Parashah 25: Tzav (Give an order) - Leviticus 6:1 (6:8 in some versions) through 8:36

Parashah 25: Tzav (Give an order)
Leviticus 6:1 (6:8 in some versions) through 8:36

Parashah 25: Tzav (Give an order) - Leviticus 6:1 (6:8 in some versions) through 8:36.

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Jeremiah 7:21 - 8:3.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Mark 12:28-34; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 10:14-23.

Tanach Scriptures are from Stern's Complete Jewish Bible; B'rit Chadash Scriptures from the Aramaic English New Testament.

Welcome "newbies" and "oldies!" As you all know, Torah was written by Moshe (Moses) and consists of the first five Books of the Bible which contain God's original Divine Instructions in Righteousness. Since this is a Netzarim (Nazarene/Messianic) website, we refer to God by His proper Name: Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, transliterated into English as YHWH, and most likely pronounced "Yah-way" (see Exodus 3:13-15). His Son's Name is Y'shua (most likely pronounced "Ye-shoo-ah"). Enjoy this week's Torah portion!

In this week's parashah we will be studying the various offerings Israel was to make for YHWH: Burnt, grain, sin, guilt, consecration and peace (see Leviticus 7:37-38). Try to put yourself in the desert with YHWH's people who were doing their best to obey the commands He was relaying to them through Moshe. What a horrible sight it must have been to see hundreds of innocent animals sacrificed; how awful it must have been to hear their screams; how powerful the overwhelming stench of blood - and being reminded again that we are NOT to eat blood....

Leviticus 7: 26 You are not to eat any kind of blood, whether from birds or animals, in any of your homes. 27 Whoever eats any blood will be cut off from his people.'"

Leviticus 17: 11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for yourselves; for it is the blood that makes the atonement because of the life.

We today, can only surmise why YHWH ordered the killing of these animals, while literally putting Israel through some strange gyrations! The people (and remember, they numbered in the MILLIONS at that point!) were constantly reminded how powerful these sacrifices were, and that they were to be taken VERY seriously. Case in point:

Leviticus 7: 19 Meat which touches something unclean is not to be eaten but burned up completely. As for the meat, everyone who is clean may eat it; 20 but a person in a state of uncleanness who eats any meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings made to ADONAI will be cut off from his people. 21 Anyone who touches something unclean - whether the uncleanness be from a person, from an unclean animal or from some other unclean detestable thing - and then eats the meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings for ADONAI, that person will be cut off from his people.'"

An "unclean" person was not allowed to eat any meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings made to ADONAI! If they did, they were to be "cut off" from YHWH's people! And yet today, we believe we can sin over and over again and get away with it, just because "Jesus died"? We believe we can ignore the commanded Seventh Day Sabbath and the Feasts and come up with our own "holy days"?

Please understand, we at The Refiner's Fire are NO experts when it comes to YHWH's sacrifices, but we do understand how significant they were/are to our Elohim. As a matter of fact, they were gifts for ADONAI (Leviticus 7:14)! The enemy has attempted to use these sacrifices in order to turn them into something seemingly evil, as is evidenced by the fact that they are mimicked (to a great extent) by satanists and other lost folks who sacrifice animals and drink their blood, etc. (Notice that YHWH was adamant that NO ONE is to ever drink blood, as the life force is in the blood [Leviticus 17:11-14.])

Reading Leviticus 6:17-23 (in some versions verses 24-30), one can certainly understand why traditional Jews refuse to recognize Yeshua as a SIN Sacrifice because, nowhere did YHWH ever demand human sacrifices, and nowhere did He ever demand we eat human flesh!

Leviticus 6: 24 ADONAI said to Moshe, 25 "Tell Aharon and his sons, 'This is the law for the sin offering: the sin offering is to be slaughtered before ADONAI in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is especially holy. 26 The cohen who offers it for sin is to eat it -it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh will become holy; if any of its blood splashes on any item of clothing, you are to wash it in a holy place.

28 The clay pot in which it is cooked must be broken; if it is cooked in a bronze pot, it must be scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Any male from a family of cohanim may eat the sin offering; it is especially holy. 30 But no sin offering which has had any of its blood brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place is to be eaten; it is to be burned up completely.

According to a footnote in the Aramaic English New Testament:

Offerings "qurbana" and sacrifices "dabekha" are two different entities. Although there are certain aspects to Mashiyach's death that are utterly unique to him (Zechariah 12:10, etc.), his death nevertheless echoes aspects of offerings and sacrifices that came before. The qurbana is the human life (nefesh) that Y'shua voluntarily offers up on the stake. The result of that offering is his blood put out on the "altar"; hence dabekha.

