by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Hostage exchange and ceasefire talks are going on concurrently for the Hamas war in Gaza and the Hezbollah war in Lebanon. Even while it made its retaliatory strike against Iran last October 26, Israel has continued to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. Hezbollah has apparently decoupled the ceasefire talks from their support for Hamas in Gaza and has now begun to consider implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (not implemented since 2006). This calls for Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
Israel is also pummeling Hamas whenever and wherever it tries to regroup in Gaza. And the whole world now realizes that only the release of hostages can bring Israel to agree to any Gaza ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the world awaits the next round between Israel and Iran as the Iranian state authorities have said that they will retaliate, perhaps even before the scheduled November 5, 2024 US elections.
Let us continue to pray for the release of all the remaining 101 Israeli hostages (alive or dead) and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
Leviticus 26:1-13 has the LORD reiterating promises for obedience and covenant faithfulness. The covenant promises for the people and the land go hand-in-hand. They are inseparable. The next verses now cover the threats of punishment against disobedience, unfaithfulness and disloyalty to the LORD.
The punishment for disobedience starts with a warning found in Leviticus 26:14-15 regarding the breaking of the covenant between the LORD and his people. The promises referencing the protection and well-being of the people as well as the productivity of the land are negated as stated in verses 16-20 if the people do not obey God and his commandments, statutes and rules. In verse 17 the LORD threatens his people that they will be defeated by its enemies and those who hate them will rule over them as a result of covenantal disobedience. In the next verse, if the people still do not obey, the LORD even threatens to punish them “sevenfold” for their sins (seven being the Hebrew number representing completion). In verse 19, the metaphor of LORD making “your skies/heavens like iron and your land like bronze” pertains to the withholding of rain and the resulting dryness and hardness of the soil which would spell disaster to an agricultural and pastoral economy. Leviticus 26:20 then makes it very plain (Hebrew verse read right to left):
וְתַ֥ם לָרִ֖יק כֹּחֲכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תִתֵּ֤ן אַרְצְכֶם֙ אֶת־יְבוּלָ֔הּ וְעֵ֣ץ הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א יִתֵּ֖ן פִּרְיֹֽו׃
The New American Standard Bible (NASB 1995) translation follows:
20‘Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit.
This is in stark contrast to Leviticus 26:4 we saw earlier, with the promise of rain in season so the land yields its increase, and the trees give its fruit.
The LORD continues to state the consequences of unfaithfulness in the following verses. Verse 21 again mentions the “sevenfold” or complete set of punishments for sin and disobedience; beatings (or plagues in other translations) in this case. Then verse 22 elucidates other punishment that will ultimately result in more deaths and roads (דֶּרֶךְ “derek”) becoming deserted. Evidently, the mention of roads/highways here anticipate the settlement of the Israelites in the land promised.
Leviticus 26:23-26 further expounds on the result of punishment that refers to war and the consequences of war: death by the sword, death by pestilence and death by famine in a siege scenario. For me, this certainly brings to mind the prophet Jeremiah, who will in the future prophesy the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The prophet used repeating, dramatic and terror-filled words of judgment by sword, famine and plague/pestilence. In Leviticus 26:25, the gathering of doomed people seeking refuge inside cities (עִיר “iyr”) is another anticipation of settlement and possession of the land given to them by the LORD as their inheritance.
Further horrific punishment is in store for the Israelites if they continue to disobey the LORD. Leviticus 26:27-33 expresses the very bottom of the barrel as far as the last mention of the “sevenfold” punishment: the people would resort to cannibalism (eating their own children) due to the famine in their besieged cities. They will die and their cities will be destroyed and the people will be scattered and exiled among the nations. Indeed, these events did occur during the siege and fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE and 70 CE.
The LORD himself threatens to do all these to punish his disobedient people. Leviticus 26:32-33 records these threats (Hebrew verses read right to left, top down):
וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִ֥י אֲנִ֖י אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשָֽׁמְמ֤וּ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֔ם הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בָּֽהּ׃
וְאֶתְכֶם֙ אֱזָרֶ֣ה בַגֹּויִ֔ם וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י אַחֲרֵיכֶ֖ם חָ֑רֶב וְהָיְתָ֤ה אַרְצְכֶם֙ שְׁמָמָ֔ה וְעָרֵיכֶ֖ם יִהְי֥וּ חָרְבָּֽה׃
The NASB 1995 translations are given below:
32‘I will make the land desolate so that your enemies who settle in it will be appalled over it.
33‘You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.
Unfortunately, these punishments came to pass in later years after these words were recorded in Leviticus 26. Note that a cognate of the Hebrew word שְׁמָמָה (“shemamah”) used above in verse 33 is actually used in the famous “abomination of desolation” phrases in Daniel 9, 11 and 12 (שָׁמֵם “shamem”).
A good thing does come out of it all as the following verse 34 says that the land will enjoy its Sabbaths and the land shall rest while the Israelites are exiled in their enemies’ land(s). However, the succeeding verses 35-39 tell about the consequences of the desolation of the people. But all is not lost as the LORD holds out his gracious hand to his people.
Verses 40-46 states that if the people repent, confess their sins and treachery against the LORD, humble themselves and then make amends for their iniquity then the LORD will take them back and will remember his covenant with them. Leviticus 26:42 expresses the LORD’s grace and faithfulness (Hebrew verse read right to left, top down):
וְזָכַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑וב וְאַף֩ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֨י יִצְחָ֜ק וְאַ֨ף אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶזְכֹּ֖ר וְהָאָ֥רֶץ אֶזְכֹּֽר׃
The NASB 1995 translation follows:
42then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.
The inseparable connection of the covenant promises to the people for all generations and to the everlasting promise of land is again in view.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.