CANDLEGLOW LESSON B’CHUKKOTAI ‘By my regulations’
“The Lesson of the Mantle of Honor; ADONAI”
Parashah B’CHUKKOTAI (Leviticus 26:3-27:34) Week 33
“If you will live by my regulations, observe my mitzvot and obey them; then I will provide the rain you need in its season, the land will yield its produce, and the trees in the field will yield their fruit. Your threshing time will extend until the grape harvest, and your grape harvesting will extend until the time for sowing seed. You will eat as much food as you want and live securely in your land. I will give shalom in the land – you will lie down to sleep unafraid of anyone.” (Leviticus 26:3-6 CJB)
“But if you will not listen to me and obey all these mitzvot, if you loathe my regulations and reject my rulings, in order not to obey all my mitzvot but cancel my covenant; then I, for my part, will do this to you: I will bring terror upon you – wasting disease and chronic fever to dim your sight and sap your strength. You will sow your seed for nothing, because your enemies will eat the crops. I will set my face against you – your enemies will defeat you, those who hate you will hound you, and you will flee when no one is pursuing you.” (Leviticus 26:14-17 CJB)
The beautiful comparisons, the commands with consequences for our obedience versus our rebellion, are so clear! Anyone can understand the results of walking in His ways, versus walking in our own pride. His ways lead to abundant life. Our ways lead to death. It is that simple, dear treasured people.
To deny oneself means intentionally humbling oneself by bowing OFF of the throne of daily life, to ELEVATE Adonai to this position of honor. This is a high place, to be used for holiness, or idol worship. The high places must have a sacrifice! Do we deny ourselves if we live out a lukewarm love for God, while we play at life as part of the culture of the day, making our excuses?
What motivates our desire today, tomorrow, and every day we have left here, before the glory of eternity? Our time on earth is the only opportunity to deny ourselves by putting God on the throne of our life. This is the threshing floor where we beat apart what is heavy, from what is dust. We will either feel His weight upon us, or the elevation of ourselves as the Prince or Princess of our life.
This is the Lesson of the Mantle of Honor; ADONAI. The Hebraic root word for honor is Kabad, meaning to be heavy or weighty. When Adonai places in our hearts the honor of Him by His word, there will be a mantle laid upon our shoulders that is tangible. What we turn our attention to as our focus each day is the mantle we wear. We may feel the weight of this beautiful burden to be obedient, out of our love and honor of Adonai, or we will not.
We will not, as long as we stay on the throne of our own lives, as the Prince or the Princess!
This is the Lesson of the Mantle of Honor; ADONAI. When we walk in His ways, we walk in His blessings, as we honor Him. This intimate relationship with Him will feel like a weighty mantle over our shoulders. Some refer to this as FEAR of the LORD. The word for fear in Hebrew is Yarah, meaning to feel in the gut, or reverence. To fear Adonai is to reverence Adonai. Reverence brings honor.
Honor gives weight or importance to the Object of our Reverence.
This is the Lesson of the Mantle of Honor; ADONAI. “Sh’ma, Yisra’el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad (Hear; Isra’el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one); and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5 CJB)
The Mantle of Honor of ADONAI is weighty. By His presence upon the throne of our lives, we feel His divine guidance and His love.
He calls us into the truth from His word, rich with professions of His love and His desire to bless those whom He loves.
Will we honor Him by immersing in His truth and honoring His commands?
Adonai is the Cornerstone upon which we find our rest. The Cornerstone is a weighty, immovable fortress like MASADA in Israel!
The fortress of our God is imposing and commands our eyes take notice.
A mighty FORTRESS, a mighty MASADA is our God!
Shabbat Shalom,
Sydney