Parasha Tzav
Leviticus 6:1 –
8:36
Please Pray this
Prayer
First
before reading.
In the name of Yahushua
Our
Messiyah,
I
pray for the Spirit of Understanding
The
Spirit of Knowledge and
The
Spirit of Wisdom
As I read through this Parsha
Usually when something of spiritual significant occur on
a particular day, it is celebrate on that date every year. The Torah Port ion
Tzav illustrate that the first Shabbat HaGadol of the New Year, the first
revelation of Light, occurred on the 10 of Nis
Shabbat Tzav is the only Shabbat in the entire Torah
Cycle that merits the name Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Shabbat all by its self.
There are various explanation for the prominence of this
Shabbat. It is called the Great Shabbat because all the Light revealed on the
other Shabbat culminate on this Shabbat, the Shabbat before we Passove to the
next year.
As the redemption from Egypt mont h of Nis san “Abib” and
some believe that the Final Correction will also occur on this mont h.
In this Torah
Port nev
When the three Disciples were on the Mt. of Transfiguration with Messiyah and they saw Him
Transfigure with Moses and Elijah, they though that was the height of their
spiritual development, they wanted to build three Tabernacle, Messiyah Yahushua
said this is only the beginning of what you will see, there was a lot greater
things to come.
In this Torah Portion we learn a precious lesson, that
any great revelation is preceded by a time of Great sacrifice; hopelessness
comes before a time of great elevation, The Shabbat of Tzav marks the end of
the spiritual year and the beginning of the next. The Sacrifice one made in the
last year will manifest in the fruit of the Spirit for the next year.
The first two chapter in Tzav discuss the offerings that
have already been mentioned in previous chapter, such as: Olah offering
(elevated offering), Minchah (meal offering), Shelamim (peace offering), Chatas
(sin offering), and Asham (guilt
offering).
The Torah and its principles are written to those who
wishes to become apart of the Kingdom
of Heavens
Verse 1 – 6 continue to reveal to us the principle upon
which the Kingdom is establish. The following verse deal with the handling of
ash and and the fire from the Altars. The Tabernacle of the day require the
removal of the previous day’s ash from the Altar.
In, addition, there was a general commandment to keep the
Altar burning at all time.
Chapter 6
Lev 6:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - It is always intresting to know that when a new sets
of rule are given, it always starts with, “EL YAHVEH spoke to Moses” that there
can be no doubt who is the originator of the Idea.
Lev 6:2 “When any being sins, and committed a
trespass against יהוה , and has lied to his neighbour
about a deposit, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or shall extort from
his neighbour, - This is what the
EL of all Elohim, the Creator of the Word, the Heavens and the Earth says! When
anyone who commited a transgression by false testomony, this is what they must
do. Before we get to what must be done, notice how He compaire those who lie, to
those who rob and those who extort from his neighbour, are from the same
spirit. What this commandment is addressing is a particular mentality that is
govern my a certain spirit. This was the spirit that the angels who followed
Lucifer had, when they were in the Kingdom.
Lev 6:3 or has found what was lost and has
lied concerning it, or did swear falsely, so that he sins in regard to any one
of all these that a man does, - A person who found a lost item belonging
to another brother and did not return the item to his neighbour and lied to
protect himself, are one of the same sin.
Lev 6:4 then it shall be, when he sins, and
shall be guilty, that he shall return what he took by robbery, or what he has
extorted, or the deposit which was deposited with him, or the lost item which
he found, - It shall be when
he decided to own up to his transgression, He must return first what was taken.
He cannot just say I am sorry. That does not work.
Lev 6:5 or all that about which he swore
falsely. He shall repay its total value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it
to whom it belongs, on the day of his guilt offering. – If in the process of lying, he cost someone
else to experience a lost, He must return it plus 20%. When he goes to do his
sin offering he must also bring 20% of the cost to his neighbor.
Lev 6:6 “Then he brings his guilt offering to יהוה ,
a ram, a perfect one, from the flock, with your valuation, as a guilt offering,
to the priest. – He must then
bring his guilf offering the cost of a perfect lamb to the congregation, and El
Yahushua will make the necessary atonement for him. The guilt offering does not
negate that restoration of the item lose to the victim as is often taught
today. Restoration in full plus 20% must be made. This fine is a deterance
against sinning. If however, all a person has to do is to ask for forgiveness
without compensation to the victim, then the impetuous to change one behavior
is greatly diminishes. Just saying I am sorry is not good enough. There must be
a penalty, even if the evidence was not deliberate. The guilty party must also
acknolodge his error, as action contrary to Torah.
We cannot overcome our sin if we do not acknowledge of
sin, for our sin expose a problem in our character. By paying a fine to the
injured party, and acknowledge of error, the spiritual process of repairing
that flaw will start, the dismantling of the spirit “root cause” behind this
tendency to break any of the command in this discussion.
Lev 6:7 “And the priest shall make atonement
for him before יהוה , and he shall be forgiven for
whatever he did that made him guilty.” – El Yahushua will
make atonement for us only when the previous requirement are made. By
acknowledging our fault as contrary to Toral and make the necessary monetary
contribution, El Yahushua will atone for our sins, this will realease the Holy
Spirit to do a work in us, which will end up with the creation of a new
attitude towards that sin.
Lev 6:8 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - Again we read that it is EL YAHVEH who spoke to Moses.
ABBA YAHVEH is the Greater, Moses is the lessor, if Moses wrote what he heard
from the Greater how could it be Moses words.
Lev 6:9 “Command Aharon and his sons, saying,
‘This is the Torah of the burnt offering: This is the burnt offering, because
it is burned on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar is
kept burning on it. – Command the
Mighty Hand, the five Fold Ministry to implement the following law or teaching
to the people, reguarding the burnt offering. It should be burned all night
until morning.
The spiritual implication, is that when anyone come to
Justification, initial salvation and offer a burnt offering, those things that
we need to get rid of, we must not stop working with that individual until all
the offering, those bad habits are taken care of at this Altar. This also imply
that the Brazen Altar must remain open 24/7 that whosoever will may come at any
time, will find this Altar open to them.
The night, represent those dark period of our live when
we are required to remove those or anythings that cause us to be in darkness
spiritually.
Lev 6:10 And the priest shall put on his linen
garment, and put his linen trousers on his body, and shall take up the ashes of
the burnt offering which the fire has consumed on the altar, and shall put them
beside the altar. - Although this
verse only specified two garments, the majority of the Kohem service is invalid
unless he wears all four of his required vestments. These two garments seem to
imply that the require minimum covering for this position is righteousness,
righteousness is living according to the all the law. If the priest is living
according to the basic requirement of the law, they are qualify to operate at
this position spiritually.
The ash of the burn offering is that which is the resideu
of the cleansing process, those thing that have gone throught the fire, the ash
is what is left over from the prosess.
When some have gone through the fire of affliction, and those things
that are nothing more than stubles, useless commodities, are exposed, this
level of priesthood may assist in the final removal of the ash. Ash is nothing
more than usless waste, things that are of no spiritual value. The fire of
affliction exposes these commodities to or character traits to us, these traits
must not be allow to exist withing the camp. These ash, even thought they are
not of themselves evil, they are off no value spiritual.
Lev 6:11 And he shall take off his garments, and put on other garments, and shall
bring the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. – The priest hood
shall take of his regular garments used to minister in the Tavernacle, the Holy Place
Since the process involve moving a great deal of ash from
the Holy Altar, it too must be handle with care, and it must be place in a
clean place even if it is outside the Camp.
In cases where, for example excercism is requited to be
done by the priest, it should not be done in the Set Apart Priest Garments. The
priest must remove this garment and proform that service in a regular garments.
This service that might be required to be done cannot be done in the Set Apart
Garments. That garment is to minister at Father YAHVEH Set Apart Altars only.
Lev 6:12 And the fire on the altar is kept
burning on it, it is not put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every
morning, and arrange the burnt offering on it, and shall burn on it the fat of
the peace offerings. – This fire, this
process must be kept burning in our lives, and it should never cease. The moment
we stop examining ourselves, and brining our character to the fire to see what
is of Torah and what is not, then the build up of useless garbage in out live
will start. Our Hight Priest will
arrange for the useless garbage and the excess of our lives to be taken to this
Altar and place on the fire for removal.
The wood, the dead wood are those people or circumstances
that are only good for one thing, to be burn. Notice when Yisrael were been
tasted, EL YAHVEH used Pharaoh as a form of wood, that was later destroyed in
the process. However, he was instrumental in the sovereign plan to free Yisrael
from Egypt
Lev 6:13 fire is continually kept burning on
the altar, it is not put out. – This Brazen
Altar will continue to burn from a spiritual position, until EL YAHVEH
Sovereign Will is achieved. The restoration of the Kingdom will see an end to
this fire.
Verse 14 – 18 adds
several new instructions to the laws of the
grain offering also called the meal offering, which was first given in
chapter 2.
Lev 6:14 And this is the Torah of the grain offering: The sons of Aharon shall bring
it near before יהוה , in front of the altar, - The Torah, the teaching, the instruction
pertaining to the grain offering, which the priest, the Mighty Hand of Elohim,
the Five Fold Ministry shall proform on behalf of the people in the Sanctuary.
The Hebrew word (trOoowt) is a general term, implying that the
law in questioning applies to other subject as well. Here it teaches that the
oil and frankincense mentioned in the next, with reguard to Yisrael offering
must be included also in the meal offering of verse 20, even though the service
of the Priestly offering differs from those of the ordinary people.
Lev 6:15 and shall take from it with his hand
from the fine flour of the grain offering, and from its oil, and all the
frankincense which is on the grain offering, and shall burn it on the altar for
a sweet fragrance, as its remembrance portion to יהוה . – the threefingerful and the
frankincense that are burned on the Altar will be a source of merit, so that
Elohim will regard the owner of the offering as acceptable, and as one who
brought satisfaction to Him.
Lev 6:16 ‘Then Aharon and his sons eat the rest
of it. It is eaten with unleavened bread, in the set-apart place. They eat it
in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. – The Five Fold Ministry shall used
the rest of the offering for themselves. Today, when we bring this offering,
when we have a party in celebration of our good fortune, we must invite a
member of the Five Fold Ministry to the celebration.
The meal offering has the status of offering that which
is holy, for, as stated in verse 17, it has the same status as, a guilt and sin
offering. Therefore, it may not leave the Outer court and it may be eaten only
by the male Kohanim.
Lev 6:17 It is not baked with leaven. I have
given it to them as their portion of My offerings made by fire, it is most
set-apart, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. – This offering must not be made with the contaminating
influences of religion, it must be done according to the prescribe pattern
outline in Torah.
Lev 6:18 ‘All the males among the children of
Aharon eat it – a law forever in your generations concerning the offerings made
by fire to יהוה .
All that touches them is to be set-apart. - The new
requirement of this law is that only the male among the children of Aaron shall
partake of this offering, this become a permanent law. With the advent of women
liberation movement, this law seems to become a sticky wicket to many belivers
today. However, Elohim laws cannot be change, regardless of the prevailing
social norms at any given time in the history of humanity.
Anyone who touches this offering, will become holy, even
the very vessels that the meal was prepared in will also become Holy. If a food
or vessel touches the meal offering in such a way that it can absorb its
essence, that food or vessel must be treated according to the halachic stringency
of the meal offering. All the foods would have to be eaten within the priscribe
time period and in the place where the meal offering must be eaten.
Verse 19 – 23
ilustrate the principle of the Priestly meal offering. This meal offering is
offered on three occasions: Every Kohen must offer it once in his lifetime, the
first time he proforms the Temple
Lev 6:19 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - This verse is a point worth stressing every time, that
the Law is the Word of EL YAHVEH. Since He is the King of Kings, He alone
decide what goes on in His Kingdom.
Lev 6:20 “This is the offering of Aharon and his
sons, which they bring near to יהוה , beginning on
the day when he is anointed: one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour as a daily
grain offering, half of it in the morning and half of it at night. – These loaves are to be baked into twelve unleavened
loaves, that were to be on the altar of showbread. This was to be the offering
of the Five Fold Ministry, the uncompromised Word of EL YAHVEH. The Word must
be read morning and evening, much the same way we eat breakfast and dinner.
