Ben Avraham
Freshman
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2023
- Messages
- 93
- Reaction score
- 35
- Points
- 18
Torah/Bible study topic: “Tzav” (command) LEVITICUS 6:8-8:36
Last time we studied “Vayikra” (and he called), and this time, we are looking at the Torah/Bible study topic, “Tzav” (command). We are studying the same offerings, yet the titles are different. One is “Called,” and this study falls under “command.” What is the relationship here? One way to look at this is that “offering up to Adonai” is a calling. We are called to “offer up to Him,” yet not all respond. But for those who DO respond to the calling, there is a set way to offer up to HIM.
God is saying in a way, “You are called, but I know that not all of you will respond, yet to those who DO respond, THIS is how it is done! Remember that today, there are no more animal offerings/sacrifices, yet the offerings are symbolic in the way we relate to God today, through prayer, good works, and our personal relationship with Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, who is our LORD and Savior.
Also, the word "Tzav" is a military word, when an officer "commands a sergeant to carry out orders, or the sergeant "commands" a lower-ranking enlisted man to carry out orders or a "command". In this case, even the Cohenim are commanded to bring offerings to YHVH. No one is exempt from the blood standard. We are all sinners and stand guilty as charged. There has to be a substitute for our sins, and even Aaron and his sons needed redemption. We continue to look at the “Korbanot Shel Mishkan” (the offerings of the Tabernacle), which are…
“The Burnt Offering” (Korban Olah), “The Grain Offering” (Minchah), “The Peace Offering” (Zevah Shelamim), the “Sin Offering” (Korban Chatat), “The Trespass or guilt offering” (Korban Asham). One thing about the burnt, sin, and guilt offerings, there had to be “Teshuvah” (repentance) or “a change of heart”. A “Turning away from sin,” like when Yeshua told the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, “Go and sin no more!” (by the way, I wonder why the crowd didn’t bring the man?) I mean, if the woman was caught in the “act,” the man was there too! Yet he was not brought forth.
The burnt offerings symbolized the recognition of our sin nature and a willingness to give oneself to God. The sin and trespass/guilt offerings symbolized the offeror’s recognition that “I have sinned” in a specific way, unintentionally, and forgiveness was sought. If the trespass was some property damage or theft, the person offering the animal has to first “compensate” the person offended, and “restitution” was in order. Yet it was restitution plus 5 more of the items, plus a fine besides the offering. Very strict.
The grain and peace offerings were to “give thanks to God” for blessings received or anticipated. The grain had to be "Matzah" or unleavened bread, which illustrates Yeshua the Bread of Life.
Every time people go to the park and fire up the BBQ grills and invite guests to eat hamburgers, hot-dogs, sausage, tostadas, grilled peppers, they are, in a way, presenting a “peace offering”. These offerings were not without fine flour, olive oil, salt, and Frankincense. I guess a good outing in the park could not be complete without garlic bread brushed with a bit of olive oil and salt. Salt in the bible symbolizes “incorruptibility,” and what better way to lie down to rest at night than to light an incense stick of Frankincense.
We can see Yeshua in all of these offerings. The clean animals symbolize Yeshua as the “perfect sacrificed lamb of God,” especially during this time of Passover, which starts Wednesday evening. Yeshua is our "Passover Lamb," Grain offerings symbolize “Yeshua the Bread of Life,” the peace offerings “Yeshua, the Prince of Peace” (Yeshua Sar Shalom). The Passover lambs were "Shelamim (Peace offerings) The olive oil, the “Ruach HaKodesh” (The Holy Spirit), and the Frankincense, “Our prayers and supplications,” which go “up” like burning incense.
In this Parashah, we see “Ner Tamid” or “Esh Tamid” (the eternal flame or fire), the burnt offering roasted all night, and the ashes that remained in the morning were removed to a clean place outside the camp. The fire symbolizes purification, destruction, heat, light, and judgment of sin. It can also symbolize our zeal and love for God and for the things of God, service to Adonai. I am sure you have heard the expression “being on fire for God!” The things we did yesterday are gone, and the things of today remain to be done. We can consider the “ashes” the things of yesterday, and the things of today, are being done, and the things of tomorrow, “yet to be done.” Even the ashes of the "prior day's offering" had to be honored and taken outside the camp to a clean place. Was not our Messiah taken down from the cross and laid to rest in a tomb, "outside the city?"
YHVH takes into account ALL things done for His name’s sake, honor, and glory. The ashes of “yesterday” can be our “future rewards” in Heaven in the world to come.
