Leviticus 26:1 Idols!

 1“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.

What is an idol? Carved images and so called sacred pillars were an issue because of false gods when these verses were written, but an idol can also be anything we place ahead of the Lord in our lives, such as possessions, careers, relationships, hobbies, sports, entertainment, goals, greed, addictions to alcohol/drugs/gambling/pornography, etc.” 

2020 has been a difficult year for many. The world is racing towards destruction. 

Recently a neighbor had a heart attack and required surgery, a sister-in-law caught Covid and required a transfusion, a friend from church had a stroke, a friends mother passed away and the list goes on.....

Have you taken the time to examine your life for idols?

If you have an idol in your life, try replacing it with Jesus.

If your life ended tonight, where would your soul go?

Not one of us is worthy to go into the presence of God, but He has given us hope and redemption through His Son Jesus. 

You have to accept what He did for you on the cross. 

You have to accept His free gift of salvation!

Have you accepted His gift? 🎁

Blessings, David 

Leviticus 25:47-55 To buy out!

 47If a foreigner residing among you prospers, but your countryman dwelling near him becomes destitute and sells himself to the foreigner or to a member of his clan, 48he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his brothers may redeem him: 49either his uncle or cousin or any close relative from his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.

50He and his purchaser will then count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price of his sale will be determined by the number of years, based on the daily wages of a hired hand. 51If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption in proportion to his purchase price. 52If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to calculate and pay his redemption according to his remaining years. 53He shall be treated like a man hired from year to year, but a foreign owner must not rule over him harshly in your sight.

54Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children shall be released in the Year of Jubilee. 55For the Israelites are My servants. They are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

“The word redeem means “to buy out.” The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. The application of this term to Christ’s death on the cross is quite telling. If we are “redeemed,” then our prior condition was one of slavery. God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law. This metaphorical use of “redemption” is the teaching of Galatians 3:13 and 4:5.”

https://www.gotquestions.org/redemption.html

Galatians 3: 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

Galatians 4: 5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

A foreigner who sold himself into slavery could redeem himself or a clansman could redeem his family member.

We were born into slavery because of sin. You can accept Gods grace of redemption through His Son Jesus or you will need “to buy out”, pay the price of your sin yourself.

How will you do that?

Blessings, David 

Leviticus 25:44-46 Menservants and Maidservants

 44Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them. 45You may also purchase them from the foreigners residing among you or their clans living among you who are born in your land. These may become your property. 46You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But as for your brothers, the Israelites, no man may rule harshly over his brother.

“Foreign slaves among the Jews did not have the same rights as Hebrew slaves sold into servitude because of debt; they could be held as slaves for life, though they had to be treated humanely” (Guzik)

   

Exodus 21: 16Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession. 20If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished. 21However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.

Exodus 21:16 specifically says that kidnapping a man to sell him was a sin, and not allowed in Israel.

Amos 1: 9 This is what the LORD says: “The people of Tyre have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They broke their treaty of brotherhood with Israel, selling whole villages as slaves to Edom.

10 So I will send down fire on the walls of Tyre, and all its fortresses will be destroyed.”

If the Lord punished man daily for sin, would there be anyone left in the world?

Blessings, David 

Leviticus 25:39-43 Slave Labor!

 Redemption of Bondmen

39If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. 40Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers.

42Because the Israelites are My servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt, they are not to be sold as slaves. 43You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God.

“The Hebrew word used here is actually ‘slave,’ as in verse 39, and should be so translated so that the connection between this statement and the previous verses may be clear. The people of Israel had been slaves of the Egyptians, but when they were delivered they became the property of the one who redeemed them, the LORD himself.”

“Labour beyond the person’s strength, or labour too long continued, or in unhealthy or uncomfortable places and circumstances, or without sufficient food, etc., is labour exacted with rigour, and consequently inhuman; and this law is made, not for the Mosaic dispensation and the Jewish people, but for every dispensation and for every people under heaven.” (Clarke)

Any form of slavery is difficult, but what about human trafficking? 