There is also another law that it is require to be read
on the the seventh year at the feast of Succoth. The law that was place beside
the Ark, Deu 31:26.
Lev 6:21 “It is made on a griddle with oil.
Bring it in mixed, bring the baked portions of the grain offering near, a sweet
fragrance to יהוה . – The illustration
that it was to be made on a griddle, symbolize that the Word, the bread of
life, was to be proven in the lives of anyone who wishes to be part of the
Mighty Hand of EL YAHVEH. The bread or the Word must be mixed with faith. This
offering, this bread must be accompined or presented with Frankencense. Much
like the frankincense on the Altar of Showbread. It is faith in Messiyah
Yahushua that create the sweet smell of Frankencense.
Lev 6:22 “And the anointed priest from among his
sons, who is in his place, prepares it – a law forever to יהוה . All of it has to be burned, - The priest or the
Mighty Hand Ministry who is anointed, those set apart to teach the Word, in
whatever part of the world they might be. This adjective describe the forever
application, which applies only to the Kohen Gabol’s offering. It is brough
every day and is describe as continual, while other Kohanim brings their
offering only once, on the first day of their service.
This verse refers only to those who is anointed, who is
mature, one who assumes the office of a Son of Aaron. He must bring this
offering everyday of his tenure. From the first day in office, the Kohem Gadol
must bring this offering twice a day.
Lev 6:23 and every grain offering for the
priest is completely burned, it is not eaten.” - Every grain offering must be completely
burnt, meaning that the offering, it must be completed. The presentation of the
Weekly Parasha must be completed every week.
Verse 24 – 30 adds to the laws of the sin offerings that
were given in chapter 4.
Lev 6:24 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 6:25 “Speak to Aharon and to his sons,
saying, ‘This is the Torah of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt
offering is slaughtered, the sin offering is slaughtered before יהוה , it is most
set-apart. – The upgrade to
the previous diffinition given in chapter 4. The Torah tell us that the sin
offering must be slaughtered in the same place as the elevation offering.
In choosing this roundabout way of telling us the
location of its slaughter, the Torah alludes to an underlying cause of sin. An
elevation offering is slaughter in the north part of the Brazen Altar, the word
can also be used to describe hidden, because an elevation offering frequently
is brought to atone for hidden thoughts of the heart.
Although a sin offering is brought for unintentional sin
acts and not for thoughts, the Torah compares it to the elevation offering,
which may be offere to atone for sinful thaught, verse 1:3, because people do
not become careless over night. If somone sins by mistake, we may be certain
that his acts was preceded by sinful thoughts and desires.
Lev 6:26 ‘The priest who is making atonement
eats it, in the set-apart place it is eaten, in the courtyard of the Tent of
Meeting. – The High Priest
who make atonement for us, enjoy the benefits of the sacrifice, in the set
apart place. The term who performs is not meants literally as the Kohen who
physically performs the service. Rather, the meat of the offering is
apportioned among all the Kohanim who are eligible to perform its service,
whether or not they actually did so. This is indicated by verse 29, which
states clearly that all the Kohanim may eat the meal offering.
Lev 6:27 ‘All that touches its flesh is to be
set-apart. And when its blood is sprinkled on any garment, you wash that on
which it was sprinkled, in a set-apart place. – As in verse 18, above, this touching involves an
absorption of the sin offering essence. Whatever is touched by the Blood of the
Lamb of all Lambs will be forgiven. Whatever that touches the flesh, the Word,
the Torah is to be consider Kadosh, Holy. Whenever the Blood of the Lamb is
used by any religious institution and the members thereof is was in the blood
and water that flow from the side of the El Yahushua (Jesus Christ) is applied
to the life of any one, they will be set apart as the next verse inicates.
Lev 6:28 ‘But the earthen vessel in which it is
cooked is to be broken. And if it is cooked in a bronze pot, then it is scoured
and rinsed in water. – Any earthly,
unsaved vessel or person in which the word is applied, it will become to him a
snare. However, if it is a person who reside in the Outer court, some one who
is saved, which the bronze metal
represent, then it will be a source of cleansing to them. A source of
Living Water so to speak.
Lev 6:29 ‘Every male among the priests eats it,
it is most set-apart. – Every male among
the redeemed community should learn Torah in the Temple
Lev 6:30 ‘And no sin offering from which any of
the blood is brought into the Tent of Meeting, to make atonement in the
set-apart place, is eaten, it is burned with fire. – There can be no sin offering without the
shedding of blood. This must not be a joyious situation, it is not for eating
and celebration, it is a solem situation, it is to be completely burnt by fire.
With very few exception the blood service is perform only
on the Altar in the Outer Court
Chapter 7
This chapter expands on the guilt
offering that was initially given on in chapter 5.
Lev 7:1
‘And this is the Torah of the guilt
offering – it is most set-apart. – This chapter deals with the guilt offering of those who
reside spiritually in the Holy
Place
Lev 7:2 ‘The
guilt offering is slaughtered in the place where they slaughter the burnt
offering, and its blood is sprinkled on the altar all around.
– The guilt offering
must be slaughter in the Outer
Court Holy Place
Lev 7:3 ‘Then he brings from it all its fat: the fat tail and the
fat that covers the entrails, - as we have discussed before, the fat, the excess of our flesh,
the things that cause us to sin in the first place, must be sacrifice in order
to for us to reenter the Holy Place.
Lev 7:4 and
the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the loins, and the appendage on
the liver, which he removes with the kidneys. – The things we are ask to sacrifice at this altar are the
very essence of our natural life, for the sake of the Spiritual Kingdom
Lev 7:5 ‘And
the priest shall burn them on the altar as an offering made by fire to יהוה . It is a guilt
offering. – The priest, the
five fold ministry shall help the soul that sin, to deal with the root cause
that causes him to sin in the first place. If this is not done then the
deliverer continue to sin in that same area over and over again. All sin is, is
the indicator that there is a deficiency in our character, we need to offer the
required sacrifice at the appropriate altar; this will cut the root that
support our desire to commit that particular sin. The sin is only the visible
fruit of the flesh, if we cut the root that support the tree, the tree will no
longer produce the fruit of the flesh.
Lev 7:6 ‘Every male among the priests eats it.
It is eaten in the set-apart place, it is most set-apart. – Every male among the Children, should function in the Holy Place Holy Place Heavenly Kingdom
Lev 7:7 ‘The guilt offering is like the sin
offering, there is one Torah for them both: the priest who makes atonement with
it, it is his. – One might be guilty; this does not means that one has
sinned. However, when someone sin, he or she us usually guilty, therefore, both
sins require the same sacrifice.
Verse 8 – 10 elucidates the miscellaneous gifts to the
Kohen. Theses verses extend the rules that the parts of the offering that go to
the Kohanim are divided among all who were in the temple and were eligible to
perform the service, not only those who actually did so.
Lev 7:8 ‘And the priest who brings anyone’s
burnt offering, the skin of the burnt offering which he has brought is the
priest’s, it is his. – The burnt
elevation offering that the priest brings on behalf of the people, he too will
enjoy in the reward of it. The skin is what covers the flesh, since the
intension of creation is to cover our flesh in the glory; the skin spoken of
here is the reward that he will incur. Anytime the Mighty Hand of EL YAHVEH
brings someone to a higher plain spiritually, they are rewarded as a faithful
servant.
Lev 7:9 ‘And every grain offering that is baked in the oven and all that is
prepared in the stewing-pot, or on a griddle, is the priest’s who brings it, it
is his. – Whatever process is chosen in preparation of
the elevation offering, to bring the individual to a higher plain spiritually,
the Priest, the five-fold ministry will receive a reward.
Lev 7:10 ‘And every grain offering mixed with
oil, or dry, is for all the sons of Aharon, for all alike. – By repeating this principle
three times, in three verses, is to drive home a message. As the Apostle Paul
points out in the following Text. 1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but YAHVEH gave the increase.
:7 So then neither is he that planteth
any thing, neither he that watereth; but YAHVEH that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that
watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his
own labour. 9 For we are labourers
together with YAHVEH: ye are Yah's husbandry, ye are Yah's building. 10 According to the grace of YAHVEH which is
given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another
buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid, which is Yahushua our Messiyah. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for
the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire
shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself
shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 16
Know ye not that ye are the temple
of YAHVEH
Verse 11 – 17 explains the
Thanksgiving offering. When a man of his family survived a life-threatening
crisis, and he brings a thanksgiving offering, to express his gratitude to EL
YAHVEH, and his recognition that it is Elohim Who sustain him. The thanksgiving
offering is a form of peace offering, but with two differences: The todah is eaten
for a day and a night, while the shelamim is eaten for two days and one night
between; and a todah must be accompanied by forty loaves as describe below.
However, many other laws of the two offerings are derived from one another.
From Psalm 107, David hymn of
gratitude derives that there are four types of people who bring theses
offerings: Those who survive a desert, or some perilous journey, dangerous
imprisonment, serious illness, or sea voyage.
Lev 7:11 ‘And this is the Torah of the
slaughtering of peace offerings which is brought to יהוה : - The following is the laws pertaining to the peace offering, which one
may bring to EL YAHVEH.
Lev 7:12 ‘If he brings it for a thanksgiving,
then he shall bring with the slaughtering of thanksgiving unleavened cakes
mixed with oil, and unleavened thin cakes anointed with oil, or cakes of finely
blended flour mixed with oil. – If this
offering is to give thanks for anything. The people who bring this offering
must killed a lamb and eat it with an uncorrupted heart. The leaven by now was
to be removed from our lives. This would be like the end of our sixth day of
creation when we are entering into the Holy of Holies, or the marriage feast of
the Lamb.
It is a time of celebration,
for the individual. In the redeem community this should be a time all of us
need to look forward to. It is a time when the covering of flesh is finally
takes off, and we are covered only with the Shechinah Glory.
The thanksgiving offering
consists of forty loaves, ten each of the four kinds that is enumerated in this
passage. Half of the todah’s flour is used to make thirty unleavened loaves,
which include oil.
The other half is used to ten
leavened loaves, baked without oil. In this case the leavened loaves represent
growth and unrestrained freedom. While the unleavened loaves represent food,
and their oil symbolizes well being, for Torah and the Menorah are the two
essential of our spiritual life.
Therefore, the combination of
leavened and unleavened loaves in a todah offering shows that the person has
emerged from constricting danger to unrestricted life (leavening), but at the
same time he recognizes that he owes everything, his spiritual food and well
being to EL YAHVEH.
One loaf from each of the four
kinds is given to the Kohen, to acknowledge that our deliverance from danger
and the duties that flows from it, are thanks to Elohim, whose emissary is the
Kohen.
Lev 7:13 ‘Besides the cakes, he brings as his
offering leavened bread together with the slaughtering of thanksgiving of his
peace offering. – No loves from the
thanksgiving offering are place on the Altar; thus this verse does not
contradict verse 2:11, which prohibits leavened bread from the Altar.
Lev 7:14 ‘And from it he shall bring one cake
from each offering as a contribution to יהוה : to the priest
who sprinkles the blood of the peace offering, it is his. – One loaf from each of the
four offering is a gift to the kohen, and the owner and his guest eat the rest.
As for the animal, its service is identical to that of an ordinary peace
offering, verse 7: 28 – 34; therefore, part of it is burned on the Altar, part
goes to the Kohen, and the rest goes to its owner.
Lev 7:15 ‘As for the flesh of the slaughtering
of his peace offering for thanksgiving, it is eaten the same day it is offered,
he does not leave any of it until morning. – One the day of the offering, there is a time limit of eating the
offering before the next morning, this applies to all flesh of all offering,
unless the Torah specifies otherwise.
Therefore, only the todah, but
also the chatas, asham, and many other offering are eaten for a day and a
night. The major exception is an ordinary peace offering, which may be eaten
for two days and the intervening night, as ill be explain in the next verse.
Since a todah is also a
variety of peace offering, why should it not be eaten for two days and a night,
like all the other peace offering? A todah offering was design to thank EL
YAHVEH for His miracles, even though we are surrounded by it every day.
