4. Definitely not "fast food" ... this manna is to be savored ... bite by bite.

Until we meet again, may God bless you, Sampai kita bertemu lagi, semoga God berkati Anda (Indonesian)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

Leviticus 26:3 ~ IF I do...? ~ Reciprocity: Part Two

2011-12-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Good morning! What a blessing it is to meet fellow seekers of the truth, on our journey through this land called earth. Welcome to our humble tent ... please come on in, sit down and relax, as we prepare to share the amazing manna that God has so graciously given us today.

At our last meeting, we had a sort of "appetizer" as we began Leviticus 26:1-2: click here to review. GOD began to lay down the conditions of blessings for Israel, who were now in the Promised Land. (1) No idolatry (2) Keep the Sabbaths (3) Reverence the sanctuary. He reminded them of the strong and sure Foundation upon which everything good is built; "I AM the LORD your God"!

The LORD is now about to lay out 24 Conditional Blessings ~ blessings that are based on conditions being met: the principle of reciprocity (responding to a positive action with another positive action).

Today's measure of manna seems small in amount (only one verse). However, it is very, very rich; best taken in smaller portions, so we can digest it properly.

LEVITICUS 26:3
"If you walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; ... "

Here we have 3 more conditions, to which our GOD so graciously responds with blessings. The first 3 were commands; the next 3 seem to imply our free choice. Free-will choices are, sometimes, the more difficult for us, aren't they? They are certainly the most precious to our Father!

:3(a) "IF you ... "

This is the HUGE condition, right here!! We must choose to obey. Will we ... or won't we? It is a moment by moment, day by day, choice! God has already established His absolute Authority, Ability and Power. He is now about to tell us what He will do, predicated on what we decide to do.

:3(b) ~ "walk in My statutes,"

Action: walk ~ come, go, accompany, follow, move, travel, walk around in, come and let us go (wow! I love this definition ... thank You, Jesus!)

Where: statutes ~ something prescribed, an enactment, appointed, fixed order, ordinance

*NOTE: GOD set up statutes, ordinances, commandments, laws, precepts and boundaries for our safety and blessing ... not to be rigid restrictions of our actions. Bless His heart; He loves us SO much!

:3(c) ~ "and keep My commandments,"

Action: keep (8104) ~ preserve, take heed, pay attention, observe, look narrowly, watch(man), protect

What: commandment (4687) ~ whether human or divine (collectively, the Law) -- (which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance, precept, order, obligation.

:3(d) ~ "and do them;"

Action: do (6213) ~ accomplish, practice, perform, carry out, bring about
What: commandments ~ same as above ... GOD wants us, not only to keep His commandments safe and close, in our hearts and minds. He also wants us to do them, which requires our action!

Sounds simple, yes? Well, it is. And ... it is not.

WALK ... KEEP ... DO: these are all verbs ... action words!

Walk in them, keep them and do them ...

Doesn't seem so simple ... after all ...

OK, we have plenty here to ruminate on. Let us just relax here and chew over the conditions that we have so far, before we go on to the on the blessings that the LORD promises to us. I am feeling full to overflowing, myself ... I need to digest what is my part in this lesson. Wow ...

A Quick Review ~ To Do List:
GOD commanded us: 1. No idols
2. Keep His Sabbaths
3. Reverence His Sanctuary

Here, the LORD gives us the privilege (and responsibility) of choice (if we):
4. Walk in the His statutes
5. Keep His commandments
6. Do His commandments

For study purposes, we may want to keep a list handy. We are no longer bound by the Law (thank You, Jesus). However, according to God's principles and promises, every choice we make does have consequences. Which makes this measure of manna, as all of God's Word, a truly a "Super-Food."

Surely, knowing that our Lord is the Great I AM is enough. I should do as He says. He made me. He knows what is best for me ... but, is that enough for me? Is that knowledge and belief really all I truly need, to obey Him? Do I really believe Him? How do I show it? Do I act on His commands and instructions, or (gulp) do I sometimes walk away and forget, or ignore, Him? I would like to want to be obedient in all these things, before even knowing what He promises will follow my obedience.

So, dear friends, I am going to make myself an action list.

How and where do I walk? Do I always walk humbly with my God? (Micah 6:8) How, exactly, do I depend on Him? Have I been heeding God's statutes, or do I still rebel?

Am I always aware of God's commandments? Where do I keep them ... on my wall or bookshelf? Or, in my heart and forefront of my mind? What do I do about protecting our right to display them? (oh my, this is getting a little uncomfortable)

OK, how exactly do I do His commandments? Have I memorized them? Have they yet become habits, that I do without thinking ... or not? How can I improve my performance of my Father's commandments?

On these things, I must sit quietly and meditate ... or, as Nike says; JUST DO IT!!!

Until we meet again, may God bless you, Tot ons weer ontmoet, mag God jou seën (Afrikaans)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

Leviticus 26:1-2 ~ Conditions of Blessings ~ Reciprocity: Part One

2011-11-13T15:14:00.000-08:00

Good Morning, fellow travelers in the narrow way! When we last met, we shared Leviticus 25:50-55: click here to review. We dined on God's principles of Reckoning and Redemption of the Israelite slaves in the promised land. Thank God, Jesus has paid the price for our redemption, once and for all ... the whole enchilada!

The Lord finished up Chapter 25 with a Reminder, that He repeats already, in the very first verse of Chapter 26 ... and again in verse 2! It is clear, that this foundational point needs to be repeated, a LOT ... to get it through our thick (sheep-like) heads, into our hearts and through to our very souls!!!

Friends, seekers of truth, weary travelers ~ come on in, sit down ~ we are pleased to share with you, refreshment from the Word of God. The table is set for the Lord's principle of reciprocity (responding to a positive action with another positive action). This morning, we shall serve a rather rich appetizer, to stimulate our appetite for the meal to follow.

Here in, Chapter 26, the LORD begins to lay out the Conditions of Blessings in the Promised Land: (1) No Idolatry (2) Keep the Sabbaths (3) Reverence the Sanctuary

LEVITICUS 26:1-2
"You shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear up a standing image, neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it; for I AM the LORD your God. You shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I AM the LORD your God."

:1 ~ "You shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear up a standing image, neither shall you set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it; for I AM the LORD your God."

God never commands us to do anything, without telling us why. I find this extremely comforting; perhaps not always in the "warm and fuzzy" sense ... but comfort, in that the LORD has a plan and a reason for everything He does. This is sure and something we can always count on. We don't always know the reason ... but we always know that God does ... and ... that it is for our best good. How reassuring that is!

Here, the LORD is commanding the Israelites, in no uncertain terms, to not make idols, nor make, rear up or set up any graven or standing image, nor any image of stone for themselves to bow down to. Pretty clear, don't you think?

But what form of images, or idols, do we create, look up to, or "worship" in our own lives?? Yikes, what a horrendous thought! But, we humans, unfortunately, tend to hold "things" and/or other people in pretty high esteem. We often let them take space in our lives and our hearts, that God alone should occupy.

It is time to take a good look ... what situations we have made for ourselves, what have we set up in our lives, that takes that "high place" from God??? Do we bend or "bow down" to anyone or anything, besides the LORD our God? Our employers, spouses or peers? Maybe money, house or vehicle? What controls us and our time? TV, video games, organizations .... pastors?

Obviously, the LORD speaks here of actual graven (or carved) idols or images of any person or thing ... that have been created by human hands. Idols or graven, standing, or stone images have no life and are not to be made, lifted up, nor worshiped, period.

Hebrew translations from Biblos Lexicon:
idol ~ thing of no value, vain, insufficient, worthless
graven image ~ carved image
standing image ~ something stationed, memorial stone, sacred pillar, column
bow down ~ depress, prostrate, pay homage to royalty or God
image of stone ~ carved on stone, the wall or any object; showpiece, figure, imagination, conceit, imagery, picture, wish

His reason: "for I AM the LORD your God." This is not at all like what we tell our children; "Because, I'm your Mom, that's why." Although, we want them to learn to obey the God-given authority over them... neither Mom, nor Dad, is perfect and neither are constant or sure or true as is our Almighty God! While we desire the best good for our children; we are but creations, certainly not the Creator. We have only limited vision and knowledge. God, on the other hand, knew His plans for each individual, even before the foundation of the earth! Bless His heart!

HE alone is the LORD GOD. The GOD of Moses, Israel, Isaac, and Jacob ... AND you and I!!! His statement here is extremely personal ... "I am the LORD your God." He states this over and over, throughout the Bible ... "for, I am ..." ... "that, you know that I am ..." and many many more.

NOTE: This is a wonderful side-study to do. Look up, in a concordance, all the instances of "I am the LORD your God," find them and mark them in your Bible. The GOD of all creation, reveals Himself to us, in His Word, in such awesome and very personal ways. This exercise is a great faith-builder!! He loves us SO much!! Hint: dig deeper into the surrounding Scriptures ... for really amazing treasure!

