Bechukotai “in my statutes”
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Name and Readings-
Bechukotai is the Hebrew words for “in my statutes” and is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Book of Leviticus starting in chapter 26 verse 3 and going through chapter 27 verse 34.
Prophets and New Testament-
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah readings come from the book of Jeremiah in chapter 16 verse 19 through chapter 17 verse 14.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Matthew in chapter 16 with verses 20 through 28.
Torah Portion Overview-
This weeks Torah portion covers blessings and curses when Israel obeys or disobeys (Leviticus 26:3-43). Not only this, but part of the covenant of Moses and the giving of the Torah involved pronouncing curses and blessings on the people (Deuteronomy 27-28). These curses were what are known as “the curse of the law”.
Deuteronomy 27:26 (ESV)
“‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Galatians 3:10 (ESV)
“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
This curse of the law did allow for repentance (Leviticus 26:44-45). It is important to note that just as people may revert a curse which they have uttered (Judges 17:1-3), so too, God may reverse or take back a curse or judgement if the people repent (Jeremiah 18:7-10).
A curse could be pronounced which would only take effect if the people disobeyed (Numbers 5:19-28). Thus, the curse of the law would only take effect if the people were found to break the law or commit idolatry. The problem is, they did break the law and commit idolatry, thus, Israel was cursed. This curse culminated in God divorcing Israel (Jeremiah 3:1, 6-8). Thus Israel was cursed, separated from God, divorced and sent into exile.
Yet God has mercy! He chose to forgive our sin and cleanse us from iniquity through the cross. When Jesus came, the night before He was arrested, He kept Passover (Luke 22:7-23). At this Passover He instituted a new covenant with Israel and Judah (Matthew 26:26-29, Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Because He died and became a “new man” (Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Jeremiah 3:1, 12, Romans 7:1-6) He is free to marry Israel and Judah again. Furthermore in making this new covenant He did not issue a curse! This is because He came to reverse the curse. He set us free from the curse of the law!
Galatians 3:13 (ESV)
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”
Yet this was not the only curse that was against us. In order to understand the other form of curse, we must go back to Genesis.
The Bible talks about at least three falls, perhaps four. In the garden we see the fall of Adam, and the fall of the serpent, later called Satan and the Devil (Genesis 3). Later in Genesis 6 we see a fall of the sons of God. These sons of God that rebelled and slept with woman to create offspring were chained up and cast into darkness (1 Peter 3:19-20, Jude 1:6). The Book of Enoch covers this in depth, although it is not Scripture. The rest is even more theoretical. It seems these angel/human hybrids that were created from this unholy union were the reason for the flood! They had to be wiped out, or else they would have fully mingled with mankind. And so these sons of God were judged and chained in darkness. When their offspring, the Nephilim, died they became what we call demons.
Yet the Bible speaks of other sons of God.
Deuteronomy 32:1, 5-9 (ESV)
“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth…They have dealt corruptly with him; they are no longer his children because they are blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation. Do you thus repay the LORD, you foolish and senseless people? Is not he your father, who created you, who made you and established you? Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.
The earth was divided at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Thus after Yahweh separated the nations, He set up His “sons” to rule over them. But who are these sons of God? They are mentioned all over the Bible (Job 1:6, Genesis 6:1-4, Psalm 82, 1 Peter 3:19-20, Jude 1:6, Job 38:7). These sons of God were lesser “divine” beings that were created by God. They are called “gods” in English but they are not like Yahweh. Yahweh is species unique, He is echad (One) (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet a trinity of the Father, Yeshua (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. Just like angles are immortal and powerful, yet much lower and weaker than Yahweh, so too are these sons of God, these elohim. Think of “elohim” as a Hebrew word that means “spiritual being” that our Bibles translate as “God/god/gods”. These sons of God, elohim, are called “the divine council” by scholars.
Yet at some point, after they had been appointed, they rebelled. It is my belief that these rebellious elohim set themselves up to be worshipped by mankind. These rebellious ones have names like Baal, Asherah, etc. The Bible says that Yahweh is going to judge and kill them.
Psalms 82:1-8 (ESV)
“A Psalm of Asaph. God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!
It is not clear exactly when the final judgement of these rebellious ones will take place, but we know that when Jesus died and resurrected He stripped them of their authority (Ephesians 1:21, 4:8, John 16:11, Matthew 28:18, perhaps Daniel 7:12-14). More importantly, with the new covenant being offered to all peoples, Jew and Gentile, we see an end of the authority of the rebellious elohim over us gentiles. When we swear allegiance to Yahweh (salvation) we are putting ourselves under the authority of Yeshua. He Has taken all nations to Himself (Psalm 82:8)! Thus, when we become Christians we are set free from the curse of the enemy! We are no longer subject to his rule, authority or power! We are subject to Yahweh (the trinity) alone! We are free from any and every curse!
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Leviticus 26:3 Blessings when Israel obeys
Leviticus 26:14 Curses when Israel disobeys
Leviticus 26:44 The mercy of God
Leviticus 26:46 Covenantal summary
Leviticus 27:1 Devoted gifts
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Jeremiah 16:19 The nations shall know the Lord
Jeremiah 17:1 Idolatry and sin bring curses and a cry for deliverance
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Matthew 16:20-28 Jesus will be crucified, we must take up the cross with hope in Him.
Bibliography
William J. Urbrock, “Blessings and Curses,” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, Vol. 1, ed. David Noel Freedman, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, John David Pleins, Astrid B. Beck (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992), 755–761.
Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Rediscovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2015).
Further Reading
The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, by Michael S. Heiser
The Book of Leviticus “Vayikra” which means “He called Out.”
The Old Testament is commonly referred to as the Torah. It is considered the most sacred of all of Israel’s Scriptures. Most of our modern Bibles include the Old Testament “Torah” as the first five books in the Bible. The name for the third book of the Bible, Leviticus, is called Vayikra in the Hebrew. The name “Vayikra” comes from the opening phrases in the book of Leviticus which means “He Called Out.”
Leviticus flows directly out of the stories in the previous book of Exodus and continues the story of their gathering by God to enter into a covenant relationship with the Hebrew God known as Adonai, Yahweh, Hashem, and many other titles. The book gives an telling of instructions and testimonies of how the Hebrew people wrestled to become bond servants while shaking off the slave mentality.
As Christians, we find the book of Leviticus and the stories therein, as a historical account of how we as believers are grafted into the covenants and promises of God with our forefathers and how we can learn to walk and learn from their actions as God establishes His people and nation by teaching them how to be bond servants not slaves.
To Watch an overview of this week’s Torah Portion CLICK HERE