When we say our prayers, we need
to thank Him for the miracles in our lives every day. When we bring our todah
offering, it is only because we happened to become aware of a special miracle,
like the birth of a child or grandchild. Therefore, a todah offering may be
eaten for only one day, tomorrow will be for other miracles for which we may
also be thankful.
Lev 7:16 ‘And if the offering he brings is a vow
or a voluntary offering, it is eaten the same day that he brings his
slaughtering, and what is left of it is eaten the next day, - This verse illustrate an
ordinary peace offering which one brings not because a miracle was done to him,
but because of an inner desire to draw close to EL YAHVEH. Since it is not a
thanksgiving offering, but a peace offering, then loves are not part of the
offering and it may be eaten for an additional day.
The situation that cause one
to bring this offering, is when one declares an obligation to bring a peace
offering, he must select the cost of the animal, and the animal is El Yahushua.
The term voluntary offering or donation is not a personal obligation, but a
declaration that a particular animal is consecrated for a peace offering. In
our case that animal is El Yahushua. It should be done the same day it is made,
if there is any lefty over brings it the next day. This is like making a
donation of a $100.00 you bring $75.00 today and the rest tomorrow.
Lev 7:17 but whatever is left of the flesh of the slaughtering on the third day is
burned with fire. - What this verse is saying is that we must finish what we started within
the prescribe time. There is a spirit or angel over every blessing, if the time
is not maintain it will become invalid. Remember the story of Lot and the
angel, lot was encouraged to depart from Sodom
Lev 7:18 ‘However, if any of the flesh of his
peace offering is eaten at all on the third day, it is not accepted. It is not
reckoned to him who brings it, it is unclean to him, and the being who eats of
it bears his crookedness. – An offering can become
rejected if the person performing it violate the following: The blood service
will be performed after the end of the current day; the sacrifice parts will be
placed on the Altar after the beginning of the next morning; the meat of the
offering will be eaten after the allotted time.
Any of these actions will
invalidate the offering immediately; it become pigul and must be burned. Anyone
who eats pigul is liable to the serious charges of spiritual excision.
Although the subject of our
discussion peace offering, which may be eaten for two days and a night, like
the Sabbath meal, the did qualification of pigul applies to all offerings, each
according to its own time requirements. Food that was prepared for the Sabbath
on the 6th day should not last until the night of the 1st
day.
Verse 19 –21 expresses the
laws governing eating the meal offering, it must be eaten in a state of
spiritual purity, on the part of both the meat and the eaters. These verse sets
forth the prohibitions and the penalties for intentional violation of this
requirement.
Lev 7:19 ‘And the flesh that touches that which
is unclean may not be eaten, it is burned with fire. And as for the clean
flesh, all who are clean eat of it. – Like every negative command for which no penalty is specified, the
violator incurs lashes. Only for the violation mentioned in the next two verses
is there a penalty of spiritual excision given.
Verse 20 –21 list the laws
pertaining to contamination. These two verses refer to a contamination person,
but they differ in this regard: Verse 20 speaks of the contaminations refers to
someone who becomes impure as a result of his own bodily secretions. Verse 21
specifies a contamination that resulted from touching other bodies or objects that
was or is contaminated. The penalty is the same.
The soul that touches it will
be cut off, this refers to the punishment of kares, spiritual excision. The
very mention of kares in Torah demonstrates that there are eternal rewards for
the soul. If there were not an unimaginable degree of spiritual bliss awaiting
the righteous soul after the death of the body, there could be no such thing as
kares.
Lev 7:20 ‘But the being who eats the flesh of
the peace offering that belongs to יהוה , while he is
unclean, that being shall be cut off from his people. – This is a good illustration.
If a woman who is on her monthly cycle was ask to lead song service on the
Sabbath, her very presence there contaminate the blood offering. Anyone who partakes
of it also eats from a contaminated offering.
Lev 7:21 ‘And when a being who touches that
which is unclean, of the uncleanness of man, or of the uncleanness of beast, or
of any unclean swarming creature, and shall eat the flesh of the peace offering
that belongs to יהוה , that being shall be cut off
from his people. – The carcass of an unclean animal that dies for whatever means, or a
clean animal that died through any means other than that of a shechitah, kosher
killing, is contaminated. This includes the eight species of small animals or
vermin that are named in chapter 11.
Verse 22 – 27, illustrates the
prohibition against consuming fats and blood applies to all sheep, goats, and
cattle’s, whether they are consumed or not. Although the word (blH) is commonly translated as fat, there is no English word that defines
it precisely, for in terms of this prohibition, fat means only the fatty tissue
that is place on the Altar in the case of offerings, with the exception of a
sheep’s tail, which may be eaten.
As the following verse makes
clear, fat is forbidden only from species that are eligible to be used as
offerings.
Lev 7:22 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - There can be no doubt who
the source of these commandments are.
Lev 7:23 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl,
saying, ‘Do not eat any fat, of bull or sheep or goat. – the prohibition
is strictly limited to the specific species are eligible for use as offering;
they are Bull, sheep and goats. These three animals speak of the three levels
of believers, the Holy of Holies, the Holy
Place Outer Court
Lev 7:24 ‘And the fat of a dead body, and the
fat of what is torn, is used for any purpose, but you do not eat it at all. – The Fat or wealth of a dead
body or dead thing, those who are unsaved must not be used as an offering, for
it is not welcome. Those that are torn are those who cannot make up their mind
one-way or the other. They are those who are Luke warm in there belief system,
a little of Torah and a little of the world.
Lev 7:25 ‘For whoever eats the fat of these
beast of which men bring as an offering made by fire to יהוה ,
even the being who eats it shall be cut off from his people. – The belief system that is brought by the decisions of man may not be
consumed. This could also mean the teaching, the commandment or the traditions
of man. These belief systems are called beast, for their origin lies in the
traditions of man or the devil.
Lev 7:26 ‘And do not eat any blood in any of
your dwellings, of bird or of beast. - The life of the body is in the blood. We as believers must not eat
those things that sustain the flesh; we are spirits having a bodily experience.
Our sustenance comes from the word or Elohim the bread of life.
Lev 7:27 ‘Any being who eats any blood, even
that being shall be cut off from his people. – Any soul that feed or rely on the source of the existence of the
flesh will die spiritually. Since Yisrael is a spiritual kingdom, the source of
our existence in the Ruach and The Torah, the Spirit and the Word.
Verse 23 - 34. These passage
describe the ritual that is performed with the parts of the peace offering
offerings that will be place upon the Altar, and with the parts that will be
presented as a gift to the priest.
Before they are placed on the
Altar or presented to the Kohanim, they are waved in all four directions and
then lifted up and lowered, as indicated by the Hebrew word (hpoOwont), wave service, in verse 29:24 as a raise up gift, in verse 34. The
parts are waved to signify that EL YAHVEH controls existence everywhere, in all
four directions, and above and below.
This service takes place only
in the case of a peace offering, to teach that a major component of
satisfaction with one’s lot in life is one’s recognition that He is Elohim’s
servant and that his perception of the world must be based on the outlook of
the Torah.
Moreover, his peace offering
included a gift to the Kohen, which require the same wave offering, because
devotion to EL YAHVEH must include devotion to his servant.
The presentation of the
various body parts for the service symbolize accomplishment and motion. The
breast house the heart, which is the seat of our desire; and the thigh,
represents the ability to move. By lifting and waving these organs, we
acknowledge that we give up our desire and our ability to move forward
spiritually.
Lev 7:28 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - The constant reminder that
it is not the Law of Moses, it is EL YAHVEH Laws.
Lev 7:29 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl,
saying, ‘He who brings his peace offering to יהוה brings his offering to יהוה from the slaughtering of his peace offering. – When we bring a peace offering it must be from our own pocket, not
from someone else pocket. The person bringing it must incur the cost of the offering.
Lev 7:30 ‘With his own hands he bring the
offerings made by fire to יהוה . He brings the fat with the
breast, to be waved as a wave offering before יהוה . – The offering cannot be send, everyone must bring his own. We cannot
ask some one to pray to El Yahushua for our forgiveness, we must come ourselves.
We must offer our own animal nature, our own fat, and our own sacrifice. We
must bring the fat with the beast, we must bring the sin with the root cause of
the nature we are trying to sacrifice, and presented to our Heavenly ABBA.
Lev 7:31 ‘And the priest shall burn the fat on
the altar, but the breast shall be Aharon’s and his sons.’ – When the sacrifice is burn
on the Altar it will never be seen again, a different beast, a different nature
will be sacrifice until there is no more need for anymore sacrifice.
Lev 7:32 ‘And the right thigh you give to the
priest as a contribution from your peace offerings. – Here we see an expansion of
this offering. The right thigh is to be presented to the Kohen, who is there to
help us move forward. When ABBA YAHWEH expand on HIS Commandments, it is to
show us that in our spiritual journey, our understanding will also be expanded
as we progress toward full maturity.
Lev 7:33 ‘He among the sons of Aharon, who
brings the blood of the peace offering, and the fat, the right thigh is his for
a portion. – Without the Blood there can be no atonement, without a sacrificing of
the produce of the flesh, the fat we cannot move forward spiritual. This
symbolic representation is a constant reminder to us of the true purpose of
life.
Lev 7:34 ‘For the breast of the wave offering
and the thigh of the contribution I have taken from the children of Yisra’ĕl,
from their peace offerings, and I give them to Aharon the priest and to his
sons, as a law forever, from the children of Yisra’ĕl. – The breast and the thigh
that are given to the Kohanem for there consumption, so we must give up our
desire and our spiritual elevation to them. Moses was responsible to take the
people out of Egypt , cross
the Red Sea all the way to Mount Sinai .
Lev 7:35 This is the anointed portion for Aharon and the anointed portion for his
sons, from the offerings made by fire to יהוה , on the day
when Mosheh presented them to serve as priests to יהוה , - The anointed portion, the
responsibility, the area they are required to work in our lives, within the
lives of the redeem community. This responsibility given to the Five Fold ministry,
it is the circumstance of their lives that must be used to create the desire
results in our lives. Regardless of when the individual come to salvation.
Lev 7:36 which יהוה commanded to be given to
them by the children of Yisra’ĕl, on the day that He anointed them, a law
forever throughout their generations. – From the day the Priest, the Mighty Hand of EL YAHVEH ministry, are
appointed ministers for the people, this must be their prime directive.
Lev 7:37 This is the Torah of the burnt
offering, of the grain offering, and of the sin offering, and of the guilt
offering, and of the ordinations, and of the peace offering, - What ever offering, what ever Altar, what ever stage of development
the individual is functioning at, there must be A Mighty Hand of YAHVEH there
to help them offer the required offering. In other word, in our spiritual
development, whether we are in the Outer
Court Holy Place
Lev 7:38 which יהוה commanded Mosheh on Mount Sinai , on the day when He commanded the children of
Yisra’ĕl to bring their offerings to יהוה , in the
Wilderness of Sinai. – The Wilderness is compatible
spiritually to the Holy Place Holy
Place Holy Place
Chapter 8
This
chapter describes the consecration of Aaron and His sons as Kohanim, and is
followed by chapter, nine and ten which discuss the consecration of the
Tabernacle. It would be unheard off to ask the Kohanim to bring the offering
without first train them in the ritual of the different laws of the various
type of offerings.
This is a
message to all those who have the desire to be spiritual leaders, how can you
call your self a leader when you do not even know which day is the Sabbath day.
Lev 8:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - Again we are warned that
Torah is the Word of the King of King and not the Law of Moses as we are so
often Told.
Lev 8:2 “Take Aharon and his sons with him, and
the garments, and the anointing oil, and the bull of the sin offering, and the
two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, - The word takes in Hebrew means that mosses was to win over Aaron and
His sons to assume the priesthood. We know that in verse 9:7 the Aaron felt
unworthy and had to be persuaded to do so. Did Aaron understand the severe
responsibility, or the magnitude of the responsibility that were place on he
and his sons. Much like when Moses were ask by EL YAHVEH to go talk to Pharaoh.
The offering of this verse is
the offering mentioned in exodus chapter 29. The bull was a sin offering; one
ram was an elevation offering; the second ram of inauguration, which was planed
as a synonym for a peace offering.
