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RECOGNITIONTHE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECThttp://www.messianicbible.com

HEAR O ISRAEL www.hearoisrael.orgSHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKERwww.sheepfoldgleanings.com

MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCEhttp://www.messianicisrael.comAZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM GREENBAUMhttp://www.azamra.org 2

BEHAR - On the mount

TORAH: Leviticus 25:1-26:2HAFTARAH: Jeremiah 32:6-27

B’RIT CHADASHAH: Luke 4:16-21 All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted

BEHAR “BeHar” (bet-hey-reish), means “on the Mount”, the deeper meaning:• “bet” is “house”;• “hey” is “revelation” and; • “reish” is “beginning”, “head” or “top”. “BeHar” (on the mount) means the “house of revelation is on top”. The numeric value of the letters is 207; which also equals: • “ohr” or “light”; • “a‟dabar” or “I will speak” and• “a‟ra‟ah” or “I will appear”. It’s also important to remember; that in Torah, there is no time. Even though we’ve seen the construction of the “Mishkan” and it’s inauguration, along with the consecration and ordination of the priests, these words are spoken when Moshe is still up on Mount Sinai for the third time and is a continuation of Exodus 34 when יהוה had him cut two tablets of stone.

THE LAND I GIVE YOUThis week our Parsha deals primarily with the Shemittah (the 7th year in a cycle) and the Year of Jubilee/Yovel (the 50th year). These are the cycles of 7 and 50 years that יהוה has established so that the land of Israel might rest. The instructions for these years were to take effect when they entered the Promised Land:

..'When you come into the land which I give you.. Leviticus 25:2The Shemittah (7th year) and the Jubilee (50th year) are both based on the number seven. The Shemittah cycle parallels the seven day creation week, in that the 7th year is a year of rest. It also corresponds to the idea that the earth will exist (the way we know it today) for six thousand years, followed by one thousand years of rest known as the 7th millennium. The Jubilee year follows seven sets of seven years. The Year of Jubilee is an 8th year, following the last set of seven years. The Year of Jubilee can also be identified with Shavuot which is the 50th day in the counting of the omer. Shavuot and the Year of Jubilee both have to do with freedom. As an 8th day, the Year of Jubilee is also identified with the 8th day of Sukkot in the fall and finds its connection in the concept of eternity. 5

PROMISED LANDAnd יהוה spoke to Mosheh on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the

children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall observe a Sabbath to יהוה.

(Leviticus 25:1-2 )The exact day, that the children of Israel entered the Promised Land is no longer known. Thus, the starting dates of the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee are also no longer known. We should however try to understand the prophetic significance. The Sabbath-rest is a picture of the eternal and prophetic day when we enter into His eternal rest. The Sabbath holds the key of life for the Bride and her future life with her Bridegroom. The Sabbath, a symbol of the wedding ring, marks the faithful Bride and enters her into a heavenly order that brings about LIFE beyond any earthly trapping. In so doing, our souls are being transformed as our spirit has been transformed (1 Peter 1:9-16).

ISREALIn his book on Leviticus, titled; “The Three Pillars”, David Milston points out that, just like He chose B’nei Yisra’el as His “chosen people”, Elohim also chose “Eretz Yisra‟el” over all the lands of the earth. True, He owns it all, as Psalms 24:1 states; The earth belongs to יהוה, And all that fills it – The world and those who dwell in it. Yet, יהוה has chosen a specific Land for His chosen people. That Land is Eretz Yisra’el. As He says of this Land in Deuteronomy 11:10-12: “For the land which you are going in to possess is not like the land of Mitsrayim from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden, but the land which you are passing over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of the heavens, a land which יהוה your Elohim looks after. The eyes of יהוה your Elohim are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the latter end of the year.

