The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/KKmsQIzRA8Q
Reading
– Leviticus 6:8-13; Leviticus 8:1-36
By
Dan and Brenda Cathcart
The
book of Leviticus opened with instructions on how a man could draw near to God
through the offering system. The focus was on who was to bring an offering and
what the offering was for. All the instructions for the five types of offerings
were given to Moses on the day God called out from the tabernacle of Meeting on
the first day of the first month which marked one year from the time that God
began to call them out of Egypt.
Leviticus 7:37-38 NKJV 37 This is the
law of the burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the trespass
offering, the consecrations, and the sacrifice of the peace offering, 38 which
the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day when He commanded the
children of Israel to offer their offerings to the LORD in the Wilderness of
Sinai.
In
this Torah portion, Leviticus shifts the perspective to the point of view of
the priest and explains how the priest is to handle each offering. After this,
Moses began the process of inaugurating Aaron and his sons as priests and
putting the offering system into place.
The
instructions about how the priests are to handle the offerings don’t start with
the offerings themselves. They start with a commandment about tending the
bronze altar where the offerings will be given to God. In regards to taking
care of the altar, God doesn’t tell Moses just to speak to Aaron; He tells
Moses to command Aaron. This word “command” is the Hebrew word “tzav” which is
the title of the Torah portion.
The
instructions for the altar describe the routine of a day beginning with the
evening.
Leviticus 6:8-9 NKJV 8 Then the LORD
spoke to Moses, saying, 9 "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is
the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon
the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept
burning on it.
The
fire on the altar was to be kept burning throughout the night with a burnt
offering on it. This burnt offering is one of the two daily offerings of a lamb
called the tamid offering, or the continual offering. One lamb was offered in
the morning and the other was offered in the evening.
Exodus 29:38-39 NKJV 38 "Now this
is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day
continually. 39 "One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other
lamb you shall offer at twilight.
The
burnt offering which was placed on the altar at the end of the day was to
remain on the altar throughout the night. In the morning, the first task the
priest was to perform after putting on his priestly garments was to separate
out the ashes and remove them from the camp.
Leviticus 6:10-11 NKJV 10 'And the
priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen trousers he shall put on
his body, and take up the ashes of the burnt offering which the fire has
consumed on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. 11 'Then he
shall take off his garments, put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside
the camp to a clean place.
The
altar would, then, be ready for the start of a new day beginning with the daily
burnt offering of the lamb. Throughout this process, the fire on the altar was
to be kept burning.
Leviticus 6:12-13 NKJV 12 'And the
fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the
priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order
on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. 13 'A fire shall
always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.
With
the daily burnt offering brought by the priest always on the altar before God,
the priests are always able to draw near to God. They have access to God
twenty-four seven! Through the priesthood, the children of Israel also can draw
near to God.
Yeshua,
as a type of all the offerings, was nailed to the cross at the time of the
morning daily offering and died at the time of the evening daily offering. The
book of Hebrews tells us that through the blood of Yeshua, our tamid offering,
we also have continual access to God.
Hebrews 10:19-22 NKJV 19 Therefore,
brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a
new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His
flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near
with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Paul
tells us in Romans that we are to be a living sacrifice given wholly and
completely to God like the burnt offering is given entirely to God. As a royal
priesthood, we are to bring the twice daily burnt offering of ourselves to God
and keep the fire of the altar of God burning in our lives.
In
addition to the daily burnt offerings, which began and ended each day’s
offerings, the high priest was to bring a daily grain or mincha offering for
himself and his sons. While Aaron and his sons received a portion of the mincha
offering brought by the people, they could not eat the mincha offering that
they brought.
Leviticus 6:20, 22-23 NKJV 20
"This is the offering of Aaron and his sons, which they shall offer to the
LORD, beginning on the day when he is anointed: one-tenth of an ephah of fine
flour as a daily grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at
night. … 22 "The priest from among his sons, who is anointed in his place,
shall offer it. It is a statute forever to the LORD. It shall be wholly burned.
23 "For every grain offering for the priest shall be wholly burned. It
shall not be eaten."
Like
the daily lambs, this offering was to be offered continually beginning with the
day Aaron began his service as high priest. Half of the grain was to brought in
the morning and half in the evening. As such, it was offered at the same time
as the daily tamid offering. First Fruits of Zion in Torah Club: Shadows of
the Messiah comments on the meaning of this offering.
It represented his own personal
service to God. Though he offered the daily burnt offering on behalf of all
Israel, he offered the daily grain offering on behalf of himself alone.[i]
Through
these two twice daily offerings, a priest has two daily appointments with God.