Lev 8:3 and assemble all the congregation at
the door of the Tent of Meeting. – The entire assembly must be present to see that Aaron’s family had
been chosen as kohanim. Too often thing is done in secret where the ministry is
concern, this must not be so.
Lev 8:4 And Mosheh did as יהוה commanded him, and the congregation was
assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting. Moses did as ABBA
YAHWEH had Commandment. Do we today do what we are commanded or do we nail
those laws we refused to obey to the cross? If HE says to meet HIM at the Tent
of Meeting, do not try to meet Him at the foot of the mountain.
Lev 8:5 And Mosheh said to the congregation, “This is the word יהוה commanded to be done.” – Moses stress that everything
he was about to do was of EL YAHVEH’S command; Moses was seeking no glory for
himself and his brothers. He informed the people that Elohim commanded
everything he was about to do.
Lev 8:6 So Mosheh brought Aharon and his sons
and washed them with water, - Moses brought the
Priesthood to the (rvyB) Laver, when he did, it was them in preparation
for their induction into the priesthood. The requirement here was for an
immersion in a mikveh.
All Hebrew immersion requires
that a person be submerged completely in the water. This process requires that
the person submerge himself in EL YAHVEH’S holiness, or also in the Torah, to
the exclusion of any other extraneous and contradictory religious philosophy.
This is always a necessary requirement for the consecration of the Kohanim to
the Temple
Lev 8:7 and put the long shirt on him, and
girded him with the girdle, and dressed him in the robe, and put the shoulder
garment on him, and girded him with the embroidered band of the shoulder
garment, and with it tied the shoulder garment on him, - They must now put the long
shirt of righteousness on, and girded his waist with the belt of truth, put on
the gold plate the sign of a mature believer, and girded it with truth.
Everything was to be done in the Spirit of Truth.
Lev 8:8 and put the breastplate on him, and put the Urim and the Tummim in the
breastplate, - The Urim and the Tumin, this is a slip of parchment upon which was written
the secret Name of Elohim. It was place in the fold of the breastplate and,
when consulted by the Kohen Gadol, it enables him to inquire of EL YAHVEH to
learn the answer to question of Major importance.
Lev 8:9 and put the turban on his head. And on
the turban, on its front, he put the golden plate, the set-apart sign of
dedication, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. – Upon the Turban, toward his face. The golden Head plate rested upon the
Kohen Gadol’s forehead, and was held in place by three threads tied at the back
of his head. The middle thread was drawn over the turban. Thus, the thread was
upon the turban; the head plate was positioned toward his faces, in front of
the turban.
Lev 8:10 And Mosheh took the anointing oil and anointed the Dwelling Place
Lev 8:11 And he sprinkled some of it on the
altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin
and its base, to set them apart. - The altar was first sprinkled seven times, and then it was anointed
with a greater amount of oil. Spiritually, we should all experience the
sprinkling, the spiritual benefits of the difference altar before we can become
proficient at it. Our ability to experience these altars will create the
ability to be set apart as Holy unto EL YAHVEH.
Lev 8:12 And he poured some of the anointing
oil on Aharon’s head and anointed him, to set him apart. – This anointing symbolizes
the spiritual proficiency we have attained. We now become the Ark of the
Covenant so to speak.
There are two kinds of
anointments. A king is anointed to invest himself with the power to rule, a
priest is anointed to elevate him to a station of total set apartness.
Lev 8:13 And Mosheh brought the sons of Aharon
and put long shirts on them, and girded them with girdles, and put turbans on
them, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. – Moses brought the Fivefold ministry and gave them their badge of
merit. Their spiritual achievement, that had been accomplish in their lives by
the things they had experience.
Lev 8:14 And he brought the bull for the sin offering, and Aharon and his sons laid
their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering, - As human we are in a
position that we may sin, this bull is a shadow of El Yahushua, we must always
be under the Blood. We must always confess our sin to Him, for He is our High
Priest who makes atonements for our sins.
Lev 8:15 and it was slaughtered. And Mosheh
took the blood, and put some on the horns of the altar all around with his
finger, and cleansed the altar. And he poured the blood at the base of the
altar, and set it apart, to make atonement for it. – There can be no forgiveness without the
shedding of blood, Moses purify the Altar, by means of the Blood. As we purify
our physical body making it the Altar for the Holy Spirit. Removing if from the
realm of the physical to the realm of the spiritual. He sanctified it so that
it could be used to effect atonement for sinners.
These Altar also represent the
Blood that flow from El Yahushua’s Feet, it is only through Him that we can
make atonement for our sin. In this spiritual sense, the bull is Yahushua who
sanctified us, by His blood.
Lev 8:16 And he took all the fat that was on the entrails, and the appendage on the
liver, and the two kidneys with their fat, and Mosheh burned them on the altar. – Again the removal of the fat that cover the internal organs is symbolic
of the spiritual things that surrounds our inner character, these Ego traits is
essential for our spiritual development as our internal organs is essential for
our physical development.
The Liver: The liver
is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide
range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production
of biochemicals necessary for digestion. The liver is necessary for survival;
there is currently no way to compensate for the absence of liver function. This
organ plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the
body, including glycogen storage, decomposition of red blood cells, plasma protein
synthesis, hormone production, and detoxification. It lies below the diaphragm
in the thoracic region of the abdomen. It produces bile, an alkaline compound
which aids in digestion, via the emulsification of lipids. It also performs and regulates a wide
variety of high-volume biochemical reactions requiring highly specialized
tissues, including the synthesis and breakdown of small and complex molecules,
many of which are necessary for normal vital functions.
The Kidrey: The
kidneys are paired organs with several functions. They are seen in many types
of animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are an essential
part of the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the
regulation of electrolytes, maintenance
of acid base balance, and regulation of blood pressure. In producing urine, the
kidneys excrete wastes such as urea and ammonium; the kidneys also are
responsible for the reabsorption of water, glucose, and amino acid. The kidneys
also produce hormones including calcitriol, renin, and erythropoietin. Located
behind the abdominal cavity in the retroperitoneum, the kidneys receive blood
from the paired renal arteries, and drain into the paired renal veins. Each
kidney excretes urine into a ureter, itself a paired structure that empties
into the urinary bladder.
The liver spiritually would represent
the Holy Spirit while the two Kidney represent the two stone tablet of the
Torah. As the Liver produce bile that aid in the digestion process, the Spirit
of Understanding is essential in the digestion of the Heavenly Manna, the
Torah.
The Brazen Altar is the largest altar
in the Tabernacle, every other Altar find its origin in this Altar. As the
Liver represent the Menorah, and the two kidney represent the Alter of Showbread.
The placeing of the fat of these two organs in the fire of the brazen Altar,
shows us spiritual that both the Menorah and the Altar of showbread have its
root in the brazen Altar.The function of the Liver and the function of the two
kidneys place the same function in the physically, as they play in the spiritually.
Lev 8:17 And the bull, and its skin, and its
flesh, and its dung, he burned with fire outside the camp, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. – The Camp of the Yisraelites
was support to be a spiritual camp, the burning of the bull that earthly
nature, its skin, its covering, the flesh, that which supports the fleshly
nature, and the dung, the fruits of the flesh, must be removed and destroyed
outside the camp. The camp is also indicative of the corporate body as well as
the individual life.
The removal of the
influence of the flesh is essential for our spiritual development. Notice the
procedure for the bull is not the same for the ram in the next verse. The ram
in this verse also speaks of a spiritual achievement, and the things that were
burn outside the camp are indicative of our spiritual accomplishment.
Lev 8:18 And he brought the ram of the burnt
offering, and Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, - Aaron on his sons also laid
their hands on the bull, as they did here. The bull was those who made it into
the Holy of Holies, and the stuff that got burnt was the thing they lost in
order to achieve this lofty height spiritually.
Lev 8:19 and it was slaughtered. And Mosheh sprinkled
the blood on the altar all around, - An Altar is a draw
near point, without the Blood of Messiyah Yahushua to be present at any of the
Altars in the Tabernacle we cannot draw near to ABBA YAHVEH.
Lev 8:20 and he cut the ram into pieces. And
Mosheh burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat, - If what I say in
the last paragraph is true, and the Ram is a different level of accomplishment,
that is why the things place on the altar here are different from the bull
offering of verse 17.
Lev 8:21 and he washed the entrails and the
legs in water. And Mosheh burned the entire ram on the altar. It was a burnt
offering for a sweet fragrance, and an offering made by fire to יהוה ,
as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. – In this verse the animal
parts define the character traits in our lives. The entrails symbolizes the
inner aspect of the human body, the way we think, the nature of the flesh, the
things that supports the flesh only to name a few; they must be sacrifice. The
legs mean our spiritual walk. These two things must be wash with the pure water
of the Word. Much like when we awake up each morning we wash our face, and in
the evening when we get home from work we take a bath. When we are in the Holy Place
The first ram is for the
spiritual development of the individual; the second ram in verse 22 is for the
spiritual development for the service of the Priest. It is not everyone who is
develop spiritually become priest, it is the best of the best that are chosen
to become priest.
Lev 8:22 And he brought the second ram, the ram
of ordination, and Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, - Here we see yet another revelation,
by laying their hand on the head of this ram, and notice it is a ram not a
female lamb. They become one with it. The first ram was the best of the best as
I have already described, not the best of the best were to be chosen for
ordination to the priesthood.
A person might desire the
position of priesthood; it does not mean that they are qualified. I have a PhD
in Christian Education, the first ram, and then I was chosen to become a Rabbi,
by the Holy Spirit, when I was called out of the Sunday church. I spent the
next six years learning the Hebrew ness of Scripture.
I was a pastor, or so I think,
I had to give it up and go sit in a Messianic congregation to learn, the
necessary spiritual doctrine in order to be where I am today.
Lev 8:23 and it was slaughtered. And Mosheh
took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aharon’s right ear, and on the
thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. – In the Spiritual sense, slaughtering means to offer this second lamb
symbolically to the service of the ministry. Both of these two Rams are also
symbolically that of El Yahushua.
This second ram was a peace
offering; its service completed the process by which the Kohanim were
consecrated for their new role as spiritual leader in the Tabernacle. It was
Moses who consecrates them as priest, not a degree from bible school.
Lev 8:24 And he brought near the sons of Aharon, and Mosheh put some of the blood on
the tips of their right ears, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on
the big toes of their right feet. And Mosheh sprinkled the blood on the altar
all around, - The placing of the blood on the right ears means that the hearing of
the one who is ordain must be for the Kingdom only; the right thumb means that
all his work must be for the Kingdom of Heavens, and his right Toe his
spiritual must be for the Kingdom only. The right part of our body is the side
of authority, that is why El Yahushua in now sitting at the Right Hand of our
Father in the Holy of Holies.
Lev 8:25 and took the fat and the fat tail, and
all the fat that was on the entrails, and the appendage on the liver, and the
two kidneys and their fat, and the right thigh, - Everything, every attachment to the world, every thing in there past
as the tail represent was place on the altar for destruction, and for
reassignment to a new purpose, a new direction, for the ultimate purpose in
life, the service of the Kingdom of Heavens.
Lev 8:26 and from the basket of unleavened
bread that was before יהוה he took one unleavened
cake, and a cake of bread anointed with oil, and one thin cake, and put them on
the fat and on the right thigh, - Inside the Basket which is a form of the Altar of Showbread, were ten
loaves the ten commandments, with three kind of bread. It was for those in the
Outer court, those in the Holy
Place
Lev 8:27 and placed all these in the hands of Aharon and in the hands of his sons,
and waved them as a wave offering before יהוה .
– The responsibility was place in the hands of
Aaron and His sons, the Mighty Hand of Elohim, the Fivefold ministry of the
Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teachers. He then waves them to show
that he had done what was required of Him.
Lev 8:28 Mosheh then took them from their hands and burned them on the altar, on the
burnt offering. They were ordinations for a sweet fragrance. It was an offering
by fire to יהוה . – Moses then took them and burns them on the Altar, symbolizing that
this responsibility was given to know one else, but the Mighty Hand of EL
YAHVEH.
