CHAPTER 1
1. When He called [yiqra] to Moshe, YHWH spoke to him from [within] the Tent of Appointment, saying,
The Dwelling Place has been finished. This was not all just an exercise in futility; He is actually living His desire to be in the midst of His people. The word for “appointment” here means a “meeting of the minds”, or a coming to agreement (e.g., Amos 3:3). It is indeed sometimes used of betrothals. In ancient Hebrew weddings, the bridal chamber had to be built before the marriage could be finalized, and in the earliest days of our history this chamber was a tent. YHWH has called to Moshe before from the midst of the burning bush, then from the mountain, then from the midst of the cloud. His response has been “Here I am!” Now He is calling as a Husband from His tent, for Israel to come be with Him there and offer ourselves to Him. But He would not want us to come without taking a bath first, or dressed shabbily. So He begins by specifying the way He wants to be approached, so we will know how to be a bride who is pleasing to Him:
2. "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, 'When [any] person from among you brings an offering to YHWH, you must bring your offering from livestock from the herd or from the flock.
From livestock: Heb., behemoth--large animals. Now that we have built the tent just the way He said to, He shows up. There are minimum requirements for how He expects to be approached. As in the story of Hadassah, certain things have to be in place before the King will allow us to come near. (Esther 2:14) It is only at His pleasure that the scepter is extended. Of course, we ought to gain pleasure from His pleasure, but He wants us to know what is acceptable to Him. YHWH puts limits on where the offerings can come from. Of course, He wants no unclean animals like swine and rodents, but even more restrictions are put on this than on our diet. Only a few animals are worthy of the altar, because they are examples of what He wants us to be like. While we may eat deer or giraffes (depending on where we live), those animals are “loners”; only “social animals” (which live and feed together) express the type of drawing near that He wants, for we cannot come close to YHWH on our own terms. It is not about “me and my relationship with Him”, but about the unity of all of His people. Individuals bring offerings, but ultimately for the sake of the whole community. Offering: The Hebrew word [qorban] has no connotation of "sacrifice", as in something we give up, or by which we placate YHWH; it means "something by which to draw near". We gain proximity to YHWH rather than losing something. What a difference in focus! The Hebrew word for “person” here is Adam. If the “Adam in us” (that part which desires to be close to YHWH) is brought to the forefront, we can have what Adam had in the Garden with YHWH and pick up where he dropped the ball. “Adam” also means “humanity”, and this verse literally says, “because Adam brings near from you (Israel) a drawing-near to YHWH.” I.e., all of mankind depends on Israel to draw near, in order for the world to be repaired. We do not have the three-dimensional Tabernacle now, but what He originally intended it to picture is His dwelling among us. Y’hezq’El (Ezekiel) also had to describe the Temple (43:10) because in his day it was not present either, but what he did give us was designed to make us ashamed enough of our present state to change and become fit to receive more instruction about how to build the Home that He really wants. (43:11)
3. "'If what he brings near from out of the herd is one that ascends, he must bring an unblemished male to the entryway of the Tent of Appointment, so he can be [favorably] accepted in the presence of YHWH.
One that ascends: or "an elevating" (Hirsch). The more common translation “burnt offering”, though that is how it is offered ("going up in smoke"), tells us much less about YHWH’s intent. His focus is on allowing us to rise higher. To bring this is a statement that we want to do better. Unblemished: or perfect—i.e., there is nothing wrong with it. It also connotes maturity. Male: More valuable because flock-keepers generally have far fewer of them. But while YHWH is asking for a healthy male animal for this literal offering, the word for “male” more often means “to remember”—the basis for the patrilineal emphasis in Israel’s genealogies. But put the two concepts together and we see that He wants us to bring a mature or sound memory when we appear before Him. He does not want us to come with mere habit, rote or repetition, or on “automatic pilot” when we gather for prayer or worship. Drawing near should never be mundane. He wants us to remember whose table we are approaching, and who we are. Over and over in Scripture and the liturgies, YHWH tells us to remember that He brought us out of Egypt. We are also to remember what we have done that has brought us to His altar to repent of—or what He has done that we came to thank Him publicly for. Entryway to the Tent: If we do approach in this manner, He will open the door for us. If not, it will remain a boring and unprofitable exercise; we will gain no progress in our ascending. Favorably accepted: The Hebrew term is even stronger. It is more like a “thrill”, so the phrase can refer to YHWH as well as to the offerer: If we approach Him mentally engaged, remembering who He is and who you are and wanting to do something about it, He will be delighted. If not, neither will He. All we would have done is kill an animal uselessly.
4. "'And he must lean his hand [firmly] on the head of the one that ascends, and it will be accepted on his behalf, in order to make a covering for him.
Lean his hand: to symbolize identification—with one being commissioned for service as our representative (Acts 13:3), or, in this case, with this animal and our death to self, which says, “Take me as you are taking this animal, so I too can ascend and be accepted.” This “burnt offering” was fully consumed, partaken of by no one but YHWH. None of it was taken home; all it profits one is allowing him to have relationship with YHWH, so it expresses a particularly pure motive. Of course, relationship with Him is everything! This is the same type of offering as brought for sin, but we do not need to wait until it is mandatory to bring our best to Him; the main point is that we are offering ourselves for relationship with Him. Accepted: If it was given cheerfully, it will also please YHWH, so true fellowship can again be established. It is accepted in place of himself, so he can offer himself as a "living sacrifice" instead. But it is also accepted temporarily in lieu of the only offering that would really cover our sin, which was to come later in time. Covering: This is not always speaking of forgiveness. When it does deal with sin, the shedding of the blood of a highly-valuable animal allows us a clear conscience. But this covering is not always “atonement”—the confusing religious term by which it is often rendered, the sweeping under the carpet until it can somehow be dealt with more completely. If He forgives our sins, they are removed as far as the east is from the west, and how does one measure that? If we go north, we will eventually be heading south again, but that is never the case with east and west. If He deals with sin, it is fully dealt with. And this type of offering is not only brought when we have “messed up”. It can be brought just because we want to worship YHWH. Think of it more as being brought under YHWH’s “wings”—not the kind by which something flies, but the extremities of His “garments”, also called “wings” in Hebrew. It is as if He is giving us a hug-- His confirmation of our relationship with Him. This is being brought even closer. (Gibor)
5. "‘And he shall slaughter the son of the herd before [the face of] YHWH. Then the priests, Aharon's sons, shall bring the blood near [present it] and toss it onto every side of the altar that is at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment.
He: Not the priest, but the one who brings it is the one who kills it, for it is his statement of wanting to draw near. The priest only deals with the blood. Slaughter: there is a particular way of cutting the animal's throat that is painless to the animal, and parents would teach their children this method, for if the animal suffers in any way, the slaughter is not counted as kosher. Every man in Israel is responsible to know how to draw the blade, skin, and rightly divide the offering. He is dealing with 1,000 pounds of bull; he cannot make a mistake! Likewise, drawing near to YHWH requires skill; we cannot just enter His presence haphazardly, with “just a prayer in our heart”, and be assured of being accepted. Each one is responsible to acquire knowledge, discernment, and skill. The Tabernacle is a picture of the Kingdom, so if we expect someone else to do the “dirty work” for us—even Yeshua—we are violating a Kingdom principle. There are parts we cannot do; the priest will handle the blood, taking it to the altar, where we cannot come, and for that we are grateful. But we have a part in it too. He puts up with much in the young, but when we are mature, much more is required. Son of the herd: This literally refers to something able to plow; i.e., a bull, which quite literally carries much more weight in the eyes of a herdsman. It is assumed that one will bring a bull, for it is the highest offering, and, after all, our goal is to ascend. The rule is established based on the greater deed, though other animals are permitted; they are listed in descending order. Tradition even says that if one vowed to bring a qorban and did not specify which kind, he was expected to bring a bull, and in this “wholly burnt” form—in which the giver received no benefit from it except an improved relationship with YHWH. Cattle were one of the chief means of measuring one’s wealth. They were a source of food that could last several families a whole winter, but were also a “tractor” that could plow the fields. It could provide plenty of leather or breed with the cows and bring the owner a return on his investment, so it was like one’s stock portfolio. Even now, a “bull market” is one in which people are making a lot of money. The bull thus represents our work, our food, and our possessions—in short, our security. This is why many actually worshipped bulls in ancient times, and today people still worship what it represents. But they are meant to serve us; we do not feed the bull caviar, but only keep them out of the rain. Bringing this animal is telling YHWH, “You, not it, are my security.”
6. "‘And he shall skin the ascending offering and cut it into pieces.
Cut it: separate into parts, at the joints, to use in different ways. We are told, "study to show yourself approved, ...rightly dividing the Word of Truth." (2 Tim. 2:15) I.e., know which parts apply in which situations.
7. "‘And the sons of Aharon the priest shall put fire on the altar, and arrange sticks above the fire.
Arrange sticks: i.e., set them in order. Even the wood had to be of an acceptable quality to be used on the altar, so it too was inspected. At least by Second Temple times, it was stacked somewhat in the shape of a table, able to bear the weight of the pieces of the animals' bodies, in a layered structure so that the animals were not placed directly one on top of another. This allowed air to flow between the tiers so that by the time it all burned down, there was little of the animal left that had to be cleaned away.
8.
"‘Then the priests, the sons of Aharon, shall arrange the pieces, along with the head and the fat, on the wood which is on the fire on the altar.
"‘Then the priests, the sons of Aharon, shall arrange the pieces, along with the head and the fat, on the wood which is on the fire on the altar.They had to be laid out in a certain prescribed manner. Why is the head mentioned separately? The head is the seat of our intellect. If we cannot bring our minds into subjection, we cannot bring YHWH our best. This also reminds us that we need to think like Hebrews, not by Greek logic. The body follows the head; we could cut off any other appendage and still survive, but not the head. "Fat" also means "the best, the choicest part". (See also 3:17.) This always belongs to YHWH.
9. "‘Then he must wash its inward parts and its legs with water. Then, on the altar, the priest shall cause them all to go up in smoke[as] an ascending [offering] made by fire--a soothing aroma to YHWH.
Inward parts and legs: It is not enough to just bring a bull. Though the animal itself is acceptable on the altar, any dirt it had accumulated inside or outside is not. In the original Hebrew text, which does not include the vowel points, "offering of fire" can also read "an ascending woman"--a picture of YHWH's bride, who is without "spot or blemish". (Ephesians 5:27) Soothing: calming or satisfying. Aroma: YHWH wants His wife to smell beautiful to Him as well. The term also means “a delight” or “acceptance”. So the point of learning how to do these offerings is to become a bride who brings YHWH rest and refreshment. Bringing an offering to YHWH consisted of the following steps: After the animal is inspected by a cohen to ensure that it is fit, the worshipper lays hands on it and confesses any guilt that may have required this offering. If we are arrogant when corrected or rebuked, we are not truly confessing and cannot fix what we broke. The actual slaughter consists of drawing a very sharp blade across the animal’s throat so that its main artery and windpipe are both severed in one stroke. The priest catches the blood in a conical vessel that cannot be set down without spilling, so that he will not forget to get the blood to the altar before it coagulates, which would render the offering void. He swirls the blood around in this container constantly to keep it from congealing. He dashes the blood with a whiplike motion against the altar. The blood from each type of sacrifice was thrown against a different part of the altar. At least from Shlomoh’s Temple onward, there was a red line on it that divided the offerings for sins against humanity from the sins against YHWH. The worshipper skins and divides the animal, then salts it to remove the small remaining amount of blood and render the carcass less susceptible to corruption. Salt, for this reason, is a picture of continuance or preservation. The pieces designated for the altar are placed by the priests on the appropriate stacks of wood—some to be burned completely, some to be cooked and eaten by the priests, and some to be eaten by the worshipper and those he has invited, depending on the type of offering.
10. "‘Now if his offering for ascending is out of the flock, from the sheep or the goats, he must bring near a perfect male.
There is a great difference in the value of a bull over that of a sheep. He knew some could not afford the former, and did not wish them to be embarrassed about this; on the physical level it is a beautiful thing that He makes such allowances. In YHWH’s eyes, if this is the best he can bring, it is as if he gave the bull. (Luke 21:4) Not even kings were required to bring bulls, though Shlomoh made quite a statement about how important YHWH is by how many he brought. A bull is only required of the priesthood, for they are teaching us all how to draw near. The priest is to focus only on serving YHWH and trust Him to motivate the rest of Israel to bring the support for the priests that He requires of them. Sheep and goats are of lesser value, but they are nonetheless something of value. But this type of offering pictures someone who, though he has a decent amount of commitment— there is a particular way of cutting the animal's throat that is painless to the animal, and parents would teach their children this method, for if the animal suffers in any way, the slaughter is not counted as kosher. Every man in Israel is responsible to know how to draw the blade, skin, and rightly divide the offering. He is dealing with 1,000 pounds of bull; he cannot make a mistake! Likewise, drawing near to YHWH requires skill; we cannot just enter His presence haphazardly, with “just a prayer in our heart”, and be assured of being accepted. Each one is responsible to acquire knowledge, discernment, and skill. The Tabernacle is a picture of the Kingdom, so if we expect someone else to do the “dirty work” for us—even Yeshua—we are violating a Kingdom principle. There are parts we cannot do; the priest will handle the blood, taking it to the altar, where we cannot come, and for that we are grateful. But we have a part in it too. He puts up with much in the young, but when we are mature, much more is required. Son of the herd: This literally refers to something able to plow; i.e., a bull, which quite literally carries much more weight in the eyes of a herdsman. It is assumed that one will bring a bull, for it is the highest offering, and, after all, our goal is to ascend. The rule is established based on the greater deed, though other animals are permitted; they are listed in descending order. Tradition even says that if one vowed to bring a qorban and did not specify which kind, he was expected to bring a bull, and in this “wholly burnt” form—in which the giver received no benefit from it except an improved relationship with YHWH. Cattle were one of the chief means of measuring one’s wealth. They were a source of food that could last several families a whole winter, but were also a “tractor” that could plow the fields. It could provide plenty of leather or breed with the cows and bring the owner a return on his investment, so it was like one’s stock portfolio. Even now, a “bull market” is one in which people are making a lot of money. The bull thus represents our work, our food, and our possessions—in short, our security. This is why many actually worshipped bulls in ancient times, and today people still worship what it represents. But they are meant to serve us; we do not feed the bull caviar, but only keep them out of the rain. Bringing this animal is telling YHWH, “You, not it, are my security.” -- is still holding some things back from YHWH—“keeping the bull at home”, so to speak. Thus, it had better be both perfect and “male”—which in Hebrew means “worth remembering”. Are we giving Him what is right, or what is left? We are called to be a whole nation of priests, who will one day mediate for the whole world before YHWH, so what we bring to Him must be the highest example for the rest of the people. We must sacrifice our securities, if need be, in order to give YHWH what He deserves. What are the bulls in your life that you could bring to YHWH? If we are not withholding what is most valuable to us, we learn from this that we should not leave the lesser undone either. (Mat. 23:23) If you have much experience in some areas, but only little in others, you should still bring both for the service of the Kingdom. (Gibor)
11. "‘And he shall slaughter it by the northward side of the altar, before the face of YHWH, and the sons of Aharon, the priests, shall toss its blood on all sides of the altar.