The Sh’ma refers to this same idea stating that we are to speak of God’s words specifically
when we lie down and when we rise up, and then, like the offerings throughout
the day, every opportunity between these two times.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NKJV 6 "And
these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 "You shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in
your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
The
next instructions involve the sin and trespass offerings. They are treated the
same way by the priests. The priest who officiates at these offerings receives
his portion which he is to eat in the holy place. However, if it is a priest
who brings the offering for himself, the blood of his offering is sprinkled in
front of the veil in the holy place, and the portion that would have been his
to eat is taken outside the camp and burned in a clean place.
Leviticus 6:30 NKJV 30 'But no sin
offering from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of meeting,
to make atonement in the holy place, shall be eaten. It shall be burned in the
fire.
Finally,
God gives additional instructions for the peace sacrifice. The instructions are
broken down into two categories. Peace sacrifices given in thanks must be eaten
on the day that the offering is made. Peace offerings in fulfillment of a vow
can be eaten on the second day but anything left over must be burnt on the
third day.
Leviticus 7:15-17 NKJV 15 'The flesh
of the sacrifice of his peace offering for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same
day it is offered. He shall not leave any of it until morning. 16 'But if the
sacrifice of his offering is a vow or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten
the same day that he offers his sacrifice; but on the next day the remainder of
it also may be eaten; 17 'the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the
third day must be burned with fire.
The
peace sacrifice is different from the other offerings. It is the only offering
that is always called a sacrifice. It is frequently paired with the burnt
offering as we saw in the instructions given for beginning the day in the
temple when the priests are instructed to burn both the burnt offering and the fat
of the peace sacrifice on the altar in Leviticus 6:12.
The
peace sacrifice is also the only offering from which the person bringing the
offering can eat part of the offering. The first part of the offering goes to
God on the altar, the second part goes to the priest who officiated, and the
remainder goes back to the one bringing the offering. He can share it with any
person who is ritually clean. The peace sacrifice, then, served as a joint
banquet with God, family, and friends. First Fruits of Zion in Torah Club:
Unrolling the Scroll comments on the significance of the peace offering.
The peace offerings represent
relationship, fellowship, and peace between God and man. Eating of the peace
offering was like eating from God’s own table.[ii]
The
Passover sacrifice is a type of peace sacrifice. The homeowner who brings the
offering gives a portion to God which is burned in the fire. The head of the
household receives part of the offering back to share with his household. The
sacrifice establishes a relationship and peace with God. At the original
Passover, the angel of death passed over that household; that household was at
peace with God. Yeshua tells us that He is our peace sacrifice. On the evening
before His crucifixion, Yeshua tells His disciple that He gives them peace.
John 14:27 NKJV 27 "Peace I leave
with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
We
have peace through the Passover sacrifice, the peace sacrifice of Yeshua for
us.
Romans 5:1-2 NKJV 1 Therefore, having
been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Because
we have peace with God, we should freely offer up our thanksgiving sacrifices
to God sharing our testimony of God’s goodness with family and friends.
Now
that all the instructions for the offerings have been given, it is time to
initiate Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. The officiating priest for
this seven-day ceremony is Moses. As such, Moses is a priest of a higher order
than Aaron. While Aaron and subsequent high priests could only go into the Holy
of Holies once a year, Moses could enter at any time. Yeshua is also a priest
of a higher order than the Aaronic priesthood.
Hebrews 5:9-10 NKJV 9 And having been
perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, 10
called by God as High Priest "according to the order of Melchizedek,"
Moses,
as the officiating priest, brought Aaron and his sons to the door of the
tabernacle with all the congregation gathered around. Moses washed and clothed
Aaron and his sons.
Leviticus 8:6-7 NKJV 6 Then Moses
brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. 7 And he put the tunic
on him, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod
on him; and he girded him with the intricately woven band of the ephod, and
with it tied the ephod on him.
On
the night that Yeshua was betrayed, he removed his own garments and washed the
feet of His disciples.
John 13:3-5 NKJV 3 Jesus, knowing that
the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God
and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a
towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began
to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was
girded.
In
a way similar to Moses passing on the priesthood from himself to Aaron, Yeshua,
knowing He would soon return to the Father, washed His disciples so that they could
continue His mission on Earth. Yeshua declared that unless they submitted to
being washed by Him, they would not be clean.
John 13:8-10 NKJV 8 Peter said to Him,
"You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not
wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him,
"Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus
said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is
completely clean;
After
washing and clothing Aaron, Moses anointed the altar, the tabernacle, and Aaron
to set them aside as holy to the LORD.
Leviticus 8:10, 12 NKJV 10 Also Moses
took the anointing oil, and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and
consecrated them. … 12 And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head
and anointed him, to consecrate him.
Moses
similarly clothed Aaron’s sons. Aaron and his sons all laid their hands on the
head of the sin offering. Moses, still acting as priest, killed the bull and sprinkled
the blood of the sin offering according to all the instructions for the sin
offering. The next offering was a ram for a burnt offering. Again, Moses
followed all of the instructions God gave regarding the burnt offering.