DEED OF TRUSTThe rest of Leviticus will explain the conditions that יהוה has set in order for His people to be given the treasure of the land. The land is given, however, with a deed of trust which is the Torah. If men breach the deed of trust (disobey Torah), then the rightful Owner of the Land will send them away into exile until His appointed time of restoration. First we begin with the instructions for six years of labour where independent farmers will work the land. They will be required during those years to give of their tithes to the priests and Levites, plus special gifts to the poor. Then in the 7th year “their” land becomes “everyone’s” land in order that all may have an equal share of the fruit of the land. During the 7th year, no one declares ownership. Even the animals have an equal share in the fruits of the land. The Shemittah cycle is an essential rhythm in time designed to help all constantly keep in mind that יהוה is the true Owner of the land and of His people.

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REMINDER OF OWNERSHIPWhy is it necessary for us to constantly be reminded that יהוה is the true owner of everything? We have already seen a couple reminders of ownership in the Torah. The first reminder was given to Pharaoh during the plagues and was meant to teach Him that the earth was יהוה’s: And Mosheh said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, let me spread out my hands to יהוה, let the thunder cease and the hail be no more, so that you know that the earth belongs to יהוה. (Exodus 9:29)The second time was when the Israelites had first reached Mount Sinai:‘You have seen what I did to the Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. ‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl.” (Exodus 19:4-6) 9

REMINDER OF OWNERSHIPThe Israelites were reminded that they must obey and love יהוה because He owns them and knows what is best for them:“And now, Yisra’ĕl, what is יהוה your Elohim asking of you, but to fear יהוה your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, to guard the commands of יהוה and His laws which I command you today for your good? “See, the heavens and the heaven of heavens belong to יהוה your Elohim, also the earth with all that is in it. (Deuteronomy 10:12-14)The question is why all the reminders and the command to give the land a Sabbath? Man inherently possesses a strong sentiment of ownership. The idea of “mine” is fraught with danger. A verse in Deuteronomy conveys this thought:you then shall say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand have made for me this wealth!’ “But you shall remember יהוה your Elohim, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, in order to establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

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ENTER HIS RESTWe learned in Torah studies Tazria and Metzora (Leviticus 12-15) that if we did not learn to rest in His principles and allow יהוה to have His life through us, that we would turn away from Him and self determine our walk and become proud of what we have accomplished in our own strength. This self government opens the door for the enemy to build his kingdom through us. His kingdom which includes immorality, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, jealousies, covet ness, and fractions loaded with bitterness, anxiety, stress and fear. These acts of the sinful nature in turn, open the door to diseases and illness (Deuteronomy 28). In the Book of Hebrews, we are instructed not to put our trust in the carnality of the flesh. We are to conform our nature to יהוה’s nature and enter into His rest. This is to be our daily exercise of our heart before יהוה (Hebrews 4:1-13).

REAP WHAT WE SOWDo not be led astray: Elohim is not mocked, for whatever a man sows,

that he shall also reap. Because he who sows to his own flesh shall reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit shall reap

everlasting life from the Spirit. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not grow weary. (Galatians

6:7-9 )Leviticus 25 calls for us to honour every seventh year as a rest for the land. All work on the land was to cease for that entire year. The intention was for the people to put all their trust in יהוה and His principles to provide for their very existence. If they committed to this rest, and obeyed יהוה, there would be abundant provisions in the sixth year to help prepare and keep them in the seventh year of Sabbath rest. יהוה would cleanse the land from all defilement (physical and spiritual) and keep the enemy far from their doorstep.

SHEMITTAH AND TORAHSince no sowing and planting is allowed, the poor and the wealthy together ate of the abundance of the prior year’s harvest thus promoting unity and peace. No one was allowed to store produce and treat it as their own. Thus there would be no strife that originated from the attitude of “this is mine”. In the seventh year, all were equal.Because there was a suspension of work in the 7th year, the sages have said that this was to facilitate the study of Torah. Today we study Torah on Sabbath, but imagine a whole year of freedom to study! There is great danger for those who continually work without limits (such as Shabbat) and have no time for matters of spiritual interest. knows that the individual needs time to recover from the יהוהinfluence of the world at frequent intervals…thus He gave man the Sabbath. What the Sabbath is meant to achieve for the individual, the Shemittah is meant to achieve for the nation as a whole. No rivalries, no competitions….just sharing, equality, and community trust as the Creator lovingly sustains His people.

