Disobedience

The final Torah Portion in Leviticus is Bechukotai, meaning “In My Laws,” which we read in Leviticus 26:3-27:34. These chapters of the Torah describe the enemy of disobedience. Obedience and disobedience are not about control. Instead, giving good instructions is an attribute of love.

Christian churches are constantly reminding their members that we are “saved by grace and not by works,” as if anyone who obeys the commandments is somehow trying to get a get out of hell free card. This assumption is not the case. We are not delivered or saved from sin and death because of our obedience. We are, however, redeemed so that we can walk in obedience. God did not give oral instructions to Israel before He “saved” them from the House of Bondage; instead, He redeemed them from the House of Bondage so that He could bring the Israelites to the mountain where they received His instructions. Simply put, God delivered or saved the Israelites so that He could give them instructions for righteous living, just as Yeshua redeems and prepares our hearts for good works (commandments) that God prepared beforehand at Mt. Sinai for us to walk in.

Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves—it is the gift of God. It is not based on deeds so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them.

Bechukotai describes blessings and curses that God does not give out at random. Blessings and curses are directly related to obedience and disobedience. If you obey His instructions, you will walk in His blessings. If you do not, there are curses awaiting you. Again, this narrative does not describe a wrathful or vengeful God. It is about protection. Think about parenthood. As a mother, when I teach my little ones not to touch a fire, I am not motivated by the need for control. I am trying to protect my child from harm. When we give healthy boundaries to our kids, most of the time, we want to protect them from pain. Suppose we view God’s instructions, His commandments, and His boundaries as a path to freedom, love, intimacy, healthy relationships, physical health, wisdom, understanding, prosperity, and safety. In that case, we will want to immerse ourselves in them and not avoid them like a plague.

Leviticus 26:3: If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them.

What are the things the Holy One says He will give us if we trust and obey? He will send rain to feed the earth that, in turn, produces food for us. He will also give us fruit for our sustenance. In a previous blog, I described the fruits of the Spirit as the fruits of the Kingdom of God that the subjects of the Kingdom can enjoy at will, including love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Within this first blessing is a physical and emotional provision. The following blessing is that whatever you do for work, God will let it be exactly what you need to survive.

Leviticus 26:5: Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

You will dwell in your land in safety is the next blessing God gives to the obedient. Fear is powerful. A promise to keep you safe is also a powerful one. There is peace in safety. The blessing of security is accompanied by divine authority over one’s enemies, where they will fall before you. God was not telling the Israelites to walk on their journey passively but to embody an assertive confidence that comes from knowing their Daddy is powerful, strong, and defending them. It’s kind of like you are born into a mob, and the Godfather is your dad. Will you walk around scared, or will you walk around like your dad would wipe out anyone who gives you the stink eye? Except God is not a violent criminal, but you catch my drift.

Then comes the best blessing of all, the Presence of the Holy One in the midst of the obedient. We want the Divine Presence to rest in and around us, and it is a promise to those who trust and obey.

Leviticus 26:11-12: I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

Our choices have natural consequences. We can choose to touch the fire and get burned. We can choose to abhor, defined as reject, despise, run from, and refuse God’s instructions, and then experience the lack of His blessings. The curses include destruction and sorrow of the heart, most likely because you cannot partake of the fruits of the Kingdom. Your enemies will benefit from your labor and you will be left wanting. The next part is heavy. God will set His face against you. He cannot protect, defend, or strengthen you because that all comes from walking in His instruction.

God: “Do not run into the street because you could get run over by a car.”
Proud human: “Don’t tell me what to do. I do what I want.” Proud human runs into the street and gets hit by a car. “Why didn’t you protect me from the car?”
God: “I tried, but you didn’t listen.
Proud human: “You big meanie.”

Your enemies will rule over you and make you afraid, so afraid that you will run away even when nobody is chasing you. If you continue to strengthen your resolve to rebel and disobey, then God will break the pride of your power. This phrase means that He will bring you down and walk as an Adversary against you in whatever it is you do in life. He will bring seven times destruction, seven symbolizing complete destruction until you turn from rebellion and disobedience or repent or until you die in your pride. Again, this is not vengeful, it is because when you walk in disobedience, you are hurting yourself and others.

This chapter in Leviticus lays out the two paths we can all take in life. One looks really good like; sign me up, please! The other path sounds no bueno. Why, then, do the majority of people in and out of the church pick the bad path? Pride is deceitful. It tells us that we know better than the One who created us. We are so smart, and we know what is best. We can do whatever we want, and we will have different outcomes than the ones God describes in His word. Do not listen to that internal voice. Trust and obey so that God can protect you, provide for you, inhabit you, and defend you. From the very beginning, blessing you has been the goal of the Holy One. It is what He desires to do. It is what He created us for. The Holy One created us to be a vessel of His blessing.

Jeremiah 29:11-12: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.