We will now look at our last Torah sedrah in Leviticus, Bechukosai. It is the second Hebrew word in Leviticus 26:3 which is the opening verse of this sedrah "If you walk in My appointed manner and guard and do My deeds of righteous living as I have commanded you ..." This is our last sedrah in Leviticus and number thirty-three out of the fifty-four portions. It is contained in Leviticus 26:3- 27:34. Verse 3 could well be translated,"would you walk in my statutes." Clearly God desires to bless His people. The covenant between God and Israel was ratified with offerings as described in Exodus 24:4-8, Moses had written all the words the Lord had given him ... built an altar ... set up twelve memorial stones, one for each tribe and they offered peace offerings ... the Book of the Covenant was read and the people in one accord said "all that the Lord has said we will do" ... Moses sprinkled the blood of the covenant on the people which the Lord had made with them concerning the words of the Book of Covenant. Now in this passage, the covenant which they had broken by way of the golden calf was being ratified anew by the blessings and warnings in this chapter. It is made abundantly clear that not only Israel's prosperity but her very survival depended on loyalty to God and His commandments. There are a long list of blessings, verses 3-13, and an even longer list of curses, verses 14-43. Why is the list of curses so dramatic in detail? They are intended to shake the people into being obedient.
O that God's children would engage themselves in intensive Torah study with the intention of observing His commands. O that they would actually do them and experience the blessings. The blessings are, 1st. rain in its season and in a timely fashion. 2nd. Threshing grain still at the time of the grape harvest so abundant that it will still be producing when it's time to sow next year's grain. 3rd. Bread would be more than sufficient and all will be dwelling securely. 4th. The Lord will not only provide personally all theses things but also peace in the land. Wild beasts will He cause to withdraw from the land (remember when He caused them to come and board Noah's ark?) and warring armies will not even cross the land in route to battle other nations. 5th. Israel will put to flight her enemies, even five men will chase a hundred and a hundred men ten thousand. 6th. God will turn His special attention upon His obedient people and make them fruitful and will continually confirm His covenant with them. Grain will be in such abundance that the previous harvest will have to be removed to make room for the present harvest. The summation of all this is "I will place My sanctuary among you and My spirit will not reject you. I will walk among you. I will be God unto you and you will be a people unto Me."