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SHEMITTAH AND WEALTH wanted the Israelites to learn that their mission on earth was not יהוהto be slaves to the soil, addicted to tilling it, gathering in the crops and enriching themselves as did the other nations. They had a much higher and more noble purpose. They were to reflect the nature of the Creator who because of their obedience would provide them with the land and their sustenance.

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ “For all these the gentiles seek for.

And your heavenly Father knows that you need all these. “But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these matters shall

be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)Therefore, the Shemittah year should lift man out of his greediness and his materialism. He would have to forego profit and ownership in order to gain the right spiritual values.

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SHEMITTAH AND RESTINGBrought holiness or a set-apartness to those abiding in יהוה which in turn brought glory to His Name. • Shemittah was when hearts were checked to see if any course

corrections were needed. • Shemittah is about separation; from common to holiness and

from acceptable behaviour to walking in the footsteps of our Messiah;

• Shemittah is the release of past debts and restoration of freedom To help the poor and to prevent greed from taking hold in people’s hearts.

• Shemittah was designed to maintain and strengthen the relationship between יהוה and His people and taught them that יהוה is the source of all blessings.

• Shemittah promoted a compassion for the poor and a responsible stewardship of the land. (Deuteronomy 15:1-2).

PATTERN OF 6So the pattern is…6 units (days, years, thousands of years) of struggle and toil, with the 7th being a taste of the Kingdom, for it is in fact a picture of the 7th millennium when the Messiah rules. Six days, six years are for sowing:

‘Six years you sow your field, and six years you prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit, (Leviticus 25:3)

:also sowed in the parable of the sower יהושעAnd He answering, said to them, “He who is sowing the good seed is the Son of Adam, and the field is the world. And the good seed, these

are the sons of the reign, but the darnel are the sons of the wicked one, (Matthew 13:37-38)

Therefore, for six (6,000) years, יהושע has been sowing sons of the kingdom into the field (which is the world). 16

NEW COVENANT AND PRUNINGJeremiah relates sowing to the Renewed Covenant:

“See, the days are coming .. that I shall sow the house of Yisra’ĕl and the house of Yehudah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. “And it shall be, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, and to break

down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict, so I shall watch over them to build and to plant,” declares יהוה. .. I shall make a

new covenant with the house of Yisra’ĕl and with the house of Yehudah, (Jeremiah 31:27-31)

Leviticus 25:3 also refers to 6 (6,000) years of pruning. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. “Every branch in Me that bears no fruit He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit He prunes, so that it bears more fruit. “You are already clean because of

the Word which I have spoken to you. “Stay in Me, and I stay in you. As the branch is unable to bear fruit of itself, unless it stays in the vine, so

neither you, unless you stay in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who stays in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit.

Because without Me you are able to do naught! (John 15:1-5)17

YOVEL –THE YEAR OF JUBILEE‘And you shall count seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years. And the time of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be to

you forty-nine years. ‘You shall then sound a ram’s horn to pass through on the tenth day of the seventh month, on the Day of

Atonement cause a ram’s horn to pass through all your land. ‘And you shall set the fiftieth year apart, and proclaim release throughout all the

land to all its inhabitants, it is a Jubilee for you. And each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you return to his clan. ‘The fiftieth

year is a Jubilee to you. Do not sow, nor reap what grows of its own, nor gather from its unpruned vine. ‘It is a Jubilee, it is set-apart to you. Eat from the field its crops. ‘In the Year of this Jubilee let each one of

you return to his possession. (Leviticus 25:8-13)

FREEDOM FROM SLAVERYYovel comes from a Hebrew root meaning a joyful sound, associated with the sound of a trumpet. Strongs #8643 teruah meaning: a shout or blast of war, alarm, or joy.

This special year was holy, sanctified and set apart to accomplish s special purposes. Yovel was announced to Israel on Yom’יהוהKippur – the Wedding Day, in the seventh month, on the tenth day when atonement was made. A trumpet was blown to proclaim liberty, freedom, and release for people suffering economic and social hardship. Everyone who had sold their family property had it restored to them, all land was given back to its original owners and those who had been forced to sell themselves into slavery were released.