Northward: Yeshua was called the lamb of Elohim, so he had to be “offered” northward from the altar. The traditional site of Gulgol'tha, where the Church of the Holy Sepulchre now stands, is due west of where the altar stood at that time. Gordon's Calvary, on the other hand, is north of the Temple Mount, outside the Damascus Gate in the northern wall of Yerushalayim. There is actually a "face" on the hillside just behind where Yeshua was crucified (hence the name, "the place of the skull").
12. "‘And he shall separate it into pieces along with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is above the fire on the altar.
13. "‘And he shall wash its inward parts and legs with water, and the priest shall bring the whole thing near and make it go up in smoke on the altar; it is an offering of fire, a soothing aroma to YHWH.
14. "‘Now if the offering is an ascending offering to YHWH using birds, then he shall bring near his offering of turtledoves or young pigeons.
This is the lowest of the ascending offerings. As the offering of the physically poor, it is not a shameful gift to bring. But if we are in a position to do better, it is a bad picture. YHWH’s mercy is great, but if we are constantly depending on it, we are not improving at all in our walk. Pigeons: The same in Hebrew as the name of the prophet Yonah. There is something special about these two species of bird: they are the only two birds that actually give a form of milk to their young. While chickens and some other birds are also clean, they are not used for offerings in the Temple; only animals that provide their young with milk are slaughtered for this purpose. Those who provide for others are the type of persons He wants as His “living sacrifices”.
15. "‘And the priest shall bring it near to the altar and nip off its head. Then he shall make it go up in smoke upon the altar. Its blood must be drained by the side of the altar.
Unlike the other animals, birds were handled only by the priests, and they were slain right at the altar itself instead of some distance away. This may have added honor to the offerings of the poor. (5:7) But bringing it to someone else to offer up is also a picture of those who “leave everything to Y’shua” and only draw near in their hearts. No blood from a bird is even applied to the altar. So many trust Y’shua to atone for them, but are doing nothing at all for their neighbors. Nip: The priest grew a sharp thumbnail cut like a blade long enough to slit the bird's throat with one hand. He did not wring its neck, because then it would be strangled and not be kosher. He left its head partially connected, but popped it back like a bottle top and squeezed its blood out.
16."‘And he shall pluck out its crop along with its feathers, and shall throw it near the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes.
"‘And he shall pluck out its crop along with its feathers, and shall throw it near the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes.Its crop is its stomach. The Mishnah says that since a bird eats whatever it can find, and is therefore essentially a thief, the contents of its stomach are not acceptable on the altar, unlike the livestock which eat what the owner provides for them.
17. "‘And he shall split it [open], not dividing it [completely into two parts], and the priest shall make it go up in smoke upon the altar, on the wood which is above the fire as an ascending offering; it is a fire offering, a soothing aroma to YHWH.
Split it: spread it apart. It was not to be divided in half, because that is symbolic of making a covenant (Gen. 15:9, 17-18), and this level of offering, while an honest attempt to do something when nothing else is feasible, is nonetheless not of the caliber required as a basis for covenant. Birds were not even mentioned in v. 2 as an acceptable way to draw near. They seem like a merciful afterthought so that even the poorest could afford to bring something. It is better than nothing, but do not pretend that it is a bull. If we leave all responsibility to Yeshua rather than “filling up what is lacking of his afflictions” (Col. 1:24), we then also associate him with the poor behavior we present to YHWH. Our goal should be to bring the best every time. The bird should only be a stage toward that. Doves in particular are symbolic of the Spirit (e.g., Mark 1:10), and many think that they have an adequate standing with YHWH if they worship Him in Spirit, but obey none of His literal commands. Like birds, they are “flighty”, countering what Scripture clearly says with “but I believe…” This is like eating kosher only on the Sabbath, being “partly holy”, or concentrating only on how nice worship makes us feel. “Spiritual salvation” is taking our eyes off the prize of a Kingdom that is meant to be physical as well. We are not fully “saved” until we are in the Promised Land as a whole people in YHWH’s presence; even Paul only spoke of a “hope of salvation”. How did the steps to bringing the Kingdom feel to Yeshua? They felt like spikes and a whip! He says we are to worship the Father in Spirit AND in truth. (Yoch. 4:24) The Spirit is the means, not the end. It enables us to keep the covenant, but in our exile we have been impoverished, and worship in spirit alone has been accepted, since it is all we could do, but not what He really desires. (Gibor)
Without the specifics of the Torah, we have no way of defining what is really spiritual, and the “wiggle-room” it leaves is used as an excuse to define “love your neighbor as yourself” in any way that suits the whims of the moment, and as the old adage says, “He who aims at nothing is sure to reach it.” YHWH intends greater things for His bride; following His specific instructions will enable us to know Him as He wants to be known.
CHAPTER 2
1. "‘And when a person brings a [grain] offering with which to draw near to YHWH, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil upon it and put frankincense on it,
Person: the Hebrew term is nefesh, which means “soul”or “personality”. This is not a tangible thing, but neither is it abstract. It is the “life force” that energizes and animates us on a level deeper than food does. It is the non-physical part of us that lets us laugh, cry, think, and speak. It is considered the real self, created by the interface between body and spirit. So this is not a merely physical act; it must be brought from a deeper level—from the spark at our very core, as if it is a part of our life itself, for the word for “grain offering” literally means a piece or portion, but with the added connotation of “a tribute-gift". We offer part of what keeps us alive. We bring what we are really all about, a part of our very essence. In such things there should be no separation of physical from spiritual; something tangible must be brought, but with a burning desire to do so. If it is not deeper than the outward action, we are really bringing nothing. A gift must be something of value to the receiver. This is not a grand and glorious gift that we have to save and save to be able to bring, like a bull; it is an everyday thing. It is not about special moments like the Sabbath or festivals; it is a picture of turning over to YHWH an additional part of our lives. The more of a place we prepare for Him, the more He moves into. What keeps a Husband at home like the smell of fresh-baked bread? It still has the energy in it, and our gift must likewise be something we have poured our lives into. This is not blackmail, but a love affair. He is constantly responding to us, and we want to keep the spark alive by offering to be more completely responsible in some area. It is an everyday thing because there is never a time when we have nothing left to offer YHWH; in each season there are new areas to turn over to Him or to turn over more fully. Yehudah has a beautiful prayer that offers to YHWH even the act of getting out of bed in the morning. It gives Him the credit for reuniting soul and body after whatever the world of dreams has done to affect the consciousness. We cannot turn over all of ourselves at once, though we might like to, because we are not mature or learned enough to offer in the right manner, and trying too soon can cause worse problems. (Compare Deut. 7:22.) As we move up several steps, we can see the things we had already surrendered to YHWH from a more complete perspective, and this reveals more areas in which the grain needs to be crushed so it can be offered to Him in a still better form. The sieve is fine, and some of the flour still cannot fit through it. The crushing agent is the pair of stones on which the Torah was written. In the Temple, one continued to ascend. No matter how far we have ascended, it is not enough if we are not all the way there. The way we tell when we have “arrived” in a given area is when we can with confidence tell others, “Follow me. Do it the way I do it.” This is not arrogance, for one must go through much crushing to get there. If we are not worthy of imitation by those on the level below us, we have not truly reached the next level. The Talmud tells us that for the Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest, flour went through 13 sieves. The flour became so fine that the priest could put his hands into it and withdraw them with no flour sticking to them--a picture of those who allow YHWH to make them so holy that they have nothing to do with the "flesh". Also, no bird could pick out a kernel anymore and carry it away, for all the kernels have been mingled with one another—a picture of a mature community committed to one another. Priests were the ones who sifted. Pour oil: in other words, it was anointed, which in Hebrew is mashiach; i.e., Messiah. Oil represents the Holy Spirit—which is very “slippery” to people’s understanding, and therefore many have been misled by words claiming to be from the “Spirit”. In Hebrew the phrase (Ruakh haQodesh) means simply the “spirit of being set apart”. But haQodesh is the title of the first main room in the Tabernacle and Temple, which are both pictures of what is in heaven and will meet us here during the Kingdom. (Heb. 8:5; 9:23) Everything in this room was anointed to symbolize being set apart for YHWH’s purposes alone. It was the room where the work of service took place. Thus “ruakh haQodesh” really refers to a “breath or wind of the Kingdom”, for the chief task of the Spirit of Holiness is to establish the principles of the Kingdom in us before it arrives from Heaven. (Heb. 6:4-5) This offering reminds us that all we say and do should be an example in advance of what the Kingdom holds. We need to learn to live like we are in the Kingdom now, so that when He shows up we will be found ready. The anointing with oil signifies the empowerment to do that. Everything in the tent was anointed, and thus empowered to be a picture of the age to come. If we do not have enough oil, we need more teachers. How do we increase the oil that lets our light shine? By listening to His judgments, guarding His commands, and carrying them out. (Deut. 7:11-13) Giving the Spirit more fuel actually increases our capacity for more. The more we know Torah, the more the Spirit has to work with. (1 Kings 17:13-14) Frankincense: the gummy resin of the Boswellia trees. King Shlomoh wore it along with myrrh as a perfume, which is why these gifts were given to the toddler Yeshua. YHWH seems especially fond of its aroma, and indeed there is something about it that seems to go deeper than the physical sense. There is something worshipful about it. The trees must be cut to allow it to pour forth like tears, but if it is pierced too deeply, the tree cannot reproduce as well. This pictures the fact that religious fanaticism actually diminishes our spiritual effectiveness. The more clear or white the resin, the more edible it is. It hardens and can be grated, and in the Temple Institute’s opinion, it was served on this bread like salt granules. It would taste a little bit like cinnamon toast. Its name comes from the word "whiteness", symbolizing purity, and it is a feminine word in Hebrew, which again hints at bringing these offerings being to become for Him a bride wearing a beautiful fragrance. (Gibor)
2. "‘ and he must bring it to the sons of Aharon the priest. And he will grasp from it His handful of fine flour along with some of its oil in addition to all of its frankincense. Then the priest must burn its memorial portion like incense [with smoke] on the altar, an offering with fire, a soothing aroma to YHWH.
Grasp: This is a picture of YHWH responding to what we have offered. Show that you have been thinking about the details of what He wants in a home. Today this is still pictured in the tradition of setting aside a piece of our bread when blessing YHWH, who has provided it. But when one gives the bread to YHWH’s representative, it is not plain; he must add something to it. The Sabbath and festivals are not enough to repair the world, as large a part as they do play; if everyday things are not also repaired, it will constantly fall back into decay. He knows how to deal best with each part we give Him; let Him invest it where the greatest yield will be. Sometimes it is as simple as saying “thank you”. But the Hebrew word for “thank” really means “stretching out the hand”, for there must be action involved, not just words. We give Him the portion He is due by thanking Him for it, then, like this offering, we give the remainder to provide for YHWH’s servants. This is not a part of one’s tithe; that is not a gift. It already belongs to Him, and to fail to bring it is robbing YHWH. This is over and above what He requires. Our thanksgiving to YHWH can end in the hungry being fed or the oppressed being comforted. Makes it smoke: releasing its fragrance by heating it; the word is qatar, related to qetoreth (incense). Smells can bring back very old memories perfectly, letting us relive wonderful moments from our childhood. This is a specific blend that He likes, as a husband has certain perfumes he prefers to smell on his wife; it is burned for His pleasure. Give Him incense before presenting your problems to Him; after thanking Him for the wonders He has wrought, our problems may not seem so insurmountable after all. He can handle them too. This is not bribing the King; it is showing Him respect. A soothing aroma to YHWH: It means something that makes Him relax. Contrast this to how our ancestors made themselves odious to Him. (Yeshayahu 3:24; Amos 4:10) Our response to Him must correct their error. If we become enough of an example of giving, the world cannot ignore us, for the aroma spreads all around. But some of it also rises up to YHWH and the smell pleases Him! He knows we are learning, and He does not need to be “uptight” about us.
3. "‘What is left over of the grain offering is for Aharon and his sons, [being] the holiest of the fire offerings of YHWH.
A portion is sent on ahead of us into the Kingdom, treasure laid up there, but the rest is given to YHWH’s servants who live in the present, so they can feed the things of the Kingdom here and now. You are only giving yourself to YHWH if you are giving of yourself to His servants. What is withheld from them is actually being denied Him. No one can give to Him simply “in his heart”; a major way to put our faith to work is to provide for the servants of YHWH under whose care He has put us. These servants are already serving us. When enough servants are serving His other servants, the Kingdom will come. Being intimate with Him first involves being honest with those we can see (1 Yochanan 4:20-21; see notes on v. 11). Most holy: "set apart [among the] set apart"--a "special treasure" to Him. (Ex. 19:5) This first option of how to offer one’s grain is plain dough, probably patted into a cake and placed on top of the altar on a piece of wood that would be burned. It is ready to use, but not ready to eat. This lets the priests choose how they want to use it, so it is a reasonable sacrifice to give ourselves to YHWH (Rom. 12:2), but to become "bread" (1 Cor. 10:17), we have to be joined together with others. Bread is a picture of community. The remainder of the grain offerings are ready to eat. More of our energy is poured into them:
4. "‘And when you bring near a grain offering baked in an oven, [it is to be] unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or [thin] unleavened wafers, anointed with oil.
Wafers: denotes being dripped on the oven (something like a thin pancake).
5."‘And if your offering is a grain offering cooked on a flat griddle, its shall be of fine flour without leaven, mixed with oil.
"‘And if your offering is a grain offering cooked on a flat griddle, its shall be of fine flour without leaven, mixed with oil.6."‘You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
"‘You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.This reminds us of Avraham, who promised his guests only a piece of bread, but served them a fattened calf, three whole loaves of bread, and milk. (Gen. 18:5ff) So these pieces are an appetizer—a commitment to YHWH that there is a lot more yet to come. (Gibor)
7. "‘And if the grain offering is [cooked] in a pot, it shall be of fine flour made with oil.