Jon Courson, points out, correctly, that: "... in reality, no image, no idol, no false god can ever stand." For a link to Pastor Jon's wonderful (free) online Verse-by-Verse Audio Study of Leviticus 24-27 and much more: click here. I highly recommend his in-depth, Topical Study of Leviticus 26:1 ~ Overcoming Idolatry. Jon's Application Commentary is a must-have-handy on my Bible Study book shelf: click here to learn more.

This subject is as deep and relevant today, as it was these thousands of years ago ... and just as vital to overcome! Still today, God speaks to us through His Living Word.

:2 ~ "You shall keep My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I AM the LORD."
keep ~ watch, preserve, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
sabbaths ~ intermission, i.e (specifically) the Sabbath -- (+ every) sabbath.
reverence ~ to fear; morally, to revere, to honor
sanctuary ~ consecrated place, asylum, hallowed part, holy place

OK, the LORD has already reestablished His Absolute Authority! He is already Reminding us, again, of the "Why!" I believe this is also a Warning.

He commands the Israelites, while they are in the Land, to keep, guard, protect and preserve His sabbaths, as hedging them about with thorns. Thorns would keep others things and people from intruding into or interrupting His ordained rest. Wow! I just now saw that! It is obvious that GOD seriously wants that time!!!

"Noon Rest from Work "(after Millet) Vincent VanGogh 1890

We are not told to rest, if we can, or if we have the time, or if it is convenient for us. The LORD scheduled specific periods of rest for the best good of the people, their lands, their jobs and many aspects of their lives. Our Maker commands His people, not suggests to them, to keep His time of rest!

We are unfathomably important to our Creator, therefore His rest is vital to our well being. The same principles that were true yesterday; are true today and will still be true tomorrow!!! I believe God's principles and laws are historical, applicable, scientific and prophetic ... like all of His Word.

The LORD also commands us to reverence His sanctuary, His holy place, His consecrated (anointed and set apart) place. Back then, His tabernacle and holy place were consecrated with the blood of lambs. But now, His sanctuary has been consecrated by the very Blood of His Son Jesus our Christ! Wow, oh wow. We should never take lightly, entering in to that consecrated place, where GOD abides. We are not to disregard nor disrespect that place which He has set aside, cleansed with His Son's Blood, as a holy place for Him to dwell.

Zion National Park, Utah

Reverence requires regard, with deep respect and honor ... with fear and awe of the power, holiness and sanctity of God. On this earth, right now, the LORD has chosen to abide in us (of all places!), through His Holy Spirit! Therefore, this command IS very personal! I am left speechless ...

GOD says what He means and means what He says. We tend to minimize, rationalize, "interpret" or otherwise reason away and/or bend the Words of Almighty God. We may say, "Well, that was the Old Testament ... Jesus fulfilled the Law ... so that does not apply to me."

In Galations 3:23-26, Paul writes, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." Are we not to have learned from our schoolmaster?? Even if we are no longer directly under his/her authority? According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Aert de Gelder Schoolmaster with his pupils~not dated

We may "reason" that God intended these commands only for the Israelites. We may "interpret" His Word, to suit ourselves, in any number of ways ... or we may even deny that the Bible contains the actual Words of God. Our flesh will do anything to escape being responsible and accountable for the Truth, that we see and hear from God. The enemy and the world will tell us, that the Bible was written and translated by men, therefore full of "mistakes." Many argue the authority or authenticity of one version of the Bible over another.

Well, folks, no matter what we may think, construe, imagine or argue ... I do not believe that the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, wastes His time nor His breath. I believe that we need to listen to every Word, that He deemed important enough to preserve for over 2000 years, virtually unchanged. In Mark 4:4, Jesus said: "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

Surely, He does not want us stuck in legalism, like the Pharisees .. nor in our own dogma, like the Sadducees. But I do believe that God instituted spiritual Laws as surely as physical laws. We are about to find out how He says these laws work. I think we should listen up ... don't you?

Until we meet again, Док не меет агаин (Serbian)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

Leviticus 25:50-55 ~ Triple R ~ Reckoning~Redemption~Reminder!

2011-04-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Good morning, my friends and fellow sojourners on this earth. During our last visit we supped together on Leviticus 25:47-49: click here to review. We learned of our God's awesome provision for the Israelites, when they fell upon tough times. The law of Kinsman Redeemer was introduced.

Lord willing, we will finish up Leviticus 25 today. This morning's measure of manna is spiced with God's Triple R seasoning: Reckoning, Reminder, and Redemption. Please join us, as we share a delicious portion of God's Word.

LEVITICUS 25:50-55

And he shall Reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. If there yet be many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. And if their remains but a few years until the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his Redemption. And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in your sight. And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. (Reminder) For unto Me the children of Israel are servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

:50 ~ And he shall Reckonwith him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.

"Is God instituting slavery in these laws regarding the price of a slave's redemption? prior to the Year of Jubilee?" asks Jon Courson in his Application Commentary on the Old Testament. "No, He's regulating what was already taking place. Why didn't God forbid slavery? Because God's way is to change people. Changed people, in turn--like England's abolitionist William Wilberforce, an outspoken believer, will then change politics."

What do you think of that statement? Of course, no argument, God is definitely in the business of changing people and using them to effect change in the world! It makes me think ... regulation versus prohibition ... would, or does, it work for today's governments?

You can listen (for free) to Pastor Jon's Bible teachings: by Book, Verse by Verse, or In-Depth Topical and Expositional Teachings. Many excellent resources there, including a Daily Devotional. Guaranteed blessings.

Also, speaking of reckoning ... shall there not be a Reckoning (settling of accounts) when we meet our LORD at the Throne of Judgement??? For Scriptures regarding the "day of judgment" in Biblos: click here.

Jesus does give us the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:23-34. This Scripture follows the whole set up, back here in Leviticus. The forgiveness of debt ... of course, Jesus died to pay our debts, once and for all. But, I also notice that, in this text from Matthew, the Lord spoke of settling of accounts with His servants ... not everyone.

Photo credit and thanks to: The Bible a Book of Truth

Then, there is the 'day of reckoning' described in Matthew 25 which includes His servants (His sheep) and the 'others' (goats). I adore the above photo. While it does not depict the final separation; it does beautifully portray the ongoing enmity between the sheep and the goats.

I know that I have left out other relevant Scriptures, including: Revelation 20:11-12 which describes the reckoning at the Great White Throne ... this would be another whole study: please add your comments!

Hebrew law limited the service of the Israelite servant to 6 years, unless he offered a voluntary service after that period ... Exodus 21:1-6

:51 ~ If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his Redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

If he was only in service a short time, the Israelite servant must have been expected to still have the money he was originally given when he sold himself into his master's service. And could buy back (redeem) his debt or contract.

:52 ~ And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his Redemption.

On the other hand, if he had served most of his term of service; he was soon to be set free at Jubilee anyway; he had to reckon with his master for the Redemption price of an early release from his contract or to pay off his debt early.

53 ~ And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in your sight.

There were stringent rules about how a stranger or sojourner was to treat an Israelite in his service. He was to be treated fairly and with respect. I believe that the same rules still hold true today ... between us and our employers. The employers of God's servants are held to a higher accountability for how they treat their employees. We discussed that more in depth in our last study.

:54 ~ And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.

Year of Jubile (Jubilee) ~ The 50th year, which followed seven Sabbath years, was to proclaim liberty to those who were servants because of debt, and to return lands to their former owners. (Leviticus 25:8-55, 27:17-24; Ezekiel 46:17) As Christians, is this not me and you, as well??? Jesus (our Kinsman Redeemer) said that He came to proclaim liberty!!! Are we not His servants?! Bless Him, for paying the debt, that we could never pay! Hallelujah!!!

This also brings up a question: what children is he to take with him? Scripture states that if a servant meets a female servant while in the employ of the master and she bears his children, that the woman and the children are the property of the owner and are to stay there.

Aha! There is a very different situation here ... don't you just LOVE hunting for treasure in the Bible??? According to John Gill's Exposition on the Bible: "his wife too, if he had any, was comprehended in himself, and whom, both wife and children, his master was obliged to maintain during his servitude."

So, it was quite a commitment for a master to take on an Israelite slave! Beside the rules of fair treatment; he was also responsible for the well-being of this man's immediate family. I would think that it would take a more compassionate and responsible man, than most, to hire a Jewish servant. He would have more mouths to feed, but probably more hands to work, as well!

Hmmm ... I feel like there is more to this! Anyone? Can you contribute to this point about the children?

John Calvin said in his Commentary: "The object of the law was, that none of those whom God had adopted, should be alienated from their race, and thus should depart from the true worship of God Himself. The whole of this is comprehended in the last verse, where God declares that the children of Abraham were His property, inasmuch as He had led them forth from the land of Egypt, and, on the other hand, that He is their peculiar God. For, whilst it was just that they should enjoy His blessing, so also it behooved that they should be kept sound in His pure and undivided worship..."

Now, the LORD concludes with a very clear Reminder!

:55 ~ For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I AM the LORD your God.

This Reminder is comforting to His sheep and foreboding to the goats!