The Mighty Hand of EL YAHVEH
were ordain for a sweet smelling fragrance. This sweet fragrance is when a
believer comes into the fullness of all that is required of him, full maturity.
The destruction of the influence of the flesh is such an action.
Lev 8:29 And Mosheh took the breast and waved
it, a wave offering before יהוה . It was Mosheh’s portion of the
ram of ordination, as יהוה had commanded Mosheh. – During the seven days of
inauguration Moses function as the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest. He receives
the Breast of the peace offering as his portion because it always went to the
Kohanim from the peace offering. Our Messiyah was assended to the Heavens on
the 43 day after Passover, for seven day He experience the process of
ordination to be our High Priest.
Lev 8:30 And Mosheh took some of the anointing
oil and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aharon,
on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him. And
he set apart Aharon, his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons
with him. – The five altar of the Outer
Court Holy Place Calvary .
The Brazen Altar, the blood from His Feet; the Laver the blood and Water from
His side; the Altar of Showbread the Blood from His left hand; the Menorah the
Blood from His Right Hand; the Altar of Burnt offering the Blood from the Crown
of thorns. All these five altar are represented by one of Aaron’s and his sons.
The Brazen Altar the
evangelist, the Laver the Pastor, the Altar of Showbread the Teacher, the
Menorah the Prophet and the Altar of Burnt offering Aaron the Apostle. The
garment of the Mighty Hand of Elohim is their responsibility, there service to
the Tabernacle. Every believer should experience this altar to there fullness
in order to make it into the Holy of Holies.
The Ark of the Covenant is in
the Holy of Holies, it is a culmination of all the other Altars spiritually. If
we draw a line between the brazen altar and the altar of burn incense and one
between the Menorah and the altar of showbread we see the Cross.
When Yahushua told us to pick
up our Cross daily and follow him, it also mean we must experience all the
altars of the Tabernacle, where he has shed His Blood for us to experience.
When we approach these altars we must carry the Blood of Yahushua with us, He
is our Kohen Gadol, our High Priest.
Lev 8:31 And Mosheh said to Aharon and his sons, “Cook the flesh at the door of the
Tent of Meeting, and eat it there with the bread that is in the basket of the
ordinations, as I have commanded, saying, ‘Aharon and his sons are to eat it.’ – At the entrance of the
Meeting, just past the Laver, at the entrance to the Holy Place
Lev 8:32 “Then burn the rest of the flesh and
the bread with fire. – What was left over had to be destroyed that day.
Lev 8:33 “And do not go outside the door of the
Tent of Meeting for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed
– for he fills your hands for seven days. – When
anyone is being ordained as a part of the Mighty Hand they must not go out side
for seven days. When El Yahushua, died on Passover He spend 3 days in the
grave, He spend 40 day teaching His disciples, He ascended to Heavens on the 43
day and spent the next 7 days being inaugurated as our High Priest. He too had
to fulfill all things in Torah.
Lev 8:34 יהוה has commanded to do, as he has done this day,
to make atonement for you. – The whole purpose of the Chapter is to prepare a priesthood who will
function at their assign altar, that as we want to elevate our selves
spiritually, there will be a mature person at the different altar to help us
walk in all the spiritual experience we require for our spiritual development.
Lev 8:35 “And stay at the door of the Tent of
Meeting day and night for seven days. And you shall guard the duty of יהוה ,
and not die, for so I have been commanded.” – If most
of us who cal ourselves Pastors would spend this time in seclusion it would
separate the sheep from the goat in ministry. These seven day of seclusion were
a time when the priest to be would focus on nothing but their duties, and their
responsibility to carry out these duties to the letter of the Law. That is why
we will hear of the death of Aaron two sons who brought false fire to the
Tabernacle, so they died.
Lev 8:36 And Aharon and his sons did all the
words that יהוה had commanded by the hand
of Mosheh.
Haftarah
Yireyahu “Jeremiah” 7:21-8:8
Jer 7:21 Thus said
יהוה
habx the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl,
“Add your burnt offerings to your slaughterings and eat meat. – YAHVEH TZEVAOTH, having shown the people that
the temple would not protect them while they polluted it with their wickedness,
here shows them that their sacrifices would not atone for them, nor be
accepted, while they went on in disobedience. See with what contempt he speaks
of their ceremonial service. "Put your burnt-offerings to your
sacrifices; go on in them as long as you please; add one sort of sacrifice
to another; turn your burnt-offerings (which were to be wholly burnt to
the honor of YAHVEH) into peace-offerings’’
(which the offerer himself had a considerable share of), "that you may eat
flesh, for that is all the good you are likely to have from your
sacrifices, a good meal’s meat or two; but expect not any other benefit by them
while you live at this loose rate. Keep your sacrifices to yourselves’’
(so some understand it); "let them be served up at your own table, for they
are no way acceptable at YAH’s altars.’’ For the opening of this.
Jer 7:22 “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I
brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim, about matters of burnt offerings or
slaughterings. – He
shows them that obedience was the only thing ABBA YAHWEH required of them as HE
also did from there Fathers as HE also do for us today. He appeals to the
original contract, by which they were first formed into a holy nation, when
they were brought out of Egypt
No: Will ABBA YAHVEH
eat the flesh of bulls? Ps. 50:13. I spoke not to your fathers
concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices, not of them at first. The
precepts of the moral law were given before the ceremonial institutions; and
those came afterwards, as trials of their obedience and assistances to their
repentance and faith. The Levitical law begins: If any man among you will
bring an offering, he must do the folowing (Lev. 1:2, 2:1), as if it were
intended rather to regulate sacrifice than to require it. But that which ABBA YAHVEH
commanded, which he bound them to by his supreme authority and which he insisted
upon as the condition of the covenant, was,
Jer 7:23 “But this word I did command them, saying, ‘Obey My voice,1 and I
shall be your Elohim, and you be My people. And walk in all the ways that I
have commanded you, so that it be well with you. - Abraham did so (Gen. 26:5), and יהוה again laid down this condition for Yisra’ĕl to
be His people (Ex. 19:5), and the same applies to us (Jn. 3:36, Rom. 6:16, Heb.
4:11, Heb. 5:9, Rev. 22:14). – Obey my voice; see Ex. 15:26, where this was the statute and the ordinance by which YAHVEH
proved them: Hearken diligently to the voice of EL YAHVEH. The condition
of their being YAH’s peculiar people was this (Ex. 19:5), If you will obey
my voice indeed. "Make conscience of the duties of all belivers in
Messiyah Yahushua, observe positive institutions from a principle of obedience,
and then I will be your EL and you shall be my people,’’ which is the
greatest honor, happiness, and satisfaction, that any of the children of men
are capable of. "Let your conversation be regular, and in every thing
study to comply with the will and word of YAHVEH; walk within the bounds
that I have set you, and in all the ways that I have commanded you, and
then you may assure yourselves that it shall be well with you.’’ The
demand here is very reasonable, that we should be directed by Infinite Wisdom
to that which is fit, that he that made us should command us, and that he
should give us law who gives us our being and all the supports of it; and the
promise is very encouraging: Let YAH’S will be your rule and his favour shall
be your felicity.
Jer 7:24 “But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in the counsels, in
the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. – ABBA YAHVEH was shows
them the Belivers in Jeremiah days as he is doing to us today that disobedience
was the only thing for which he had a quarrel with them as HE does with us. He
would not reprove them for their sacrifices, for the omission of them; they
had been continually before him (Ps. 50:8); with them they hoped to
bribe YAHVEH, and purchase a license to go on in sin. Today many belivers
because think because thay believe in Jesus Christ, they do not have to obey
the commandments. That therefore which YAHVEH had all along laid to their
charge was breaking HIS Commandments in the course of their conversation, while
they observed them, in some instances, in the course of their devotion.
Jer 7:25 “From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Mitsrayim until this
day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up
early and sending them. - They set up their own will in competition with the
will of EL YAHVEH: They hearkened not to YAHVEH and to his law; they
never heeded that; it was to them as if it had never been given or were of no
force; they inclined not their ear to attend to it, much less their
hearts to comply with it. But they would have their own way, would do as they
chose, and not as they were bidden.
Their own
counsels were their guide, and not
the dictates of divine wisdom; that shall be lawful and good with them which
they think so, though the word of EL YAHVEH says quite contrary. The
imagination of their evil heart, the appetites and passions of it, shall be
a law to them, and they will walk in the way of it, and in the sight of their
eyes. If they began well, yet they did not proceed, but soon flew off. They went
backward, when they talked of making a captain, and returning to Egypt
Jer 7:26 “But they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck.
They did evil, more than their fathers. - When ABBA YAHVEH sent to them by word of mouth to
put them in mind of the written word, which was the business of the prophets,
it was all one; still they were disobedient. When believers says that all that
is important is believeing in Jesus Christ, it is a sign of a stiff neck
people.
ABBA YAHVEH had
servants of HIS among them in every age, since they came out of Egypt unto
this day, some or other to tell them of their faults and put them in mind
of their duty, whom he rose up early to send (as before, verse 13), as
men rise up early to call servants to their work; but they were as deaf to the
prophets as they were to the law: Yet they hearkened not, nor inclined their
ear.
This had been their
way and manner all along; they were of the same stubborn refractory disposition
with those that went before them; it had all along been the genius of the
nation, and an evil genius it was, that continually haunted them till it ruined
them at last. Their practice and character were still the same. They are worse,
and not better, than their fathers.
Jer 7:27 “And you shall speak all these words to them, though they do not listen to
you. And you shall also call to them, though they do not answer you. – Jeremiah himself came as a witness against them that
they were disobedient, or he shall soon find it so: "Thou shalt speak
all these words to them, shalt particularly charge them with disobedience
and obstinacy. But even that will not work upon them: They will not hearken
to thee, nor heed thee. Thou shalt go, and call to them with all the
plainness and earnestness imaginable, but they will not answer thee;
they will either give thee no answer at all or not an obedient answer; they
will not come at thy call.’’
Jer 7:28 “But you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that did not obey the voice of
יהוה their Elohim, nor did
they accept instruction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their
mouth. – He must therefore own that they deserved the
character of a disobedient people, that were ripe for destruction, and must go
to them and tell them to their faces: "Say unto them,
This is a nation that obeys not the voice of EL YAHVEH. They are notorious for their obstinacy; they
sacrifice to YAHVEH as their EL, but they will not be govern by HIM as their EL;
they will not receive either the instruction of HIS Word or the correction of HIS
Rod; they will not be reclaimed or reformed by either. Truth has perished
among them; they cannot receive it; they will not submit to it nor be governed
by it. They will not speak truth; there is no believing a word they say, for it
is nail to the cross, cut off from their mouth, and lying comes in the
room of it. They are false both to YAHVEH and man.’’
Jer 7:29 ‘Cut off your hair and throw it away, and take up a lamentation on the bare
heights, for יהוה has rejected and forsaken the generation of
His wrath.’ – Here is, A
loud call to weeping and mourning. Yerushalayim, that had been a joyous city,
the joy of the whole earth, must now take up a lamentation on high places,
the high places where they had served their idols; there must they now bemoan
their misery. In token both of sorrow and slavery, Yerushalayim must now cut
off her hair and cast it away; the Word is peculiar to the hair of the
Nazarites, which was the badge and token of their dedication to ABBA YAHVEH,
and it is called their crown. Yerushalayim had been a city which was a
Nazarite to YAHVEH, but now must cut off her hair, must be profaned, degraded,
and separated from YAHVEH, as she had been separated to him. It is time for
those that have lost their holiness to lay aside their joy.
The destruction of Yerushalayim
appears here very terrible. That speaks misery enough in general, EL YAHVEH
hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. Sin makes those the
generation of YAH’s wrath that had ben the generation of his love. YAHVEH will
reject and quite forsake those who have made themselves vessels of wrath
fitted to destruction. He will disown them for his. "Verily, I say
unto you, I know you not.’’ And he will give them up to the terrors of their
own guilt, and leave them in those hands.