A pot: one deep enough to stir in; alt., a stewing pot. A bagel literally means “boiled”, but that is leavened; the emphasis here is on the type of vessel, and does not necessarily include water; it may be deep-fried. During the days of the Temple, these were all cooked in the "Pancake-Bakers' Chamber" in the outer court area.
8. "‘And you shall bring the grain offering which is made of these things to YHWH, and the priest shall bring it near the altar,
These things: Four different ways of forming a community (what bread pictures, per 1 Cor. 10:17) are thus depicted here. YHWH has many ways of bringing us together. Yehudah’s bread is baked in a different environment than ours—one of a continual tradition, whereas ours is something being relearned as we come out of a long exile. The preparation of each is different, and YHWH has different ways of applying the heat in each congregation, but all of them can be offered up to YHWH and His servants if they have the required key ingredients of grain and oil. We present it to YHWH by presenting it to His servants. The community must have people whom YHWH has crushed and who have the Spirit of Being Set-Apart (which the oil pictures), or they will be unable to stick together. Another indispensable ingredient not mentioned here, but without which oil and flour will not adhere is water, which represents YHWH’s word (the Torah). While the specifics of how we do things will vary, a community that does not meet on His prescribed Sabbath or ignores His commands is not one acceptable to Him.
9. "‘and the priest will lift out from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn it like incense on the altar [as] a fire-offering, a soothing aroma to YHWH.
Lift out: Aramaic, "separate off". This time the offering goes a step further: it is not just pulverized grain, but actual bread—a picture of a community offering something up to YHWH together. It is completely ready for consumption; the servants do not need to work on it any further.
10. "‘And the remainder of the food offering is for Aharon and his sons, [being] most holy, the fire offerings of YHWH.
11. "‘You must not leaven any food offering that you bring near to YHWH, because you may not burn any leaven or burn any honey as a fire offering to YHWH.
The term “leaven” (se’or), the leavening agent as opposed to khametz (that which is leavened) is rooted in a word that means to swell up. In the Passover season, leavening represents sin, especially pride, which puffs up and makes us look like more than we are. When bread is leavened, there is really no additional nutrient or anything of substance or benefit. Matzah shows exactly how much you have really brought. As Yeshua pointed out with the widow who gave everything she had (Luke 21:4), a piece of matzah that is smaller than a leavened loaf might actually have twice the amount of real nutrition in it than the larger loaf. If you do not feel you can be sincere, treat someone better than you feel like treating him, and it will become easier to do so genuinely. Leaven is used in a positive sense in Mat. 13:33. The common factor is that it always means something that irreversibly permeates. Honey represents deception, because it makes the flour seem sweeter than it really is. It gives a better impression, but a false one. He wants His altar to be a place of complete honesty toward Him, one another, and our own selves. He will not be fooled, and eventually everyone else will be able to smell the difference. He wants to use what we are, not what we pretend to be. To bring others into the kind of holiness that truly sacrifices self, we cannot lure them by the niceties of YHWH's blessings, when we know He will also sift us until we can become a part of the "one bread". (1 Cor. 10:17) Sweet lips dripping with compliments are usually trying to get something out of you. You shall not burn: Honey may make the bread burn more easily. Even the leavened loaves required at Shavuoth were not to be offered on the altar itself, but only waved before YHWH, for this fire is too intense for bread. On another level, honey is a natural antibody, and since there is no leaven, there is no need for this.
12. "‘As an offering of firstfruits, you may bring them to YHWH, but they shall not ascend the altar to be a soothing fragrance.
These offerings are brought to YHWH’s servants as food, but are not offered on the altar. They are nothing but provision for YHWH’s servants, though if we withhold them, we rob YHWH Himself. (Mal. 3:8ff) Some practices are allowed in lower-level worship, which pleases Him to some extent, but on those whom He chooses to be closest and dearest to Himself through the repeated "sifting like wheat", He places more stringent requirements than the bare minimum necessary for mere inclusion in the Kingdom. The first of our thoughts belongs to YHWH as well, and we should not be using our highest faculties for things that will inhibit His Kingdom.
13. "‘And every one of your grain offerings you shall season with salt; you shall not let the salt of the covenant of your Elohim be lacking from your grain offering. You shall offer salt with all your offerings.'"
Salt preserves, so it is a picture of the perpetuity of the covenant. Today, while there is no Temple, this command is remembered by salting the two loaves of bread made for each Sabbath. A covenant of salt is part of a meal in which one promises to protect the one who is sealing the agreement through a meal. It was given to the parents of the groom at weddings. Salt is also a cleansing and healing agent; it renders the slaughtered animal unsusceptible to outside influences, reminding us that the absolute Covenant of YHWH is not to be altered. (Hirsch) Neither heat nor water can destroy salt. So how can salt lose its savor? Only by sitting idle for long periods. Salt was actually enough of a prized commodity in Roman times that soldiers received it as payment; “salary” comes from the word for “salt”. A worker was said to be “worth his salt”. But it was usually paid out in chunks, and one would not grind up a portion of it until it was ready to be used, so that the rest would maintain its flavor. The context for Yeshua’s calling us “the salt of the earth” was persecution. (Mat. 5:10-13) If we undergo His grinding up (Luke 20:18), we must put what it teaches us into practice right away, or its purpose will be lost. If we do it rightly the first time so that it does not need to be repeated, its effect will last forever.
14. "‘And if you bring near a [grain] offering of firstfruits to YHWH, you shall bring firstfruits of newly-ripened ears roasted with fire, crushed from full ears as your grain offering.
Newly-ripened: just past the green stage, and ready to use if harvested; Heb., aviv, the sign that spring and a new year is upon us. (Ex. 12:2; 13:4) This is not something from last year’s storehouse, but something fresh from the field. YHWH wants us to bring Him “a new song”—what we are just learning, not what is old and stale. Roasted: parched or dried. Full: lush, plentiful, garden-grown. Don’t even think about what we will do with this harvest until we give YHWH His part. Do not delay; offer it as soon as it is ready.
15. "‘And you shall put oil upon it, and lay it on frankincense; it is a [grain] offering.
16. "‘So the priest shall cause the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil to smoke [as incense], in addition to the frankincense, [as] a fire offering to YHWH.'"
This is to remind Him that we want to be who we are supposed to be, and it is a reminder to ourselves to be what we are supposed to be. This is not just about a lot of grain; every aspect of this is a picture of the Kingdom. What do you need to turn over to YHWH? Where do you need to learn more so that you can offer it up properly? Where have you stopped processing the grain so that readiness is delayed? Where might you be offering Him something leavened or artificially sweet? What firstfruits that belong to YHWH have you been taking for yourself? What are you offering to Him, but not to His servants whose right it is?
CHAPTER 3
1. "‘And if what he brings near is a peace offering, if he is offering it from the herd, whether a male or female, he shall bring it before [the face of] YHWH completely sound.
Peace offering: not in the modern sense of appeasing or placating another party, but literally, slaughter for completenesses—a form of thanks offering brought when YHWH has kept us safe or won a victory for us. This is a meal to be eaten in company with others who understand holiness, who are clean before YHWH. These are people the offerer invites to come hear him give witness of what YHWH has done for him. Before YHWH: literally, to His face, for intimacy with Him is what these “drawings-near” are all about. Male or female: This offering has nothing to do with sin, so the requirements are not as stringent. Completely sound: perfectly healthy and without blemish. It is not enough to offer just any bull; if it is flawed in any way, it will not be accepted.
2. "‘Then he must lean his hand on the head of his offering, and slaughter it at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment, and Aharon's sons, the priests, will dash the blood against the altar on every side.
Lean his hand: symbolizing that it is his substitute. The point is not that the animal is brought near, but that the donor is. Slaughter it: the term connotes slitting its throat painlessly. If the animal suffers, the sacrifice is not counted as kosher. This is the only offering directly linked to the doorway of the tent, which is where the war goes on. (Ex. 38:8) No matter how strong a city’s walls are, its most vulnerable point is the gate. How the gates are defended makes all the difference; if they are constructed well, the city is very hard to take. Cities like Megiddo and Lakhish still have remnants of the gate complexes, and we can see there that once inside the first gate, there were more doors, as well as insets for more soldiers to wait so that anyone who made it inside the gate could still be picked off before entering the actual city. The gate is where the battle is won or lost. Only the slaughter of the “bull” (the world’s forms of security) will adequately protect our openings. Giving just enough to get by will ultimately lose the war for us. The “mother lode” that our adversary really wants most is control over our minds. There are many things that do not need to enter our eyes or ears. Least defended is what comes out of our mouths, though this gate is the easiest of all to close and the hardest to pry open. Being “nosey” can cause battles as well. And the eye is the lamp of the body; how much light are we letting in to defeat the selfishness in us? And if the sexual gates are not guarded adequately, much trouble will result. We are to write His words on our doorposts—that is, enter into the way He sees things, and establish Him as ruler over each area where w realize we are letting other “securities” rule us. This is how we can “bring YHWH a bull” today. “Completely sound” in v. 1 has the nuance of being learned. We must learn from what takes place at our gates: How did we win? Or what caused us to lose? If we do not, we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Wait at wisdom’s doorposts. Only the priests have the authority to deal with the blood, for they are the representatives of YHWH. They are the ones who stand in His position as we fulfill our side of the covenant. They carry more weight than even kings. They act out His role in fulfilling His part of the covenant; they do the part that must be done absolutely correctly. Therefore a priest, too, must be without flaw. (21:21)
3. "‘Then he shall bring near a fire offering to YHWH from the slaughter of the peace offering: the fat which covers the inward parts, and all the fat which is on the inward parts,
Psalm 116 is David's expression of drawing near with a peace offering. Fat: the choicest or the best--like the firstfruits or tithes, this is something owed to YHWH. (See also 27:30; Num. 18:26-29) Which covers the inward parts: or, which conceals the innermost parts. If we offer ourselves willingly in some areas, we might hope this would keep anyone else from probing deeper to find our weaker points. But then we are not giving YHWH all that He asked for; to truly draw near to Him, we must be honest about these areas too and let those Israelites who know us best, and who have authority and maturity, deal with the areas where we lack Kingdom beauty, so what is wrong with them can be burned away. This is the “circumcision of the heart”. (Deut. 10:16)
4."‘both kidneys and the fat which is on them, which is by the flanks, and [the appendage] that hangs over the liver by the kidneys--[all these] he shall remove.
"‘both kidneys and the fat which is on them, which is by the flanks, and [the appendage] that hangs over the liver by the kidneys--[all these] he shall remove.Kidneys: the feminine form of the word for “vessel”, but with the root meaning “prepared”—i.e., to receive what is put into it. (See Ex. 36:2-3). The kidneys and liver work together to filter the blood. Whatever is not pure is sent back for “repentance”. “Kidneys” is also often used in Hebrew for what we call the “mind”, for our mind (not our emotions) is to rule our life in subjection to YHWH’s will. When someone has an infection in this part of the body, he is told to drink a lot of water. Returning to the “water of the word” (the Torah) is our purification process—being “transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Rom. 12:2) so that we can remove what should not be there. The bile in the liver regulates the chemical balance of the blood, which represents our life, to ensure that it can properly rid the body of impurities and receive what is beneficial to distribute throughout the body, like oxygen. YHWH’s instruction (Heb., torah) is what is to (literally) regulate our lives—not even our families, traditions, morals, or religion. These organs are constantly at work, as we always have more to repent of; even the tiniest impurities can kill us. The term for liver means what is heavy and important. It is related to the word often translated “glory”, which really signifies weightiness of authority. Thus giving YHWH the appendage or lobe over (“what is in addition to”) the liver represents taking for ourselves nothing over and above the right amount of importance or authority given to us; when additional glory comes to us, it is to be given to YHWH.
5. "‘And the sons of Aharon shall cause it to smoke on the altar, in addition to the ascending [offering] which is on the wood that is above the fire, [as] a fire offering, a soothing aroma to YHWH.
Certain parts of the meat, especially the fat, when burned up, have a wonderful aroma. In addition to: or, on top of, thus mixing the two smells together. Wood: laid out in a set pattern to support the offerings. The fire itself was lit by YHWH, not by men; men were responsible to keep it burning at all times. (6:13) Wood smoke adds another pleasant dimension to the aroma. Fire represents both YHWH’s presence and our motivation. They should be one and the same; zeal for His house should consume us. Wood represents mortal men; who we are is to be founded on the motivation of coming closer to YHWH’s presence. Then we have something to ignite an ascension to completeness (shalom).
6. "‘Now if his offering is from the flock, to be a peace offering to YHWH, male or female, he must bring a completely sound [one].
7. "‘If it is a young sheep he is bringing near [as] his offering, he shall present it before the face of YHWH.
Before the face of YHWH: somewhere in front of the dwelling place, but not as specific a location as there was for the bull, the more valuable offering and therefore one for which there are more guidelines given. It is not designated to be slaughtered at the entryway, as the bull was (v. 2). Why? Because it is a lesser offering, and not as effective in combating the spiritual warfare we encounter at our gates. But it still represents a decent commitment—something of value given to YHWH. It is more than most people bring, but what the majority does is by no means our standard. To have completeness at our gates, we must offer our very best, because YHWH has given us His best.
8. "‘And he shall lean his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it in front of the Tent of Appointment, and the sons of Aharon shall toss its blood onto the altar, all around.
9. "‘Then he shall bring near from what is slaughtered a fire offering to YHWH--its best part: he shall remove the whole fat tail, which is close up against the backbone, and the fat that covers its inward parts, and all the fat that is between the inward parts.
Fat tail: a special feature of this type of sheep. It was considered such a delicacy in ancient times that the Mishnah and earlier Greek writings as well say that shepherds designed a device that had a wheel on it to roll along the ground and keep particularly-large fat tails from dragging on the ground and being broken! This is the only item added to what is offered from the bull. Why? The Hebrew word (alyah) has its root in a term for swearing an oath (alah). Whole: or, complete. This is therefore “an oath of perfection”. Because the sheep is a lesser offering, it represents the realization that we have not yet brought all that we should, and a promise that next time we will bring the bull He deserves. Bringing a sheep may be all we can do now, but it represents a commitment to go on to what He really prefers—to becoming more learned so we can do better next time. But we must be careful what we promise; though we may forget it, He will not, and we do not wish to find ourselves indebted to Him. It is far safer to find a way to bring the bull in the first place. We already owe Him enough. There is one advantage to the absence of a literal Temple, which is a picture of how we are to live our entire lives in relation to Him. Those to whom Paul wrote in Rome could not all go to Yerushalayim to worship, and he told them that their “reasonable service” was to offer their very selves as a “living sacrifice”, a type set apart and acceptable, and be transformed by the renewing of their minds. (Romans 11:35-12:3) We might not be able to afford to bring bulls, but in this scenario we are not limited by what animals we own. In exile, we have to skip directly to what the physical offerings represent, and we always have a “bull” in whatever is of the greatest value to us. We have no excuse, so we had better do what bringing the animal was meant to teach us all along. So why wait until next time to do our best? We only have one life to offer; why not get it right the first time? There are lesser options, but not all bring us equally close; why settle for a half-hearted response to YHWH’s bounty? In the eastern context in which YHWH brought His revelation, men might have many wives, but there was always a head wife in the household. We want to be a bride of which YHWH can say, “Many daughters have acted capably, but you ascend higher than them all.” (Prov. 31:29)
10. "‘He shall also remove both of the kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and what hangs over the liver by the kidneys.