I do believe that it will not go well to anyone who mistreats one of God's servants! There is no room, for "interpretation" here. This last verse is the bottom line!
To us, this Reminder is a blessed assurance; at the same time, it is also a strict warning...lest we ever forget from Whom comes our freedom, our joy, our very life and breath! And to Whom belongs our everlasting thanks, worship and praise!

Bless the LORD, O my soul and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name! ~ Psalms 103:1

Until we meet again, Tot ons weer ontmoet (Afrikaans)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:47-49 ~ Have You Sold Yourself to a Stranger?

2011-01-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have been on a little hiatus from publishing. It is a blessing to be back to feast on God's Word with you. While camped in Leviticus, we last shared LEVITICUS 25:44-46 ~ click to review. There, the LORD had given rules, regarding the purchase of bondmen and bondmaids, which brought up the subject of slavery. A very important issue in our modern day world ... because, right now, slavery is at the highest numbers, than at any other time in history!

Included in this next portion of Scripture, is the law of goel or ga'al, kinsman redeemer. There is a beautiful illustration of this in the Book of Ruth. Of course, this concept is but a shadow of Jesus' role, as our ultimate Kinsman Redeemer. He bought back our eternal souls from the bondage of sin and death, once and for all, through the price He paid (in full) on the cross ... for that we are eternally grateful!

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld - Ruth in Boaz's Field [1828]

Once again, we warmly invite you to come in, get comfortable and share this morning's measure of manna with us. We return back to 1445 BC, when this Book of Moses was written.

LEVITICUS 25:47-49:
And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by you, and your brother that dwells by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by you, or to the stock of the stranger's family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is near of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

:47 ~ And if a sojourner or stranger wax (becomes) rich by (near) you, and your brother that dwells by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by you, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance:
Sojourner: guest, foreigner, alien, temporary resident
Stranger: dweller, especially as distinguished from a native citizen or countryman

Rich: indicates power, means, or direction - in distinction
Stock: transplanted, naturalized citizen
Family: circle of relatives, a tribe or people

LOTS of good information here: Biblos~Context.

*Note to self: There is much treasure to be found in this verse, need to dig further. Especially re: the "stock" of the stranger's family. hmmm

:48 ~ After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

Redeem: according to the Oriental Law of Kinship = i.e. to be the next of kin and as such to buy back a relative's property, marry his widow, etc. = to do or perform the part of near, next of kin/kinsfolk-man, purchase, ransom, redeem(-er)

Click here: for Biblos~Parallel Commentaries.

:49 ~ Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is near of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, ⁵³⁸¹ he may redeem himself.

It was the family's duty to redeem their impoverished relative. If he had no kin or his kin could not "buy him back," and he had no means to redeem himself; then, he would be released in the Year of Jubilee. GOD's people were never meant to be permanently sold to strangers. He made very specific provisions, so that the Israelites could always return to their families and the land that the LORD had given them.

Below are "Words and Images from the people of Yunnan Province, China" Click, on the link or picture, for a peek into remote cultures that, although not Christian, still depend completely on family and community ... as they have for many generations.

"...three families of relatives helping each other during the busy agricultural season " :Zhao Yuxi: 56-year-old Naxi woman, Lower Nanyao Village

What has happened to us? What has happened to our sense of duty to and responsibility for our families and communities? Today, so MANY "strangers" and "sojourners," both literally and figuratively, have become very rich in our lands! Our global culture is changing rapidly.

Yet, due to the present state of the economy, citizens of our own lands are losing their jobs, their homes, their ability to support themselves. Today, we are 'forced' to take (and/or to remain in) demeaning and/or low paying jobs. Too often, our employers are as "strangers" or "sojourners." They treat us like temporary residents; as slaves, not servants ... numbers not names. They plan to make their money and move on, not caring for the land nor the people that support them. This is out of God's order!

I do not intend for the cartoon (above) to be a personal statement about Wal Mart stores ... but, to me, this cartoon is symbolic of corporations, in general. Family owned businesses are getting "swallowed up" by much bigger fish (corporations). In turn, families are split up and many of us end up working for (selling ourselves to) these larger, more impersonal entities (strangers) to make ends meet.

Unless, we have set aside a "nest egg," or come into an inheritance, what can we do?

Businesses are closing, labor is being "outsourced" ... the unemployment rate soars. What help do our current systems provide for the poor? If we are lucky, there is Unemployment Insurance, Welfare Benefits ... but, what relief does this really give? Is this really solving the problems? ... not usually! Here and in other countries, the poor are left to beg on the streets, many are literally selling themselves and their children! I believe that this is happening, because we are not following God's laws and ways.

Click here: for interactive map ... Global Employment Tracking from Gallup.

Families have lost the feeling of responsibility for their kin. Also our communities for their native and permanent residents. There is no Jubilee ... which would allow one to start over, debt-free and blame-free. Thus ... we have the mess, that so many countries are currently in.

I personally, "sold" myself to "strangers," at one point in my life. I remained, for years, at a job run by ungodly, ruthlessly competitive people. I endured endless, demeaning mistreatment ... for the financial security that job seemed to provide for me. However, "making bricks" in "Pharaoh's brickyard" proved to be only profitable to "Pharaoh" (and, to some extent, the "slave-masters" in his employ).

Illustration: by Simon Pemberton

**NOTE: Are any of you being intimidated at work? Here is an excellent article, from the UK, with sound, practical advice. Please read: Bully for You: Intimidation at Work. There is much more information offered; just Google ... bullying at work or intimidation at work.

God never meant for us to remain permanently under "alien" influence. Employers actually were given a pretty high standard ... to care for the children of Israel as servants, not slaves ... to employ us, not own us.

Sadly, in every country, there are employers whose bottom line is profit, at any and all cost. So much unhappiness, depression, stress, displaced anger and illness is caused when we feel trapped under the heavy hand of a boss (or company) who doesn't care for us or our welfare. However, that feeling that there is no way out, is a LIE from the enemy! God always provides a way and a means for redemption! Our Kinsman Redeemer lives and He laid down His plan for us, right here in Leviticus, so long ago.

We are God's children ... we are not to be treated poorly! Is it time to redeem ourselves from our current positions ... to rethink our direction and our source of provision??? Are our employers taking advantage of us and/or cheating us? Are we wasting the time that we are given on this earth to produce profit for man and not for God?

Are we, have we been, unequally yoked with our employers?? Is there spiritual fruit from the time we have been giving to this person or place? Have we seriously prayed for confirmation that it is God's will that we work here? Or ... was it our own idea to "sell ourselves" to these people? Have we been leaning on our own understanding? Is there any other way?

'The Ideal Servant': courtesy of Grace Baptist Church

This particular portion of manna has been difficult, for me, to prepare. I seem to ask myself more questions, the deeper I get into it. However, for each question, I find but one answer ... God's! He set up these rules and laws for our own best good. Simple and clear are His commands. He indeed has always had a perfect plan for us ... and His ways still ROCK!

Indeed, we are not bound to the Old Testament ... but we have SO MUCH to learn from it. We could save ourselves so much grief ... by merely following the plans He has already laid out for us. We need not be dogmatic ... but His rules are really quite practical today and definitely profitable!

Manna was uniquely provided for each family and each person. I would love to know what the LORD has shown you in this portion of His Word. Would you be so kind as to share with us, your manna for today?

Until we meet again, Totdat we elkaar weer ontmoeten, (Dutch)

We thank You, LORD, for Your Living Word and for all the blessings You bestow on us.

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:44-46 ~ For Pagans Only ~

2010-12-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome, fellow travelers. Our stay here, in Leviticus, has been like camping in a National Park ... SO many of GOD's treasures to see and explore. Great adventures for every day. For a review of our last trek into LEVITICUS 25:39-43, click here. There, we learned about the LORD's merciful plan for Israelites who had become impoverished. He provided them employment and established strict rules regarding their treatment as servants vice slaves.

You are warmly invited to stop in and share this morning's measure of manna with us. Remember to keep in mind to whom the Lord was speaking and when (1445 BC)

LEVITICUS 25:44-46

Both your bondmen, and your bondmaids, which you shall have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them you shall buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them you shall buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession. And you shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession: they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, you shall not rule one over another with rigour.

OK, right away, I feel like I have a problem with understanding these verses. Slavery, as we know, is totally unacceptable ... period. However, I trust the LORD implicitly, there is surely more than meets the eye here. Our Merciful God always has a perfect reason and plan for every one of His instructions. Prayerfully, He will grant us understanding, as we seek it with faith. He may, however, lead us into a side study on this emotion-charged subject. Let us see.

Here is an explanation from: Barnes' Notes on the Bible

"Property in foreign slaves is here distinctly permitted. It was a patriarchal custom Genesis 17:12. Such slaves might be captives taken in war (Numbers 31:6 following; Deuteronomy 20:14), or those consigned to slavery for their crimes, or those purchased of foreign slave-dealers. The price of a slave is supposed to have varied from thirty to fifty shekels. See Leviticus 27:3-4, note; Exodus 21:32, note; Zechariah 11:12-13, note; Matthew 26:15, note.