ISREAL LEASED“The Spirit of יהוה is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring

the Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to

send away crushed ones with a release, to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה.”(Luke 4:18-19)

The yovel year prevented the rich from becoming too rich and accumulating all the land of Israel, and the poor from becoming too poor. The Israelites could not buy up the land of Israel because the Land itself belonged to יהוה. He is the owner of the land of Israel. It is His to give and by His grace and mercy to lease it out to the Children of Jacob as their inheritance (Leviticus 25:23).

YEAR OF DROUGHT “For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall

be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)

The drought mentioned is a reference to the shemittah and yovel. The word drought is used as no fields were sown or reaped during this time. If we are planted in יהושע, He is the stream of Living Water that nourishes us, and by obeying His Word we will have no fear of famine but continue to bear much fruit in a time of drought. Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And

shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, And he meditates in His Torah day and night. For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of

water, That yields its fruit in its season, And whose leaf does not wither, And whatever he does prospers. (Psalms 1:1-3)

REPENTANCE AND RESTORATIONAnd he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of Elohim and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the

healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2)The yovel year marks a season of the right of return called an ingathering for the people of Israel and the twelve tribes. At this time many people will return, through repentance as they witness יהוה’s deliverance and see the truth in יהוה’s Word. This movement of repentance must in nature be followed by the restoration of יהושע in the hearts of men. When we enter into יהושע’s death and resurrection, that of crucifying our sinful nature, we receive His resurrection power and are filled with the Ruach HaKodesh entering intimacy with יהושע by obedience to His ways (Acts 18:18-19:7; Luke 3:1-18).

ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORDNew Meaning to parable:

And He came to Natsareth, where He had been brought up. And according to His practice, He went into the congregation on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet

Yeshayahu was handed to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of יהוה is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the

captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away crushed ones with a release. to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה.” And having

rolled up the scroll, He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the congregation were fixed upon Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been filled in your hearing.”

(Luke 4:16-21)23

JUBILEE YEARThe context of this story was that יהושע was reading the Haftarah (from the Prophets and the writings) portion (Isaiah 61:1-2a) in the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath. It is taught that in the first century, the Torah and the accompanying Haftarah readings were read through in three to three and a half years.Since יהושע was quoting verses in Isaiah that referenced the Jubilee and claiming to fulfil them, He was probably speaking in a Jubilee year.In the first century, יהושע became the fulfilment of this prophecy. The good news of the Kingdom and the salvation that He was able to offer because of His death and resurrection brought freedom to all who accepted Him. Every man has sold himself to sin and needs a redeemer to release him from His bondage. This was the “liberty to the captives” that יהושע claimed to fulfil. And the “acceptable year of יהוה” was a direct reference to a Year of Jubilee.

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FULFILMENT was meticulous about how much of the quote from Isaiah He יהושעwould read. What He stopped short of was the rest of Isaiah 61:2:

...and the day of vengeance of our Elohim, to comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61:2)

This part of the prophecy will be fulfilled by יהושע when He returns as a mighty and powerful warrior. There are two main aspects to the Year of Jubilee:• Freedom from slavery• Return of the land to its original holderWe already saw that יהושע accomplished freedom for those who were in bondage to the slavery of sin in His first coming. His 2nd coming will bring vengeance on those who refuse to return the land to its rightful owners? We can certainly see the birth pains of this future battle over the land occurring today.His 2nd coming ushers in the seventh millennium, and this will be another Jubilee year.

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THE LAW OF REDEMPTIONLeviticus 25:24-55 The Law of Redemption was given to all twelve tribes of Jacob and those associated with them through the blood Covenant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In Luke 15:11-32. יהושע teaches the Law of Redemption from Leviticus 25 through yovel, the year of jubilee. In the story are two sons. The younger son represents the House of Israel and the other older son represents the House of Judah. The younger son asked his father (יהוה) for his inheritance early. Doing this was to declare his father dead while he was still alive. With inheritance in hand, the younger son left his father’s house and went to live in the world, leaving his father’s teaching and instruction far behind. As he reached out for pleasures in the world, he squandered his inheritance. He lost his identity and fell into deep poverty physically, emotionally and spiritually. He became a hireling living among the swine. Even the animals ate better than he did.