11. "‘And the priest shall cause it to smoke [as incense] on the altar--food of the fire offering to YHWH.
12. "‘And if his offering is a [she-] goat, then he shall present it before the face of YHWH,
13. "‘and he shall lean his hand on the head of his offering, and slaughter it in front of the Tent of Appointment, and the sons of Aharon shall toss its blood onto the altar, all around.
14. "‘Then he shall bring near from what is slaughtered a fire offering to YHWH: the fat that covers its inward parts, and all the fat that is between the inward parts.
Missing from the goat is the fat tail; everything else is identical to what is offered from the sheep. Conspicuous by its absence is the oath to do better next time. This is therefore a lesser offering still. When one is bringing an ascending offering that is to be completely consumed, the goat is of equal value to the sheep, but in an offering where we are singling out certain aspects with which to depict our thankfulness to YHWH, bringing a goat represents those who say, “Look, I’m bringing a goat as it is! How could you ask for more?” They are the ones who think it is enough to draw near to YHWH personally. Yeshua said the line of who would enter into the joy of the Master would even be drawn between the sheep and the goats. The sheep served him by serving the least of His brothers; the goats did not. They are told to depart. (Mat. 25) Sheep are community-oriented; goats are individualists that look out for themselves. Individualism has no place in the Kingdom; YHWH’s promises are to His people as a whole, and to individuals only as they are part of the whole. Few find the road to life, even among those who bring some sort of offering to YHWH. (Mat. 7:21) Goats are clean animals, but why settle for the bare minimum? And here, the goat is the lowest allowed. None of the birds as allowed in chapter, nothing so cheap—nothing merely spiritual--is permitted as a thank offering; this must be in deed as well as word. Do not hand Him something of no comparison to all He has done for us. (Gibor)
15. "‘He shall also remove both of the kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is by the flanks, and what hangs over the liver by the kidneys.
16. "‘And the priest shall cause them to smoke [as incense] on the altar—food of the fire offering--as a soothing aroma; all the fat belongs to YHWH.
All the fat: because our best deeds always originate in Him (Yaaqov/James 1:17), not in ourselves, so we are to receive none of the credit for them. (Luke 17:8-10) Turning the fat over to Him is saying we recognize that He knows best and trust Him to provide what is best for us. Food of the fire offering: without the vowels (as the original Hebrew Torah was), this phrase can read "the bread of the wife of YHWH", i.e., His bride, which is created as His people become holy and draw near to Him in this way. A soothing aroma: though the smell of fat burning is indeed a very pleasing aroma, what it represents refreshes Him even more. (Rom. 12:1-3) We are not free to change any of these regulations, or the sacrifice is rendered null and void. (Mat. 5:18) He is the one who tells us how they must be done. We cannot lower His standards and expect to be complete. Even adding extra to them changes what they are meant to teach. (Gal. 3:15; Rev. 22:18) Our own way of approaching will not be accepted. (Mat. 22:11-12)
17. "‘[This shall be] a perpetually-prescribed custom for [all] your generations and all of the places where you settle: you may not eat any fat or any blood.'"
There are many health benefits to obeying these commands, which would have spared countless people physical suffering. But many disregard them just because they are "under grace". Grace is for emergencies, and should not be the norm. Any fat: This does not refer to the marbled fat that is inextricable from the meat, but the particular types listed in vv. 14-15. Any blood: 17:14 tells us we will be "cut off" if we eat it. This is not a command to human courts, but a promise that somehow we will physically suffer (if we survive), for YHWH will see to it. But if life is in the blood, why would we die if we eat it? Because it is the "life of the flesh" (17:11). The flesh is incompatible with the spirit, and if we "live according to the flesh", we will die. (Rom. 8:5-13) Eating blood is tantamount to saying, “It’s my life; I’ll do with it what I want. Forget YHWH.” Bringing it to Him instead says, “My life belongs to You.” Also, the word for "flesh" means "glad news" or "gospel", and it is not meant to be hidden within our mouths, but allowed out. What we are to keep in our mouths (ruminating on it) is the Torah. (Deut. 30:14; Y'hoshua 1:8)
CHAPTER 4
1. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,
2. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, to tell [them], ‘A person that unintentionally deviates and does any from among YHWH's commandments which are not to be done--
Unintentionally: when having a lapse in memory or straying mentally, and we later realize we did something that we should not have. It does not include stubborn refusal to obey; that is in the category of rebellion, not an accidental error.) This is talking about something one habitually walks in, for it applies to those who know enough to be responsible. But although it was a mistake, it is still an error, and we are still held responsible to make restitution. The relationship with YHWH must be restored; “I forgot” is not an adequate response. This particular procedure applies only for negative commands (the “thou shalt nots”), except for involuntary manslaughter, which has a special prescription. Inadvertent sins include all the times we worshipped idols when we called YHWH by the names of other elohim or attended Easter (Ishtar) sunrise services, before we knew what they really were. “Sin” means “to miss the target”. Even the best marksman does not hit the target every time, but we need to come to grips with our guilt and do whatever it takes to get it out of our lives. The offering removes the guilt, not the possibility of repeating the offense. Discipline—being more careful about our thoughts and deeds—is what will keep us from doing it again, as we accept the strength that YHWH offers to anyone who cares to ask. The place to start is with confession of our need. Then something has to die; we must offer up something of ourselves and what is valuable to us. This applies even to the most mature. He starts with the high priest himself:
3. "‘if the anointed priest should err [in a way that] results in the incurring of guilt [for] the nation, then for his errors which he has committed, he must bring near a bull--the son of a herd, a perfect one--to YHWH as a sin offering.
Incurring of guilt for the nation: Normally the priest bears the guilt of the nation. We should be able to look at him as our example, so if he makes this kind of mistake, he can represent the whole nation in a bad way as well. All of the people become guilty. But this also sets the precedent for the high priest to be able to, by his action, remove the sin of the whole nation. (vv. 13-20) Just as he can incur guilt for us all by missing the mark, he can also remove sin from all Israel by hitting it (but just the kind that is being described here, not willful sin). This is important to our understanding of what Yeshua did. Removing unintentional sin from Israel via a drawing-near offering is his job. If he hits the target and we recognize him as our authorized representative, we are counted as hitting it too. Son of the herd: a young animal (the rabbis say it refers to a three-year-old), full of potential, pretty close to being fully grown and a raw “powerhouse”, yet immature. The one bringing it is admitting there is still a measure of immaturity in himself, things he does not know, and room for improvement. Both the words “bull” and “herd” are rooted in the idea of “breaking through” in Hebrew. It is not appropriate to plow through life without considering our actions or relationships. We must take time to consider what we are doing. Bringing this bull is a commitment to bring every thought into captivity and be more careful so we will not have such a “slip” again. YHWH’s “special forces” have to be able to react both skillfully (correctly) and quickly, and the only way to do that is to be thoroughly trained by experience in serving the community. It must become natural for us to give YHWH’s answer as our first response. For that, we have to be steeped in the Torah.
4. "‘And he must bring the bull to the entryway to the Tent of Appointment before the face of YHWH, and lean his hand on the bull's head, and slaughter the bull in the presence of YHWH.
Slaughter: painlessly by slitting its throat. Having to spend as much as it cost to bring a bull should be enough to remind us not to be so forgetful again!
5. "‘Then the anointed priest must take [some] of the bull's blood and bring it to the Tent of Appointment,
6. "‘and the priest must dip his finger in the blood, and spatter the front of the veil of the sanctuary with the blood seven times before the face of YHWH.
Seven times: a picture of completion. Spatter: flicking the fingers with pressure that causes the blood to spurt. He was still in front of the tent (v. 7), so this is the outer veil.
7. "‘Then the priest must put [some] of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense before the face of YHWH, which is in the Tent of Appointment, and pour out all [the rest] of the blood at the base of the altar of ascending [offering], which is at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment.
The horns: thereby symbolically making a covering for everything between these extremities.
8. "‘And he must lift off from it [and present] all of the bull's fat [as] a sin offering --he must lift off from it the fat that covers the inward parts, and all the fat that is beside the inward parts,
9. "‘both kidneys and the fat that is on them, which is beside the flanks, and remove the appendage that hangs over the liver beside the kidneys,
10. "‘just as it is lifted off from the ox of the slaughter for peace offerings; then the priest shall cause them to smoke like incense on the altar of ascending [offering].
Only these parts are burnt within the sanctuary complex; the rest, whose burning will not smell as good, are taken to a place away from where the people are:
11."‘Then, along with the bull's hide and its flesh by its head and by its legs, its inward parts, and its dung,
"‘Then, along with the bull's hide and its flesh by its head and by its legs, its inward parts, and its dung,12. "‘he must take the whole bull to the outside of the camp to a ritually-clean place where the ashes mixed with fat are poured out, and burn him on top of the wood with fire. It must be burnt on top of the place where the ashes mixed with fat are poured out.
It is entirely done away with; in contrast to most other “sacrifices”, this one brings the offerer no benefit except relief from his guilt. This time the whole animal is “wasted” to show how serious a matter it is to err when we are representing YHWH, even if it is accidental. We do not eat of it because we should not profit from our sins, except as an impetus to do better the next time. But it is better that the animal be outside the camp and we ascend higher because of this lesson than for us to be outside the camp because we are cut off from the community for deliberate sin. This place would probably be bleached white when rain fell on the ashes and turned them into lye, for this is a mixture soap is often made from. Grass would not be able to grow here, so it would be a memorable sight for parents to show their children. It would be very “clean” in that respect as well! No one who is ritually impure may go there. When the Temple stood, this place was directly east of the Temple on the Mount of Olives.
13. "‘Now if the whole congregation of Israel should inadvertently swerve [from the right path], and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done [even] one of all [the things] that YHWH has commanded not to be done, and have become guilty,
Even one: As one dead fly in the compounder’s ointment can make it stink, so one foolish act can ruin the reputation of an honorable person known for his wisdom. (Qoheleth/Eccles. 10:1) One sin left undealt with can spread its influence and ruin all of Israel. Especially in a small community, the error of merely one person can affect the whole. Making excuses before a messenger of YHWH can bring all of our great accomplishments to ruin if we leave it at that. (Qoheleth 5:6) If we do not confess our guilt, the offering is invalid, and we remain guilty, even if we improve our behavior and do the thing right for the rest of our lives. It is more honorable to admit one’s guilt than to offer an excuse. Healing cannot come until we do.
14. "‘when the sin in which they have missed the target becomes known, then the community shall bring a bull--a son of a herd--as a sin offering. Now they shall bring it to the front of the Tent of Appointment,
If the whole community is guilty, who provides the bull? It may have been a shared expense; in some cases, the blame might be laid on a particular person or group of persons, in which case they would be responsible to furnish it. When it becomes known: as immediately as possible after we recognize we have been wrong.
15."‘and the elders of the congregation shall lean their hands on the head of the bull before the face of YHWH, and they shall slaughter the bull in the presence of YHWH.
"‘and the elders of the congregation shall lean their hands on the head of the bull before the face of YHWH, and they shall slaughter the bull in the presence of YHWH.16. "‘Then the anointed priest shall bring [some] of the blood of the bull to the Tent of Appointment,
17. "‘and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and spatter the front of the veil seven times before the face of YHWH.
Had Yeshua been born miraculously, remained without sin, and established a Kingdom for Yehudah, without the shedding of his blood, our sins could not be permanently taken away. This was the critical factor. He spattered his blood on the heavenly altar that this earthly one depicted. (Yochanan 20:17; Heb. 9:24)
18. "‘And he shall put [some] of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the face of YHWH--the one that is inside the Tent of Appointment. Then he must pour out all the blood at the base of the altar of ascending, which is at the entryway to the Tent of Appointment.
19. "‘Then he must lift off from it [and present] all its fat, and cause it to go up in smoke on the altar.
20. "‘And he shall do to the bull just as he did to the bull of the sin offering; he shall do just the same to this. He shall thus put a covering over them, and it shall be forgiven them.
Just as he did: Thus we see an equivalency of weightiness between the high priest and the nation as a whole, since the offerings for both are the same.
21. "‘Then he shall bring the bull outside the camp, and burn it just as he burned the first bull; it is a sin offering of the community.
Thus a guilt offering is one form of a larger category, the sin offering.
22. "‘When a ruler sins and has done [even] one of all [the things] that YHWH his Elohim has commanded not to be done, and has been incriminated,
Ruler: Not a king as such, but any overseer who is in position of authority over others within Israel. Note that the offering required of him is not as great as the one required of the priest, but is more than is required of the common people (v. 27ff)
23. "‘or the sin in which he has missed the target becomes known to him, he shall bring as his drawing-near a hairy goat--a completely sound male,
Hairy: The term (se’ir) stems from a root meaning “to bristle with fear”, possibly so that the horror of being out of YHWH’s will can be driven home to the offerer. But Se’ir is also a mountain range associated with Esau, the grandson of Avraham who had been taught much, but who learned very little. While his twin brother was called “mature”, his mind remained on his belly. So this is also an offering up of the “Esau” within us, so that we will not just move on, but move higher. The Hebrew term for “male” is from the word for “remember”, and this is exactly what this offering is for—so he will not have such a lapse of memory again. A goat is also a picture of acting as an individual, and a ruler is never permitted to do that; his actions must be for the sake of those over whom he rules. If he had had his mind on them in the first place, he probably would not have made this mistake.
24. "‘and shall lean his hand on the head of the goat, and kill it [painlessly by slitting its throat] at the place where he killed the ascending [offering] before YHWH; it is a sin offering.