It was the object of Moses, not at once to do away with slavery, but to discourage and to mitigate it. The Law would not suffer it to be forgotten that the slave was a man, and protected him in every way that was possible at the time against the injustice or cruelty of his master. See the notes at Exodus 21."

:44 ~ Both your bondmen, and your bondmaids, which you shall have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them you shall buy bondmen and bondmaids.

Bondmen and bondmaids were men and women, slaves/servants. These were considered heathens from the surrounding pagan nations. The word heathen, in Hebrew, referred to a herd of animals, flight of locusts. These were foreign nations, Gentiles. Some of which are shown on the chart above.

It comes to my mind, that most of these nations were debase idolaters. Most were known for their cruelness and savage beastly ways ... renowned for their inhumane treatment of others. I am not sure that I would even want one of them in my household. Wow...

Click here for Biblos Comparative Commentaries.

Suggestion: One of the commentaries suggested that Moses believed; if God wanted the slaves to be free, He would send them a deliverer as He did for the Israelites. Could this be tied into the fact that the Jewish people are still waiting for their Messiah?

Fact: Jesus was indeed sent to deliver and set free Jews, Gentiles, criminals, the poor, and captives of ALL kinds. So His birth, death and resurrection makes null any and every excuse for anyone to enslave another human being, since that point in time! The Old Testament seems pretty harsh to us ... but it's lessons to us are invaluable.

:45 ~ Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them you shall buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession.

heathens = idolators, uncircumcised, did not embrace Jewish religion (Gentiles)

children = son, builder of a family name
families = clan, circle of relatives, species, tribe,
land = land, earth

Here is another sensitive and terrifying subject these days ... slavery of children. In today's world, God's will has been SO perverted and disregarded. People are doing horrendous things to innocent children. We know what GOD has to say about harming children in any way, Matthew 18:6! There is absolutely no way that these verses, in GOD's Word, condone slavery! However, today, and very day, women and children are stolen for trade. Mothers sell their own babies for drugs and/or money. This all ties into the subject of "human trafficking."

To read my previous posts on human trafficking/slavery today with links for further research:

~ Human slavery Today

~ Update: Human Slavery-Children for Sale

Matthew Henry comments: "Laws concerning servitude, designed to preserve the honour of the Jewish nation as a free people, and rescued by a divine power out of the house of bondage, into the glorious liberty of God's sons, His first-born."

Below: Joseph being sold ~ unknown artist

:46 ~ And you shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession: they shall be your bondmen forever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, you shall not rule one over another with rigour .

Barnes commented: "they were not necessarily to be released in the sabbatical year nor at the Jubilee." This suggests to me, that slaves could be released?

Gill explains, in his commentary: "Unless they obtained their liberty, either by purchase, which they might make themselves, or by the means of others, or else by a writing under their master's hand dismissing them from his service (z); or in case they were maimed by him, then he was obliged to let them go free, Exodus 21:26,

Caution, we must remember when Gill lived. Slavery was in full swing at the time. I tend to be more comfortable with the other commenters on this.

The second half of this verse reassures us: GOD had already delivered and freed His people from slavery. He does not enslave His people .. not the Israelites ... nor anyone else! He made provision for deliverance ... for slaves to be granted freedom through ransom or mercy. This also being a picture of us, as slaves to sin, we can be delivered by the mercy of GOD and the ransom paid by Jesus. While we cannot ransom our fellow sinners; we do have the privilege of pointing them to Jesus, Who has already paid the price. The LORD always makes a way!

This subject deserves a much deeper study ... as I search the web, there seems to be an abundance of anti-God, anti-Bible, atheists using this very subject to slur and attempt to invalidate our GOD and the Bible. Sickening stuff out there. I had to really hunt, to find just ONE intelligent, educated discussion. Be careful out there in cyberspace, people are pushing their twisted agendas everywhere they can.

Drawing below ~ unknown artist

** I highly recommend reading this article from RBC Ministries: Why does the Bible seem to tolerate the institution of slavery?

I am SO thankful that Jesus set us free from any and all bondage!!! That He paid the ultimate price to ransom us from the bondage of sin! The Master signed our "freedom papers" in His Blood. Bless Him forever! We actually will, won't we? How exciting!

As back then, if a slave was freed and wanted to stay and serve his/her master, they signed on for a lifetime of voluntary service. We can relate to Paul ... being SO thankful for our release makes us want to remain bondslaves to Christ forever!

Bondservant only to Christ ... Alone! Bless God! What a privilege, that our Master desires for us to be in His house forever! Hallelujah!

*SO much more treasure here. Doing a word study of "bondservant" would certainly be interesting and profitable. I already make these visits long, so I will leave this one up to you!

Sure would appreciate your comments. :-)

Until we meet again, जब तक हम फिर मिलेंगे (Hindi)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:39-43 ~ They are MY servants!

2010-12-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome, fellow sojourners. We are so much enjoying camping in Leviticus 25, what a neat chapter! When we last met, we saw that our Great and Awesome God had a very real and definite plan to relieve the Israelites that became poor. We discovered a beautiful principle and promise that still applies to us today, as well. Our LORD protected His people from usury and made sure no one would profit from their misfortune. Click here: to review our last study from LEVITICUS 25:35-38. The time and setting: Leviticus 25 was written in 1445 BC ... Main courses: Sabbath Year, and Year of Jubilee. GOD's laws and instructions were clearly designed to prevent such extreme poverty. But thankfully our LORD, knows us ... so here He laid down instructions to deal with just such extreme circumstances.

Come on in, join us, as we continue to explore this delicious chapter of God's Living Word: let's find out what He has for us in this morning's measure of manna:
LEVITICUS 25:39-43 ~ And if your brother, that dwells by you be waxen (becomes) poor, and be sold unto you; you shall not compel him to serve as a bondservant: But as a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with you, and shall serve you unto the Year of Jubilee: and then he shall depart from you, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they are My servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. You shall not rule over him with rigour, but shall fear your God.

:39 ~ And if your brother, that dwells by you be waxen poor, and be sold unto you; you shall not compel him to serve as bondservant:

Well, right off, we see another of God's provision for a person or family that comes upon hard times. An Israelite could "sell" himself to another Israelite for service. He was given a job to do for a predetermined period. But, he could not be forced into slavery, because of his poverty. He would be provided work for provision, food and lodging. How gracious our GOD is, always!!!

How better would our "welfare" system work, if the poor were given jobs and lodging ... instead of dollars and food stamps???!!!

neighbor --> poor = :-(
brother-->come stay with us = :-)
we have work you can do = both :-) :-)

These instructions come with a WARNING and a PROMISE ... NO slave cuffs (bondage) for GOD's people!! o--o After all, we are children of the King!!!

:40 ~ But as a hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with you, and shall serve you unto the Year of Jubilee:

The LORD admonishes the family not to treat their neighbor as a slave, but as a hired servant. They were not make him feel like they owned him, just because he owed them for helping him. He was to be treated like a visitor. Boy oh boy, could employers and lenders learn a thing or two from the Bible!!!

Once you accepted this employment, you would stay with the family as a lodger or tenant, and work for them in return. Very cool concept ... to be treated as a temporary resident in their home ... while you serve them. Win win situation! You would work for them up until the sound of the shofar, announcing the Year of Jubilee.

:41 ~ And then he shall depart from you, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

It appears that the servant's children (sons? wife?) went with him. Unless he had children while under service? In any case, his family and children were not owned as property either.

After the term of service, you and your children were to return to your circle of relatives ... to the property that the LORD had given to you and your family. You always had that land, that promise, to go back to. What a blessing!

Additionally, while you were gone from your property, you might have collected rent to let someone else use it. So you could have had monetary provision, when you got home, as well. That Awesome GOD of ours thinks of every.single.tiny.cdetail! If only we will grab a firm hold on His plan for us!

:42 ~ For they are My servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.

I LOVE THIS!!! ... ~ heart heart heart ~

AHA! And here is the real deal: the LORD would LEND His servants out temporarily. They were, as we are, HIS bondservants, now, eternally and ONLY! We can never belong to anyone else! HALLELUJAH!!! We were delivered from "Egypt" and we are never be slaves to anyone, except our LORD!!!

:43 ~ You shall you shall not rule over him with rigour, but shall fear your God.

The LORD did (and does) not allow the employer to have dominion, rule, dominate, take advantage of, overbear or be cruel to you. In fact, He warned the employers to be afraid of GOD as their Judge!

Do not touch My anointed! The LORD forewarns those overseers of His servants: do NOT oppress them, crush them, break them apart ... these are MY people!!! Oh yesssss, how reassuring!!!

I sure wish I had had this knowledge, this surety, this Scripture in my heart ... while I was still working....

WOW!!! How differently would bosses treat their hired workers, if they received this instruction from God???!!!! The ones that oppress and mistreat those lent to them ... will have to answer to GOD for mistreating His children! *shudder*

And vice versa!!! If we really apprehended that, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY lends us, His servants, out to serve others...and to provide for our physical needs through them...we might also have a different view on our employment situations! Wow!

