| Acharei Mot |
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| Written by Carl & Julie Parker | |
| Friday, 18 April 2008 | |
ScripturesLeviticus 16:1 to 18:30 The book of Leviticus teaches us how to dwell in Yeshua. The Messiah embodies the life of the heavenly realm; when heaven and earth meet, there is Malchut ha Shamayim (the Kingdom of Heaven) and the Shekinah (Glory/Presence of YHVH). Yeshua is the Spirit Life of the Mishkan/Tabernacle. When the Tabernacle is constructed according to YHVH’s Word and plan (Ezekiel 43:10-12), Yeshua, the presence of YHVH, is made manifest and dwells there, as Yeshua is the Word of YHVH made flesh (John 1:1,14). This is a picture of our hearts before YHVH when we prepare a place for Yeshua in our lives. Without the Spirit Life of the Messiah, there is no life in the Mishkan. When the Spirit of YHVH dwells in our midst, the Mishkan is set in motion (Numbers 10:11-12). Many have prayed for YHVH to use them and are awaiting the fulfillment of this hope. The book of Leviticus contains the vital building block of understanding that helps us serve in His Kingdom and move forward in our walks to fulfill His Glory on earth today (Hebrews 5). Leviticus 16:1 to 18:30Leviticus teaches us how to bring our freewill offerings daily before YHVH. This keeps our hearts clean and free from contamination as we move forward in our walk of redemption. YHVH has taught us how to have life in the Mishkan and dwell in His presence. He has been teaching us about clean and unclean, holy and unholy practices that separate us physically and spiritually from Him, such as consuming what is unclean, inappropriate associations, and contaminating thoughts and speech. Chapter 16 of Leviticus is the clarification of holiness and how to walk in it daily, weekly, monthly and yearly as a lifestyle. This is not about salvation; it is about Temple maintenance, our Temple maintenance – our bodies, because without holiness no one will see YHVH. It is not about perfection; it is about the pursuit of holiness, consecration and His righteousness through obedience to the Word spoken by Yeshua at Mount Sinai (John 5:46-47). Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see YHVH (Hebrews 12:14). Leviticus 16 The Day of Atonement / Yom KippurFor the Day of Atonement, YHVH had Aaron wash in a Mikvah for change of status and dress in white linen clothing before ministering in the Mishkan/Tabernacle. First Aaron was to sacrifice a bull for his own transgressions and those of his household. Then he took the burning coals from the altar and two handfuls of fragrant incense and walked behind the curtain, putting the incense on the fire before YHVH. Some blood from the bull was sprinkled on the front of the atonement cover, called the Mercy Seat, which was over the Ark, and seven times before the cover. Next, he brought two goats for the sins of the Israelite community. The first goat was for the sin sacrifice. Some of its blood was also taken behind the curtain and sprinkled on the atonement cover seven times. Then Aaron took some of the bull’s blood and some of the first goat’s blood and put it on the horns of the altar, sprinkling it seven times to cleanse and consecrate the altar from the uncleanness of the Israelites (Leviticus 16:3-19). The sprinkling of blood behind the veil can be likened to our heart. Our heart is encased in a sack, which is referenced by the veil. Behind “the veil”, the heart is made of two chambers, just as the Tabernacle is made of two chambers. The priest was to sprinkle the blood behind the veil. When Yeshua died, His heart was torn in two likened to “renting the veil”. His blood was sprinkled behind the veil before the altar in heaven, as Yeshua serves as the High Priest of the heavenly Tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1). At the exact moment of His death the veil in the earthly Temple was torn in half from top to bottom, showing us what took place in the Heavenly realm. The blood of Yeshua is to be sprinkled on our hearts (the altar), thus changing our status from unclean to clean and causing the law that was written on hearts of stone to now be written on hearts of flesh. His blood burns off the dross (likened to the firing process of refining gold) and enables the true Light of this world, Yeshua, to be the flame that is kept burning in our hearts forever. Yeshua’s blood has opened a way for us to have consecrated hearts in His presence. Before His sacrifice, the blood of animals could only cover our sins, not take them away. In a more excellent way, this is what the blood of Yeshua does in our hearts. With His perfect sacrifice, no other sacrifices are needed again. His perfect blood provided atonement and opened our hearts to receive His deliverance from the sins of our past that held us back from life in Him. He has opened the way for us that we might choose to walk in the redemption now offered us. The choice to walk in that redemption is left to us. The way into His presence is still the same: through obedience to His Word. (Hebrews 8:1, 8:8-10; Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The second goat, which was alive, was to be brought before the assembly. Aaron