Embracing the Weight of Glory: The Cycle of Blessing and Redemption
- May 18
- 3 min read
As we count the Omer and move through the 37th day toward the celebration of Shavuot (Pentecost), we find ourselves in a profound season of spiritual preparation. In the study of the Torah portion Behar-Bechukotai, a deeply challenging yet beautiful message emerges regarding the cycle of blessing and redemption, the physical weight of God's glory, and the ultimate antidote to our casual obedience.
The Unpredictable Weight of God's Glory Often, in our humanity, we attempt to put the Holy Spirit into a neat, dignified box. But God's Spirit is not restricted to our religious labels or our ideas of proper decorum. A powerful reminder of this comes from a prayer conference in 2019, where the collective prayer sounded like the "voice of many waters". The presence of God became so heavy—a literal "weight of glory"—that it pushed people down to the floor, making it physically difficult to stand back up out of the deep waters of the Spirit.
We see this same unpredictability in the stories of historic revivals. During the Welsh Revival, the renowned speaker Duncan Campbell found he could not preach without the anointing, but when a 16-year-old boy stood up and quoted Psalms, the glory flooded the room and sparked an awakening that lasted for a century. In another instance, a pastor's fear that a "dancing sister" would offend a visiting prominent banker was completely flipped; the banker declared her Spirit-led dancing was the very best part of the service because he could feel the Spirit of the Lord. We must learn to welcome the Spirit's movement, even when it looks different than we expect.
The Power of Seven and the Warning Against Discord The Torah portion of Behar-Bechukotai heavily emphasizes the number seven: the seven weeks of the Omer, the Jubilee, and the Sabbatical years. It also includes sobering admonitions that if God's people act casually with Him, they will face punishments multiplied seven ways for their sin.
This pattern of seven is echoed in Proverbs 6, which lists six things God hates, but highlights a seventh that is utterly detestable to Him. While haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart devising wicked schemes, feet rushing into evil, and false witnesses are all condemned, the seventh and most detestable sin is stirring up dissension among brothers. Sowing discord over minor imperfections in a community is a serious offense. Instead of tearing each other down, we are called to love one another right where we are, even in our misunderstandings.
The Ultimate Antidote: The Sevenfold Shedding of Blood If humanity constantly falls short of God's perfect law, what is the remedy? The answer lies in the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus). Just as the High Priest sprinkled blood seven times on the Day of Atonement, Yeshua prophetically shed His blood in exactly seven distinct places to offer complete redemption and conquer the sin issue:
He sweat great drops of blood.
He was struck in the face with fists and rods.
He was flogged with a Roman scourge.
His beard was pulled out.
Thorns were pressed into His scalp.
His hands and feet were pierced with nails.
His side was pierced with a spear.
Bringing Heaven to Earth This ultimate sacrifice allows us to carry the glory of God wherever we go, actively living out "heaven on earth". We do this not through complex religious formulas, but through simple acts of faithful obedience. By gathering on Shabbat, breaking bread at the table, looking into one another's eyes, and choosing to love the people right in front of us, we become active participants in God's restoration of the earth.
Comments