25. "‘Then the priest shall take [some] of the blood of the sin offering, and, with his finger, put it on the projections from the altar of ascending [offering], then pour out its blood at the base of the altar of ascending,
26. "‘and cause it to smoke as incense on the altar, along with all of its fat, just like the fat of what is slaughtered [as] the peace offerings; thus the priest shall make a covering over him because of his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.
Thus the priest shall make a covering: On Yom haKippurim (the day of coverings), the high priest kills one goat for the nation, but releases the other (an identical one), according to the actual command. Compared to a sheep, a goat is an individualist, and as such the particular sin it represents to us is our going our own way instead of staying unified under YHWH’s rule. None of its blood is brought into the tent, in contrast to that of the bull (v. 16), which bears others’ burdens and uses its strength to provide for others.
27. "‘And if one soul of the people of the Land should sin inadvertently by doing one of the things that YHWH has commanded not to be done, and is incriminated,
There are different levels of accountability for the priests, who should know better, and the common people, who had fewer occasions to study the Torah in depth. YHWH holds those who are better able to understand more accountable (Luke 12:48).
28. "‘or the sin in which he has missed the target becomes known to him, he shall bring as his drawing-near a hairy she-goat--a completely sound female--in regard to his sin in which he has missed the target.
He is responsible to do something about it if he himself realizes he has done wrong, even if no one else has noticed, not just if someone else points it out to him (v. 27). The she-goat is of lesser value, just as a common person has less influence than a ruler, and therefore his sin may not have as far-reaching an effect.
29. "‘Then he shall lean his hand on the head of the sin offering, and slaughter the sin offering at the place of the ascending.
30. "‘Then the priest shall take [some] of its blood, and with his finger he shall put it on the projections from the altar of ascending, then pour out all [the rest of] of its blood at the base of the altar.
31."‘Then he shall lift off from it [and present] all its fat, just like what has been lifted off from what is slaughtered as the sin offerings, and the priest shall cause it to smoke as incense on the altar as a soothing aroma for YHWH. Thus the priest shall make a covering over him, and it shall be forgiven him.
"‘Then he shall lift off from it [and present] all its fat, just like what has been lifted off from what is slaughtered as the sin offerings, and the priest shall cause it to smoke as incense on the altar as a soothing aroma for YHWH. Thus the priest shall make a covering over him, and it shall be forgiven him.32."‘Or if he brings a lamb as his drawing-near to be a sin offering, he must bring a female one that is completely sound.
"‘Or if he brings a lamb as his drawing-near to be a sin offering, he must bring a female one that is completely sound. A female lamb may not sound like Yeshua, but that “lamb” (Yoch. 1:29; Rev. 5:9, 12) became a sin-offering (2 Cor. 5:21) on behalf of his bride, who in our case was the guilty party. (Cole Davis) In Genesis 22, the Binding of Isaac, the picture is of YHWH's child or Israel being the sacrifice, for we, too, are called to be a Living Sacrifice. (Rom. 12:1-2) That means that the bride, a female, is also the sacrifice and then this case it is two different sacrifices--the sin offering and the Shalem, or peace offering. Hebrews tells us that Yeshua, when he entered the heavenly sanctuary, offered a sacrifice for sin, as well as “better sacrifices” (plural, which could include the sacrifice of the righteous whose blood is spilled at the base of the Altar, whose souls Yochanan in Rev. 6:9 sees the in the form of their blood crying out to God for vengeance. (Michael Washer)
33. "‘And he shall lean his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering [painlessly by slitting its throat] at the place where he kills the ascending [offering].
34. "Then the priest shall take [some] of the blood of the sin offering, and put it on the projections from the altar of ascending [offering] with his finger, then pour out its blood at the base of the altar.
With his finger: probably to be sure it is applied to the right place more accurately than mere spattering.
35. "‘And he shall lift off from it [and present] all its fat, just as what is slaughtered as the sin offerings has been lifted off from [it], and the priest shall cause it to smoke [like incense] on the altar on top of the fire offerings of YHWH. Thus the priest shall make a covering over him in regard to his sin by which he has missed the mark, and it is forgiven him.'"
Covering: This seems to imply temporarily—until we do it again. As long as we use it as an excuse to remain individualists and not get back on track, the offering has not accomplished its purpose. Say “I’m sorry” through your actions, not just words; turn around and walk in the other direction! Make restitution for your wrongdoings! The renewal of the covenant (which can do away with our sins permanently) does not change the fact that if we sin intentionally, we will pay a price for it; it is an insult to Him even to ask forgiveness. The offerings of the wicked are an abomination to YHWH. (Prov. 15:8)
CHAPTER 5
1. "‘When someone errs in hearing the voice of an oath (when he is a witness, either having seen or come to know [evidence], but does not reveal it), he will bear [the consequences for] his guilt.
Voice: or sound; i.e., this oath is spoken out loud, for some oaths are not. Sometimes the “sound” can be “seen” instead. Gestures, facial expressions, a handshake, a signature, or a simple nod can indicate promises, and even our presence in a particular context can indicate our approval or allegiance. “Oath” can also be read as a curse, because they are the light and dark sides of the same thing; one brings a curse upon himself if he breaks the oath. One should not make promises he cannot keep, for swearing falsely will bring us into judgment. (Deut. 23:21-22) If you heard someone make a promise and did not remind him of his responsibility if he seemed to be neglecting it, you would share his punishment, whereas if you did warn him, he alone would bear the guilt. (Yehezq'El/ Ezekiel 33:2-7) Reveal it: LXX, "report it". Guilt: literally, crookedness, twisting of justice, perverting the standard by moving it from its original position, whether by raising or lowering it.
2. "‘Or if a person touches anything ritually impure, whether a carcass of a ritually-impure animal, the corpse of a large ritually-impure beast, or the corpse of ritually-impure things that creep, though he is unaware that he is impure, he has committed an offense.
Things that creep: LXX, "abominable reptiles". Ritually-impure: The bodies of clean animals may be touched after slaughter so that they can be offered up on the altar. Being unclean is not in itself a sin, but it “sets the table” for sin. Ritual impurity is a picture of selfishness, so unclean animals are symbolic of the beastly nature within us, and this is more important than any ill effects of physically touching something contaminated. We all need some measure of self-preservation, or we might not eat or would not care if we walked out in front of a moving car. We do not have to stop breathing to save the air for someone else! But this is no excuse to be selfish. Whenever this drive affects others negatively, we make others unclean, and that is when it becomes a sin. If someone failed to immerse himself before going on the Temple Mount because he did not think he was in an impure state, but later found that he had been at that time, anyone else he had touched would also have become ritually impure, and they might have eaten of some offerings that only the ritually clean are permitted to eat of. That is when it matters, because you also caused all of these people to miss the mark. They became guilty inadvertently, because they trusted you to be compliant with the restrictions on who could enter that most holy precinct. Likewise, selfishness spreads when we associate with others who encourage it. When someone insists on his own way, it automatically awakens defensiveness in the one he is affecting. On the other hand, the Torah is life (Deut. 32:47), so whenever we are influenced by things that do not originate from it, we take on death--anything that does not uphold the standard of loving YHWH and our fellows. The proper response is not to make excuses, but to do something about it, then let go of it. Guilt is your friend if it leads you to repent.
3. "‘Or if he touches human ritual impurity--any impurity by which he may be ritually unclean, and it is not known to him, then when it comes to his attention, he is [counted] guilty.
Is not known to him: LXX, "has escaped his notice". Though actually guilty, a person is not held responsible until he realizes what he has done. Humanity: literally, "Adam", whose impurity lay more in refusing to accept responsibility for his sin than the disobedience itself.
4. "‘Or if a person swears, speaking rashly with his lips, whether to do wrong or to do right, whatever the man says rashly with an oath, and it is hidden from him, but [then] he becomes aware of it, then he is guilty of one of these.
Yaaqov (James) 5:12 reiterates Yeshua’s words in Mat. 5:33ff that telling the truth should be so normal for us that we do not need to add any extra words to a simple “yes” or “no”; saying, “I swear by…” indicates to the other party at least that you do not think he will trust you. But if someone does swear, he is obligated to do whatever he promised, even if it causes him personal harm. (Psalm 15:4)
5. "‘Now the procedure when he is incriminated for one of these, [is that] he must then confess that in which he has erred,
One of these: The penalty is the same for all of the foregoing scenarios. This tells us that they are all somehow on the same level. The word for “confess” here does not mean to simply admit that one has sinned, though that is the first step. It is rooted in the Hebrew word for “hand”. This includes laying one’s hands on the animal to identify with its death and “putting up one’s hands” to say “I admit I’m wrong”, but it also means to throw—both throwing the uncleanness out of one’s soul (take the matter in hand and get control of it, to begin to rid your life of it), as well as another occasion to throw and hit the target we missed the first time (which is the meaning of the word for “sin”). If we do not confess, our guilt will still be hiding in the shadows, even if we start acting the opposite way. People often confess to brutal crimes even if no one saw them because the guilt weighs too heavily on them. YHWH cannot forgive us for an offense against another person if we have not confessed it to the one against whom we sinned (Mat. 5:23-24), for these sins were not directly against YHWH. The Hebrew word for giving thanks shares the same root word as this word for “confess”. Thanks must be part of our confession, both toward the one who reminded us of our guilt and toward YHWH for letting us survive to try again. One cannot throw anything if his hands are empty. It is only enough if something is brought to fill the breach that one has made. Restitution gives weight and substance to the confession:
6. "‘and bring his guilt offering to YHWH for his sin which he has committed--a female from the flock, a lamb or ewe from the goats, as a sin offering, and the priest shall effect a covering for him in regard to his sin.
Guilt offering: or, compensation [for trespassing]. “I forgot” or “I spoke too soon” are no excuse. The beauty of this is that people would be more careful to remember or to control what they say if they had to pay with an animal each time they did not!
7. "‘But if he cannot afford a lamb, the one who has sinned may bring to YHWH as his guilt offering two turtledoves or two young pigeons--one as a sin offering, and one as an ascending.
He cannot afford: literally, "his hand cannot reach". The offering YHWH prefers is out of reach because one does not have a high enough “ladder”, and needs this “ascending” by which he can rise back to a higher status of ritual purity after having lowered himself by sinning.
8. "‘Now he shall bring them to the priest, bringing near the one which is for the sin offering first and nip off its head from the front of its neck, but shall not sever it.
The high priest grew an especially-sharp thumbnail specifically for this purpose. This would allow him to get the blood out most efficiently without the indignity of decapitation, since these birds are honorable. All other offerings are slaughtered by the offerer himself, but the smaller things can only be properly divided by those most learned in the Torah, as the priests are to be—a picture of their role of making rulings on minute details which might seem to others like “splitting hairs” but which are important nonetheless.
9. "‘And he shall spatter [some] of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and what remains of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin offering.
10. "‘Then he must prepare the second as an ascending [offering] just like [the foregoing] procedure. Thus the priest will make coverings over him in regard to the error by which he has missed the target, and it shall be forgiven him.
Forgiven: by YHWH. The Torah does not emphasize forgiving each other, though we may need to do so for the sake of our own sanity, because whatever we do or say sets things in motion that will continue to have effects as long as there is a remembrance of what took place. Any wrong done creates mistrust between people, and it is hard to say whether human forgiveness can ever be complete; as it takes enormous quantities of white paint to overcome the effect of a single drop of black that gets mixed in, and we need YHWH’s help to undo what we have done or turn our past mistakes in a positive direction. Most Torah laws are about unity in a group where things need to be kept in balance. In ancient times people were busier with practical work and did not have as much time to bother about personal slights as they might today; the emphasis in Torah is on making reparation where there is a physical loss or injury.
11. "‘If the one who erred is not even able to afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he may bring as his drawing-near a tenth of an eyfah of fine flour, but he must not put any oil on it or add any frankincense with it, since it is a sin offering.
Not even able to afford (reach): This is the very least that is acceptable; if he actually can afford more, this offering is invalid. This is not acceptable if one simply does not feel like offering a sheep or birds, but only if he has absolutely no way of obtaining the better offering. This allowance is only made for sin offerings, because such offerings are mandatory, and everyone must be able to bring something, no matter how poor he is. If one has no grain, he is already on the way to dying. A tenth of an eyfah: the same as an omer, which is only one day’s worth of sustenance for a man. An omer is worth half a sheqel, the value of one person. (Ex. 30:13) So this is a picture of himself. But it is worded as one-tenth to remind us that he is only part of a congregation, and when he falls short, he trips up the rest of his part of Israel. In bringing this, the offerer is making a commitment to live as one of the ten, as part of the community. This offering has no blood in it, for blood is where the life resides. (17:11) No oil: This offering does not increase our anointing, but is only part of the repayment for a wrong done. It is not bridal, so the fragrant spice must be left out. The women were going to anoint Yeshua's body with frankincense after his death, but it may have been because he was a guilt offering that YHWH did not allow them to arrive before he was resurrected.
12. "‘But he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall grasp a handful of it as a memorial portion, and cause it to smoke on the altar just as with the fire offerings to YHWH; it is a sin offering.
We cannot decide how we are going to repent; a “silent confession” twists the standard, which includes awareness, confession, and repentance. The priest is the one who determines the specific restitution for each case.
13. "‘Thus the priest shall make a covering over him in regard to his sin in which he has missed the mark in [any] one of these [matters], and it shall be forgiven him. [The rest] shall belong to the priest as a grain offering.'"
14. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,
15. "‘If a person acts unfaithfully and sins ignorantly in regard to the holy things of YHWH, he shall bring his guilt offering to YHWH--a perfect ram from the flock, according to your evaluation in silver sheqels according to the sheqel of the sanctuary, as a guilt offering.
Acts unfaithfully: lacks loyalty. LXX: "the soul which be really unconscious". I.e., he just wasn’t thinking. Even if it is an honest mistake, he is still guilty. (See note on v. 19.) One of the main purposes of Yom Kippur is to provide a covering for sins against the set-apart things. (Deut. 26:13; 32:43) So how is this different? At Yom Kippur it is on behalf of an abuse by the nation as a whole, such as when we are all witnesses to a mistake the priest makes, yet we say nothing about it. Here, someone is bringing his own offering, and makes a mistake in the process. Or he has deprived the sanctuary of some object or some degree of holiness by bringing some impurity into it, rendering it unfit for service while in this unclean state. It may also relate to something done on a feast day or Sabbath as opposed to an ordinary day. The priests could not take the vessels from the Temple home to cook in, for that would be misappropriating it for their own use. We can start to prepare for the Temple to come by treating the places we now meet with YHWH and His people as special. Only set-apart vessels are an acceptable place to put set-apart bread. (1 Shmuel 21:5-6) Those who bear YHWH’s vessels are not to touch anything unclean. (Yeshayahu 52:11) Our own bodies are not to be misused for our own purposes (1 Cor. 6:19). These vessels are meant to be brought back out of Babylon. (Yirmeyahu 27:21) We are responsible for what goes into our vessels (what we touch, what we promise to do, as in vv. 1-4), for what spills over the top can defile other people’s vessels. If we slander those who serve YHWH, no one else will be able to make use of those vessels. (R. Webster) When we realize what we have done, the proper response is to not only undo what we have done, but go an extra step, “paying interest” by being extra scrupulous about being selfless in our service to one another:
16. "And he shall make compensation [in regard to] that in which he made the wrong use of the holy thing, and he shall add to it one fifth of it[s value], and donate it to the priest, and the priest shall make a covering over him with the ram of the guilt offering, and it shall be forgiven him.'"