Jer 7:30 “For the children of Yehuḏah have
done what is evil in My eyes,” declares יהוה . “They have set their
abominations in the house which is called by My Name, to defile it. – The
sin of Yerushalayim appears very heinous, nowhere worse, or more exceedingly
sinful: "The children of Judah’’ (YAH’s profession people, that came
forth out of the waters of Judah, Isa. 48:1) "have done evil in my
sight, under my eye, in my presence; they have affronted me to my face,
which very much aggravates the affront:’’ or, "They have done that which
they know to be evil in my sight, and in the highest degree offensive to
me.’’
Idolatry was the sin
which was above all other sins evil in YAH’s sight. Now here are two things
charged upon them in their idolatry, which were very provoking: That they were
very impudent in it towards EL YAHVEH and set him at defiance: They have set
their abominations (their abominable idols and the altars erected to them) in
the house that is called by my name, in the very courts of the temple, to
pollute it (Manasseh did so, 2 Ki. 21:7, 23:12), as if they thought YAHVEH
would connive at it, or cared not though he was ever so much displeased with
it, or as if they would reconcile heaven and hell, YAHVEH and Baal. The heart
is the place which YAHVEH has chosen to put his name there; if sin have
the innermost and uppermost place there, we pollute the temple of EL YAHVEH
Jer 7:31 “And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of
the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I
did not command, nor did it come into My heart. – They are noteorus in there religious, there version on how they think
they should praise ABBA YAHVEH. They have particularly built the high places
of Tophet, where the image of Moloch was set up, in the valley of the
son of Hinnom, adjoining to Yerushalayim; and there they burnt their
sons and their daughters in the fire, burnt them alive, killed them, and
killed them in the most cruel manner imaginable, to honor or appease those
idols that were devils and not gods. This was surely the greatest instance that
ever was of the power of Satan in the children of disobedience, and of the
degeneracy and corruption of the human nature.
One would willingly
hope that there were not many instances of such a barbarous idolatry; but it is
amazing that there should be any, that men could be so perfectly void of
natural affection as to do a thing so inhuman as to burn little innocent
children, and their own too, that they should be so perfectly void of natural
religion as to think it lawful to do this, nay, to think it acceptable. Surely
it was in a way of righteous judgment, because they had changed the glory of
ABBA YAHVEH into the similitude of a beast, that YAHVEH gave them up to such
vile affections that changed them into worse than beasts.
YAHVEH says of this
that it was what he commanded them not, neither came it into his heart,
which is not what He had commanded them to worship Moloch (this he had
expressly forbidden them), but he had never commanded that HIS
worshippers should be at such an expense, nor put such a force upon their
natural affection, in honoring HIM; it never came into HIS heart to have
children offered to HIM yet they had forsaken HIS Sabbath to service of other
gods as, by commanding this, showed themselves to be indeed enemies to mankind.
Jer 7:32 “Therefore see, the days are coming,” declares יהוה , “when it shall no longer be
called Topheth, or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of
Slaughter, for they shall bury in Topheth until no room is left. – Death shall triumph over them. Sin reigns unto
death; for that is the wages of it, the end of those things. Tophet, the
valley adjoining to Yerushalayim, shall be called the valley of slaughter,
for there multitudes shall be slain, when, in their sallies out of the city and
their attempts to escape, they fall into the hands of the besiegers. Or it
shall be called the valley of slaughtered ones, because there the
corpses of those that are slain shall be brought to be buried, all other
burying places being full; and there they shall bury until there be no more
place to make a grave. This intimates the multitude of those that shall die
by the sword, pestilence, and famine. Spiritual death shall ride on
prosperously, with dreadful pomp and power, conquering and to conquer.
The slain of YAHVEH
shall be many. This valley of
Tophet was a place where the citizens of Yerushalayim walked to take the air;
but it shall now be spoiled for that use, for it shall be so full of graves
that there shall be no walking there, because of the danger of contracting a
ceremonial pollution by the touch of a grave. There it was that they sacrificed
some of their children, and dedicated others to Moloch, and there they should
fall as victims to divine justice. Tophet had formerly been the burying place,
or burning place, of the dead bodies of the besiegers, when the Assyrian army
was routed by an angel; and for this it was ordained of old, Isa. 30:33.
But they having forgotten this mercy, and made it the place of their sin,
YAHVEH will now turn it into a burying place for the besieged.
In allusion to this
valley, hell is in the renewed Covanant called Gehenna, the valley of
Hinnom, for there were buried both the invading Assyrians and the revolting
Jews; so hell is a receptacle after death both for infidels and hypocrites, the
open enemies of YAH’s assembly and its treacherous friends; it is the
congregation of the dead; it is prepared for the generation of YAH’s
wrath.
Jer 7:33 “And the corpses of this people shall be food for the birds of the heavens
and for the beasts of the earth, with none to frighten them away.
– But so great shall that slaughter be
that even the spacious valley of Tophet shall not be able to contain the slain;
and at length there shall not be enough left alive to bury the dead, so that the
carcases of the people shall be meat for the birds and beasts of prey, that
shall feed upon them like carrion, and none shall have the concern or courage
to frighten them away, as Rizpah did from the dead bodies of Saul’s sons, 2 Sa.
28:26, Thy carcase shall be meat to the fowls and beasts, and no man shall
drive them away.
The the law and the
prophets agree, and the execution with both. The decent burying of the dead is
a piece of humanity, in remembrance of what the dead body has been, the
tabernacle of a reasonable soul. It is a piece of divinity, in expectation of
what the dead body shall be at the resurrection. The want of it has sometimes
been an instance of the rage of men against YAH’s witnesses, Rev. 11:9. Here it
is threatened as an instance of the wrath of YAHVEH against his enemies, and is
an intimation that evil pursues sinners even after death.
Jer 7:34 “And in the cities of Yehuḏah and in the streets of Yerushalayim I shall
make to cease the voice of rejoicing and the voice of gladness, the voice of
the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For the land shall become a waste! – Joy shall depart from them: Then will I cause to
cease the voice of mirth. YAHVEH had called
by HIS prophets, and by less judgments, to weeping and mourning; but
they walked contrary to HIM, and would hear of nothing but joy and gladness,
Isa. 22:12, 13. And what came of it?
Now YAHVEH called
to lamentation verse 29, and HE made
HIS call effectual, leaving them neither cause nor heart for joy and gladness.
Those that will not weep shall weep; those that will not be saved by the grace
of YAHVEH, of their vain delight shall by the justice of YAHVEH be deprived of
all laughter; for when YAHVEH judges HE will overcome. It is emphasize
here that there shall be nothing to rejoice about.
There
shall be none of the joy of weddings, coming to maturity; no mirth, for there
shall be no marriages. The comforts of life shall be abandoned, and all care to
keep up mankind upon earth cast off; there shall be none of the voice of the
bridegroom and the bride, no music, no nuptial songs. Nor shall
there be any more of the joy of the harvest, for the land shall be desolate,
uncultivated and unimproved. Both the cities of Judah
and the streets of Yerushalayim shall look depressed; and when they look
about themself, and see no cause to rejoice, no marvel if they retire into
themselves and find no heart to rejoice. YAHVEH can soon mar the mirth of the
most jovial, and make it to cease, which is a reason why we should always
rejoice with trembling, be merry and wise.
Chapter 8
The prophet
proceeds, in this chapter, both to magnify and to justify the destruction that
God was bringing upon this people, to show how grievous it would be and yet how
righteous.
I. He represents the
judgments coming as so very terrible that death should appear so as most to be
dreaded and yet should be desired verse 1-3.
II. He aggravates the wretched stupidity and willfulness
of this people as that which brought this ruin upon them verse 4–8.
Jer 8:1 “At that time,” declares יהוה , “they shall
bring the bones of the sovereigns of Yehuḏah, and the bones of its heads, and
the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the
inhabitants of Yerushalayim, out of their graves, - These verses might fitly have been joined to the
close of the foregoing chapter, as giving a further description of the dreadful
desolation which the army of the Chaldeans should make in the land. It shall strangely
alter the property of death itself, and for the worse too.
Death shall not now
be, as it always used to be, the repose of the dead. When Job makes his court
to the grave it is in hope of this, that there he shall rest with kings and
counsellors of the earth; but now the ashes of the dead, even of kings
and princes, shall be disturbed, and their bones scattered at the
grave’s mouth, Ps. 141:7. It was threatened in the close of the former
chapter that the slain should be unburied; that might be through neglect, and
was not so strange; but here we find the graves of those that were buried
industriously and maliciously opened by the victorious enemy, who either for
covetousness, hoping to find treasure in the graves, or for spite to the nation
and in a rage against it, brought out the bones of the kings of Judah and
the princes.
The dignity of their
sepulchres could not secure them, nay, did the more expose them to be rifled;
but it was base and barbarous thus to trample upon royal dust. We will hope that
the bones of good Josiah were not disturbed, because he piously protected the
bones of the man of YAHVEH when he burnt the bones of the idolatrous priests, 2
Ki. 23:18. The bones of the priests and prophets too were digged up and thrown
about. Some think the false prophets and the idol-priests, YAHVEH putting this
mark of ignominy upon them: but, if they were YAH’s prophets and his priests,
it is what the Psalmist complains of as the fruit of the outrage of the
enemies, Ps. 79:1, 2. Those of the spiteful Chaldeans that could not reach to
violate the sepulchres of princes and priests would rather play at small game
than sit out, and therefore pulled the bones of the ordinary inhabitants of Yerushalayim
out of their graves.
The barbarous
nations were sometimes guilty of these absurd and inhuman triumphs over those
they had conquered, and YAHVEH permitted it here, for a mark of his displeasure
against the generation of his wrath, and for terror to those that survived. The
bones, being dug out of the graves, were spread abroad upon the face of the
earth in contempt, and to make the reproach the more spreading and lasting.
Jer 8:2 and shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of the
heavens, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they
have walked, which they have sought, and to which they have bowed themselves.
They shall not be gathered nor buried, they shall be for dung on the face of
the earth. – They
shall be spread before the sun (for
they shall not be ashamed openly to avow the fact at noon day) and before the
moon and stars, even all the host of heaven, whom they have made
idols of. They were on display for all the Sons of YAHVEH to see what will
happen to those who came to earth to
learn obedience, how there dead bodies lies motionless. Psalms 82:5
They know not, neither will they
nderstand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out
of course. 6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7But
ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 8Arise,
O YAHVEH, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
Here is a
fulfillment of Psalms 82 where men die like men and not live like gods. From
the mention of the sun, moon, and stars, which should be the unconcerned
spectators of this tragedy, the prophet takes occasion to show how they had
idolized them, and paid those respects to them which they should have paid to YAHVEH
only, that it might be observed how little they got by worshipping the
creature, for the creatures they worshipped when they were in distress saw it,
but regarded it not, nor gave them any relief, but were rather pleased to see
those abused in being vilified by whom they had been abused in being deified.
See how their respects to their idols are enumerated, to show how we ought to
behave towards YAHVEH.
·
They loved
them. As amiable being and bountiful benefactors they esteemed them and
delighted in them, and therefore did all that follows.
·
They served
them, did all they could in honor of them, and thought nothing too much; they
conformed to all the laws of their superstition, without disputing.
·
They walked
after them, strove to imitate and resemble them, according to the
characters and accounts of them they had received, which gave rise and
countenance to much of the abominable wickedness of the heathen.
·
They sought
them, consulted them as oracles, appealed to them as judges, implored their
favour, and prayed to them as their benefactors.
·
They worshipped
them, gave them divine honor, as having a sovereign dominion over them. Before
these light of heaven, which they had courted, shall their dead bodies be cast,
and left to putrefy, and to be as dung upon the face of the earth; and
the sun’s shining upon them will but make them the more noisome and offensive.
Whatever we make a god of but the true EL only, it will stand us in no stead on
the other side death and the grave, nor for the body, much less for the soul.
Jer 8:3 “And death shall be preferred to life by all the rest of those who remain of
this evil people, who remain in all the places where I have driven them,”
declares יהוה of hosts. - Death
shall now be what it never used to be, the choice of the living, not because
there appears in it any thing delightsome; on the contrary, death never
appeared in more horrid frightful shapes than now, when they cannot promise
themselves either a comfortable death or a human burial; and yet every thing in
this world shall become so annoying, and all the prospects so sad and dismal,
that death shall be chosen rather than life, not in a believing hope of
happiness in the other life, but in an utter despair of any ease in this life.