Bottom line

We were created to serve GOD
If we become impoverished ... we can, temporarily, lend ourselves out, as servants to a countryman for provision.
We are not to be taken advantage of, treated as slaves, nor oppressed in any way.
On the Year of Jubilee, we are to return, with our children, to our family and the land that the LORD gave us.
The LORD delivered us from bondage, and we are never to be enslaved again.
We are His servants always!

This study has been so reassuring to me. I have found a different perspective on working for wages. I always knew we were to "do everything as if we were doing it for the LORD." But this passage has taken me far more deeply into exactly why ....

Until we meet again, Ka dish day (Apache)

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:35-38 ~ No-Interest Loans

2010-11-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

In Leviticus 25:1-34 the LORD gave property laws regulating what could or could not be redeemed or released in the Year of Jubilee. In Leviticus 25:35-55, He gave laws governing hired servants and slaves during the 49 years between the Years of Jubilee. To review our last study: click here in Leviticus 25:32-34.

Welcome friends ... come on in ... join us for a taste of this morning's measure of manna!

LEVITICUS 25:35-38 ~ And if your brother be waxen (has become) poor, and fallen in decay with you; then you shall relieve him; yes, though he is a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with you. Take you no usury of him, or increase; but fear you God; that your brother may live with you. You shall not give him your money upon usury, nor lend him your victuals for increase. I AM the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

:35 ~ And if your brother be waxen (has become) poor, and fallen into decay with you; then you shall relieve him; yes, though he is a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with you.

Four Commands -- Relief of Poor Brother:

If a brother becomes poor, then relieve him.
You shall relieve him whether he is a Hebrew or stranger or visitor among you.
Do not take interest nor crops in payment for your help.
Fear God, so that your brother may live with you.

Gill, in his Exposition of the Whole Bible: describes the brother fallen into decay as: "not owing to sloth and negligence, but to unavoidable want and necessity." He points out that relief was to be achieved by: not merely by sympathizing with him, but by communicating to him, and distributing to his necessities; holding him up that he may not utterly fall, and strengthening his hands, that he may have a supply for his present wants.

Commenter Matthew Henry says that "sometimes it is as great a charity to lend freely as to give." I would add that sometimes it is a greater charity...

:36 ~ Take you no usury of him, or increase: but fear you God; that your brother may live with you.

No extortion ... no illegal interest on a debt was to be charged ... no bonus or percentage in addition to principal. Bottom line: no unjust gain made off of the loan.

As God has been gracious to us, so we should be gracious to our brethren.

The LORD commands us not to profit or become rich at the expense of the poor. We are not to take advantage of them to increase our own wealth. HA! Exactly the opposite of the banks and lending institutions of today ... who's main goal is exactly the opposite!

Twice God gave the reason for helping a poor brother-- that he might live among the Israelites, in Canaan, instead of being driven to another land. Some commentators say this implied: the poor would recover and be of service to the Israelites. Which really does make sense; so that they could become contributing citizens to the community.

This is the key reason, I believe, that our Society is lacking in relieving our World's poor. If only we would follow GOD's instructions! We need to strengthen the poor, so they are able take care of themselves ... so they can in turn become functioning members of our Society. This needs to be taught in our very own families first, for an impact on the World to be felt.

:37 ~ You shall not give him your money upon usury, nor lend him your victuals for increase.

Money: here, means silver. Do not lend the poor your money, expecting and insisting upon a large interest for it. Victuals: food/meat/provisions. These necessities, you are expected to freely give.

According to Jon Courson: “Although Deuteronomy 23:20 allowed interest from a stranger; they having themselves been rescued by God when they were slaves in Egypt … the Israelites were to rescue their brothers from financial bondage with no-interest loans. They were not to take advantage of a brother in need."

:38 ~ I AM the LORD your God,
which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

*According to Dakes’ Bible Notes: Being “brought forth out of the land of Egypt” is referred to 4 times, just in Chapters 25-26! Hmmmm ... I guess we still do need a reminder too, don't we?! Eeeesh!

We are to fear our God, Who will reckon with us for all injuries done to the poor. Do not fear them, but fear Him! A pretty clear warning, I would say! Woe be to those who take advantage of the poor!

Matthew Henry points out that: "The same argument is used to enforce this precept that prefaces all of the Ten Commandments: I AM the Lord, your God, which brought you out of Egypt."
This leads me to a "side-study" on the “I AM the Lord, your God” verses that I am collecting from Deuteronomy and elsewhere in the Bible. My personal theory is that this statement/reminder is attached to directives that have particular importance to the LORD. He stresses certain statements as warnings, stern reminders. It is very likely that these warnings/reminders accompany situations that He knows that we are particularly vulnerable in. So, I have begun listing these as I find them.

I am very interested to see what truths this "side-trip" through the Bible reveals. I will publish my findings when I have a more conclusive understanding. In the meantime, you may want to take on this side-study yourself. Or, you may already have a deeper understanding. Either way, I surely would appreciate any and all input you would be willing to offer.

Until we meet again, Arrivaderci

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:32-34 ~ NOT FOR SALE: Levites' Cities and Suburbs

2010-11-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

Welcome fellow travelers and God seekers. It is a wonderful morning for a nice warm portion of manna … the Bread of Life, the Living Word. Let’s get right to it.

We shared our last “meal” in Leviticus 25:29-31 … God given laws concerning the redemption of houses within walled cities. You can click: here to review.

This morning we will see His beautiful provision for the Levites, the tribe of His assigned priests. Also, His marvelous grace towards the children of Israel, to provide spiritual leadership for them. Bless His heart.

LEVITICUS 25:32-34 ~ Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities in their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time. And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold and the city of his possession, shall go out in the Year of Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. But the fields of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

:32 ~ Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, the Levites may redeem at any time.

The LORD had given specific cities to the Levites, descendants of Levi, His priests, as their inheritance. The houses within those cities were divided among the Levites.

NOTE: A city was defined as: a place guarded by waking or a watch. This reminds us: of the importance of praying for our churches, ministers of the Gospel, their homes, and our schools ... we need to keep them under guard by a prayer watch!

To continue: none of the dwellings within the Levitical cities/towns could ever be sold permanently. The LORD made provision for there always to be Levitical presence among the Israelites. GOD, in His infinite Wisdom, knew that we will always need a Godly center of leadership.

So, all city property of Levites was redeemable at any time, period. No one else was to settle in to one of their city dwellings for more than 49 years (not so long, back then) … the original owner, or any Levite (? they would all be kin), could come and buy it back, at any moment. *NOTE: I will be interested to see: were the leases on these houses limited to other Levites? or open to anyone?

:33 ~ And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold and the city of his possession, shall go out (revert) in the Year of the Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

If a Levite did not redeem his house within the 49 years after the sale, then the house would automatically revert back to the orignal owner on the 50th year, the Year of Jubilee.

The Levites had no possessions of their own, except the cities and suburbs. They gave it all up to serve the LORD. GOD told them and showed them, that they were under His Personal care and protection. This reminds us that, today, maybe more than ever, Gospel ministry needs support and protection!

How assuring this is. Even in our times, when so many of our “Levites,” our Christian spiritual leaders, and their houses, towns and cities are being persecuted all over the world. GOD made it very clear, that He will never allow the take over and/or occupation of strangers stay in or on the land of His priests forever. It WILL be returned, finally and completely, at the Great Jubilee. Hallelujah!

*Fascinating side-NOTE: Israel, יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ in Hebrew, means: "God strives," another name of Jacob and his descendants ... the word comes.from combining sarah and el ... yis·ra·'el.

34 ~ But the fields of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

“Suburbs” … so this is where the name came from??? I never would have guessed this word was Biblical!

HA! Here is what I found: migrash (mig-rawsh') a suburb: "i.e. open country where flocks are driven from pasture; hence, the area around a building, or the margin of the sea -- cast out, suburb."

Well, we still have sheep in our open pastures ... so I guess, we are officially in the, suburbs! The picture above is very close to my house. And sheep are driven through here! Still shaking my head at the Biblical derivation! Awesome! GOD always shows us new things, in His Word! His Living Word is old and new and always true!

The LORD gave the Levites these suburbs that were to reach two thousand cubits on every side of their cities: Numbers 35:5. This open land was to be held in common, no one priest had a particular portion. Fruit, produce, meat, clothing, materials, wood, water, everything from these fields was meant to be provision for the maintenance and sustenance of the LORD's priests. The pastures also fed their livestock. Therefore, these fields were never be withheld from the Levites, no matter what … forever.

But, for some reason, the houses inside the city or town could be sold to anyone? I will be anxious to learn more!

*NOTE: Biblos' Comparison of Bible Commentaries, on this study, starts here! A very rich resource; just in case, you have room for more ... or get hungry later! What an awesome Book is Leviticus! Marvelous manna for today indeed!

Until we meet again, Ke Akua pu a hui hou ~ God Bless you and see you later!

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:29-31 ~ Short Sales in the Cities!

2010-11-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome, fellow sojourners of the narrow way. We have recently been camping at Leviticus 25. The law of this chapter concerns the lands and estates of the Israelites in Canaan. We last visited: Leviticus 25:25-28, where the LORD made merciful provisions for a person who became too poor to redeem his land. You may review our last get together by clicking here: Redeem the Country!