Forgiveness is not a blank check. In Scripture it is not unconditional. It is only given when asked for, in response to true repentance and confession. Here, the sin is first paid for, then it is forgiven. Both an animal plus 20% of its worth in silver are required. Though Yeshua paid for our sin, this is all the more reason to not take YHWH's forgiveness for granted; will we trample his self-sacrifice in the mud? (Heb. 10:29) And just because our guilt is lifted does not remove the physical consequences. Even Moshe was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of an error. Would you urinate on one of the Temple’s implements? Yet by our attitudes we can defile other people who are His vessels. If we loose when we should bind, we will be taken advantage of and people will just come back for the free loaves and fishes. We will make Elohim look like a fool. He told King Sha'ul NOT to forgive anyone from Amaleq. His failure to obey resulted in the crisis in Persia under Queen Hadassah (Esther) some 600 years later, because Haman was the descendant of King Agag, whom Sha'ul spared and who thus survived long enough to father at least one more son. And willful sin has no remedy in Torah.
17. "And if a person misses the target, having done one of the things that YHWH has commanded not to be done, and does not realize he has trespassed yet bears guilt,
If done unintentionally, it can be paid for and forgiven. But ignorance is no excuse, for since we have access to the Torah, to be unaware of it we have to indeed be ignoring it.
18. "he must lead in a completely sound ram of the proper value as you assess it, to the priest as a guilt offering. This way the priest will make coverings over him for his inadvertent sin in which he went off track without being aware of it, and it shall be forgiven him.
By the time of the second Temple, the “moneychangers” made it easy to be sure one’s offering was without blemish, for they sold them to the worshippers right on the site of the Temple. The offerer did not have to bother with this, but though convenient, it took away both the accountability of the offerer and the scenario by which the offerer could learn to discern what was valid and what was not, and learn how to choose.
19."It is a guilt offering, [since] he is indeed guilty before YHWH."
"It is a guilt offering, [since] he is indeed guilty before YHWH."When we do something wrong inadvertently, we are still truly guilty, contrary to popular belief today. “I apologize” is not enough; saying no more than that is not even truly apologizing, which means providing an explanation of why something was done. But even that would not be enough; one must also fix what one broke! That it was unintentional does not remove the guilt. Try telling a state policeman that “it was an accident, so I’m not responsible” and see if he lets you get away with it! Why should the one it affects have to pay for it? The perpetrator must take responsibility. This is the mature way of thinking in Torah.
20. [6:1 in English] Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,
21. "If someone misses the target and is deceptively disloyal against YHWH by lying to his countryman about something he has committed to him for safekeeping or left in his hand as a security deposit, or something which he has stolen or acquired from his countryman by deceit,
Is deceptively disloyal: i.e., intentionally. This time it is on purpose. Countryman: The sin is against our brother, but when we deceive our brothers, the disloyalty is to YHWH, and we have therefore involved Him in the equation, because He is the One who has commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is half of what being Israel is about. This is about what kind of people we are to be. It is the heart of the Kingdom. We have a right to assume our fellow Israelites will treat us rightly. To break that trust in any of these ways is to essentially shatter the second tablet of the Torah, and YHWH takes it personally. We cannot be faithful to YHWH without being loyal to one another. He will not accept our offerings or gifts unless we first fix what we broke in regard to our neighbor. (Mat. 5:23ff) But we can rob one another in less obvious ways. Even coming to one’s local assembly with a bad attitude can steal someone’s joy, and making a commitment to someone gives him the right to expect you to follow through when he needs you the most.
22. "or lying about a lost item he has found, and swearing falsely--in regard to any one of these things which a man sins by doing--
23. "‘whenever [he] commits an error and becomes guilty, he must return what he got by robbery, that which he extorted, the deposit that had been left with him, the lost things that he had found,
24. "‘or anything about which he swore falsely, he must indeed repay the principal and add one fifth of it[s value], to whomever it belongs. He must present it on the day of his guilt offering,
Aramaic, "on the day he realizes his guilt”; there must be repayment to the fellow Israelite before we are permitted to bring our offering to YHWH. This is often missing in our modern justice system, and thus is unjust; jailing someone may keep him from wronging more people, but how does it compensate the initial victim? And giving back only what one took is inadequate. He must pay his neighbor for the hardship or hardship he causes in the meantime by calling his reliability into question. Swore falsely: Aeschylus said, "It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath." If someone is not honest, even swearing an oath will not mean much to him. To someone who is known to be faithful to his word, the oath is merely a formality.
25. "‘when he brings his guilt offering to YHWH--[it must be] an unblemished ram from the flock, in keeping with what[ever penalty] you decide is a fair value, [brought] to the priest as a guilt offering."
The ram is brought to the sanctuary in addition to all that one needs to pay back to his neighbor. This time the priestly court may determine the fine based on a person’s means, but it will be substantial enough for no one to take this lightly. We might think it was more honorable to try to rise above worldly ways in which everything is about money. But YHWH knows what motivates most people, and He knows how to discipline us. If one lives in a distant part of Israel, this whole process may take a week or two, so he will have plenty of time to think about what he has done. Many Gentiles do not like the Torah because its penalties are so stiff, but the master Psychologist knows we would not learn otherwise. This way one will think twice before repeating the offense, and even knowing the penalty will deter many from doing it the first time. It is sad that fear of punishment has to be our motivation, but if we will not act out of love in the first place, there must be something else to prod us to do right to one another. Such a sin must be more trouble for us than it is worth. It is more profitable for our souls if we have to go through all of these consequences to show that we regret what we have done than if we merely say, “I’m sorry”. This is part of what will make the nations look at Israel and say, “Wow! They know how to treat one another!” (Deut. 4:6) Proverbs 6:23 says that the road to life is one of corrective discipline. If we are not held to standards, we will not experience complete forgiveness, because if we do not submit to the “surgery” YHWH prescribes to fully remove the sin, there will be even more pain later. He knows the process that will do the least damage in the long run. Sin is a foreign object in Israel, and it will cost money, time, and pride to get rid of it, but when someone holds you accountable, he is more like a concerned neighbor driving you to the hospital when your life is in danger than a sadist who just wants to exercise power over you whether it hurts you or not.
26. "‘Thus the priest can make a covering over him before YHWH, and he will be forgiven for anything he has done by which he became guilty."
After he makes things right on the vertical level (with the human being he wronged), he has to deal with his guilt before YHWH, for any sin against one of His people is first and foremost a transgression against Him. It must be dealt with on both levels in order to be fully forgiven. Our ultimate goal is “YHWH is one”, but to get to that point we must first have all Israel united, then Israel united with Messiah, then Messiah again subjected to YHWH. (1 Cor. 15:24-28) So unifications with our true neighbors are steps toward unity with YHWH. Sinning against one another throws the whole process into turmoil. To fail to deliver on our promises removes part of the foundation of what YHWH is building. This process seems foreign to us all now, even to Yehudah to some extent. We might argue that these rules apply only in the Land of Israel. But we are unlikely to be able to return there until we begin to fulfill them in at least an analogous way wherever we are first.
INTRODUCTION: This book begins where Exodus left off: The Dwelling Place (mishkan) has been built, and there is now a shift from chiefly historical records to specific instructions about what is to take place there and how to relate to YHWH’s dwelling among us after having moved away due to His bride’s unfaithfulness. He is now back in the House, and the focus is on what we can do to run the household in such a way that He will want to stay. The many ceremonies described in this book teach us to know our own hearts and relate to the rest of YHWH’s people.
Central to this are the animals, grain, oil, and wine brought to the sanctuary. There is no hint of the concept of their being “sacrifices”, and even “offerings”, though used here at times to deal with English grammatical structure, is a very inadequate way to think of them. The actual Hebrew term means “an approach” or “drawing near” (qorban). This makes a world of difference in how we regard them. They are all things we would find on our own tables. This is about dinner, for eating together is still how agreements are sealed even today. When a man wants to get closer to a woman, he takes her to dinner to find out what she likes. This is about intimacy with YHWH, which is the highest blessing. Even the sadder parts of the book are lessons in what to bring to His table and what not to bring to it. He is most commonly thought of as a King or a Father. As individuals, it is easier to relate to one of these, but we must never be satisfied with only those two relationships. These make it easy to remain somewhat distant from Him, rather than coming as close as He wants us to come. With Israel, He more often describes Himself as a Husband. But He offers this relationship only to His people as a whole; no individual comes close enough to pleasing Him the way a bride should.
In many cases the proceedings do not at first glance seem so different from how the pagans did it, but there are some differences in how YHWH says He wants to be approached. It is a corrupt religion that demands self-injury and a life of poverty. We just need to be sure we are not seeking pleasure at someone else’s expense. Eden means “delight” and that is what humans were made for. But the Torah gives us the shortcut to knowing which kinds of pleasure will be profitable and which kinds will bring only trouble between neighbors. The prophets show how those who sacrifice to idols are really making offerings to something nonexistent, so it is pretty foolish, but YHWH’s prophets were speaking to Israelites who, though they had covenant with YHWH, were going outside the camp to do the same kind of things to some other elohim. This is one reason worship in Israel was centralized—so everyone did not just go off on his own. YHWH established a common table for all of Israel so we would all see one another as family. This way the priests could ensure the unity in who we worshipped. Baal might demand pleasure only at his altar and allow his worshippers to do whatever they wanted otherwise, which made pagan ways attractive to Israel at times. YHWH tells us to take home to our own tables what we have at His—i.e., not just love YHWH but love one another as well.
TORAH PORTION
VaYiqra'
(Leviticus 1:1-5:26)
Making it Work
Now that the Tabernacle is set up, YHWH starts laying the ground rules for how it is to work. This is the brass tacks, where the rubber meets the road—because the nitty-gritty, the details, are where spirituality becomes practical. If it doesn’t work in the real world, He doesn’t have much interest in it. Oh, He uses a little bit of pizazz, occasionally, to get our attention--when He knows we need that extra push. But for the most part He is not a showman. He prefers to be found in the “still, small voice”—the gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12) He wants “a word to the wise” to be sufficient.
And He starts out by saying, “If someone wants to bring an offering to YHWH…” (Leviticus 1:2) In other words, this may be how you are used to seeing people express their religion, but it isn’t mandatory. It isn’t really an innate, dyed-in-the-wool component of how one’s love for YHWH must be expressed.
And “offering”—much less “sacrifice”—is only implied in these instructions. The Hebrew word for what one is permitted to bring is a qorban—literally, a “drawing near”. The point is to get closer to YHWH; sin and forgiveness are not even always part of the mix.
In fact, the first category addressed is the olah. It is a pity that this is usually translated “burnt offering”; “go up in smoke” may have been the most common way of applying this term, but the salient factor is the “going up” because it means “an ascending” of any sort—something that rises up—or, better, makes you get to a higher place. That is the main point. In and of itself it doesn’t change anything, except turning an animal into a pile of ashes. But sometimes we need that “point of contact”, a defining moment when we say, “I am putting this thing behind me once and for all, and here is the time I can point to as a watershed moment from which there is no turning back. That part of me that was weighing me down or keeping me from the high road is as dead and gone as that animal." It is more for us than for Him. The declaration that YHWH “will accept it” and that it is covered up (which is all the fancy religious word “atonement” means in Hebrew) is what clinches the progress in our own minds.
Again, He leaves it to us to decide whether we need such a ceremony to get us over the hump. But if you do decide to do this, that’s where the optional part ends. It is not “come as you are”. There are standards for what can be brought into these precincts. Only certain types of animals can be offered on this altar. Allowances are made for what one cannot afford (5:7, 11), but in the initial telling—the ideal—they are not mentioned. (1:14) And while the donor participates in the initial slaughter (1:5), specialists (the priests, or literally, officiators) take it from there. Things have to be done in an orderly fashion here; the untrained are not permitted to approach past a certain point lest they do it wrongly. (1:7-8) So these people who devote all their time to making sure the rules are followed are paid with their cut of the meat.
Some of these commands may be mainly for their enjoyment: don’t forget to salt the meat before you cook it (2:13); it tastes a whole lot better that way! (It preserves it while waiting to cook it too.) And if you are bringing something made with grain, add some spice to it. (2:15) Didn’t we all, as children, find cinnamon toast a whole lot more appealing than plain bread? The fact that sin offerings made with grain, which were burned up, did not have honey in them (2:11) implies that the ones not associated with sin probably did. These people are facilitating your encounter with YHWH; bring them the best available; if you can’t afford tasty meat, at least make your wheat cakes enjoyable.
While two simple commands—to avoid eating the blood and certain types of fat (3:17, not to mention the organs that absorb and filter the waste, 3:4)—give us quantum leaps in precluding a whole slew of those “diseases of the Egyptians” that are so common today as well, don’t overlook the fact that in Hebraic taxonomy, “fat” also connotes “the best”; that part belongs to YHWH alone. (3:16) If you have any doubt, just compare the smell of burning fat to the smell of the rest of the meat cooking.
In cases where not just a vague feeling of being in a low spot, but a specific sin is involved, the need for a “bringing near” is not an option. Something tangible (more than just the offering) must be brought to fix what was broken. It is essential that one make amends on behalf of the person who was wronged. Sometimes that is YHWH Himself (5:15), but more often, it is our neighbor. We want to come close to him again as well. And we don’t just restore what we wrested from him; we need to add 20% to make up for the practical and psychological trouble caused by being without something he needed, possibly for a considerable length of time. (5:23-24/6:4-5)
But the solution can’t even begin to be implemented until the guilty party is aware of his obligation. (4:23; 5:3) So even if we are not the perpetrator, but possess a missing piece of the puzzle as to who is or exactly what he did, we are also part of the problem if we withhold what we do know. (5:1)
Yes, each of us has a responsibility to ensure that this system, designed to keep a newly-freed people free, works. YHWH is the one who forgives, but the high priest is the one who forms the covering for us (4:26). A man has a crucial part to play in the process!