THE LAW OF REDEMPTIONThe famine that came to the whole country that year was a sign that it was a Sabbatical year. Mental and physical depravity overcame him and he was humbled. When the younger son was humbled and had a contrite spirit he could see again and remembered his father and that the hirelings always had food to spare. His father’s food was the Torah, the Living Word that would always nourish and satisfy hunger.

“See, days are coming,” declares the Master יהוה, “that I shall send a hunger in the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for

hearing the Words of יהוה. (Amos 8:11)Hunger for the food of His father, the Word, caused the younger son to return with a repentant heart to seek work as a hired hand. The father saw his son from afar off and was filled with compassion. He ran to him joyfully (terminology for season of our joy, the year of Jubilee), to receive him home. As the son was repenting, his Father restored him back to full son status.

SIGN OF THE FIRSTBORN“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ‘And bring

the fattened calf here and slaughter it, and let us eat and rejoice, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again, and he was lost

and is found.’ And they began to rejoice. (Luke 15:22-24)The older son, who had obeyed his father (Torah) all this time, showed great anger refused to give the right of return and redemption to his younger brother as written in the Levitical laws. The older son was acting more like a slave than a true faithful son. His mental attitude had brought him lower than his brother’s. The older brother, the one who had been home all that time, died in his heart and lost the blessing. Torah without the Spirit will bring death but Torah with the Spirit brings life. The people who practice Torah in their hearts with the Spirit of ,are His firstborn and they will enter in and enjoy the Banquet ,יהושעthey are His firstborn. (Hebrews 4).

THE REDEEMER יהושעIt was the Messiah from the Tribe of Judah, the House of Judah, who "purchased" his brother back and offered him the Right of Return through redemption according to the covenant promises of Abraham. In doing so יהושע also restored both brothers back to the land (1 Corinthians 7:21-24; Matthew 10:6, 15:24). s laws state that to seek the Right of Redemption, the redeemer’יהוהmust be a blood relative, have the funds to purchase the forfeited inheritance, be willing to buy back the life of the brother/relative and if the deceased kinsman had a wife, be willing to marry her. This person is called the Kinsman Redeemer. We are witnesses to this commandment in the Book of Ruth. It was Boaz who became Kinsman Redeemer for Ruth. Later their son became the ancestor of King David, the line of the Messiah. We have been given the right of return through the blood of the Messiah. He has fulfilled His promise to us.

HISTORYHistory records what happened when the Israelite people did not keep His word of rest for the land. After the fall of Jerusalem, the children of Israel were captured and taken out to a foreign land. (Jeremiah 29:10).And those who escaped from the sword he exiled to Babel, where they

became servants to him and his sons until the reign of the reign of Persia, in order to fill the word of יהוה by the mouth of Yirmeyahu, until

the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay waste she kept Sabbath, until seventy years were completed. (2 Chronicles 36:20-21)

In יהושע’s time and to this very day, the tribal lands have yet to be restored according to Biblical prophecy. The people who lived in the land during יהושע’s time were under Roman rule and at that time all twelve Tribes were neither in possession of the land nor in their original Tribal divisions (Ezekiel 48).

REDEMPTION TO TAKE PLACEWhen this would happen was the pressing question to יהושע from the disciples over and over again: • “Where is He about to go that we shall not find Him? Is He about to

go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and to teach the Greeks? (John 7:35)

• “Master, would You at this time restore the reign to Yisra’ĕl?” (Acts 1:6)

At his trial approximately thirty years after יהושע’s death, Paul said Acts 26:6-7 “And now I stand and am judged for the expectation of the promise made by Elohim to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving Elohim night and day, expect to attain. Concerning this expectation, O Sovereign Agrippa, I am accused by the Yehudim.