Make yourself comfortable. We have wonderful fresh manna this morning to share. His Living Word is always delicious to our lips and nutritious to our souls. How sweet are your words to my taste! yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! ~ Psalms 119:103

LEVITICUS 25:29-31 ~ And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the Jubilee. But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the Jubilee.

Property within a walled city could be redeemed only during the first year.

:29 ~ And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.

OK, so if I sell my house in the city and decide that I want it back. Then, from that day on, within the first year, either I or a close relative of mine can buy it back. The very next day after the year was up, I would lose my rights to the property forever. The buyer would be able to keep the property as his own, permanently. Jewish law even made provisos, in case the buyer hid on the last day of the year to avoid getting his place redeemed. Tricky little humans ...

City dwellers had only one year to redeem property inside the city walls. Evidently, city property had to be settled much quicker. Hmmm, let's look into why …

Jon Courson says, in his Application Commentary on the Old Testament: “The rabbis teach that, in this, God is encouraging people not to live in the cities. Whether or not such be the case, the fact remains that with a higher density of people comes greater opportunity to sin. (Good point, Jon) A higher density of believers in any given area can result in a greater degree of lethargy. (wow) That is why, as salt and light, we are most effective when we are spread out.”

Bible expositor, John Gill, however, has a little different view. He states that "this law was made to encourage persons to settle in walled towns, to make and keep them populous, and to make owners of them careful not to sell them...

Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, seems to agree to some degree: "This provision was made to encourage strangers and proselytes to come and settle among them. Though they could not purchase land in Canaan to them and their heirs, yet they might purchase houses in walled cities, which would be most convenient for those who were supposed to live by trade."

NOTE: Biblos is a wonderful resource for Bible study ... compare commentaries here.

In whichever case, today's cities are dense and crowded. They often have higher crime rates and immorality is accepted, even encouraged, in many of them. Around every corner, are temptations, traps and lures, and food to feed the lust of the eyes, the pride of life and the flesh. It makes good sense that God would encourage shorter stays in the cities. Everything is concentrated into a very small area … there are dark alleys and crowds of people, large corporations and even, yes ... huge churches in which to hide.

I have always felt that way about cities … but until now, I never realized that the LORD might actually have discouraged city living for His children, unless they were to live by trade.
Awesome!!!

:30 ~ And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the Jubilee.

So, if the seller was to change his mind about the sale, he had to act quickly. If he, or his near kin, did not redeem it by the last day of the year following the sale; then the dwelling became the real and permanent property of the buyer and his descendants. It would not be returned in the Year of Jubilee. This is the first exception to automatic redemption at Jubilee that is mentioned. The dwelling would not be returned after the 365th day.

I imagine that profit could also be made from the houses in the city. It would be difficult for someone to buy a city dwelling, perhaps establish a business there … and then have the building repossessed by the original owner. And obviously God intended some to stay in the cities … for He provided opportunities to gain permanent title to the houses.

Note: fruit was planted, grown and harvested only in the fields. Probably much more treasure to be found here!

Calvin's commentary is here: Aha! Calvin believed, as I had noted, that houses yield no fruit. It was "more tolerable" to live without a house in the city than without fruit from the field. He also discusses the provision for business in the city.

John Gill in his Exposition of the Bible says: "for houses were not like lands, the gift of God, and held under Him, but were built by men, and were their absolute property, and therefore they could dispose of them."

Matthew Henry, in his Commentary, agrees: "A difference was made between houses in walled cities, and lands in the country, or houses in country villages. Houses in walled cities were more the fruits of their own industry than land in the country, which was the immediate gift of God’s bounty..."

He also stated: "This provision was made to encourage strangers and proselytes to come and settle among them. Though they could not purchase land in Canaan to them and their heirs, yet they might purchase houses in walled cities, which would be most convenient for those who were supposed to live by trade. But country houses could be disposed of no otherwise than as lands might."

:31 ~ But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the Jubilee.

The houses in the “suburbs” were treated like the fields in the country. Ahh yes, the reason everyone still flocks to the suburbs … a better quality of life! Open spaces, clear skies, fresh air, peace, quiet, beautiful views, slower pace, less traffic, less distractions, safe environment. And most importantly, the LORD had blessed the land in the country, and commanded it to yield the crops and fruits vital for health and life!

Something to consider: What about “gated” communities of our day? These communities are usually designed to be more secure with less of usual city drawbacks. But, would God still have considered them as “walled villages”???

Something to consider: The city dwellings were, a more secure investment for business men, were they not? Houses and property outside of the city were redeemable for 49 years after you bought it. So you could never really be settled on a permanent basis, unless you were the original owner. In the city, there was a chance to receive permanent title by default.

The LORD provided land for every one of the Israelites. Your rightful inheritance would be the land that could not ever be taken permanently from you. Even if you couldn’t afford to keep it up, you could lease it out and get it back every for free, every 50 years! Of course, then, what do you do, when your property is leased out? Go live in the city and pay rent? Or perhaps take a road trip, by camel, to other village or cities? *smile* … many possibilities, I guess.

Matthew Henry states: "This provision was made to encourage strangers and proselytes to come and settle among them. Though they could not purchase land in Canaan to them and their heirs, yet they might purchase houses in walled cities, which would be most convenient for those who were supposed to live by trade. But country houses could be disposed of no otherwise than as lands might."

One thing is sure ... the LORD, as always, made perfect provision for every person and every little detail of their lives. For the city folk and the country folk alike ... for trade and for agriculture. What love our Creator has for his creation! What perfect plans He has for us!

This lesson also reminds us that our only truly permanent residence is in heaven, which is our Rightful Inheritance.

It turned out to be an exciting adventure gathering the manna today. I had to consult both contemporary and historical sources to gain a better understanding of these three little Scriptures. But, what a rich and delectable meal came forth! There are still many "side dishes" that could be explored. Plus, along the way ... I also discovered more uses for the fantastic Biblical Research Library ~ Biblos!

Don't we so often find extra treasures "along the way?" What a beautiful day today! This is the day that the LORD has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it! ~ Psalm 118:24

Until we meet again, Zàijiàn - 再见

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:25-28 ~ Redeem the Country! A good ol' country song!

2010-11-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

In Leviticus 25:23-24, the LORD made it very clear that He rightfully and eternally owns all land. Therefore, the land could never be sold forever ... because we are just temporarily "visiting" His land with Him. What a beautiful and awesome assurance ... to remember and take into our hearts!

On that note, please come in and visit our "tent" for awhile. For this morning's measure of manna, we will be presented with the LORD's very first introduction to the concept of a kinsman redeemer. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! ~ Psalms 34:8

LEVITICUS 25:25-28 ~ If your brother be waxen (has become) poor, and has sold away some of his possession, and if any of this kin come to redeem it, then he shall redeem that which his brother sold. And if the man has none to redeem it, and himself is able to redeem it; then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. But if he not be able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that has bought it, until the year of jubilee: and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

:25 ~ If your brother be waxen (has become so) poor, and has sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then he shall redeem that which his brother sold.

According to the Oriental law of kinship, the land of a poor man could be redeemed by himself or his nearest relation, anytime during the period between the Years of Jubilee.

This concept of kinsman redeemer was:

Introduced here
Illustrated in Boaz ~ Ruth~Chapters 2-4
Fulfilled in Jesus Christ

Photo: Courtesy of Revival Worship Catalog

:26 ~ and if the man has none to redeem it, and himself is able to redeem it;

If a man has no kin to redeem his property after he sold it, then he has the right to buy it back himself. If he is not able to buy it back, then he would have to wait, until the Year of Jubilee, when his property would be returned to him.

:27 ~ Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.

The redemption price was determined by the number of years remaining, from the date of redemption to the next Jubilee. At that time, all such property was returned to original owner and he could return to his land. What a happy day!!!

Even though a man and his family might have fallen on hard times ... looking forward, there was always hope ... Jubilee was coming ... and they knew that they would get back everything GOD had given them! What an assurance for them. But, wait ... we have even a more Blessed Assurance! Our Redeemer lives and He has promised us a Grand and Ultimate Jubilee!

:28 ~ But if he not be able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that has bought it, until the year of Jubilee: and in the Jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

If neither the seller nor the seller's kin could redeem it, then the land remained in the possession of the buyer until Jubilee. This gave a poor man another chance, an opportunity to regain his property and go back to his home ~ something he could never do otherwise.

Sound familiar? Just as we can never redeem ourselves by our own hands ~ thanks to GOD, we have a Kinsman Redeemer ... Jesus Christ! ... He paid the full redemption price for us ... and at Grand Jubilee, we will be going Home!!!!

NOTE: הַיֹּובֵ֑ל hai·yo·v·vel 3104 ~ The Hebrew word for Jubilee means: a ram, a ram's horn, a wind instrument!

Jesus is the Ram that took our place: The Horn speaks of Salvation.
Jesus, our Kinsman Redeemer paid the redemption price for our sin.
One day, we will hear the sound of the great Ram's Horn from heaven, announcing the Great Jubilee!

