Bechukotai (By My Regulations)

Leviticus 26:3-27:34

“Remember the Land”

POSTED 23 MAY, 2008

by Mark Huey
mhuey@outreachisrael.net

“[T]hen I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land” (Leviticus 26:42).

Bechukotai brings the Book of Leviticus to completion. For ten portions, the Torah student has been learning about many aspects of the Levitical priesthood. This includes instructions about the various offerings (1:1-7:38), the establishment of the priesthood (8:1-10:20), the laws of purification (11:1-15:33), the Day of Atonement (16:1-34), the prohibitions about heathen customs (17:1-18:30), the laws of holiness (19:1-22:33), and the appointed times of the Lord (23:1-26:3). Now, as the listing of regulations to the Levites comes to a close, ch. 26 focuses on stern warnings to Israel about the blessings of obedience versus the consequences of disobedience. The last chapter closes with details about voluntary contributions for the maintenance of the Sanctuary.

While meditating on this portion, the reality of God’s covenantal faithfulness to His people Israel kept coming to my mind. In this reading, we are reminded that in spite of Israel’s disobedience to God’s commandments, He is still faithful to keep His promises to the Patriarchs. According to the words of Moses, Ezekiel, and others, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their companions are the inheritors of those promises. But here in Bechukotai, we discover that we must do our part in order to receive God’s blessings today. Let me explain.

To Bless or To Curse

As the reading begins, Moses describes the blessings available for obedience to the instructions of God:

“If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit…Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you. I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people” (Leviticus 26:3-4; 11-12).

As is recorded, the benefits of obedience to these commandments concludes with God dwelling and walking among His people. He would be Israel’s God and Israel would be His people. In other words, obedience would result in an intimate relationship with the Creator. But, Moses also must relay God’s words about disobedience:

“But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that will waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away; also, you will sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies will eat it up. I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies; and those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you. If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit. If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. I will let loose among you the beasts of the field, which will bereave you of your children and destroy your cattle and reduce your number so that your roads lie deserted. And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant; and when you gather together into your cities, I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands. When I break your staff of bread, ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread in rationed amounts, so that you will eat and not be satisfied. Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins. Further, you will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters you will eat. I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas. I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it. You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste. Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it” (Leviticus 26:14-35).

As you read this lengthy list of punishments, the gravity of disobedience to the Torah becomes very apparent. (For even more prophetic details read the curses of Deuteronomy 28.) In a loving way, the Lord states that He will bring certain judgments upon Israel for its disobedience. Each time a punishment is meted out, God is trying to get His people to repent and turn back toward obedience to Him. Each time Israel refuses to obey the statutes, the severity of the punishment increases. First comes illness, followed by defeat from the enemies of Israel. Next, a famine ravages the land. Then, wild beasts are sent to devour children and livestock. A siege comes from a foreign power that imposes incredible hardship on Israel, that includes people eating their own children. Finally, when obedience is not achieved, God will scatter or exile Israel among the nations.

What is interesting to note is that during this listing of the punishments for disobedience—no less than four times—Moses is instructed to write that the judgments will be “seven times more” for the sins. This is like a judge declaring the sentence for breaking a law. In the Father’s justice system regarding the proper treatment of the land, a seven-fold payment is required to satisfy payment for this sin of disobedience.

Moses concludes this section reminding Israel about the requirement for Sabbath rests:

“Then the land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it” (Leviticus 26:34-35).

When reading this, you could conclude that the Lord is very interested in “the land” receiving its Sabbath rest. One way or another, the Holy One of Israel is going to make sure that His land has its rest. Then, while the land is enjoying its Sabbath rest, His people will be judged in their exile:

“As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies. But you will perish among the nations, and your enemies' land will consume you. So those of you who may be left will rot away because of their iniquity in the lands of your enemies; and also because of the iniquities of their forefathers they will rot away with them” (Leviticus 26:36-39).

Remember the Land

As you read a little further in this portion, you discover that the covenant-keeping God of Israel is prophetically declaring His plan to restore His exiled people to the land after the land enjoys its Sabbaths. But as you read this passage, you will discover that there are some requirements for them to execute. In other words, the Lord seems to be implying that His remembrance and restoration of Israel back into the “Promised Land” are contingent on an obedient people responding properly to and repenting of the iniquities of their fathers:

“If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me—I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 26:40-45).