The nation is now reduced to a family, so small is the residue of
those that remain in it; and it is an evil family, still as bad as
ever, their hearts unhumbled and their lusts unmortified. These remain
alive (and that is all) in the many places whither they were driven by
the judgments of YAHVEH, some prisoners in the country of their enemies, others
beggars in their neighbour’s country, and others fugitives and vagabonds there
and in their own country. And, though those that died died very miserably, yet
those that survived and were thus driven out should live yet more miserably, so
that they should choose death rather than life, and wish a thousand
times that they had fallen with those that fell by the sword. Let this cure us
of the inordinate love of life, that the case may be such that it may become a
burden and terror, and we may be strongly tempted to choose strangling
and death rather.
Jer 8:4 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said יהוה , “Would they
fall, and not rise? Does one turn away and not return? – Do you want to die like men or live like a
god. The prophet here is instructed to
set before this people the folly of their impenitence, which was it that
brought this ruin upon them. They are here represented as the most stupid
senseless people in the world, that would not be made wise by all the methods
that Infinite Wisdom took to bring them to themselves and their right mind, and
so to prevent the ruin that was coming upon them.
They would not
attend to the dictates of reason. They would not act in the affairs of their
souls with the same common prudence with which they acted in other things.
Sinners would become saints if they would not show themselves men, and religion
would soon rule them if right reason did. Observe. Come, and let us reason
together, saith EL YAHVEH: Shall men fall and not arise? If men
happen to fall to the ground, to fall into the dirt, will they not get up again
as fast as they can? They are not such fools as to lie still when they are
down. Shall a man turn aside out of the right way? Yes, the most careful
traveller may miss his way; but then, as soon as he is aware of it, will he
not return? Yes, certainly he will, with all speed, and will thank him that
showed him his mistake.
Jer 8:5 “Why then has this people, Yerushalayim, turned away in a continual
backsliding? They cling to deceit, they refuse to turn back. - Therefore
men do in other things. Why then has this people of Yerushalayim slidden
back by a perpetual backsliding? Why do not they, when they have fallen
into sin, hasten to get up again by repentance? Why do not they, when they see
they have missed their way, correct their error and reform? No man in his wits
will go on in a way that he knows will never bring him to his journey’s end; why
then has this people slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? See the
nature of sin, it is a backsliding it is going back from the right way,
not only into a by-path, but into a contrary path, back from the way that leads
to life to that which leads to utter destruction. And this backsliding, if
almighty grace do not interpose to prevent it, will be a perpetual backsliding.
The sinner not only
wanders endlessly, but proceeds end-ways towards ruin. The same subtlety of the
tempter that brings men to sin holds them fast in it, and they contribute to
their own captivity: They hold fast deceit. Sin is a great cheat, and
they hold it fast; they love it dearly, and resolve to stick to it, and
baffle all the methods YAHVEH takes to separate between them and their sins.
The excuses they make for their sins are deceits, and so are all their hopes of
impunity; yet they hold fast these, and will not be undeceived, and therefore they
refuse to return. There is some deceit or other which those hold fast that
go on wilfully in sinful ways, some lie in their right hand, by which
they keep hold of their sins.
Jer 8:6 “I have listened and heard – they do not speak right. No man has repented of
his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ They all turned to their own course, like
a horse rushing into battle. – They would not attend to the dictates of conscience,
which is our reason reflecting upon ourselves and our own actions.
What expectations were
from them, that they would think themselves: I hearkened and heard. The
prophet listened to see what effect his preaching had upon them; YAHVEH
listened, as one that desires not the death of sinners, that would have been
glad to hear any thing that promised repentance, that would certainly have
heard it if there had been any thing said of that tendency, and would soon have
answered it with comfort, as he did David when he said, I will confess,
Ps. 32:5. YAHVEH looks upon men when they have done wrong (Job 33:27),
to see what they will do next; HE hearkens and hears.
How these
expectations were disappointed: They spoke not aright, as I thought they
would have done. They did not only not do right, but not so much as speak
right; YAHVEH could not get a good word from them, nothing on which to
ground any favour to them or hopes concerning them. There was none of them
that spoke aright, none that repented him of his wickedness.
those that have sinned then, and then only, speak aright when they speak of
repenting; and it is sad when those that have made so much work for repentance
do not say a word of repenting.
Not only did YAHVEH
not find any repenting of the national wickedness, which might have helped to
empty the measure of public guilt, but none repented of that particular
wickedness which he knew himself guilty of. They did not so much as take the
first step towards repentance; they did not so much as say, What have I
done? There was no motion towards it, not the least sign or token of it.
Note, True repentance beings in a serious and impartial inquiry into ourselves,
what have we done, arising from a conviction that we have done amiss.
They were so far
from repenting of their sins that they went on resolutely in their sins: Every
one turned to his course, his wicked course, that course of sin which he
had chosen and accustomed himself to, as the horse rushes into the battle,
eager upon action, and scorning to be curbed. How the horse rushes into the
battle is elegantly described, Job 39:21, etc. He mocks at fear and is not
affrighted. Thus the daring sinner laughs at the threatenings of the word
as bugbears, and runs violently upon the instruments of death and slaughter,
and nothing will be restrained from him.
Jer 8:7 “Even a stork in the heavens knows her appointed times. And a turtledove,
and a swallow, and a thrush observe the time of their coming. But My people do
not know the right-ruling of יהוה .
– This is a conviction of Christian who claim that these feast days were nail
to the Cross.
They would not
attend to the dictates of providence, nor understand the voice of YAHVEH in
them. It is an instance of their sottishness that, though they are YAH’s
people, and therefore should readily understand his mind upon every intimation
of it, yet they know not the judgment of YAHWEH; they apprehend not the
meaning either of a mercy or an affliction, not how to accommodate themselves
to either, nor to answer YAH’s intention in either. They know not how to improve
the seasons of grave that YAHVEH affords them when he sends them his prophets,
nor how to make use of the rebukes they are under when his voice cries in
the city. They discern not the signs of the times (Mt. 16:3), nor
are aware how YAHVEH is dealing with them. They know not that way of duty which
YAHVEH had prescribed them, though it be written both in their hearts and in
their books.
It is an aggravation
of their sottishness that there is so much sagacity in the inferior creatures. The
stork in the heaven knows her appointed times of coming and continuing; so
do other season-birds, the turtle, the crane, and the swallow. These by
a natural instinct change their quarters, as the temper of the air alters; they
come when the spring comes, and go, we know not whither, when the winter
approaches, probably into warmer climates, as some birds come with winter and
go when that is over.
Jer 8:8 “How do you say, ‘We are wise, and the Torah of יהוה is with us’? But look, the false pen of the
scribe has worked falsehood. - They would not pay attend to the accuracy of the
written word. They say, We are wise; but how can they say so? With what face can they pretend to any thing
of wisdom, when they do not understand themselves so well as the
brute-creatures?
Why, truly, they
think they are wise because the law of YAHVEH is with them, the book of
the law and the interpreters of it; and their neighbours, for the same reason,
conclude they are wise, Deu. 4:6. They translate the Law of Hebrew to Greak, to
Latin, to German, to English in their own understanding.
But their
pretensions are groundless for all this: Lo, certainly in vain made he it;
surely never any people had Bibles to so little purpose as they have. They
might as well have been without the law, unless they had made a better use of
it. YAHVEH has indeed made it able to make men wise to salvation, but as to
them it is made so in vain, for they are never the wiser for it: The pen of
the scribes, of those that first wrote the law and of those that now write
expositions of it, is in vain.
An example, in Genesis 1:1 there are four major mistake in the
translation from Hebrew to English, yet the socalled writers of the Bible have
fail to see these errors.
Both the favour of
their El and the labour of their scribes are lost upon them; they receive the
grace of YAHVEH in vain. There are many that enjoy abundance of the means of
grace, that have great plenty of Bibles and ministers, but they have them in
vain; they do not answer the end of their having them.
Brit Chadashu
Romiyan
“Romans” 12:1-8
The apostle, having at large cleared and
confirmed the prime fundamental doctrines of the Messiyanic, comes in the next
place to press the principal duties. We mistake our religion if we look upon it
only as a system of notions and a guide to speculation. No, it is a practical
religion, that tends to the right ordering of the conversation. It is designed
not only to inform our judgments, but to reform our hearts and lives. From the
method of the apostle’s writing in this, as in some other of the epistles (as
from the management of the principal ministers of state in Messiyah’s kingdom)
the stewards of the mysteries of YAHVEH may take direction how to divide the
word of truth: not to press duty abstracted from privilege, nor privilege
abstracted from duty; but let both go together, with a complicated design, they
will greatly promote and befriend each other.
The duties are drawn from the privileges, by way
of inference. The foundation of the Messiyanic practice must be laid in
Messiyah knowledge and faith. We must first understand how we receive Messiyah
Yahushua, and then we shall know how to walk in him. There is a great deal of
duty prescribed in this chapter. The exhortations are short and concise,
briefly summing up what is good, and what the YAHVEH through Messiyah requires
of us. It is a synopsis of the Messianic directory, an excellent collection of
rules for the right ordering of the conversation, that the gospel is comprise
off. It is joined to the foregoing discourse by the word "therefore.’’
It is the practical
application of doctrinal truths that is the purpose of preaching. He had been elucidating
at large on justification by faith, and of the riches of free grace, and the
pledges and assurances we have of the glory that is to be revealed. Hence
carnal libertines would be consider inferior."
Therefore, we may
live as we like, and walk in the way of our hearts and the sight of our eyes.’’
Now this does not follow; the faith that justifies is a faith that "works
by love.’’ And there is no other way to the heavens, except by the way of
holiness and obedience.
Therefore what ABBA
YAHVEH hath joined together let no man put asunder. The particular exhortations
of this chapter are reducible to the three principal heads of Messiyanic duty:
our duty to YAHVEH to ourselves, and to our brother. The purpose of YAHVEH
teaches us, in general, to live "godly, soberly, and righteously;’’ and to
deny all that which is contrary to HIS Commandment. Now this chapter will help
us to understand what godliness, sobriety, and righteousness, are though
somewhat intermixed.
Rom 12:1 I call upon you,
therefore, brothers, through the compassion of EL YAHVEH, to present your
bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable
worship. –
In this chapter we observe that, according to the scheme mentioned in
the contents, the apostle’s exhortations, Concerning our duty to ABBA YAHVEH,
We see what is godliness.
It is to surrender
ourselves to ABBA YAHVEH, and so to lay a good foundation. We must first give
our own selves unto ABBA YAHVEH, 2 Co. 8:5.
This is emphasise as the spring of all duty and obedience. Man consists of body
and soul, Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7.
The body must be
presented to ABBA YAHVEH. The body is for ABBA YAHVEH, and YAHVEH for the
body, 1 Co. 6:13, 14. The exhortation is
introduced very pathetically: I beseech you, brethren. Though he was a
great Apostle, yet Paul calls the Messiyanic brethren, a term of
affection and concern. He uses entreaty words; this is the way of the Gospel: As
though ABBA YAHVEH did beseech you by us, 2 Co.
5:20. Though he might with authority command, yet for love’s sake he rather
beseeches, Philem. 8, 9. The poor useth entreaty, Prov. 18:23. This is
to insinuate the exhortation, that it might come with the more pleasing power.
Many are sooner repent if they are kindly persuaded, human are more easily led
than driven.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good
and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim. – As gods in training, we are not to conformed
to this world system, but through the things we experience it is to transform
our Ego, proving the positive commandment and safe guarding the negative
commandment the things we must not do. We please ABBA YAHVEH when we do HIS
will.
What is the great
enemy to this renewing, which we must avoid; and that is, conformity to this
world: Be not conformed to this world. All the disciples and followers
of the Messiyah Yahushua must be nonconformists to this world. Do not
fashion yourselves according to the world.
We must not conform
to the things of the world; they are mutable, and the desiring of them will
pass away. Do not conform either to the lusts of the desire of the Ego control
by the flesh or the lusts of the eye. We must not conform to the doctrine of
the men of the world, of that worldly Ego the ability to received for selfish
reasons, which lies in wickedness, not walk according to the course of this
world (Eph. 2:2); that is, we must not follow a multitude to do evil, Ex.