Chapter 8 is the highlight of the Torah. The Torah (Genesis – Deuteronomy) has 304,805 Hebrew letters, 79,977 words, and 5845 verses. Lev 8:15 is the “midpoint” with the word “Yesod” (foundation or base). It talks about Aaron being anointed as high priest. He is symbolically a “type of Messiah.”
“To anoint” (Mashach) “m sh ch” using the Hebrew consonants. The word “Mishkan” (Tabernacle) is similar. The Mishkan was anointed for the place of worship. In the high priest, we have the mediator between man and God, and now “Yeshua” is our “Cohen Gadol” (High Priest). He is our "Mashiach" (the anointed one). Do you see the similarity? Same consonants.
The blood of the animals used to anoint Aaron and his sons was sprinkled on the horns of the brazen altar and poured out at the “base” or “foundation” of the altar, pointing us to Yeshua, who is the “Chief Corner-stone” or the “Foundation Stone” (Yeshua HaYesod)
It is also interesting to see that the first word in the Torah is “B’reisheet” (in the beginning), the middle was now known as “Yesod” (foundation), and the last word in Deuteronomy is “Yisrael”, giving us the message that “Yeshua is the Foundation of Israel”, but where is “Yeshua” in Genesis? If we take the last letters of the first three words of Genesis, “B’reisheet Bara Elohim”(In the beginning, God created) using of course the Hebrew letters, we get the word “Emet” (truth), and one of Yeshua’s titles is “The Truth”, the “Alef”, “Mem”, and “Tav”. Yeshua said;
“I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
Aaron and his sons were anointed with blood on their right ear lobes, their right thumbs, and the big toe on their right feet. This can symbolize our “hearing” (Shema) and putting into action what we hear from God’s Word, our “doing” through mitzvoth (good needs, following the commandments), and “walking” according to HIS direction, walking a “Torah-based lifestyle, or “Halacha” as some put it. This was the ministry of Aaron and his sons, and it was also our ministry.
All believers have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to walk in Yeshua's way. Living a Bible/Torah-oriented lifestyle. This is our "calling," and we have received our "orders" to be witnesses to those around us and to go through tough times and trials. It is a lifetime way of life, even though it might not be so glamorous at times. Satan might use our own family members to cause "turbulence" around us. He wants to discourage us, but we are in our relationship with the LORD for the long haul. So, don't give up. Don't throw in the towel. Fight the good fight and finish our course.
HAPPY PASSOVER AND RESURRECTION DAY (can't have one without the other)
Like Aaron, we are anointed to serve the LORD!
Last time we studied “Vayikra” (and he called), and this time, we are looking at the Torah/Bible study topic, “Tzav” (command). We are studying the same offerings, yet the titles are different. One is “Called,” and this study falls under “command.” What is the relationship here? One way to look at this is that “offering up to Adonai” is a calling. We are called to “offer up to Him,” yet not all respond. But for those who DO respond to the calling, there is a set way to offer up to HIM.
God is saying in a way, “You are called, but I know that not all of you will respond, yet to those who DO respond, THIS is how it is done! Remember that today, there are no more animal offerings/sacrifices, yet the offerings are symbolic in the way we relate to God today, through prayer, good works, and our personal relationship with Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, who is our LORD and Savior.
Also, the word "Tzav" is a military word, when an officer "commands a sergeant to carry out orders, or the sergeant "commands" a lower-ranking enlisted man to carry out orders or a "command". In this case, even the Cohenim are commanded to bring offerings to YHVH. No one is exempt from the blood standard. We are all sinners and stand guilty as charged. There has to be a substitute for our sins, and even Aaron and his sons needed redemption. We continue to look at the “Korbanot Shel Mishkan” (the offerings of the Tabernacle), which are…
“The Burnt Offering” (Korban Olah), “The Grain Offering” (Minchah), “The Peace Offering” (Zevah Shelamim), the “Sin Offering” (Korban Chatat), “The Trespass or guilt offering” (Korban Asham). One thing about the burnt, sin, and guilt offerings, there had to be “Teshuvah” (repentance) or “a change of heart”. A “Turning away from sin,” like when Yeshua told the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, “Go and sin no more!” (by the way, I wonder why the crowd didn’t bring the man?) I mean, if the woman was caught in the “act,” the man was there too! Yet he was not brought forth.
The burnt offerings symbolized the recognition of our sin nature and a willingness to give oneself to God. The sin and trespass/guilt offerings symbolized the offeror’s recognition that “I have sinned” in a specific way, unintentionally, and forgiveness was sought. If the trespass was some property damage or theft, the person offering the animal has to first “compensate” the person offended, and “restitution” was in order. Yet it was restitution plus 5 more of the items, plus a fine besides the offering. Very strict.