FULFILLMENTEphraim’s (the House of Israel’s or the younger son’s) punishment as outlined in Ezekiel 4:5 was for 390 years. Leviticus 26:27-28 tells us if there is no repentance the punishment will be sevenfold so the punishment was for 390 X 7 years, or 2730 years. 721 BC marked the fall of the City of Samaria, the last bastion of the Northern Kingdom. 2730 years from that date brings us to 2008 as the end of the punishment.734 BC which marked the year that Ephraim, or the Northern Kingdom had lost all political and religious control of any territory it still held. It had become a vassal state of Assyria. Going forward 2730 years to 1996, a year in which every feast of Israel was marked with a blood red moon. The year of the Hal Boop Comet. The one hundredth Yubilee year from Noah and the fiftieth Jubilee from יהושע. The vast majority coming to understanding the Messianic Age did so after 1996 (Quote from Angus Wootten author of Restoring Israel’s Kingdom).

MAN’S PROGRAMIn the late 1800’s the early Jewish settlers, in fear of poverty, asked the rabbis that during the shemitah and yovel years permission be granted to continue working the land in Sabbath years. They accomplished this by temporarily “selling” the land to a foreigner who worked the land for them in the shemittah and yovel years thereby circumventing the Torah and believing that technically they did not break the law. Permission to work the land during Sabbath years is still granted in Israel today to “strangers” who work land. However there are more and more farmers turning to scripture and obeying the laws of shemitah and yovel Shabbat so the land has total rest. It has been reported that in the sixth year while preparing for the Sabbatical year an unusual supply of provisions unfolds. In one testimony it was reported that olive trees produced 800 times more than previous years and grapes produced an exceptional vintage, both in quality and quantity, fulfilling יהוה’s promises. 2 Peter 3:8-15

APPLICATIONWrong application: Isaiah 58:1-6We can do all the right things and say the right words yet the prophet declares that something can still be seriously wrong. The message is for each one of us today.

Right Application: Isaiah 58 :1-14We can do all the right things and say the right words yet the prophet declares that something can still be seriously wrong. The message is for each one of us today. Is it possible that we are not walking in the full blessing of יהוה because we have not extended the same mercy of freedom that we have received from יהוה to others?

THE BRIDE OF MESSIAHThe Bride of Messiah will be those who more than others shared the gift of RELEASE to people who are trapped in their own devices, many of us don’t even realize we are trapped and deceived.

But refuse foolish and stupid questions, knowing that they breed quarrels. And a servant of the Master should not quarrel but be gentle

towards all, able to teach, patient when wronged, in meekness instructing those who are in opposition, lest somehow Elohim gives them repentance unto a thorough knowledge of the truth, and they

come to their senses, out of the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his desire.

(2 Timothy 2:23-26)

PROMISE OF SABBATH ..since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the Good News was brought to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not having been mixed with belief in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter into that rest, .. And yet His works have come into being from the foundation of the world. ..“And Elohim rested on the seventh day from all His works,” and in this again, “If they shall enter into My rest...” Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in because of He again defines a certain day, “Today,” saying through Dawid so much later, as it has been said, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Yehoshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim. For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim rested from His own. Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience. ... (Hebrews 4:1-13)

YEAR OF THE LORDAnd He came to Natsareth, where He had been brought up. And according to His practice, He went into the congregation on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet

Yeshayahu was handed to Him. And having unrolled the scroll, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of יהוה is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring the Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim release to the

captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away crushed ones with a release, to proclaim the acceptable year of יהוה.” And having

rolled up the scroll, He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the congregation were fixed upon Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been filled in your hearing.”

(Luke 4:16-21)Now יהוה is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of יהוה is, there is freedom.

(2 Corinthians 3:17)

SABBATH TEACHINGThe Sabbath teaching is about RELEASE! – Writing off the debt of others. The definition of un-forgiveness is “demanding payment for some wrong committed against you”.

“And his master was wroth, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. “So also My heavenly Father shall do

to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:34-35)

We have the power to bind and release when we extend mercy and forgiveness when it is required.

“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” (John 20:23)

Note that some relationships might be difficult or impossible to restore and may even require that you distance yourself completely from them; however forgiveness from the heart is not an option.