Scriptures

Leviticus 6:1 to 8:36
Jeremiah 7:21 to 8:3; 9:22-23
Hebrews 13:10-16
1 Timothy 2:1-8
Romans 12:1-2

Continued from last week’s Torah Commentary: Vayikra (see reference section below).

Review: With the Mishkan/Tabernacle/bridal chamber built and the priestly garments made, YHVH next taught His people Israel how to live with Him in His dwelling. Israel consists of the twelve tribes along with all who have joined themselves to the nation and become as native born (walking in the ways of YHVH). There is no other betrothed bride. The Mishkan reflects Yeshua and is a picture of how our walk ought to be. Learning how to live with the Bridegroom Yeshua will lead the bride into abundant life in His Spirit. The purpose of the book of Leviticus is to reveal holy, moral ways to man, restore the priesthood (bride) and learn how to walk in the eternal realm of our heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1). The instructions laid out in Leviticus are a continuation of what Moses received at Mount Sinai. These teachings are designed to support the bride as she carries out her vow of obedience to the Covenant of Abraham that she made with YHVH. The bride is to make herself ready, and these are the instructions that will prepare her (Revelation 19:7).

Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Yeshua Ha Mashiach before time began (2 Timothy 1:9).

Last week we learned of the three volunteer freewill offerings of worship and the two required offerings for unintentional sins. This week we learn of the regulations or laws (teaching and instruction according to YHVH’s Torah) for these offerings.

Leviticus 6:8-13 The Elevation – Olah – Offering

Yeshua is our volunteer olah offering who willingly offered Himself up on our behalf. The olah was offered for impure thoughts or failing to perform a required action. The offering was to remain at the altar throughout the night and the fire kept burning continuously; it was not to go out. This was a picture of how our hearts are to be in an unceasing state of preparation and readiness for YHVH’s will in our life.

And YHVH was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people (Exodus 13:21-22).

When YHVH has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of deliverance and the spirit of burning, then YHVH will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. And there will be a shelter (tabernacle) to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain. Let me sing now for my well-beloved, a song of my Beloved concerning His Vineyard (Isaiah 4:4 - 5:1).

The priest receiving the olah would put on his white linen garments to remove the ashes of the burnt offering. Then when leaving the tabernacle, the priest would change from his white linen garments into common or unholy garments and proceed to a ceremonial clean place outside the camp to dispose of the ashes. This prophetic picture described the very procedure Yeshua would go through on our behalf. Notice how holy these ashes were considered and therefore handled. Yeshua our High Priest handles our olah offerings in the same way. Our offerings are of praise and thanksgiving to Yeshua for how He has covered our transgressions of unclean thoughts and failure to do as He has requested. May our sacrifices of praise be given up to YHVH continually, day and night. May our speech be laced with olah (elevation and encouragement) to all we come in contact with, as this is a sweet aroma ascending to His throne. How we approach other people and interact with them is how we approach YHVH. This action is holy to Him. We need to learn how to separate clean from unclean and holy from unholy in our thoughts, actions, speech and associations.

Leviticus 6:14-23 The Meal – Minchah – Offering

The volunteer meal offering regulations were given in two parts. First, the minchah was described as being made of fine flour, oil and incense but no yeast - an offering for those bringing a gift of gratitude in the form of either a baked cake, a wafer called challah, fried, or cooked in a griddle or pan and broken. All had a tenth portion of the offering called the memorial portion taken out that was completely burnt on the altar. The memorial portion represented Yeshua who is our memorial offering before YHVH. The rest of the meal offering (90%) was to be consumed only by the descendants of Aaron, the priests, and was considered most holy.

And when He [Yeshua] had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:24 ref. Luke 22:17-19).

Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord (1 Corinthians 11:27).

I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh (John 6:51).