Finally, a second ram was offered as a peace sacrifice of consecration.
Leviticus 8:22-23 NKJV 22 And he
brought the second ram, the ram of consecration. Then Aaron and his sons laid
their hands on the head of the ram, 23 and Moses killed it. Also he took some
of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his
right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
The
blood on the right ear, thumb of the right hand, and big toe of the right foot
symbolize their service to God. The Stone Edition Chumash comments on
this symbolism.
The blood upon the ear symbolizes that
the Kohanim should always listen to and obey God’s commands. The hand is the
organ that grasps things and this is active; so the blood upon the thumb
symbolizes that the Kohanim should actively carry out His will. And the foot is
the organ of movement; so the blood on the big toe symbolizes that the Kohanim
should always move with alacrity to serve God (R’Avraham ben HaRambam.)[iii]
The
portion of the peace sacrifice that was eaten was, in this case, distributed a
little differently. The right thigh, which was usually the priest’s portion was
instead placed on Aaron and his sons’ hands, waved before the LORD, and burned
on the altar. Moses received the remaining priest’s portion of the peace
sacrifice. Aaron and his sons were given the offerers’ portion and told to eat
it in a holy place.
This
ritual was repeated for seven days. Seven is the number of spiritual
completion. David M. Levy, in his book The Tabernacle: Shadows of Messiah,
comments on the significance of the seven days.
Since seven is the number of
completion, the keeping of the ceremony for seven days spoke of a complete
consecration of the priests who were to represent their fellow Israelites
before God.[iv]
This
seven-day consecration is, in a sense, the covenant ceremony between God and
Aaron that he and his sons will be priests forever before Him.
On
the eighth day, Aaron and his sons took over the tabernacle service. God instructed them to bring sin offerings
and burnt offerings for themselves. The people were instructed to bring a sin
offering, a burnt offering, two peace sacrifices, and a mincha offering with
the promise that the LORD would appear to them.
Leviticus 9:5-6 NKJV 5 So they brought
what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation
drew near and stood before the LORD. 6 Then Moses said, "This is the thing
which the LORD commanded you to do, and the glory of the LORD will appear to
you."
The
people did all that the LORD commanded. Moses called Aaron to the tabernacle to
begin his service. Aaron brought the offerings as commanded. Then, Moses and
Aaron, together, entered the tabernacle.
Leviticus 9:23-24 NKJV 23 And Moses
and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the
people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people, 24 and fire came
out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the
altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.
God
entered the tabernacle that the people built so that God could dwell among
them. The offering system and the priesthood were in place so that those whom
God called into covenant with Him could now draw near to Him as He dwelled with
them.
This
Sabbath is the Sabbath before the Passover. It is called the Shabbat HaGadol,
or the Great Sabbath. It marks the beginning of the Exodus of the children of
Israel out of Egypt. As believers, this Sabbath reminds us of the days Yeshua
taught in the temple before His crucifixion and ultimately, His resurrection
and return to the Father. By His death as the Passover Lamb, we are able to
enter into the New Covenant. Because of Yeshua, God sent His Presence in the
form of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. His fulfillment of all the roles of the
offerings and the high priest allows us to draw near to God.
Study
Questions:
2.
The priests were told to keep the fire on
the altar burning at all times. Why is this important? What is its significance
for us?
3.
The priests received a portion of all the
offerings except the burnt offering and any offering brought for or by
themselves. The author of Hebrews refers to these offerings of which the
priests cannot eat in Hebrews 13:10-12. What does the author of Hebrews mean in
relation to these offerings?
General
Portion Questions
4.
Moses clothed and washed Aaron and his
sons for the investiture service. How is Zechariah’s vision of the high priest
in Zechariah 3:1-10 similar to Moses washing Aaron and his sons? Does this
connect with Yeshua washing the feet of His disciples? If so, how?
5.
What is the importance of Moses placing
the blood of the sacrifice of consecration on Aaron and his sons right ears,
right thumbs, and right toes?
6.
What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in
this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?
©
2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.
[i] Torah
Club: Shadows of the Messiah. Thomas D. Lancaster. First Fruits of Zion. ©2005,
2014, 2015, 2017 D. T. Lancaster. Book 3
Page 552.
[ii] Torah
Club: Unrolling the Scroll. D. Thomas Lancaster. First Fruits of Zion. ©
2007, 2014, 2016, 2017 D. T. Lancaster. Book 3 Page 427
[iii] The
Stone Edition Chumash. General Editors Rabbi Nosson Scherman and Rabbi Meir
Zolotowitz. Mesorah Publications, ltd. ©1998, 2000 Mesorah Publications, ltd.
Page 585.
[iv]
David M. Levy. The Tabernacle: Shadows of the Messiah. The Friends of
Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc. ©1993. Page 184.
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