Jubilee: a shadow of what was to happen in Joshua 6:5 and what will happen 1Thessalonians 4:16-17!

Oh, and there is SO much more treasure here! The Living Word of God so beautifully ties together the past, the present and the future!

Hallelujah! Our Redeemer Lives!

Until we meet again, swatdee ~ สวัสดี

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:23-24~The land belongs to the LORD!

2010-10-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful Fall morning here in the desert! The sun is shining, everything is beginning to turn green again ... the birds are chirping and bathing in the mud puddles ... the olives trees are so full of fruit, that the branches are bending to the ground. What beautiful reminders of God's provision for every one of His creations! If we would just trust Him and do as He says ... as easily as the birds and the trees and the fields ... *sigh* ... What beautiful lessons we find in nature, about our Lord!

When we last met, we shared Leviticus 25:18-22. The LORD had promised the children of Israel that ... if they obeyed Him and worked and rested as He had prescribed ... then He would bless them and cause their land to yield such an abundance in one year, that there would be enough to provide for everyone for the next three years! What a faith building experience! And how similar this lesson to the one in Malachi 3:10!

Welcome again, friends ... come on in ... get comfortable ... let's see what the LORD has in store for us today!

Leviticus 25:23-24 ~ The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me, and in all the land of your possession, you shall grant a redemption for the land.

:23 a ~ The land shall not be sold forever, for the land is Mine,

The land of Canaan had been divided up into 12 tribes. In the tribes, it was divided again, among the families. The land was never to be sold out of the families. What the LORD had given them was to remain theirs …forever! He did allow them to rent or lease their land for a limited term, if a family's circumstances made it necessary. But, the tenant or "buyer" had to be willing to let the owner redeem his land whenever he was able to.

Here, GOD announced Himself as the Rightful and Eternal Owner of all the land ... by virtue of His creation of it. Well, that seems pretty obvious, even primitive peoples recognize this fact and all of nature is born knowing it!

However, in Israel today ... as in nearly every other nation ... wars are still being fought over the rightful "ownership" of the land! In this Scripture, GOD makes it very clear and simple ... the land belongs to Him and is not to be sold permanently ... forever! Basically, the land given to the family could only be "leased" ... temporarily!

Certainly, the blood shed and the lives lost over all of the land disputes, in the world, must be particularly displeasing to the LORD! It seems to be in our "nature" to be territorial ... as with most animals on this planet. But we have been endowed with a higher intellect and Spiritual understanding ... and ... our Creator has given us very clear instructions!

I also believe that forever ... means just that ... forever! I don't see any evidence that God has changed his mind on this issue. I would be very interested to entertain your thoughts on this.

Many years ago, before I really knew God, or the Bible ... I had completed all the required courses to get my Real Estate license. Just one day before my scheduled licensing exam, I was stopped in my tracks. Quite suddenly, I became very aware that this was not what I was supposed to be doing! I had an overwhelming sense that God was telling me ... the land was not mine to sell ... it belonged to Him! That "gut feeling" never went away and I did not take the test. Needless to say, I am much poorer, as a result of my decision. *sadly true* But buying and selling real estate, is not the main issue here ... Eternal and Rightful ownership of the land is! Let's move on to the second half of Verse 23.

Robot @ Museum of Northern Arizona ~ Just seemed to fit. :D

:23 b ~ for you are strangers and sojourners with Me,

The LORD reminds the Israelites, as He reminds us: we are (N.O.T.W.) not of this world, but in it, and He is in it with us! He says, that we are sojourners (foreigners, travelers, guests), on His land, with Him. This blesses me SO much! We are visiting with Him, as His guest!!! Emmanuel, God IS with us!!!

Does this not also infer that GOD, Himself is a sojourner on this land? I am quite sure it does! Jesus surely was! He was only physically on the earth for 30 years! When GOD walked in the garden with Adam, was it not for communion? And when He walked with Enoch, was it not for fellowship? ... as for a visit? His permanent home is in eternity, certainly not on this little planet!
The Israelites had God's Tabernacle among them, so for a family to completely alienate their part of the land would be to cut themselves off from their fellowship and communion with God!

The children of Israel had the cloud by day, the fire by night. They actually heard the LORD'S voice, from Mount Sinai! They witnessed His miracles in Egypt and at the Red Sea. They experienced bread and meat falling from heaven and water spewing from a rock! They saw physical evidence of His presence, in the court of the Tabernacle and all throughout their wilderness journey… yet … God had to remind them that He was traveling with them!! I tend to wonder … how could they forget?!!! Then, I realize how easily I can get distracted by this world! Sometimes I forget that He is traveling with me, as well ….

:24 ~ and in all the land of your possession, you shall grant a redemption for the land.

The land given to the family, was not be sold nor deeded to another permanently (forever).
All the mortgaged or leased land was to be on a temporary basis only ~ subject to redemption.
If the family could not redeem their land, because of poverty, within the 49 years … then it was automatically redeemed and returned to its original owner, in the Year of Jubilee.

I notice that the LORD said: “ALL the land of your possession,” that would be everything the LORD has given us possession of … right? Hmmm … what have I built with what He has given me? Hay, wood and stubble, that will be returned to the earth? Or eternal treasures, that will be redeemed to eternity?

Just as we are spiritually impoverished; we could never pay the price of the sin we were born into, much less those we have committed ourselves … so, we have been automatically redeemed by the Precious Blood of our Savior Jesus … and we will be returned to our Original Owner at the Grand Jubilee!!! Oh, Hallelujah!!! What an awesome day that will be!!!!

As Jon Courson points out in his Application Commentary, the LORD had a brilliant plan:

Free enterprise was allowed for 49 years: the children of Israel could buy, sell and build estates.
Compassion was commanded in the 50th year: all debts cancelled … all land returned to the original owner.
Prevention of monopolization and exploitation.

This brings us back to a Global Jubilee … how different our world would be!!! Global compassion every 50 years! Wow! If only we followed our LORD’s plans, instead of our own … If only I followed my LORD’s plans, instead of my own …

Isn’t the Living Word so rich and full??? Due to necessity, I am attempting to transition from hand writing my studies to writing them directly to the computer. I see why the LORD specifically commanded the children of Israel to only take what they could consume in a day, while it was fresh.

During the transition, I have been gathering about the same amount as before … but it was proving to be too much; I could no longer finish it all, in one sitting … I am still trying to find the perfect measure. The manna seems to expand on the screen and it takes me longer to prepare and serve it! Hahaha :D

Also, it seems that the fewer verses that I focus on the, the more I see … so I still end up with more! I guess that is just how God’s Word is! Awesome isn’t it? If you have time to get down to it … each word is a lesson in itself … probably each letter as well … there is no bottom to the LORD’s treasure!

So what is your experience? How do you measure your personal study time? We would really like to know! We are all sojourners together and we would all benefit by sharing, exchanging, and building on what the LORD has given to each of us!

May God bless your coming in and your going out.

Until next time, Do svidaniya!
до свидания

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

LEVITICUS 25:18-22 ~ Promised Provision

2010-10-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Praise God, He has blessed us with a beautiful sunny, clear morning! Bless His heart! I hope you are enjoying the new mini series, Between-Meal Snacks. I often find extra little nuggets of blessings, while doing my regular devotionals … I decided to put them out here for you to nibble on, too. I’m actually not sure how to segue into this Morning’s Measure of Manna ... so ...

May I get personal, for just a minute? We all know that the LORD wants us to believe Him and trust Him for literally everything, even the smallest of details, right? For instance; I know, for an absolute fact, that the LORD is my Provision and my Provider, my Portion and the Supplier of all my needs. But, do I always behave as if I believe it? Do I relax and leave everything in His hands ... always? Do you? I sure don't intend to, but there are times that I get impatient and fret, or worse, move out on my own power! We all know that never works! The flesh does indeed war against the Spirit.

Which is why the LORD gives us the Old Testament ... to instruct us.

LEVITICUS 25:18-22

Wherefore you shall do My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and you shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall yield her fruit, and you shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. And if you shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: Then I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. And you shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in you shall eat of the old store.

:18 ~ Wherefore you shall do My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and you shall dwell in the land in safety.

First, we need to look at the previous verse, in order to find out, what the “wherefore” is there for! Leviticus. 25:17 ~ “for I AM the LORD your God."

A. He reminded them of His authority and His power.
B. He issued a three-fold command: (required actions)

Do My statutes:
Keep My judgments
Do My judgments

C. He gave them a three-fold promise. (natural consequences or reactions)

In Science and Physics, we learn: Newton's Third Law of Motion: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." The reaction is a natural consequence of the action. Biblical Laws were given by the same Creator whose Laws of Physics govern the entire Universe!

Certainly, we are no longer bound by Old Testament Laws. Jesus completely fulfilled all the requirements of the Law. Absolutely, we live under His mercy and grace. We will not be judged nor punished for breaking these laws. Through the Blood of our Savior, we are forgiven and protected! Hallelujah!