And while we’re stirring up that can of worms, 5:6 speaks to the question of whether a lamb can ever be a sin offering. If that touches a chord with you, just be sure to be accurate and don’t throw the baby out with the dirty bathwater.
Study questions:
1. After bringing offerings from one’s flock or herd, one would have fewer males than females. (Lev. 1:3) Is this consistent with one’s ability to continue to breed the animals?
2. What other male “lamb” without blemish was later slain north of the altar (Lev. 1:10)?
3. The word commonly translated “sacrifice” or “offering” actually means “coming close” or “bringing near”. How does that change the way you view it?
4. What do you think is the significance of the fact that no grain offering to YHWH is to be leavened, but all are to be salted? (2:11, 13)
5. Why are certain kinds of fat forbidden to be eaten? (3:9-11) (Hint: While this may indeed be healthier for us, as is the case with most commands, still it is not the reason given in the text. What do you think is the thought(s) behind the reason that is given?)
6. Why an offering so big as a bull for something done wrong? (4:3-4) Why would one man have to bring as large a penalty as the whole congregation would bring? (4:13-14) What other “grades” of responsibility do we see in this chapter?
7. This lamb for a sin offering is female (4:32); is this true of every sin offering throughout Torah?
8. Is it permissible for an eyewitness to wrongdoing to refuse to get involved? (5:1)
9. At what point do we become responsible for our errors? (5:2-4)
10. If circumstances prevent us from keeping a promise, are we simply excused from all obligation? (5:2-4) Even if we are very poor? (5:7, 11)
11. Is it enough to pay a penalty for wronging another? (5:18, 23, 24) What else is needed?
The Sidewalk
for Kids
Some people think the rules in the Torah are too strict or too hard to keep. But if someone borrowed your video game or cell phone and broke it, would it be enough for him to just say, “I’m sorry” and do nothing else? No, you would expect him to fix it or replace it, wouldn’t you?
What if what he broke was a smart-phone, but what he gave you back was a flip-phone? Or a game that was five generations old and none of your cartridges would work on it? You wouldn’t think that was fair, would you?
And what if you were paying every month for cable, but someone borrowed and broke your TV and you couldn’t use it for three months until they could afford to buy you a new one? Wouldn’t it be fair for them to also pay your cable bill for those three months?
The Torah’s rules are really no different. We might not have sheep or goats or bulls to pay with, but those are real wealth in a way that money is not; who can eat a coin or a dollar bill? Someday we might go back to considering animals that give us milk or meat to be what really makes us rich.
But even then, the Torah says that you don’t just bring one of them to pay for what you did wrong, but add a percentage of its value to pay for the extra trouble that our mistakes caused to people who depended on whatever it was that we broke. It might not just be games, but something many people can’t live without, like a car or house.
If someone crashes into your car, can they just tell the police officer, “It was an accident, so it isn’t my fault. I didn’t do it on purpose, so why should I have to pay for it?” But that is what we often try to do when we do or say things that hurt someone else. We have to admit we’re to blame if we want to keep them as our friends.
YHWH knows people will be more careful or control what they say if they know they have to clean up whatever mess they make.
We really should be careful anyway if we are really going to love our neighbor as ourselves; that’s just the right thing to do. But, sad to say, a lot of people nowadays just don’t care how what they do affects anyone else; they only think about what they want. So there have to be other penalties to push us to do the right thing. Doing wrong has to be more trouble than it is worth, or some people just won’t listen.
You won’t be one of those people if you let these ideas really sink into your mind and remember that YHWH loves not just you but everybody He made, especially the people who bother to love Him back.
Let’s look at His “strict” rules a different way. If you got a splinter so deep under your skin that you could no longer get it out, the doctor is going to have to make a bigger cut so he can get it out. That is going to hurt, but if you do nothing and it gets infected, that is going to hurt a lot more. It will hurt a lot less in the long run if you go ahead and take the little bit of pain, or else it’s only going to get a lot worse.
YHWH is the Master doctor. He knows what to prescribe for each kind of thing we do wrong. He knows what will do the least damage in the long run, even though the surgery is not something we are going to like. If you are bleeding and I warn you with a loud voice that you’d better put pressure on it quickly and wrap it up, I’m not being mean, am I? I’m saving your life!
So be glad when somebody is strict and tells you what you need to do to fix the problem. They’re trying to help you, not hurt you.
The Renewal of VA-YIQRA'
Unleavened, broken apart, and anointed (Leviticus 2:6, 11)—that’s how the minkhah, the “grain offering”, is described. Where else do we hear of such a combination? Most bread offerings brought to the Temple, except at Shavuoth, were unleavened. Still, when we hear “unleavened bread”, we most often think of Passover. Paul urges us to live out the picture: “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you are [in fact] unleavened, since Messiah our Passover [lamb] has been slaughtered for us.” (1 Cor. 5:7) Messiah, which means “the anointed one”, was broken apart for us--on Passover.
One type of grain offering, that of the first-fruits, is to have frankincense on it. (2:14-15) Yeshua is called the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23) and the firstborn (Mat. 1:25; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; Hebrews 12:23)—both the same term in Hebrew. He called himself “the Bread of life”. (Yochanan 6:35, 48) And what was one of the gifts brought by the Magi who came to pay their tribute to the new king of the Jews, who had just been born in the “House of Bread”? Frankincense indeed. (Mat. 2:11)
It is also “seasoned with salt.” (2:13) Where else do we see that phrase? “Let your speech always be with grace [kindness, sweetness, favor], seasoned [prepared] with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” (Colossians 4:6) Our words, too, are offerings to YHWH. (Hosea 14:2)
“If what he brings near is a slaughter of peace offerings…” (Lev. 3:1)
What is a peace offering? It is not used in the modern sense of something to appease or placate an offended party. The term shalem (closely related to shalom) literally means “completeness”. It is for more than just what we think of as peace; it is brought for the sake of a complete relationship. It is a form of thanks offering--brought when YHWH has kept us safe or done something very special for us and we want to seal it as the sacred memory that it is. Like all forms of thanksgiving offerings, this is a meal to be eaten in company with others whom the offerer invites to come hear him give witness of what YHWH has done for him and share in the celebration. Provided they were in a state of purity, they were allowed to come into the restricted area where normally only those bringing the offering were allowed.
I think this is the necessary background for something Paul wrote: “He is our peace, who has made us both one, and broken down the middle wall that divided [us].” (Eph. 2:14) “Our peace” here, if translated back into Hebrew (which was the logic in which the writer, who wrote in Greek for this audience, nonetheless thought), it could just as well mean “our peace offering."
How does this fit here? Paul was addressing the Ephesians, at least some of whom, undoubtedly, were descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, whom YHWH had said would again be reunited with the Jews (Judah). Daniel had prayed that YHWH would have mercy on both Judah and those of Israel who, because of their trespasses were “far off”. (Dan. 9:7) It was so bad that they had come to be thought of both in their own minds and by the Jews (the tribe of Judah that had remained closer to the covenant, despite a violation that got them exiled temporarily in Babylon) as Gentiles. This House of Israel, in contrast with the Jews, was scattered, and its sentence much longer than Judah’s. (Ezekiel 4) For all intents and purposes, they were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Elohim in the world.” (Eph. 2:12)
Now back to the verse in question: “But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off are brought near by the Messiah’s blood. He is our peace [offering]…” (Eph. 2:13-14)
And what of this “middle wall that divided us”? In the Second Temple, a wall was built around the original 500-cubit square which was the actual holy area, while Gentiles were permitted to be in the court outside it, which was not technically as holy. Despite the fact that YHWH had said, “My House will be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 56:7), there was a sign on this wall that warned any non-Jew who passed this point that he would be responsible for his own death, which was sure to follow. While understandable in light of the way the Greeks had defiled the Temple in the days of the Maccabees (as commemorated at Hanukkah), still, this wall exceeded what YHWH had intended in regard to what holiness meant. So now there was a peace offering in which Jews like Paul were inviting one-time Gentiles (now a part of Israel, even if not Jews) to enter the holy space and share in the joyful celebration.
I think this way in which Hebrew was used also helps solve the riddle of what Paul meant when he said, “He [YHWH] made him who knew no sin [Yeshua] to be sin for us, so that in him we might be made the righteousness of Elohim.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) It sounds like clever poetry for sure, but it’s hard to make sense of it: a sinless man was “made to be sin”? That sounds like sacrilege--unless we realize that in Hebrew, “sin” and “sin offering” are exactly the same word. We have to look at the context to know which is being referred to, and if we take it here as the latter, it fits perfectly.
But this is how we have become unleavened, for Messiah, who was offered for us, was unleavened and all that is true of him is true of those who are connected to him, having his life flow through us as from a vine to its branches. (Yochanan 15)
“All the fat [an idiom for the best part] belongs to YHWH” (Lev. 3:16), including “the whole fat tail, all the way up to the tailbone…” (3:9) No, we don’t get to partake of even a little part of that delicacy, but offer it all as a gift to YHWH. It might taste great, but wouldn’t be good for us to digest. We do get to smell the “satisfying aroma” (3:16) that gives us a sense of what it feels like to Him when we obey even when we’d rather save part of it for ourselves. “Whoever ‘finds’ his own life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” (Mat. 10:39)
“If the anointed priest shall sin so as to bring guilt on the people, then let him offer for his sin, which he has sinned, a young bull without blemish unto YHWH for a sin-offering.” (Lev. 4:3)
This scenario is highlighted in Hebrews 5:1-3: “Every high priest who is selected from the sons of Adam is appointed in place of the sons of Adam in relation to YHWH for this purpose: that he may bring offerings and slaughterings near in place of sins, being able also to bear upon [himself the burden of] those in whom there is no knowledge of wisdom in the heart and stray after this [or that], and he himself is also limited by weakness; for this reason he also needs to bring an offering for sins in relation to himself, just as [he does] on behalf of the people.”
But of Yeshua, who the previous part of the letter says was made a high priest on a different, but older basis than that of the Levitical priests, it tells us, “a high priest such as this appears to have received suitable testimony that he is pious and innocent, without blemish and separate from sins and higher even than the heavens, who does not have day-to-day needs like the one who brings offerings near first for himself and afterward on behalf of the whole assembly of Israel. And this he accomplished in that he brought himself one time to be a drawing-near [offering].” (Heb. 7:26-27)
So let us draw near! (Heb. 10:22)
What Does All of This Mean to us Now?
No leaven, no honey in your grain-offering, but don’t forget the salt! (Lev. 2:11, 13) But in an age when we have no Tabernacle or animal sacrifices to supplement, how can all these regulations still be relevant?
Ah, now you’re asking the right question! Hebrew words are based on root concepts—usually nouns based on concrete verbs. But we can therefore carry the terms back through their etymologies to the deeper, more ancient meanings. Also, there were no vowel points in the original text, and sometimes two words, like isheh (an offering made by fire) and ishah (a woman or wife) would appear exactly the same, and might under the right circumstances be able to form a legitimate second way of being understood.
In that mode, Leviticus 3:3-5 could read: “From what is slaughtered for complete restitution, he shall bring near a wife for YHWH—the finest, which conceals the most intimate approach, with all the best in regard to what is innermost, and the reduplication of the vessels… and what is in excess over and above what is most important, he shall set aside and the children of the great bringer of light shall make them go up like the smoke of incense on the basis of the slaughter in regard to what was made to ascend on the wood on account of the motivation—a wife [who brings a] refreshing fragrance to the One who exists eternally.”
I couldn’t imagine a better summary of Yeshua’s bringing forth a bride and a progeny for YHWH through his ransoming and reconciling death. He was a male ”lamb” without blemish who was stripped and laid on wood by the priests, and killed north of the altar, thereby making atonement for us. (Lev. 1:4-12)
Look up the words individually and study them out. The first use of a particular term usually sets the tone for how it should be understood later in Scripture. For example, the first time the root word rendered “vessels” here appears, it spoke of articles of gold and silver brought to Rivqah while she was being wooed for Yitzhaq--to bring a bride so Avraham’s legacy could be continued through “reduplication”. (Gen. 24:53)
And don’t ignore the last time a term or concept is seen in Scripture, for it can be seen as summarizing what the concept has been about all along. For example, “what goes up like incense” is connected with the prayers of these holy ones who are found under the altar (place of slaughter) when this imagery shows up again at the end of the age in the heavenly realm (Revelation 5:8; 6:9), which is the prototype after which the earthly vessels and sanctuary were patterned. (Exodus 25:9, 40; Numbers 8:4; Hebrews 8:5; 9:23-24)
One more point, later in the portion: As soon as one is aware of his wrongdoing, he is responsible for it. (Lev. 4:13-14, 23, 28; 5:3) He forfeits something of value to him. (5:6) If one’s sin is thievery, he must forfeit even more, even to his own hurt, and even if he stole out of desperation while starving. (Proverbs 6:30-31) He is still counted guilty; there is no favoritism toward either rich or poor. (Lev. 19:15) In limited circumstances, YHWH is willing to overlook certain wrongs done in ignorance (Acts 17:30), but in order that as many people as possible can experience the new birth Yeshua’s death made possible, He is pushing us to reveal to everyone the fact that they have erred (Romans 3:19-23), so everyone can also get to repent. (Acts 17:30)
What sheds the light on our sin? The Torah. (Romans 3:20) We can’t repent without recognizing our guilt, and the very recognition, this Torah portion tells us, makes us culpable. An offering is available as remedy, this time “from outside the Torah”, but explained in it (Rom. 3:21).
Yet how much it cost YHWH! He Himself was the one who forfeited what was of most value to Him—His second Adam, His only creation who succeeded in passing all His tests without an error. It cost Him that to rectify our guilt; how can we respond to this mercy but to offer our bodies up completely as a “living sacrifice”—the “reasonable” or “logical equivalent to the sacred Temple services”? (Romans 12:1)
There is our answer to the very first question above. And yes, from then on we forfeit their use for our own purposes, but the compensation is that we get to participate in a purpose which is not only pure but will far outlast any of our own petty dreams.
Do We Still Need
This Part of the Torah?