What Is Human Trafficking? Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide - including right here in the United States. (DHS)

If you suspect human trafficking in the United States you can report it here.

Report Suspected Human Trafficking

1-866-347-2423

Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) 

https://www.ice.gov/features/ccht

Please pray that human trafficking is abolished in the United States and worldwide.

Blessings, David 

Leviticus 25:35-38 Helping the Poor!

 Redemption of the Poor

35Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. 36Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. 37You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit. 38I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

Instead of making a profit off the poor the command is simple, you shall help him!

Proverbs 14:31 Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Ezekiel 18: 7He is a merciful creditor, not keeping the items given as security by poor debtors. He does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for the needy. 8He grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others,

The Lord has a reoccurring theme about helping the poor, feeding and clothing them. We have when circumstances permitted, helped the poor. We have tried to do it secretly but there were times where this was impossible. 

We would usually go to the assistant pastor at our church and give him the items secretly and ask him to give them to the person(s) while we remained anonymous.

We would rather have our donations (gifts) be honored by the Lord rather than by man.

What can you do to help the poor in your community?

Blessings, David 

Leviticus 25:29-34 Houses in walled cities!

 29If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains his right of redemption until a full year after its sale; during that year it may be redeemed. 30If it is not redeemed by the end of a full year, then the house in the walled city is permanently transferred to its buyer and his descendants. It is not to be released in the Jubilee. 31But houses in villages with no walls around them are to be considered as open fields. They may be redeemed, and they shall be released in the Jubilee.

“The reason for this distinction apparently lies in the fact that houses within walled cities fell outside the jurisdiction of family property inheritance and were not critical for the economic survival of the family.” (Rooker)

32As for the cities of the Levites, the Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the cities they possess. 33So whatever belongs to the Levites may be redeemed—a house sold in a city they possess—and must be released in the Jubilee, because the houses in the cities of the Levites are their possession among the Israelites. 34But the open pastureland around their cities may not be sold, for this is their permanent possession.

Levites were the exception because they were the priestly line appointed by the Lord. 

Have you ever sold a home or property and later regretted it? 

I have and the year of the jubilee would have allowed me to redeem it. But I’m assured the Lord has prepared something better for me in heaven!

John 14: 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God;a believe in Me as well. 2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?b 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.

Blessings, David 

Be afraid, be very afraid. Proverbs 3:7-8

 I grew up on a small family farm in southern Michigan. There was an older couple that lived across the road from us. I loved to go visit the lady that lived there, not just for the homemade baked goods that were always on hand, not just for the individual attention I received from her when I went there (I was one of 6 kids and individual attention was in short supply) but because I loved to look at that beautiful house. It was partly made of stone with high ceilings and a lot of beautiful woodwork throughout the house. Anytime Mom needed eggs from our chickens delivered to Mrs. Shoning, I volunteered. I remember one time I was running across the yard to Mrs. Shoning’s and a storm was coming. Suddenly there was a huge clap of thunder, KABOOM! I saw the flash almost instantaneously. I stopped, crouching, my hands over my head, then ran faster to get to safety. The rain started shortly after that. 

As a child, I envisioned being struck by lightning if God ran out of patience with me. I walked in fear even on sunny days.  KABOOM! And I’d be history. It wasn’t until I began attending a nondenominational church that I learned of Gods infinite love. 

I understand the use of the word “Fear” in association with “Fear of the Lord.” It’s about being in awe of, respect for, adoration of, in reverence of, holding Him in the highest esteem. It’s a deep love that cannot be broken. 

To fear God is to understand His power, an awareness of His ability. He can crush kingdoms or raise them up. He can strike down the wicked and free the oppressed. As Creator of the Universe, He is in complete control of destinies. Yet with all His power and ability and Omniscience, He gives us free will. We are allowed to choose to respect Him with awe and adoration or walk away. To walk away from the Lord is to walk toward evil. 

Proverbs 3:7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

In His Name, Cecilia