Parasha Emor 5784
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Me
This week we read Parasha Emor, Leviticus 21:1-24:23. Last week we read Parasha Kedoshim and what are called the Holiness Codes, these are commandments dealing with how the nation of Israel was to live their lives as righteous and holy, set apart from the nations around them. The reality is that the call to be holy was to serve as an example before the nations of what a godly life would look like.
In the same sense, Parasha Emor opens up with the Holiness Codes for the Kohanim. If the Tribes of Israel are called to be a light to the nations, as Isaiah proclaims, then the Kohanim would serve as the example for the Tribes of Israel. There is significant detail found throughout Leviticus 21 and 22 all about how the Priesthood would live their lives in order to remain righteous and holy to serve the nation of Israel.
Then, just after the chapters dealing with the priestly holiness codes we come across Leviticus 23, an entire chapter laying out the entire year’s worth of Moadim (appointed days). The passages begins with these words:
Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying:
“Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and tell them: These are the appointed moadim of Adonai, which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations—My moadim.
“Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Shabbat of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You are to do no work—it is a Shabbat to Adonai in all your dwellings.
The rest of the chapter discusses all of the Spring and Fall Moadim of Adonai—Passover, Bikkurim, Shavuot, Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Each of these Moadim come around once a year every single year. However, the entire chapter begins with the weekly Shabbat, which is the most important of all the Moadim.
Parasha Emor concludes with chapter 24 which opens with a discussion on the Ner Tamid and the Show Bread, followed by a discussion of the blasphemy of an individual within the camp of Israel and his death due to that blasphemy.
(Talk about working at Chevy’s Fresh Mex and Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the same time and accidentally answering the phone at Chevy’s with the spiel from Enterprise on accident…)
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God
God
Principle: The way we live our lives will either draw people closer to G-d or drive them further away…
(Repeat)
Parasha Emor
“So you are to keep My mitzvot and do them. I am Adonai.
You must not profane My holy Name, for I will be made holy among Bnei-Yisrael. I am Adonai who makes you holy,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Adonai.”
Parasha Emor
V’lo t’chal’lu et-Shem kad’shi
(וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת–שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי)
The word translated as profane is from the root word chalal (חָלַל) which literally means to bore or pierce, as in to make hollow, or to take away from…
This is followed by—V’nik’dash’ti b’tokh b’nei Yisrael ani, AD-NAI m’kadish’chem
(וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַנִי יי מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם)
“I will be made holy among B’nai Yisrael. I am AD-NAI who makes you holy…”
In essence, HaShem tells Israel that they are to live according to His Torah and be holy, be Kedoshim, so as to represent HaShem as holy because HaShem has made Israel holy.
This root word, Chalal, occurs nine times in Vayikra (Leviticus) and in connection with everything from the Tabernacle, to the priesthood, to the Name of G-d, to the Presence of G-d in the midst of Israel. Of those nine times, eight are in Parasha Emor and the final one is in Parasha Kedoshim last week, specifically in Leviticus 19 as the first chapter of Kedoshim delving further into the concepts found in the Aseret HaDibrot.
“You are not to swear by My Name falsely, and so profane the Name of your God. I am Adonai.
Parasha Emor
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.”
God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.
Parasha Emor
My definition of sin: Sin is anything in our lives that mars or damages (profanes/Chalal) the image and likeness of God.
Principle: The way we live our lives will either draw people closer to G-d or drive them further away…
Parasha Emor
Adonai our Lord, how excellent is Your Name over all the earth! You set Your splendor above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babies and toddlers You established power, because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You established—
what is man, that You are mindful of him? And the son of man, that You care for him?
Yet You made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and majesty!
You gave him dominion over the works of Your hands. You put all things under their feet:
all sheep and oxen, and also beasts of the field,
birds in the air, and fish in the ocean— all passing through the paths of the seas.
Adonai our Lord, how excellent is Your Name over all the earth!
Parasha Emor
After the building of the Temple in 1 Kings Solomon prays:
When Solomon finished praying this entire prayer and petition to Adonai, he arose from before the altar of Adonai, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread out toward heaven.
Then he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying:
“Blessed be Adonai who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. Not a single word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.
May Adonai Eloheinu be with us as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us.
May He incline our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways and to keep His mitzvot, His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.
May these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before Adonai, be near Adonai Eloheinu day and night, so that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires.
May all the peoples of the earth know that Adonai, He is God, there is no other!
Let your heart, therefore, be wholly devoted to Adonai Eloheinu, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as it is today.”
Parasha Emor
Principle: The way we live our lives will either draw people closer to G-d or drive them further away…
Parasha Emor
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they?
And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than anyone else? Even the pagans do that, don’t they?
Therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Parasha Emor
We know that we love God’s children by this—when we love God and obey His commandments.
For this is the love of God—that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And the victory that has overcome the world is this—our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world, if not the one who believes that Yeshua is Ben-Elohim?
Parasha Emor
But I say, walk by the Ruach, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Ruach, but the Ruach sets its desire against the flesh—for these are in opposition to one another, so that you cannot do what you want.
But if you are led by the Ruach, you are not under law.
Now the deeds of the flesh are clear: sexual immorality, impurity, indecency,
idolatry, witchcraft, hostility, strife, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions,
envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, just as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.
But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control—against such things there is no law.
Now those who belong to Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Ruach, let us also walk by the Ruach.
Parasha Emor
Principle: The way we live our lives will either draw people closer to G-d or drive them further away…
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(Call worship team back and unmute)
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