However, this is certainly not, as some critics suggest, human sacrifice. Rather, this indicates Y'shua's status as Mashiyach ben Yoseph. Per strict accordance with Isaiah 53 and Genesis 22:8, Mashiyach ben Yoseph was required to suffer and die. After his death, the offering of himself became a sacrifice that was taken up, and he was resurrected three days later. Many of YHWH's prophets also suffered and were martyred at the hands of those who fought against the Malchut Elohim. In the case of Mashiyach, his shed blood is counted as the acceptable sacrifice, the Lamb of YHWH, which is most Set Apart unto YHWH.

Animal sacrifices WILL be reinstituted for a while when the Third Temple is rebuilt. But moving on, here we see proof that Yeshua was our final Sin Sacrifice:

John 1: 29. And on the day that followed, Yochanan saw Y'shua who was coming towards him, and said, "Behold the Lamb of Elohim, He who takes away the sins of the world.

Footnote: This "Lamb" harkens back to the Akeida (binding of Isaac) when Isaac showed his willful obedience to lay down his life at the command of his father Avraham. Avraham and Isaac did not know then that YHWH would provide the ram caught in the thicket. Yitzak (Isaac) the son of Avraham and Sarah foreshadows Mashiyach ben Yoseph (the Son of YHWH via Yoseph and Miriam). YHWH provided Himself a "seh" lamb for the Perfect and complete sacrifice, not as the "ayil" (ram) caught in the thicket, but through the Lamb of YHWH, His only "begotten" Son Y'shua. The Akeida showed that YHWH Himself provided "the Lamb" (Y'shua) as the life that was in the place of Yitzhak's, as seen in the sin sacrifices in the temple system, "A life for a life."

On the other hand, many anti-God types attempt to use the following to show that Yeshua was advocating cannibalism, but those who know YHWH and His Word realize this was an ALLEGORY:

Matthew 26: 26. And while they were dining, Y'shua took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, Take eat. This is my body. 27. And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them and said, Take drink from it all of you. 28. This is my blood (see 1 Corinthians 11:27) of the renewed covenant, which for the sake of many is shed for the forgiveness of sins.

Our Mashiyach was demonstrating that his coming sacrifice was to be for us! He in no way meant to literally eat and drink of Him!

YHWH required all types of sacrifices (including the ones we see in Leviticus 7:37 - burnt, grain, sin, guilt, consecration and peace. (Note that Yeshua was only our SIN Sacrifice!) The bottom line is, the thing that separates His people from "the world" is OBEDIENCE - something that was reiterated throughout both "Testaments" such as the following from the Prophets and the Brit Chadasha:

Jeremiah 7: 21 Thus says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el: "You may as well eat the meat of your burnt offerings along with that of your sacrifices. 22 For I didn't speak to your ancestors or give them orders concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. 23 Rather, what I did order them was this: 'Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.'

What happens when "all does NOT go well" because people refuse to OBEY God?

Jeremiah 8: 10 "'Therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who take them over; for from the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gains; prophets and cohanim alike all practice fraud 11 they dress the wound of the daughter of my people, but only superficially, saying, "There is perfect shalom," when there is no shalom. 12 They should be ashamed of their detestable deeds, but they are not ashamed at all, they don't know how to blush. So when others fall, they too will fall; when I punish them, they will stumble,' says ADONAI.

Jeremiah 9: 23 Here is what ADONAI says: "The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth; 24 instead, let the boaster boast about this: that he understands and knows me - that I am ADONAI, practicing grace, justice and righteousness in the land; for in these things I take pleasure," says ADONAI.

Please also take note of Leviticus 7:21 and then apply it to the things we touch on a daily basis that might be considered "unclean". YHWH wants us, His Set-Apart people to be clean from the inside-out! And note that YHWH never said, "Go to a priest to be absolved of your sins," as is taught in Catholicism!

He also never said that His FOREVER commands would be abolished. "Forever" hasn't come yet! As a matter of fact, when Yeshua returns and the animal sacrifices are reinstituted in the Temple, many Christians are going to feel very strange when they see Yeshua, our divine Messiah, condoning animal sacrifices. Many will surely stammer, "But, we thought that was abolished at the cross!"

Leviticus 7: 21 Anyone who touches something unclean - whether the uncleanness be from a person, from an unclean animal or from some other unclean detestable thing - and then eats the meat from the sacrifice of peace offerings for ADONAI, that person will be cut off from his people.'"

Please note in today's parashah we again saw that the cohens (who were separated as priests by YHWH from the Tribe of Levi) were taken care of by the people. (Compare this to today's pastors who attend man's seminaries and head churches supported by organizations, and who ask for tithes - even though they believe "Jesus abolished at the cross" the entire Torah....)

Leviticus 7: 32 You are to give the right thigh from your sacrifices of peace offerings to the cohen as a contribution. 33 The descendant of Aharon who offers the blood of the peace offerings is to have the right thigh as his share. 34 For the breast that has been waved and the thigh that has been contributed I have taken from the people of Isra'el out of their sacrifices of peace offerings and given them to Aharon the cohen and to his descendants as their share forever from the people of Isra'el.'"

