If You…I Will

Weekly Torah Lesson – 2

Parasha:  B’Chukkotay  in My statutes
Torah:  V’Ikra 26:3 – 27:34

“If you…I will..”

**  There are hundreds of such statements in the Scriptures.  I like to call them ‘contingency clauses’ because the ‘I will’ depends on ‘if you ??’. One of my favorite ‘contingency clauses’ is:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9 NKJV)

** So what happens if you don’t confess your sins?  

This week’s Torah Lesson might help us to determine the answer.

Leviticus 26:3  If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4  Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5  And your threshing shall reach to the vintage, and the vintage shall reach to the sowing time: and you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6  And I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

**  Sounds pretty good so far. 

Leviticus 26:14 But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments; 15  And if you shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that you will not do all my commandments, but that you break my covenant: 16  I also will do this to you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17  And I will set my face against you, and you shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and you shall flee when none pursues you. 18  And if you will not yet for all this listen to me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

**  We all like to dwell on the positive Scriptures. However, there are far more negative commands than positive. Remember, the difference between a positive and a negative outcome is ‘if you…I will’.