Today we, the bride, the royal priesthood of Yeshua, eat the remaining portion of the holy minchah offering because Yeshua – as the memorial portion who offered Himself up completely to YHVH – has made the rest of the offering holy. In so doing, He redeemed, renewed and restored the Covenant we made with Him at Mount Sinai, the covenant we broke throughout history due to our disobedience to the message (1 Peter 2:8-10). We partake in the minchah - holy portion - today as a reminder to keep the Covenantal vows we made to Him. It is our offering of gratitude before YHVH (Hebrews 8:8-10; Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Whatever touches [the minchah offering and the sin offering] will become holy (Leviticus 6:18, 27).

He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet [talet] being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean".

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." …He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law [rabbinical] for a Jew to associate with a Gentile [one of another nation] or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:11-15, 28).

The second part of the meal offering was used for the ordination and consecration of a High Priest who came into office, on the day he was anointed. It was to be made without yeast, cooked on a griddle, broken and then completely burned. It was not to be eaten (Leviticus 6:19-23).

Leviticus 6:24-30 The Sin – Chatas – Offering

The regulation of the sacrifice for unintentional sin required the offering to be handled as holy. The offerings became holy once given to YHVH from a willing, open and honest heart. Recognizing our innocent sins and offering repentance for them renders our past as holy to the Father. May we be a people who confess our sins regularly and know that this is a holy act to the Father. It is not an act of punishment but an act of deliverance, healing, wholeness and restoration back to Him.

Any male in the family of a priest who offered a sin offering on behalf of either a leader or any other member of the community could eat of it; it was most holy (Leviticus 4:22-35; 6:26,29). But the required sin offering for the priest or the whole Israelite community could not be eaten; it was to be burned outside the camp (Leviticus 4:3-21; 6:30).

Yeshua is our chatas (sin) offering who died for the whole Israelite community.

We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Yeshua also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Yeshua, therefore, let us continually offer to YHVH a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices YHVH is pleased (Hebrews 13:10-16).

Yeshua said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man [supreme Messianic name for YHVH in the flesh, Yeshua] and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this bread shall live forever" (John 6:53 –58).

Leviticus 7:1-10 The Guilt – Asham – Offering

The regulations for the asham of unintentional sin required this offering to also be considered as most holy. If we sin unintentionally we incur the guilt of that sin. Even if we are not aware of it, we are accountable. The trespass could be for handling the holy in a common or profane way, thinking of a fellow man in an incorrect manner, and sharing those negative judgments of our neighbor with others. It could even simply be body language that could give a negative implication. Doing these will bring guilt upon us. To cleanse ourselves we need to offer up an offering of repentance.

Yeshua paid the price of our guilt at His death. He took our place and died our death.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).

Listen, my dear brothers: has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture [Torah], "Love your neighbor as yourself" [ref. Leviticus 19:18], you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery" [ref. Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 5:18], also said, "Do not murder" [ref. Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17]. If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives “freedom,” because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:5-13).

Torah (God’s teaching and instruction) is mercy.

"The priest who offers a burnt offering for anyone may keep its hide for himself" (Leviticus 7:8).This is prophetic of Yeshua’s covering over us — His royal priesthood and His Betrothed. When He redeemed us we were covered in His righteousness.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Yeshua, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and havinga High Priest over the house of YHVH, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil [guilty] conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24).

Leviticus 7:11-21 The Fellowship – Shalam – Offering

The instructions regarding the shalam or shalom voluntary offering were placed last in the regulation section, after the directives for the required offerings of sin and guilt. This offering was for the restoration of fellowship between man and YHVH, and was offered as an expression of thanksgiving to YHVH for His Faithfulness. Sin, whether intentional or unintentional, separates man from our Heavenly Father. Henceforth a restored, proper union between YHVH and man needs to be established once again, and the rules and regulations to do this are laid out in the shalam instructions. The fellowship offering and the meal offering are served together. One is without yeast (the meal offering) and the other is with yeast and always with salt (the fellowship offering, also representative of Shavuot / Firstfruits) (Leviticus 2:11-16).