Haftarah reading:

The only word appropriate for today's Haftarah portion is: WOW!!!

24 But they neither listened nor paid attention, but lived according to their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, thus going backward and not forward. 25 You have done this from the day your ancestors came out of Egypt until today. Even though I sent you all my servants the prophets, sending them time after time, 26 they would not listen or pay attention to me, but stiffened their necks; they did worse than their ancestors. 27 So tell them all this; but they won't listen to you; likewise, call to them; but they won't answer you.

28 Therefore, say to them, 'This is the nation that has not listened to the voice of ADONAI their God. They won't take correction; faithfulness has perished; it has vanished from their mouths. 29 Cut off your hair, and throw it away, take up a lament on the bare hills, for ADONAI has rejected and abandoned the generation that rouses his anger.' 30 "For the people of Y'hudah have done what is evil from my perspective," says ADONAI; "they have set up their detestable things in the house which bears my name, to defile it. 31 They have built the high places of Tofet in the Ben-Hinnom Valley, to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, something I never ordered; in fact, such a thing never even entered my mind!

32 Therefore, the days are coming," says ADONAI, "when it will no longer be called either Tofet or the Ben-Hinnom Valley, but the Valley of Slaughter - they will put the dead in Tofet, because there will be no space left [anywhere else]. 33 The corpses of this people will become food for the birds in the air and the wild animals; no one will frighten them away. 34 Then in the cities of Y'hudah and the streets of Yerushalayim I will silence the sounds of joy and gladness and the voices of bridegroom and bride; because the land will be reduced to ruins.

Jeremiah 8: 1 "At that time," says ADONAI, "[these enemies] will remove the bones of the kings of Y'hudah, the bones of his princes, the bones of the cohanim, the bones of the prophets and the bones of the inhabitants of Yerushalayim from their graves. 2 They will spread them out, exposed to the sun, the moon and the entire army of heaven, whom they loved, served, walked after, sought after and worshipped. The bones will not be collected or reburied but will be left lying on the ground like dung. 3 All the survivors of this evil family who remain wherever I have driven them will prefer death to life," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.

Brit Chadashah reading:

YHWH insists that HIS Set-Apart PEOPLE constantly strive to OBEY Him!

This leads us into the Book of Mark which reiterates that ALL of YHWHs commandments (especially the ones that contain the word "forever" or "throughout your generations" etc.) still stand:

Mark 12: 28. And one of the scribes drew near and heard them disputing and saw that he answered them the matter well. And he asked, "What is the first Commandment of all of them?" 29. And Y'shua said to him, The first of all the Commandments is "Hear O Israel. Master YHWH our Elohim is one. 30. And you should love Master YHWH your Elohim with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." This is the first Commandment.

31. And the second that is like it is that. "You should love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other Commandment greater than these. 32. That scribe said to him, "Well said Rabbi! You have spoken in truth that he is one and there are no others apart from him. 33. And that a man should love him with all the heart and all the mind and with all the soul and with all the strength, and that he should love his neighbor like himself. This is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34. And Y'shua saw that he answered the matter wisely. He answered and said to him, You are not far from the Kingdom of Elohim. And no man again dared to question him!

WOW! Note Yeshua never said, "These two replace all the others!" He was asked a question of which were the greatest commandments and He answered that we are to recognize that YHWH is our Elohim whom we are to obey, and that we are to love our neighbors....

Even Paul (whom most Christians insist spoke AGAINST Torah) reiterated this - that, in order to consider ourselves TRUE believers we must be Set Apart!

Romans 12: 1. I plead to you, therefore, my brothers, by the mercies of Elohim, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, Set Apart and acceptable to Elohim by a rational service (of him). 2. And be not conformed to this world; but be you transformed by the renovation of your minds: and discern you what is the good and acceptable and perfect pleasure of Elohim.

There is so much more that could be said about today's study, and we wholeheartedly urge you to read the cited scriptures through, if you haven't already done so. If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to write! Thank you for reading our Torah study notes for this week, and we pray for you a blessed week ahead, that may you ever grow in your knowledge of YHWH. And, as always, please let us know if you ever see anything in our studies that sounds "off the mark"! Nobody has the market cornered on absolute Truth; we are all learning and obeying to the best of our abilities....

The next parashah reading will be:

Parashah 26: Sh'mini (Eighth) - Leviticus 9:1 through 11:47.

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): 2 Samuel: 6:1 - 7:17.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Mark 7:1-23; Acts 5:1-11; 10:1-35; 2 Cor. 6:14 - 7:1; Galatians 2:11-16; 1 Peter 1:14-16.

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