As you read this section of Scripture, there is a contingency that is required of God’s people in order for them to be restored:

“If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me” (Leviticus 26:40).

The Israelites must confess their sin before God. They must acknowledge how their transgressions have kept them from a pure and righteous relationship with Him. After this is done, then they must confess the iniquity of their forefathers. Israel must acknowledge that their ancestors committed evil and acted with hostility against God. The Lord them says,

“I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies—or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity” (Leviticus 26:41).

Interestingly, the Lord admits to acting with hostility against the people of Israel. But if you will remember, His Word required Him to do so based on the judgments extended for disobedience to His instructions as quoted earlier. Next, we can read one of the most uplifting statements regarding how He will respond to Israel’s confession and repentance of its sins:

“[T]hen I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land” (Leviticus 26:42).

Here, the Lord declares emphatically that He will remember all of the covenants with the Patriarchs and His covenant with the land. Then, the blessings of remembrance and the mercy and faithfulness of Him toward Israel can once again be bestowed upon the people:

“For the land will be abandoned by them, and will make up for its sabbaths while it is made desolate without them. They, meanwhile, will be making amends for their iniquity, because they rejected My ordinances and their soul abhorred My statutes. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord” (Leviticus 26:43-45).

Here, after the land has had its Sabbath rests, the Lord will restore it to Israel. God says He will not reject, abhor, or destroy Israel for breaking the covenants with Him. Instead, this great restoration will be done in the “sight of the nations” as a great testimony of His faithfulness to His chosen people.

The Land Today

It is interesting to see these very prophecies being fulfilled in the modern era. If you think about what has transpired in the past century regarding the Land of Israel and its people, you will be astonished that these very Scriptures are being satisfied. One hundred years ago, the Land of Israel was substantially desolate and often referred to as a wasteland. Just prior to the period of repentance, this passage states something very important:

“All the days of its desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your sabbaths, while you were living on it. As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall. They will therefore stumble over each other as if running from the sword, although no one is pursuing; and you will have no strength to stand up before your enemies. But you will perish among the nations, and your enemies' land will consume you” (Leviticus 26:35-38).

Throughout history we see that many of the Israelites were living in the lands of their enemies. There was very little strength to stand up before the enemies of Israel. Israel was perishing among the nations and the land of her enemies was consuming Israel. How close does that sound to the persecutions of the Jewish people, in particular, that reached a crescendo in the mid-Twentieth Century? Is it possible that these people, who were being “consumed” in their respective nations, looked at these verses and began to confess the sins and the iniquities of their fathers? Is it possible that after all of the persecutions, pogroms, inquisitions, and the Holocaust, some of the inheritors of the promises began to confess their sins and the iniquities of their fathers? It appears that in God’s mercy toward His people Israel, He heard their pleas and responded by making a way to restore them to the Promised Land. The creation of the modern-day State of Israel in the Middle East is a great testimony to God honoring His word to “remember the land.”

Now that over fifty years have passed since Israel was formed, a more comprehensive plan for the restoration of all Israel is beginning to be understood. The reality of the two sticks being united that Ezekiel describes in his prophecy is beginning to take place in our time (Ezekiel 37:15-28). By revelation and accepting what the Scriptures are stating, many Believers are realizing their connection to Israel. Finally, people are concluding that when you have joined yourself to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you have become a part of the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12). Now, more and more non-Jews are studying the Torah and beginning to recognize that these prophecies are intended for all Israel, not just the Jewish people. As we individually and collectively come to that conclusion, we should be thinking about some of the very admonitions described in this portion.

If you are non-Jewish like our family, you have an opportunity to look at restoration promises like this with a new appreciation as God does say that all of His people will be gathered back to the Land. As non-Jewish Believers, who have been “prodigal sons” in many respects, we should be confessing our sins and the iniquities of our fathers. As the Holy One hears our prayers, He will be compelled to remember the covenant that He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As He restores all Israel to the Land, it will be a great testimony to the nations of the world. We do know that in His remembrance, He will eventually restore not just the Jewish people, but the whole House of Israel to the Land. May we all be diligent to do our part, and while in joyful obedience to His Word, pray the confessional prayers that are a delight to His ears!

Mark Huey (B.A., Vanderbilt University in History and Graduate Studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) is the Director of Outreach Israel Ministries (www.outreachisrael.net). He is the author of several books, including: TorahScope, Volumes I & II, and Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot. He is also co-author of Hebraic Roots: An Introductory Study.