was to lay both hands (representing the Two Houses of Israel: House of Judah and House of Israel) on the head of the goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites. This ritual symbolized the transference of sin and guilt from the Children of Israel to the goat, after which it was sent, with a designated man, into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:21-22). While we are to examine our altar/heart daily before him, this set aside Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement by YHVH is a day in which the ekklesia/assembly of YHVH is called to corporately examine and prepare their hearts for this day once a year. There are sins that fall on the community as a whole, immorality for example. These sins may be done by a few but effect and contaminate the whole body of believers…and even more so if tolerated in the camp (fellowship). We are called to keep our camp/tabernacles clean. Corporate sins cause us all to be guilty. YHVH provided a way for those sins to be atoned for. Yeshua’s shed blood has made this now possible. He atoned for our sin with His own blood. This does not mean we discount the observance of Yom Kippur as a feast merely for the Jews. No, this means we embrace it even more now that Yeshua has made a way for us as believers to approach a holy altar in our sinfulness through recognizing where we have missed the mark, taking responsibility for it, then repenting and renouncing. We are still accountable for “our” sins. Have we sinned since being born again? Then this is important for us in order to fulfill all righteousness (all right-ways). Our job is to bring our sin to Yeshua so He may take it away. The way has been appropriated for us. We are seen in His righteousness but we still need to choose to enter in. Again, YHVH has appointed a day of corporate cleansing. YHVH declared Yom Kippur to be observed throughout all our generations. That means it still exists today. The only difference being that the animal sacrifices have stopped as the Messiah Yeshua has fulfilled the law of sin and death on our behalf. The way to the law of life is still open to us. The path was made straight by Yeshua. We can now have victory over our sins through Yeshua who made the importance of Yom Kippur and the keeping of it today even more relevant. This Day is not, and never has been, for salvation purposes but reveals the cleansing of our hearts by the process of consecration of our hearts (likened to the altar) once a year. Yeshua’s blood is the eternal sacrifice that cleanses us upon our deliverance through Him (called salvation). Now our redemption process begins. Salvation and redemption are separate. It is up to us to rid ourselves of the impurities in our lives (physically and spiritually), including the ones that may have come through our ancestors called generational sins, as well as issues that may have built up in us since our salvation. Yom Kippur is the day we ask forgiveness for the sins we personally and corporately have committed against YHVH innocently or knowingly. These are called transgressions. Secondly, we repent for the sins that we have participated in that have been passed on to us from the third and fourth generation through our ancestors. These are called iniquities. We also repent for any sins committed since our salvation. In doing this, we agree with the covenant made with YHVH at Mt Sinai and state our intention, our vow before YHVH. It is the Spirit of Yeshua in us that gives us the ability and strength to repent and cleanse our altar/heart. The Wedding Day:Yom Kippur is likened to the wedding day. It falls in the seventh month on the tenth day, ten days after the feast of Yom Teruah, the Day of Blowing also called the Day of Trumpets. The Day of Trumpets wakes the bride from slumber calling her to come out to meet her bridegroom. The doors are opened on this day of His coming.
The bride has the blood upon her but what has she done with the atonement? How has it been appropriated in her? Has she allowed the consecration process to approach and start the cleansing in her? We are called a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Where is our hearts on this and have we come into agreement with the Ruach’s work in us to walk it out in Him? A wise bride begins by trimming her lamp. Circumcision of the heart trims off contaminants and helps the bride see the coming of the Bridegroom. She has come with extra oil in preparation for the occasion and is ready. An unwise bride finds her lamp going out, and then becomes aware she lacks oil for the Bridegrooms’ return. She has become poor, blind and is lacking.
How did the wise bride know to bring extra oil and where did her extra oil supply come from? We are told in Ezekiel 44:23-24 a true priest (a picture of the Bride) will know the difference between clean and unclean, holy and unholy and about the moedim/feast days of YHVH, His Sabbaths and New Moon celebrations. The Feast days, starting with the Sabbath will provide the extra oil the Bride needs. The bridegroom is to be found in the feast days. It is in these appointed moedim/times with the bridegroom that the bride is given extra oil. It is her guarantee.
