I have yet to meet anyone claiming this Torah portion as their favorite because it contains curses. Tell us about blessings all day, but curses are for the birds. We will interrupt our regular programing of re-creation patterns to talk about a de-creation pattern. Let’s closely examine Leviticus 26.
Day One: In the Torah portion Vayetzei, we mentioned the two words from the first day-heaven and earth. Here we have those two words again; only they become iron and bronze. That means life is not coming out of either one.
Leviticus 26:19: I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
Day Two: If the second day is all about sustenance from the upper or lower waters, the curse takes away our sustenance. If anything comes from the upper or lower waters,it will be insatiable and leave us hungry.
Leviticus 26:26: When I have cut off your supply of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall bring back your bread by weight, and you shall eat and not be satisfied.
Day Three: Remember that the third day is about trees with seeds inside of themselves sprouting. In the de-creation of Leviticus 26, I can see the land will not sprout or produce food.
Leviticus 26:20: And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
Day Four: This day is all about rulership and authority. What happens is that instead of people who fear God in power over you, ruling in righteousness and justice, your enemies will rule over you. You will be under a tyrannical government.
Leviticus 26:17: I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.
Day Five– The birds and fish multiply after their kind on the fifth day of our creation patterns. I also see a gathering to like-kind on this day, mainly with the fifth Feast- the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruah. Instead of a massive gathering, the curses cause a scattering.
Leviticus 26:33: I will scatter you among the nations and draw out a sword after you; your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.
Day Six: God gives the Beast and Mankind life on the sixth day, and tells humans to “be fruitful and multiply.” In Leviticus 26, they are not multiplying but decreasing.
Leviticus 26: 22: I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock, and make you few in number; and your highways shall be desolate.
Day Seven: In a re-creation pattern, this is the day that the King/Priest destroys enemies and sits on the throne bringing rest to his subjects. Interestingly, the Shabbat still happens; only Israel may not partake in it.
Leviticus 26:34-35: Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate and you are in your enemies’ land; then the land shall rest and enjoy its sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate it shall rest—for the time it did not rest on your sabbaths when you dwelt in it.
What in the world brings about all of these curses?
Disobedience of the commandments- Lv 26.14
Despising God’s statutes, abhoring His judgments, not performing His commandments, and breaking His covenant- Lv 26.15
Walking in opposition to God or being hostile against Him- Lv 26.23
God delivered Israel from oppression and suffering as an act of love and compassion. Israel received the commandments, judgments, and statutes at Mt. Sinai as a covenant relationship that said, if you trust Me, I will provide for, protect, and bless you. Israel heard everything required of them and said, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” (Ex 19.8) They entered into a covenant relationship with God. All of God’s commandments bring life and order. Israel engaged with God in healing the world and bringing it back to the beginning when everything functioned according to its purpose. When they began to rebel against His instructions in the act of pride, the consequence was to spiral into chaos. All created entities would not function properly, producing death and destruction instead of life and peace. The only way out of this cycle is to repent. Confess or admit that you rebelled, humble yourself before God- “You were right, I was wrong,” and change your behavior.
Leviticus 26:42;45: Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land…But for their sake, I will remember the covenant of 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.'”
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