Weekly Torah Lesson
Parasha: Tzav – Command
Torah: VaYikra 6:8 – 8:36
*** “24 And Avinu spoke to Moses, saying, 25 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed, the sin offering shall be killed before Avinu. It is most holy. 26 ‘The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of meeting. 27 ‘Everyone who touches its flesh must be holy. And when its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you shall wash that on which it was sprinkled, in a holy place. 28 ‘But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken. And if it is boiled in a bronze pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water. 29 ‘All the males among the priests may eat it. It is most holy. 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.” (Le 6:24-30 )
*** “‘The trespass offering is like the sin offering; there is one law for them both: the priest who makes atonement with it shall have (eat) it.” (Le 7:7 )
*** “26 Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. 27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.”” (Le 7:26-27 )
** “..cut off…” – Heb – karetz – a Divine sentence resulting in an early death.
*** “The Kohanim eat the meat of the Sin and Guilt Offerings and the remainder of the Meal Offering. The Peace Offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the Kohen. The holy meat of the offerings must be eaten by ritually pure persons, in their designated holy place, and within their specified time.
*** “20 But the soul that eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain to Avinu, having his uncleanness on him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. 21 Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man, or any unclean beast, or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which pertain to Avinu, even that soul shall be cut off from his people
** In my opinion, the most interesting thing about these Scriptures is that a priest, when he eats some of the meat of the sacrifice, actually effects atonement for the worshipper! This “atonement by consumption” is substituted for the “sprinkling of blood on the altar” in sacrifices where the blood of an animal that is killed and burned outside of the courtyard is not brought into the courtyard and sprinkled.
** Atonement (covering) allows the worshipper to stand before Avinu and effect salvation for himself by confessing, repenting and asking for forgiveness of his sins. No atonement = no access = no salvation.
Now, think about the “priest”. This is a human being who, by ingesting part of the sacrifice, is able to effect atonement for another human being! Think about how that ingestion of part of a sacrifice effects the human being who has placed that Holy substance deep within his own body.
** Here is why this ancient “ritual” is important to Believers today.
** All Believers are commanded to observe “Passover” as a “Memorial” of the sacrifice of Meshiach.
*** “23 For I received from Avinu that which I also delivered to you: that the Master Yeshua on the same night in which He was betrayed (14 Aviv) took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Master’s death till He comes.” (1Co 11:23-26 )
** The “priests” (Believers) are to consume the bread (in substitution for the “flesh” and the wine (in substitution for the blood).
Thus we have a “New Covenant” replacement for participating in the “Torah Command” to take part in the sacrificial offering by consuming the meat of the animal sacrifice. Notice that the warning against consuming the “sacrifice” in an “unworthy manner” or while being “defiled” or in an “unholy state” is the same in both Covenants.
*** “27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of Avinu in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of Avinu. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” (1Co 11:27-30 )
** The next issue is the “effecting of atonement” for the worshipper by the priest’s (Believer’s) consumption of the “sacrificial meat”.
*** “1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with Avinu through our Master Yeshua HaMeshiach, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of Avinu.” (Ro 5:1-2 )
** Atonement is access. Here is another description of “atonement or access”.
*** “19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Yeshua, 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 Avinu, 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.” (Heb 10:19-22)
*** 47 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 “I am the bread of life. 49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Yeshua said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 “For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 “This is the bread which came down from heaven — not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”” (John 6:47-58 )
*** “15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Meshiach? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Meshiach? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to Avinu, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of Avinu and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of Avinu’s table and of the table of demons.” (1Co 10:15-21 )
*** “10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Yeshua Meshiach once for all. 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of Avinu, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says Avinu: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. (Heb 10:10-18 )
*** “10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Yeshua also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to Avinu, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices Avinu is well pleased.” (Heb 13:10-16 )
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