The grain and peace offerings were to “give thanks to God” for blessings received or anticipated. The grain had to be "Matzah" or unleavened bread, which illustrates Yeshua the Bread of Life.
Every time people go to the park and fire up the BBQ grills and invite guests to eat hamburgers, hot-dogs, sausage, tostadas, grilled peppers, they are, in a way, presenting a “peace offering”. These offerings were not without fine flour, olive oil, salt, and Frankincense. I guess a good outing in the park could not be complete without garlic bread brushed with a bit of olive oil and salt. Salt in the bible symbolizes “incorruptibility,” and what better way to lie down to rest at night than to light an incense stick of Frankincense.
We can see Yeshua in all of these offerings. The clean animals symbolize Yeshua as the “perfect sacrificed lamb of God,” especially during this time of Passover, which starts Wednesday evening. Yeshua is our "Passover Lamb," Grain offerings symbolize “Yeshua the Bread of Life,” the peace offerings “Yeshua, the Prince of Peace” (Yeshua Sar Shalom). The Passover lambs were "Shelamim (Peace offerings) The olive oil, the “Ruach HaKodesh” (The Holy Spirit), and the Frankincense, “Our prayers and supplications,” which go “up” like burning incense.
In this Parashah, we see “Ner Tamid” or “Esh Tamid” (the eternal flame or fire), the burnt offering roasted all night, and the ashes that remained in the morning were removed to a clean place outside the camp. The fire symbolizes purification, destruction, heat, light, and judgment of sin. It can also symbolize our zeal and love for God and for the things of God, service to Adonai. I am sure you have heard the expression “being on fire for God!” The things we did yesterday are gone, and the things of today remain to be done. We can consider the “ashes” the things of yesterday, and the things of today, are being done, and the things of tomorrow, “yet to be done.” Even the ashes of the "prior day's offering" had to be honored and taken outside the camp to a clean place. Was not our Messiah taken down from the cross and laid to rest in a tomb, "outside the city?"
YHVH takes into account ALL things done for His name’s sake, honor, and glory. The ashes of “yesterday” can be our “future rewards” in Heaven in the world to come.
Chapter 8 is the highlight of the Torah. The Torah (Genesis – Deuteronomy) has 304,805 Hebrew letters, 79,977 words, and 5845 verses. Lev 8:15 is the “midpoint” with the word “Yesod” (foundation or base). It talks about Aaron being anointed as high priest. He is symbolically a “type of Messiah.”
“To anoint” (Mashach) “m sh ch” using the Hebrew consonants. The word “Mishkan” (Tabernacle) is similar. The Mishkan was anointed for the place of worship. In the high priest, we have the mediator between man and God, and now “Yeshua” is our “Cohen Gadol” (High Priest). He is our "Mashiach" (the anointed one). Do you see the similarity? Same consonants.
The blood of the animals used to anoint Aaron and his sons was sprinkled on the horns of the brazen altar and poured out at the “base” or “foundation” of the altar, pointing us to Yeshua, who is the “Chief Corner-stone” or the “Foundation Stone” (Yeshua HaYesod)
It is also interesting to see that the first word in the Torah is “B’reisheet” (in the beginning), the middle was now known as “Yesod” (foundation), and the last word in Deuteronomy is “Yisrael”, giving us the message that “Yeshua is the Foundation of Israel”, but where is “Yeshua” in Genesis? If we take the last letters of the first three words of Genesis, “B’reisheet Bara Elohim”(In the beginning, God created) using of course the Hebrew letters, we get the word “Emet” (truth), and one of Yeshua’s titles is “The Truth”, the “Alef”, “Mem”, and “Tav”. Yeshua said;
“I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
Aaron and his sons were anointed with blood on their right ear lobes, their right thumbs, and the big toe on their right feet. This can symbolize our “hearing” (Shema) and putting into action what we hear from God’s Word, our “doing” through mitzvoth (good needs, following the commandments), and “walking” according to HIS direction, walking a “Torah-based lifestyle, or “Halacha” as some put it. This was the ministry of Aaron and his sons, and it was also our ministry.
All believers have been anointed by the Holy Spirit to walk in Yeshua's way. Living a Bible/Torah-oriented lifestyle. This is our "calling," and we have received our "orders" to be witnesses to those around us and to go through tough times and trials. It is a lifetime way of life, even though it might not be so glamorous at times. Satan might use our own family members to cause "turbulence" around us. He wants to discourage us, but we are in our relationship with the LORD for the long haul. So, don't give up. Don't throw in the towel. Fight the good fight and finish our course.
HAPPY PASSOVER AND RESURRECTION DAY (can't have one without the other)
Like Aaron, we are anointed to serve the LORD!