All these animal slaughterings… What do they mean to us? Much, when we see the pictures they were meant to provide of substitution for our own death, for none of us goes through all of life without needing at least one of these. (Leviticus 4:2; 5:1-7) The details teach us about the attitudes YHWH wants in His worshippers:
Even an offering that is to be totally burnt up has to be sectioned and prepared properly to be a sweet aroma to YHWH. (Lev. 1:6-9, 12-13) It may be because exposed fat will smell better. Of course, any filth inside the body must be washed off for it to smell good when burning. All offerings must have salt (2:13). It not only preserves; it flavors, and there are lessons in the covenant of salt (Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5) which Clay Trumbull detailed in a book-length treatment. Some parts of peace offerings, even if considered delicacies, are not to be eaten, but offered to YHWH by fire; they are not healthy as food, but are the parts that would smell the best as they burned. (3:9-11) His breathing in the soothing aroma symbolizes His satisfaction with the offerer.
“Throughout your generations, wherever you may live, eat no fat or blood.” (3:17) That’s what distinguishes mere clean meat from truly kosher (acceptable). Yet other than kosher butchering of ordinary meat, today these slaughterings are conspicuous by their absence. Unpleasant though flaying an animal is, how do we justify not doing any of these things anymore?
We glibly argue, “We have no Temple to do them in.” But an altar is really all we need for this part. One has even been built recently, but is not in use. It would not have been so difficult to have one in place reasonably close to the Temple site for the last 57 years. Yet few are in a hurry to bring that about. Is it because for some reason we think we don’t need it, though YHWH went into so much detail about it?
Can good deeds or good intentions really substitute when YHWH said in the Torah, “I have given you [blood] on the altar as an atonement for your souls, because the blood is what makes atonement for the soul”? (17:11) Except for a few types of sin--and only if one is truly destitute (5:11)--that is how we are forgiven. (4:35; 5:26)
Mere repentance is not adequate payment, though it is crucial. Only if a more complete, appropriate offering that covers all our sins has been offered up can we be exempted from these slaughters. Only the blood of a truly innocent substitute, an uncorrupted human, could really accomplish that, and only one man has ever fit that bill: he whose blood was not tainted by the fruit Adam ate. Arthur Custance details how the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15), while as yet unfertilized, is free from that genetic mutation, while the male seed is not.
The mother of a friend of ours was just finishing up the process of converting to Judaism when the rabbi asked her, “Now aren’t you glad you don’t need a man to pay for your sins?” While she pondered this, at that moment she had a vision of Yeshua telling her, “Ask him what he has as a sacrifice for his sins.”
That is the salient question. So yes, we must jettison the pagan accretions that have obscured the real Hebraic facts about the Messiah, but this is one sine qua non which we cannot dispense with, for we have no other truly kosher backup plan.
Some details here are surely predictions about him. A male lamb without blemish needs to be slaughtered north of the altar. (Lev. 1:10-11) Yeshua was slain north of the Temple Mount. Anointed unleavened bread must be broken in pieces. (Lev. 2:6) He used just that analogy: “This is my body, broken for you.” (1 Cor. 11:24) Firstfruits of grain have to be brought ready to eat. (2:14) Yeshua the firstfruits (1 Cor. 15:20) does make YHWH accessible even to those in remote places who know nothing of Torah but that they want to be reconciled to Him.
A final aspect of the offerings is that we forfeit something when we are careless about holy things. Even with Yeshua’s offering in place, we still have to sacrifice our pride by confessing our sins to one another. (5:15) Once there are holy things to defile again, restitution (5:16-24) will be necessary even for those already reconciled to YHWH. Meanwhile, restitution of other people’s property we damage can be done even without the added ram!
He Became Sin?
Kefa (Cephas, Shim’on Petros) said that some of Paul’s writings were hard to understand. (2 Peter 3:16) That was no exaggeration! Here’s one puzzling statement on which some debatable doctrines may have been based:
“He [YHWH] made him who knew no sin
to be[come] sin for us,
so that we might be made
the righteousness of Elohim in him.”
(2 Cor. 5:21)
The Messiah became sin?? What on earth does that mean? Some say it means Yeshua himself became repulsive to YHWH and He treated him with as much revulsion as someone would treat any filth that got on his clothes--that, for the first time, He could not bear to have His beloved son in His presence, since, as this Torah portion teaches, to touch an unclean thing renders one guilty (Lev. 5:2-3, etc.), so that could hardly be brought near YHWH.
Is that really what Paul was trying to communicate with such an unusual phrase? Or is this an example of “unlearned and unstable men” twisting Paul’s words, as Kefa went on to say? If not, what was he saying?
The answer to the mystery is found in this Torah portion as well. As usual, the solution lies in reading it as in the Hebrew sense, because even if this letter was written in Greek (because his audience spoke that language), the author of the letter was thinking in Hebraic terms, being a Pharisee still (Acts 23:6; Philippians 3:5).
You see, the Hebrew word khata’ah means both “sin” (noun form) and “sin offering”. There is no indefinite article in Hebrew, so “sin” and “a sin offering” are stated in exactly the same way. Both meanings are juxtaposed in Lev. 4:3: “…let him offer for his sin [khata’ah], which he has sinned [khata’—the verb form], a young bull without blemish to YHWH for a sin-offering [khata’ah].” (Verse 14 is very similar.)
So Yeshua "became a sin offering." Now that makes more sense! (Not that spiritual truths are always logical to the natural mind, but this explanation fits with the foundation of Torah.)
So …“that one forsaken moment when your Father turned His face away” (as Michael Card put it)--did it never take place? Psalm 22 seems to say it did. Yeshua quoted the opening verse from the cross: “My El, My El, why have You forsaken me…?” This shorthand drew attention to the rest of the psalm, which goes on to say, “…distancing Yourself from delivering me and…my cry of distress?” What follows is a vivid description of exactly what took place that dark day, but then David’s confident expectation came out: no, “He has not taken lightly or disdained the suffering of the afflicted, nor hidden His face from him; when he cried out to Him, He listened.” (v. 25) Knowing that part of the psalm too may be what got Yeshua through the crucifixion unscathed in spirit, despite how it seemed to David--and to him.
Isaiah 53, which Yeshua’s contemporaries recognized as applicable to him (Mat. 8:16-17; Mark 15:28; Acts 8:27ff), says “It was YHWH’s will to crush him; He [is the One who] wounded him.” (v. 10) It was His will (or “inclination”), not because it pleased Him (as King James translated khafetz); it was surely a difficult choice to let him suffer this, but the scales were tipped by what this momentary pain could do for others permanently. The verse continues, in the terminology of this very Torah portion: “If his soul will render [itself] a guilt offering [asham], he will see a seed [Gen. 3:15?]; he will lengthen days, and what delights YHWH will advance in his hand. He will see [the results of] his soul’s struggle; he will be fully satisfied. By his know-how will a righteous one, My servant, bring justice for the many, and bear the brunt of the punishment for their guilt.”
So YHWH was pleased with his offering his own soul as an asham. He is no sadist, making it harder on him; He rewards those who take the toughest path for others when there’s no other way around the dilemma.
Thus Yeshua was several types of offering at one time. Each explains one of the many facets of what he accomplished.
So let’s look again at that verse with which we opened, plugging in what we’ve learned:
“He made him who knew no sin [was “without blemish”] become a SIN OFFERING for us [as an acceptable substitute], so that in him we might be made the righteousness of Elohim” [not just transferring his perfect record to our account, but also having the second Adam’s untainted blood—his DNA, that “seed”, his righteous nature (no longer only innocent but fully tested and successfully proven just)—"transfused” into us, supplanting the first Adam’s nature as we let it take more and more precedence.
So let the “seed” he planted grow in you and participate in the bruises that crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15), so that [in Graham Kendrick’s words] “the lamb who was slain might receive the reward of his sufferings”.
The Kind of Position
that Counts Most
Every ten years I get a mischievous desire to write a takeoff on John Denver’s song with the words, “Come fill out your census…” and sell it to the government to use as their jingle. Okay, that’s my sense of humor; take it or leave it. But that’s sort of what’s going on as we open the book of B’Midbar (Numbers).
It is one of those confirming witnesses that this record of the counting of the people is usually read during the Counting of the Omer [Measure], the 49 days between the Sabbath after Passover and Shavuoth (Lev. 23:15)—a time when we “aim at becoming a complete man, attaining the [proper] measure of maturity in what brings [the] Messiah to [his] fullness” (Ephesians 4:13) --in short, becoming the kind of people who “count” in YHWH’s kingdom.
But the point of the numbering in the wilderness does not seem to really have been about how many men could go to war (though those are all who were counted in most tribes), for YHWH can do with many or few (1 Sam. 14:6)--but rather to build up to a climax with the number of the Levites, who paralleled the number of the firstborn in Israel, who had been responsible to be priests to their families. (Lev. 3:39-43) YHWH traded the Levites for them as the ones who especially belonged to Him (3:12, 45; compare 7:18; Ex. 13:13-15), maybe because it would make their training simpler if everyone in the family had the same kind of responsibility; it became like a family business, and thus the other firstborn were free to help their own families, which was where they were needed most.
The few additional firstborn were redeemed with a sum of 5 sheqels (3:46ff), which would continue to be the redemption price of every firstborn male in Israel from that point on; the substitution count only took place this one time in our history. (18:15-16) The redemption of the firstborn detailed here was announced all the way back in Exodus 13:13, right as they left Egypt. So this was the plan all along.
The Q’hathites were the family of Levites who cared for the most important items in the Tabernacle. (Num. 3:31) Thus they camped on the south side of the sanctuary (3:29)—the “right-hand side” when facing east, the (literal) orientation that is the Hebraic norm. This showed how much they counted in the scheme of things.
The priesthood was also from this family, and they had still more special responsibil-ities. They got to cover up the holy vessels and put poles in place so their cousins wouldn’t see or touch the holy items when transporting them. (Num. 4:5-20) Only the sons of Aharon could see them and only minimally; Aharon had to hide the ark of the covenant from his view with a cloud of incense the one day each year he went behind the veil (Lev. 16:13); this was less of an issue after the cloud that indicated YHWH’s presence lifted to tell Israel it was time to travel on. (Ex. 40:36-38)
This was His mercy so their lives would not be endangered; even Moshe could not see Him, and they too, as sin-infested flesh, were not worthy to be around anything this holy, despite their highest positions among the chosen people. There are no exceptions; something more is needed for even the comparatively-best of us.
Only Yeshua, the firstborn of creation, yet redeemer as well, is a sinless high priest with the right offering, and thus permanently welcome to look full in the face the One who dwells between the kh’ruvim, and represent us there, making us clean enough to “draw near with a true heart” (Heb. 10:22), as he somehow passes on his pure DNA to us, forging a new human race (though really restoring the original). Rather than a fear of death if we misstep, we now have “hope as an anchor…within the veil” (Heb. 6:19), the most stable place it can secure us, so we can have the confidence to “boldly approach the throne…and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16)
Our haftarah (1 Shmuel 20, for a Shabbat which is also new moon) gives 2 examples of that kind of confidence. Whereas firstborn sons of most kings are paranoid about preserving their prospect for the throne and would do anything to squelch the success of any apparent rival (and his father did have that obsession, which blinded him), Y’honathan knew David was not out to depose him and that YHWH would choose the best man for the job, so he instead became his best friend, giving David the best possible insider training for palace life, with none of the groveling or intrigues. Jealousy of his position would have wasted his occasion to have such a true friend, which counted even better in the long run. David, too, knew YHWH had secured his position, so he was free to wait on His timing.
The hope of Messiah does just that—frees us to let go of worries about where we stand in the pecking order; knowing our future is already secured lets us focus on truly caring for one another on the way.
And that counts for much more than vying for first place, as my college friend Keith Wood wrote in a song of “two pilgrims on the very same road, seeking to walk in uprightness, but weighed down by each private load. ‘Iron sharpens iron’, creating a balance so grand—that’s to get to the Kingdom, by stopping to help one, and getting there hand in hand.”
The Greater of
Two Goods
One who wrongs another may not bring his offering to YHWH to be cleared of his guilt until he has restored what he took from or denied his fellow human, with 20% added for the hardship he caused the victim to suffer while he did not have what he depended on. (Lev. 5:23-24) This is what is so often missing from our modern “justice” system. It becomes injustice, because while jailing the perpetrator may keep him from perpetrating again, if he can’t earn the means to bring back what he took or lost, how will he ever compensate his initial victim? That’s the main point of being held accountable.
Any witness to a crime is a “mandated reporter”—required to be a “whistleblower”. (Lev. 5:1) There is a penalty for failing to do this duty, for he’d leave a continued threat at large, endangering the whole community. “Whoever knows what is right to do, and does not do it, it [counts as] sin for him.” (Yqv./James 4:17)
This Torah portion recognizes there are some who do not know what is right to do and thus do not realize they have done something wrong, or just did not notice they did it. They are guilty (5:2), but are not responsible to make amends until they are made aware of it. (5:3-4) Allowances are also made for those who really cannot afford to bring the most correct penalty for what they have done. (5:7-11)
But in our haftarah (1 Shmu’el 15:2-34), King Sha’ul was given a direct message from YHWH about the right thing to do. So he knew. And if there was any question whether this was valid, well, it was already enshrined in a Torah command, again given directly by YHWH to Moshe: to hold Amaleq accountable and blot out its memory, even destroying the things it had owned, to preserve no reminders of it. (Ex. 17; Deut. 25)
It just was not a pleasant or popular thing to do. After all, this was genocide! Today everybody knows that that is wrong! We are right to think that way when the initiative is ours. But if that particular gene’s Creator decides it is beyond repair, He has that right and He has His reasons, and even good morals cannot trump what He knows and has declared to be best. By our disobedience, we sometimes put even YHWH in the awful position of having to choose the lesser of two evils.
King Sha’ul did this hard job, but really thought he had done the right thing by finishing most of it but leaving exceptions. (15:9, 13, 20) This is not the same as what my college professor Dr. Al McAlister meant when he put a new twist on an old adage: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly!”
He wasn’t encouraging us to slack off and do shoddy work. What he meant was if we only have limited resources and something really needs to be done, doing it the best way we can is better than missing a one-shot window because we don’t think we can do it perfectly and therefore don’t do it at all.
Sha’ul had the resources to do the whole job and do it well, but did not. This cost him the right to a dynasty.
His gravest error was allowing those under him to pressure him to do what the only one(s) over him had had forbidden. And the people seemed to have a good excuse: we can make this an offering to YHWH! (15:15, 21) Whether they actually would have if they had not been caught is another question, but that is how they justified disobedience.
From this came YHWH’s famous verdict on the hierarchy of what pleases Him: “To obey is better than sacrifice!” (15:22) Even a gift to YHWH is no longer good if it goes against what He wants. The lesser of two goods actually becomes an evil in the process. So choose what is good as He defines it, not as classified democratically by the changing whims of fickle men.