The oil is a reflection of the Bride’s time in the clef of the rock. An unwise bride is found lacking the oil that is needed upon the Bridegrooms’ return. Scripture says she will leave the waiting chamber (the Holy Place) in seek of oil. It is during this critical time the bridegroom appears to the waiting wise bride. He recognizes her as the one prepared with brightly burning oil and He leads her into His bridal chamber (the Holy of Holies). Meanwhile the unwise bride who ran out in search of oil returns to see that the doors have been closed and she cannot enter. She weeps, for she knew the way and did not enter.
Yom Kippur is the day of the closing of the doors. If we do not already have the extra oil by Yom Kippur, it will be too late to produce it. We cannot produce oil by our own efforts. Nor can we rely on the “teachings of men.” Oil comes by obedience, spending time with our Bridegroom and walking with Him in His appointed moedim/times in order to know Him, to have intimacy with face to face (H6440 panim) as we enter His Sabbath-rest (Hebrews 4). The Bridegroom will wed one who is made in His image. Yom Kippur is a time which we prepare ahead for, not wait until the last minute to discover if we have an adequate supply of “oil”. We are told Yeshua has already shown us the way.
The Day of Atonement is taught in Leviticus under the section of clean and unclean, holy and unholy. This is YHVH’s teaching order for believers; those who have been atoned by Yeshua’s Blood. We see the incense is to be put on the "fire." Our offerings are incense to YHVH. Free will offerings keep our hearts clean and free from contaminants. Consecration (circumcision) consumes any wood, hay or straw (contaminants), from our hearts. We need fire in our hearts in order to do this.
We are commanded not to let the flame go out. YHVH has given us Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement observance every year throughout all generations. It is YHVH’s feast day given after we have “trimmed our wicks”. Doing this attracts us to the true flame, in the true Menorah, Yeshua (John 8:12). Otherwise our hearts will grow dim from contaminants and we will not be able to see. Trimming our lamp is by circumcising our hearts of any unclean and unholy thing clinging to it. This will keep our lamps burning brightly. We are to keep all contamination far from us and touch no unclean thing.
The Day of Atonement has nothing to do with salvation but everything to do with the end result of choices we have made according to YHVH word on clean and unclean, holy and unholy ways, His moedim and Sabbaths. Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement will be like a prize giving at the end of the race on how our hearts walked in health and Temple maintenance according to YHVH’s pattern for our lives.
The story of atonement through Yeshua is also recorded in John 1:6. John came in the Spirit of Elijah to bear witness to the true Light of the world, Yeshua the Messiah. John was crying out in the wilderness. In the same way, the bride of Yeshua is found in the wilderness. When we fall away from YHVH’s ways we live in the wilderness. John, born of a priestly family, was calling to those people in the wilderness to come home through repentance to cleanse their hearts and respond to His calling by walking in God’s right order. John quoted the words of the prophet Isaiah to the people to call them home (John 1:23). Moses (YHVH’s teaching and instruction given at Mt Sinai) is the friend of the bride but it is the spirit of Elijah who escorts the bride to her wedding (Matthew 17:1-5).
How do we make straight the way for YHVH? By recognizing we are outside YHVH’s ways, repenting and coming into His right order. His Spirit will give us power to walk this out. We are called to consecrate ourselves by removing and resisting all that defiles us so that the Glory of YHVH may dwell in us. Likewise, we must refuse to accept anything that separates us from His anointing and blessings. Choosing not to walk in the way of the world, and disengaging ourselves from willful sin that contaminates us such as wrong attitudes and unforgiveness makes straight the way for YHVH’s return. May we endeavor to bless and serve people, elevating and encouraging them at every opportunity.