In this case, the LORD promised that the consequence of being obedient to His three-fold command would be a life of safety in the Land of Promise. NICE consequence!

:19 ~ And the land shall yield her fruit, and you shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

Now, the LORD adds 2 more consequences of their obedience and re-emphasizes His promise of safety within the land.

The land shall yield her fruit. ~ There is something profound in the fact that the land yields her fruit, at His command! Also, that even the land can be obedient ... hmmm ...
You shall eat your fill. ~ This is a collective you. Absolutely, no lack ... no one would go hungry. Loving that! Here is the answer to ending world hunger ~ Lev. 25:18!
And dwell in the land in safety. ~ Divine protection!!! 100% secure! The LORD saw fit to mention this twice! So, obviously it is particularly important to Him. Notice the locator words within this command: "dwell in the land in safety." Safety was inside ... not outside of the land of promise! I never "saw" this before, but we know that, over and over in the Scriptures, the LORD creates boundaries for our safety! One more reason to stay in GOD's will ... His best blessings are in there! NOTE: there is much more treasure to be found here!

:20 ~ And if you shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

The LORD knew that the Israelites would question His program of allowing the land to rest every 7th year. (a sound agricultural practice, still used today) Why would they question God? They had experienced His presence, power, and provision so many times!. . ... For the children of Israel, going a year without planting and harvesting, would again test their faith. Not planting the 7th year meant that they would have nothing to eat at their usual harvest time! Ha! I just had an interesting thought, maybe they were afraid that they might get manna again!! *snicker*

:21 ~ Then I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

I find it interesting that God commanded His blessing on the Israelites, not the land, but it makes total sense. He promised that His blessing would bring forth fruit for 3 years. He commanded the land to yield the fruit of His blessing. If He did not order them, there would be no fruit. If anything grew, in the land, they would not have been able to harvest it.I picture the Dust Bowl ... that desolate, dry ground.
Dust Bowl Farm: Photographer: Dorothea Lang: June 1938

OK, so to break it down: (I have to do this often, to make sure I am understanding correctly)

The children of Israel were to follow the LORD's instructions
Then, the LORD promised to command His blessing upon them, in the 6th year.
They were to sow seed (from the 5th year) into the land.
Then, GOD's blessing would bring forth fruit in the land, enough for 3 years.
The land, in turn, would yield her fruit (that the blessing brought forth) for the people.
Then the people were to gather the yield from the land, eat their fill, and store up the extra.

:22 ~ And you shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in you shall eat of the old store.

Here, the children of Israel were to have rested during the Sabbatic (7th) year, still eating from the abundance of their 6th year. Then the LORD commands the children of Israel to again sow seed in the 8th year. And they were commanded to continue eating from the storehouse ... until the new fruit came forth.

Wow, what a picture of the Old Testament and the New Testament!!! Is this not what happened between Testaments???!!

Not only agricultural principles are pictured here, but financial, Spiritual, and I don't even know what all!

The LORD continues to blow me away ... there is SO much in each sentence of His, each Word. There is always something new, waiting to be revealed (oooo, waiting in the LORD's Storehouse?) However, the Living Word is never old; it is always fresh and new!

The LORD says, basically, the same thing in Malachi 3:10, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing, until it overflows." :11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, says the LORD of hosts. :12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delight-some land, says the LORD of Hosts.

Which brings us right back to the core of what the LORD wants from us ... TRUST, which requires FAITH, which requires BELIEF. And to the only place in Scripture where the LORD says to TEST Him!

I think this is a good place to camp ... The LORD has provided rich manna in these 5 verses ... we have much to digest.

May His Word nourish our bodies and our souls and be branded into our hearts! May we apply the truths that He shows us in our lives.

Until the next time, Selamat jalan

I am blessed every day

with some new revelation of God's Word.

I will be sharing my measure of manna

with all who come to my "tent."

Please, let me know if you have been blessed

by the way it was prepared for you this day.

~Shalom~

Between-Meal Snacks~Sevens~It's No Secret

2010-10-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

See RecipeGirl for these cookies: http://www.recipegirl.com/

Hungry for a little nibble of something tasty? The subject today is 7's! There are only 5 cookies. But, cooked just right, they are about a perfect portion, for a snack. Don't these look yum-mmy? You can get the cookie recipe right here. But, come right back!

It is your Spirit that we want to nourish .... our hope is that these spiritual "Between-Meal Snacks" will whet your appetite for digging deeper into the Scriptures!

This particular "appetizer" was prompted by notes in the Halley's Bible Handbook.

In Leviticus 25, while studying the laws about the sabbaths, sabbath years, and jubilees ... the repetition of the number 7 was quite significant. So, I began to dig a little deeper. Here are some of the things I found:

Halley's says: "7 is a favorite letter in God's alphabet. Used as often as it is, in the way it is, it must have some significance over and above its numerical value."

Symbolically, the number 7 is thought to stand for completeness.

The Bible begins with 7 days of creation, and ends with a "book of sevens" about the ulitmate destiny of creation.

There are:
7 days in a week
7 notes in music
7 colors in the rainbow
There were 7 plagues on Egypt

The Levitcal System in the Old Testament was built on a cycle of "sevens."
Every 7 days ~ a sabbath
Every 7 years ~ a sabbatic year
Every 7th sabbatic year (49th year or 7 sevens)~ followed by a jubilee year

The 7th month was especially holy ~ having 3 feasts
Feast of Passover ~ lasted for 7 days
At Passover ~14 lambs (2 sevens) offered each day
7 weeks between Passover and Pentecost
Feast At Pentecost ~ 7 lambs were offered
Feast of Tabernacles ~ lasted 7 days
At Tabernacles ~ 14 lambs (2 sevens) and 70 (10 sevens) bullocks, were offered each day

Jericho fell after 7 priests, with 7 trumpets, for 7 days, marched around its walls, and blew their trumpets 7 times on the 7th day.

Naaman dipped in the Jordan 7 times

7 baskets and 7 loaves
7 sayings of Jesus from the cross

The Book of Revelation was built around a system of "sevens"
7 letters to 7 churches
7 seals and 7 trumpets
7 vials and 7 candlesticks
7 stars, 7 angels, and 7 spirits
a lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes
7 lamps and 7 thunders
a red dragon with 7 heads and 7 crowns
a leopard-like beast with 7 heads
a scarlet colored beast with 7 heads
7 mountains and 7 kings

As Halley's points out, "Whether this was of design, or just so happened, we do not know."

However, there is such a preponderance of sevens and multiples of 7 in the Bible. Surely it must be by Divine Design. What do YOU think? (oh, and there is much evidence, see below)

At first, this little snack seemed pretty filling. But, as I "chewed" on the Living Word, I started getting hungry for more ...

Wow! I found an excellent in-depth study ... that will "blow your socks off!"

I discovered a whole platter ... plus Milk! I am honored to share it with you:

For recipe: http://cookingontheside.com/classic-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/

Just reading the article below, is bound to set you aglow with a fresh awareness and awe of God's ways! God's Word that is SO delicious and amazing:

Meaning of the Number 7- Part 1: http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/7.html

Meaning of the Number 7- Part 2: http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/7-part2.html

Mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm ..... all I can say, after that is: "Thank You, Jesus!"

We hope that you enjoyed it, as well!

Peace to you and love!

Shalom

Between Meal Snacks

2010-10-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is the inaugural post of Between Meal Snacks. Here, I will share yummy morsels, spirtual "snacks," to enjoy between meals or anytime as a light refreshment. Unlike earthly snacks, these certainly will not dull your appetite. They are to be more like "appetizers" that will pique your appetite and make you hungry for more of God's Living Word.

Usually, these posts will be related to or inspired by a current study. They are not intended to be a replacement for deeper, personal studies! Word by Word, line upon line, precept upon precept ...

As the Lord leads, here we go:

It is likely that most of you have noticed the "I AM" statements that run throughout the Bible!

Well ... one morning years ago, during my personal study time, I distinctly "heard" the LORD "say" to me, "I AM is in here." Now, I did not hear an audible voice. But, you know how you "know-that-you-know" some things? This was definitely one of those times!

I started underlining, in red ink, every I AM that I found in my Bible. At first, I thought to myself: 'Is this a weird thing to do?' Was I just messing up my new Bible? The blessing soon became obvious. WOW! As I turned each page, the words, "I AM" seemed to jump out at me from everywhere ... in both Testaments!

What a mighty, powerful, faith-building exercise! To this day, the LORD continues to reveal more and more, about His awesome name and nature, through His "I AM" statements. Bless His heart!

Did you know? Out of only 37 verses in Leviticus 19 ... I AM THE LORD is repeated 15 times! Through these verses, He reminds us that:

1. He has the wisdom to establish the laws
2. He has the power to enforce them, as well.
~ Jon Courson's Application Commentary Old Testament, Vol 1.

I challenge you, If you haven't already done this ... sit down with the LORD, your Bible and a red pen ... and see what He shows you!

Got yummy tidbits from God's Word? We would all love it ... if you would share your snacks with us too!

Shalom, my friends ...