Leviticus 7:22-27 Eating Fat and Blood Forbidden

YHVH said to Moses, "Do not eat any of the fat of cattle, sheep or goats [Biblically clean animals]. The fat of an animal found dead or torn by wild animals may be used for any other purpose, but you must not eat it. Anyone who eats the fat of an animal from which an offering by fire may be made to YHVH must be cut off from his people. And wherever you live, you must not eat the blood of any bird or animal. If anyone eats blood, that person must be cut off from his people."

Fat and blood mentioned together in Leviticus represent not only physical fat but also what produces fat in our body spiritually. Our thoughts can poison our bodies by producing over-secretions of chemicals in us that can harm us and lead to an imbalance in our bodies, which in turn can produce fat. Fear, stress and anxiety may result in obesity in our bodies. So when Scripture instructs us not to “eat” fat or blood, it is not only speaking of the physical abstinence of fat and blood, but the spiritual - and therefore emotional, psychological and verbal – avoidance of that which produces fat and inferior blood condition. Improper thoughts and emotions can translate as fat, presenting a potential killer in our bodies.

The fat and blood are very important to YHVH and must not be brought into our bodies. Our bodies are living temples of YHVH and we are responsible for keeping them clean and for keeping defilement far from us. This instruction is to bless us and give us a long life. If we bring contamination into our temples, sickness, disease and even death may result. Partaking of fat is disobedience to YHVH’s word and will kill us. The choice is ours. Obedience brings the blessings.

The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy (Proverbs 15:30).

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones (Proverbs 16:24).

A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones (Proverbs 17:22).

Now that we have studied the spiritual and physical ramifications of the consumption of blood we look at the implications of partaking of blood. According to Leviticus 17:11 life is in the blood, and the life of an animal if consumed instead of drained out will be alive in us. If we consume the blood we may take on the creature’s mindset, fears, instincts and behaviors. This is very important, as we commit our hearts and minds solely unto YHVH when we choose to obey the vow we made to the Covenant of the Bridegroom.

What we put in our bodies is the key to the priesthood of Yeshua. Yeshua’s priesthood will be a holy priesthood that serves Him in His Holy Temple. If the bride of Yeshua incurs fat or that which produces fat in her body and eats blood in her food without being careful to avoid it we must ask ourselves: Is this the bride the Groom will return for? We will see how important this issue is to YHVH as we continue through Leviticus because every time fat and blood are mentioned, the instructions for the priesthood are mentioned right after. There is a correlation between examining what we put into our minds and mouths and the priesthood of Yeshua. Selah. (Think on these things.)

"Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb (Mount Sinai) for all Israel. See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of YHVH comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:4-6).

Leviticus 8 The Ordination of Aaron and His Sons

After all the regulations for the offerings were given, YHVH had Moses bring Aaron and his sons, along with the anointing oil, the bull for the unintentional sin offering, the two rams and a basket containing bread made without yeast. He also asked him to gather the whole assembly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

There Moses washed and dressed Aaron in his High Priest garments and Aaron’s sons in their linen robes. The required bull was offered for sin/chatas, and when the blood had consecrated the altar and made atonement for it, they took the bull with its hide, flesh and offal and burned it outside the camp.

Then they voluntarily presented two rams, one for the olah/burnt elevation offering and the other for the ordination of Aaron and his sons. The blood of this ram was put on their right ear, right thumb and right big toe. Along with the olah, the minchah was offered with a cake (challah) made of unleavened bread. After the wave offerings of the breast and thigh, Moses sprinkled Aaron and his sons with blood. They had a meal of the holy offerings and stayed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting seven full days to complete their ordination.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Yeshua Ha Mashiach/the Messiah, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle - I am telling the truth, I am not lying - and a teacher of the true faith to the Nations. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing (1 Timothy 2:1-8).

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of YHVH’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your reasonable act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).

Shabbat Shalom,
Carl and Julie Parker

References:
A More Excellent Way by Henry W. Wright

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