THE LAND (again)

The Torah reading for the Shabbat of May/Iyar 10^th is Leviticus 25:1 – 26:2. In this reading it becomes abundantly clear that the LORD, who came down onto the mountain to speak with Moses, making his face glow so that the people even asked him to put a veil over it, is essentially concerned about HOLINESS and SEPARATION from the world; not only has He consecrated the seventh day as a Sabbath/Shabbat, a day in which the people are to separate themselves from everyday work, and rest in the LORD and His Presence, but He is requiring that His LAND also be given that Shabbat rest every seven years. Not only that, but every “seven Sabbaths of years”, 49 years, the whole nation is to “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you”.

I have written before about the unique nature of this land in the context of the SOVEREIGN LORD’s purpose for His chosen land, "the Mountains of Israel", and His personal “attachment” to it. Moses, in this week’s reading, along with a whole lot of instruction regarding how to treat each other and the land, quotes the LORD saying these words: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.” This is why it is “for the sake of [His] holy name” that He is restoring His people to His land; because it is His land.

Ezekiel, in chapter 43, the famous "Temple" vision, sees an amazing future sequel to the earlier vision, (chapters 8--10), in which the LORD shows him the "glory of the LORD" rise and move to the "threshold of the temple" and finally depart through the east gate. In this sequel, Ezekiel is shown "the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east", enter "through the gate facing east"; then "the glory of the LORD filled the temple" again. As Ezekiel's vision continues to unfold, he learns that this eastern gate, through which the glory of the LORD returns to the temple, must "remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it". Mystery indeed; we do clearly see that eastern gate blocked today as it has been for around 1,000 years. Is that "glory of the God of Israel" still to come? How will the gate be opened? What about the past tense in "remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it"? That sounds as though the gate was shut up after the entry. Since we know that all Prophecy is fulfilled in its time, we can be confident that this will work itself out also.

Eastern Gate, Old City wall

Ezekiel, (in 36-37), makes it abundantly and repeatedly clear that the restored Israel is in the process of being made holy, and that this will be noticed by the whole world. The LORD says about this process, “Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.” (Ezekiel, 37:28). This is the time when the LORD says, "My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd". (37:24). 

I want to be part of the LORD’s program in His LAND. My part may be very small, but I know He has called me to participate.

For this reason, I will be engrossed in a two week study/training course with the Institute for Israel Studies in Jerusalem from May 12^th – May 25^th. Don James, National Development Director with Bridges for Peace Canada, will accompany me, and we will also spend the week after the course together in Samaria, or Shomron as it is known in Israel, meeting people who understand that they have been brought back to the land by the LORD, and who see themselves as the LORD’s tenants restoring the land and making it bloom and prosper. Granted not nearly all Israelis see themselves in this light, but we will not need to look far to find those that do; Grace and I met many already and we will be re-connecting with some of them and meeting others.

I will continue to blog during this time to share new experiences.