Weekly Torah Lesson
Parasha: Metzora – the afflicted one
*** Leviticus 15:31 Thus shall you separate the children of Israel from their ritual state of being tamei (uncleanness); that they die not in their ritual state of being tamei, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. 32 This is the law of him that has an issue, and of him whose seed goes from him, and is defiled therewith; 33 And of her that is sick of her flowers, and of him that has an issue, of the man, and of the woman, and of him that lies with her that is tamei (unclean).”
** Most Believers will tell you that this “spiritual condition” was done away with when Yeshua died on the cross. That sounds “convenient” enough but when Shaul (Paul) mentions this “condition” as being a serious problem in Galatians, it begs a “second look”. Maybe there is something to this “old testament Condition” that we should be made aware of.
*** “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality (fornication), impurity (uncleanness – ritual state of being tamei), sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of Avinu.” (Galatians 5:19-21 )
** Shaul plainly teaches that those Believers who “practice” the things that cause us to be “ritually unclean” will not “inherit the kingdom of Avinu”. This “list” puts “uncleanness” ranking with “fornication and idolatry” along with a long list of other “serious sins”. I think that it would be worth our time to look into what Shaul is referring to.
*** “16 Do you not know that you are Avinu’s temple and that Avinu’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys Avinu’s temple, Avinu will destroy him. For Avinu’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1Co 3:16-17 )
*** “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from Avinu? You are not your own,” (1Co 6:19 )
*** “What agreement has the temple of Avinu with idols? For we are the temple of the living Avinu; as Avinu said, “I will make my dwelling in them and walk among them, and I will be their Avinu, and they shall be my people.” (2Co 6:16 )
** As Messianic Judaism began taking root, the influx of “new believers”,the “lost sheep”, were not knowledgeable in the Torah. It seems that a major issue was the lack of understanding the laws of Ritual Uncleanness. The Elders of the Messianic movement decided that they would require four conditions that had to be met before they would be allowed to attend a congregation. The goal of these conditions was to limit the ritual contamination that certain sins bring into the congregations and spread the contamination among all of the believers. Here is what they said in the letter:
*** “19 “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to Avinu, 20 “but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality (fornication), from things strangled, and from (consuming or touching) blood. 21 “For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”” (Ac 15:19-21 )
** The “uniqueness” of fornication is that besides being a “sin” with all the consequences of a sin, it also brings a negative state of ritual uncleanness that is transmitted to everyone the sinner comes into contact with, especially the “fellow believers” in his congregation. This is why Shaul teaches,
*** “1 ¶ It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles — that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Master, Yeshua HaMeshiach, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Master, Yeshua HaMeshiach, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Master, Yeshua. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeedMeshiach, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1Co 5:1-7 )
** There was a reason why Shaul wanted this man “removed” from the congregation immediately. A little leaven does leaven the whole lump.
** Shaul refers back to the “uncleanness” issue by reminding the Corinthian Congregation a second time.
*** “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” (1Co 6:18 )
** What if the word ‘body’ in the above verse means ‘congregation’ as it does in other Scriptures?
** Several months later, Shaul wrote to the same congregation,
“I fear that when I come again my Avinu may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity (uncleanness), sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.” (2Co 12:21 )
** Shaul also had to address this “condition” to the congregation in Ephesus:
*** “But sexual immorality and all impurity (uncleanness) or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” (Eph 5:3 )
** It looks like the Thessalonian Congregation was dealing with the same sin issues.
*** “For this is the will of Avinu, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality (and the ‘uncleanness’ that comes with it);” (1Th 4:3 )
** The body of evidence points to the existence of a “purity problem” among several congregations. The situation doesn’t seem to have been “done away with” by the death of Yeshua. These conditions were still alive approximately 25 years after Meshiach’s death.
** If Yeshua’s death didn’t take the “uncleanness” away from His believers, what options do we have to deal with it when it occurs? Here is what the Scriptures teach,
*** “13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Meshiach, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to Avinu, purify our conscience from dead works (sins and uncleanness) to serve the living Avinu.” (Heb 9:13-14)
** We have been given the sacrifice of Meshiach to deal with “uncleanness” the same way that we have been instructed to deal with sin. We know that it is certain death for a defiled human to appear before Avinu. We also know that the sacrifice of Meshiach gave us “access” to that Mercy Seat where we can ask for the forgiveness of our sins. Now that we know about the “uncleanness” that also defiles us, we can ask Avinu to remove the uncleanness from us with the full assurance that it will be done!
** Here is another situation for you to think about.
*** “27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt 5:27-28)
** The question is: “When a person sins by lusting after someone, does the “uncleanness” come upon him with the sin?”
*** “20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”” (Mr 7:20-23 )
** Do you want to change your answer?
Leave a Reply