Leviticus 17 Eating Blood ForbiddenWe have often wondered why food laws in Leviticus followed the teaching of the Day of Atonement, the holiest teaching for the priesthood. Chapter 17 marks the third time YHVH placed the teaching of food laws right next to the teaching of the priesthood in the book of Leviticus. As mentioned before, blood is to be used for atonement. Blood deals with both clean and unclean. It is the blood that carries the life of the animal. YHVH mentioned this four times in eight verses. His instruction was not only to the twelve tribes of Israel but also to the proselyte, the one who sojourned with the Tribes (all of us!). This teaching about blood was not for salvation purposes but for our health. We will get sick if we have blood in the foods that we eat. YHVH also mentioned “the life of a creature is in its blood” three times in three verses, and the word blood ten times in four verses. The impression that blood is giving us in this chapter is very important to YHVH, therefore we need to observe His instructions carefully if we are to be a royal priesthood with Yeshua as our High Priest. Eating blood was big among the Egyptians, just as it was also a big part of the cultures that inhabited the land of Israel where they were journeying. Blood was consumed as part of rituals to appease the gods these cultures served. Sacrificing on high places and eating and drinking blood brought about an immoral sexual appetite and could lead to occult behavior. Because the life of the animal is in the blood, the people who practiced this ritual literally drank the mindset and animalistic behavior of those animals. This behavior led them into situations such as the incident when the Israelites fell prey to the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 and in Numbers 25, when the Moabite women seduced the Israelite men to join them in celebrating their feasts and their gods. We many not think this message relates to our day but YHVH desires a people who will obey His commands. If we are called "Israel" then this message is for us today. We are not to have blood in our food!
Eating blood contaminates our Temple and will separate us from YHVH. This is a spiritual death that can lead to physical death. It will also keep us from observing His ways, Sabbaths and feast days and lead us to compromise our walks. Remember what He has said: "Be holy because I am Holy." What Does The Brit Chadasha/New Testament Have To Say About This?
The life-blood of the animal is for atonement. We should not eat meat with life-blood still in it. Eating it is the same as drinking the blood of that animal, which is a pagan practice. What Paul is addressing in the above scriptures is how unlawful it is to drink both the blood of an animal and the cup of Yeshua, which speaks of His Atonement. This causes a mix of the two in us, defiling us and contaminating the Temple, our body. Paul is not only speaking about the physical here but the spiritual mixing as well. Drinking the blood of an animal is also a reference to Lashon Hara/gossip, murmuring and slander – bitterroot critical judgments against YHVH’s sheep.
At the Council of Jerusalem, James advised those repenting and returning to YHVH to do so through obedience to the Mosaic Covenant, saying,
The only authorized teaching the Jerusalem Council advised was that of Moses, starting with the four pillars: the avoidance of food polluted by idols, sexual immorality, meat of strangled animals, and blood, which all had their roots in food contaminated with blood! Is the council’s advice investigated or taken into account today? In many assemblies the highest court of law stipulated by the disciples in the Brit Chadasha/New Testament is wholly ignored. Why do people vehemently oppose the laws of the highest earthy and heavenly courts? The bottom line is: Abstain from meat with blood still in it (physically and spiritually)! Eat meat that has had the blood drained out. Koshering Meat (eliminating the blood):There are two ways of eliminating blood from meat. First select a Kosher-slaughtered animal, or if a kosher killed animal is not available place the supermarket portion of meat in a large ceramic bowl and cover completely with cool water. Next let it soak for 30 minutes, drain, and completely cover all sides with kosher salt. Place meat on designated rack or cutting board (if using a board, have it tilted at an angle). Let stand 1 hour. Shake off the salt, thoroughly rinse meat twice with tap water, and then cook according to your favorite recipe. For further teaching on blood and food in the scriptures, refer to Shemini - Leviticus 11 found at www.sheepfoldgleanings.com. Leviticus 18 Unlawful Sexual RelationsIn 1 Peter 2:9, believers of Yeshua are called a royal priesthood and a holy nation. If we desire a deeper walk with Yeshua we need to understand His commandments so we can walk them out correctly and have Godly order in our homes. The priesthood of Yeshua can be threatened by keeping the blood in the diet. To see how important it is for the priesthood not to eat the blood we see the next chapter in Leviticus is dealing with unlawful sexual relations. Semen is rendered as blood in the scriptures, as life is in the blood. Spiritually saliva is rendered as blood also, that is why Lashon Hara is part of this teaching.
Abortion statistics from the Alan Guttmacher Institute
(Based on statistics from 1997 of 1.33 million abortions, projected for 2002. AGI estimates a possible 3% under-reporting rate, which is factored into the total.)
January 2008: Alan Guttmacher Institute:
We cannot estimate how many babies are lost to contraceptives worldwide each year, a practice that has sadly become an acceptable application to prevent pregnancy.
To be continued… References: Abortion Stats: http://www.christianliferesources.com/index.php Alan Guttmacher Institute Redeemed Israel by Batya Wootten Past Parshot: www.messianicisrael.com/sheepfold-gleanings/ |
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