23:2.
If the desire of the
Selfish Ego entice us, we must not consent to them, but instead, place a witness
against them. Nay, even in things indifferent, and which are not in themselves
sinful, we must not conform to the custom and way of the world as not to act by
the world’s dictates as our prime directive. We are not to aim at the world’s
favours as our highest end. True Messiyahnic consist or operate in a sober singularity. Yet
we must take heed of the extreme of affected rudeness and moroseness, which
some religious instution run into.
In civil things, the
light of nature and the custom of nations are intended for our guidance; and
the rule of the gospel in those cases is a rule of direction, not a rule of
contrariety to the written Word.
What is the great
effect of this renewing of the Ego, which we must labour after: That you may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of ABBA YAHVEH. By
the will of YAHVEH we are to understand HIS revealed Will concerning our duty,
what EL YAHVEH requires of us. This is the will of YAHVEH in general, even our
sanctification, that will which we pray may be done by us as it is done by the
angels; especially HIS will as it is revealed in the Renew Covenant, where he
hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son.
First, The Will of YAHVEH is good, and acceptable, and
perfect; three excellent properties of a law. It is good (Mic. 6:8); it is
exactly consonant to the eternal reason of good and evil. It is good in itself.
It is good for us. Some think the evangelical law is called good, in
distinction from the curse of the law, which consisted of curses, Deu 28: 15 -68. It is acceptable, it is pleasing
to YAHVEH; that we do only that which is prescribed by HIM.
The only way to
attain HIS Blessings, Deut 28:1-14. The purpose of our Ego is to conform to HIS
Will as our rule. HIS Will which is written in HIS Word are perfect, to which
nothing can be added. The revealed will of YAHVEH is a sufficient rule of faith
and practice, containing all things which tend to the perfection of the man of
EL, to furnish us thoroughly to every good work, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.
Secondly, That it concerns Messiyahnic to prove what is that
will of YAHVEH which is good, and acceptable, and perfect; that is, to know HIS
judgment and approbation, to know it experimentally, to know the excellency of
the will of YAHVEH by the experience of a conform life. It is to approve things
that are excellent (Phil. 1:10); it is dokimazein (the same word that is used here) to
try things that differ, in doubtful cases readily to apprehend what the Will
of YAHVEH is and to close in with it. It is to be of quick understanding in
the fear of EL YAHVEH, Isa. 11:3.
Thirdly, That those who are best able to prove what is the
good, and acceptable, and perfect will of YAHVEH, they are those who are
transformed by the renewing of their Ego. A living principle of grace is given
to the redeemed soul, as far as it prevails, an unbiassed unprejudiced judgment
concerning the things of YAHVEH. It disposes the Ego to receive and entertain
the revelations of the Divine Will. The promise is (Jn. 7:17), If any man
will do HIS Will, he shall know of the doctrine. A good understanding can
dispute and distinguish about the Will of YAHVEH; while an selfish, proud Ego,
that has spiritual senses exercised by the flesh, is delivered into the mould
of the word, loves it, and practises it, and relish and savour its selfish
desire; while to be godly is to surrender ourselves to YAHVEH.
Rom 12:3
For I
say, through the favour which has been given to me, to everyone who is among
you, not to think of himself
more highly than he should think, but to think soberly, as Elohim has given to
each a measure of belief.
– Through the Grace that has been given to all of us, we must not think more
highly of ourselves, if we received more grace that another person. As believer
we must with a rational mind, think about the reason why we are Created, for
every one is given different gifts according to our character, to help us
become an overcommer.
A sober opinion of
ourselves is essential. It ushered in with a solemn preface: I say, through
the grace given unto me: the grace of wisdom, by which he understood the
necessity and excellency of this duty; the gift of apostleship, by which he had
authority us to press or strive toward spiritual maturity and enjoin it.
"I say it, who
am commissioned to say it, in YAH’s name. I say it, and it is not for you to contradict
it.’’ It is said to every one of us, one as well as another. Pride is a sin
that is bred in the Ego of all of us, and we each have a need to be cautioned
and armed against it.
Not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think. We must take heed of our Ego by having too great an opinion of
ourselves, or putting too high a valuation upon our own judgments, abilities,
persons, performances. We must not be self-conceited, nor esteem too much our own
wisdom and other attainments, not think ourselves to be something, Gal. 6:3.
There is a high
thought of ourselves which we may and must have to think ourselves too good to
be the slaves of sin and drudges to this world. But, on the other hand, we should
think soberly, that is, we must have a low and modest opinion of ourselves and
our own abilities, our gifts and graces, according to what we have received
from YAHVEH, and not otherwise.
We must not be
confident and hot in matters of doubtful disputation; not stretch ourselves
beyond our limit; not judge and censure those that differ from us; not desire
to make a fair show in the flesh.
These and the like
are the fruits of a sober opinion of ourselves. The words will bear yet another
sense agreeable enough. Of himself is not in the original; therefore it
may be read, That no man be wise above what he ought to be wise, but be wise
unto sobriety. We must not exercise ourselves in things too high for us
(Ps. 131:1, 2), not intrude into those things which we have not seen (Col.
2:18), those secret things which belong not to us (Deu. 29:29), we may desire
to be wise above what is written, as Moses did. There is also a knowledge that
puffs up the Ego, which reaches after the forbidden fruit.
We must take heed of
this, and labour after that knowledge which tends to sobriety, to the
rectifying of the Ego and the reforming of the life. Some understand it as the
sobriety which keeps us in our own place and station, from intruding into the
gifts and offices of others. See an instance of this sober modest care in the
exercise of the greatest spiritual gifts, 2 Co.
10:13 - 15.
To this head refers
also that exhortation verse 16, Be not wise in your own conceits. It is
good to be wise, but it is bad to think ourselves so; for there is more hope of
a fool than of him that is wise in his own eyes. It was an excellent thing for
Moses to have his face shine and not know it. Now the reasons why we must have
such a sober opinion of ourselves, our own abilities and attainments, are
these:
Because whatever we
have that is good, YAHVEH have given it to us; every good and perfect
gift comes from above, James 1:17. What have we that we have not
received? And, if we have received it, why then do we boast? 1 Co. 4:7. The best and most useful man in the world is no
more, no better, than what the free grace of ABBA YAHVEH makes him every day.
When we are thinking of ourselves, we must remember to think not how we
attained, as though our might and the power of our hand had gotten us these
gifts; but think how kind YAHVEH hath been to us, for it is he that gives us
power to do any thing that is good, and in him is all our sufficiency.
Because EL YAHVEH
deals out HIS gifts in a certain measure: According to the measure of faith.
The measure of spiritual gifts he calls the measure of faith, for this is the
radical grace. What we have and do that is good is so far right and acceptable
as it is founded in faith, and flows from faith, and no further. Now faith, and
other spiritual gifts with it, are dealt by measure, according as Infinite
Wisdom sees meet for us.
Messiyah had the
Spirit given Him without measure, Jn. 3:34. But the saints have it by measure;
see Eph. 4:7. Messiyah, who had gifts without measure, was meek and lowly; and so
should we, that are stinted, be proud and self-conceited?
Rom 12:4 For as we have
many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function,
- ABBA YAHVEH is
seeking faithfull believers to fulfilled different position in the Kingdom of Heavens Kingdom
of Heavens
Do we have the
monopoly of the Spirit, or a patent to be sole proprietors of spiritual gifts,
there might be some pretence for this conceitedness of ourselves; but others
have their share as well as us.
YAHVEH is a common
Father, and Messiyah a common root, to all the saints, who all have virtue driven
from him; and therefore it wrong for us to lift up ourselves, and to despise
others, as if we are the only religion or people in favour with heaven, and
wisdom should start and stop with us.
All the members
have not the same office, but each hath its respective place and work
assigned it. The office of the eye is to see, the office of the hand is to
work, etc. So in the mystical body, some are qualified for, and called to, one
sort of vocation; others are called to another sort of work. Magistrates, Apostle,
Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher to the people in Yisrael; each having
their own offices, and must not intrude one upon another, nor clash in the
discharge of their several offices. Each member hath its place and office, for
the good and benefit of the whole, and of every other member.
Rom 12:5 so we, the many, are one body in Messiyah,
and members each one of one another. – This reasoning he illustrates by a comparison taken
from the members of the natural body (as 1 Co.
12:12; Eph. 4:16): As we have many members in one body. All the saints
make up one body in Messiyah, who is the head of the body, and the common
centre of their unity. Believers lie not in the world as a confused disorderly
heap, but are organized and knit together, as they are united to one common
head, and actuated and animated by one common Spirit.
We are not only
members of Messiyah, but we are members one of another. We stand in
relation one to another; we are engaged to do all the good we can one to
another, and to act in conjunction for the common benefit. See this illustrated
at large, 1 Co. 12:14, etc. Therefore we must
not be puffed up with a conceit of our own attainments, because, whatever we
have, as we received it, so we received it not for ourselves, but for the good
of others.
Particular believers
are members of this body, constituent parts, which speak them less than the
whole, and in relation to the whole, deriving life and spirits from the head.
Some members in the body are bigger and more useful than others, and each
receives spirits from the head according to its proportion. if the little
finger should receive as much nourishment as the leg, how unseemly and
prejudicial would it be! We must remember that we are not the whole; we think
above what is meet if we think so; we are but parts and members.
Rom 12:6 Now having
different gifts, according to the favour which was given to us, let us use them accordingly: if
prophecy, according to the proportion of belief; - A sober use of the gifts that ABBA YAHVEH hath given
us. As we must not on the one hand be proud of our talents, so on the other
hand we must not bury them. Take heed lest, under a pretence of humility and
self-denial, we be slothful in laying out ourselves for the good of others. We
must not say, "I am nothing, therefore I will sit still, and do nothing;’’
but, "I am nothing in myself, and therefore I will lay out myself to the
utmost in the strength of the grace of Messiyah.’’
He specifies the
ecclesiastical offices appointed in particular churches, in the discharge of
which each must study to do his own duty, for the preserving of order and the
promotion of edification in the Assembly, each knowing his place and fulfilling
it. Having then gifts. The following induction of particulars supplies
the sense of this general. Having gifts, let us use them. Authority and
ability for the ministerial work are the gift of YAHVEH.
Gifts differing. The immediate design is different, though the
ultimate tendency of all is the same.
According to the
grace, The free grace of ABBA YAHVEH
is the spring and original of all the gifts that are given to men. It is grace
that appoints the office, qualifies and inclines the person, works both to will
and to do. There were in the primitive church extraordinary gifts of tongues,
of discerning, of healing; but he speaks here of those that are ordinary.
Compare 1 Co. 12:4; 1 Tim. 4:14; 1 Pt. 4:10.
Seven particular gifts he specifies, which seem to be meant of so many distinct
offices, used by the prudential constitution of many of the primitive churches,
especially the larger. There are two general ones here expressed by prophesying
and ministering, the former the work of the bishops, the latter the work of the
deacons, which were the only two standing officers, Phil. 1:1.
But the particular
work belonging to each of these might be, and it should seem was, divided and
allotted by common consent and agreement, that it might be done the more
effectually, because that which is every man’s work is nobody’s work, and he
despatches his business best that is a man of one business. Therefore
David sorted the Levites (1 Chr. 23:4, 5), and in this wisdom is profitable to
direct. The five latter will therefore be reduced to the two former.
Rom 12:7 if serving, in the serving; or he who is
teaching, in the teaching; - It is not the task that we proform, it is the
faithfulness we display in carrying out of our task. If it is servin let us
serve faithfully, if it is teaching lets us teach faithfully.
He that teacheth,
let him be in his teaching; so some
supply it, let him be constant, and diligent in it; let him abide in that which
is his proper work, and be in it as his element. See 1 Tim. 4:15, 16, where it
is explained by two words, and be in these things and continue in
them. Let him that exhorteth
wait on exhortation. Let
him give himself to that. This is the work of the Teacher, as the former of the
teacher; to apply gospel truths and rules more closely to the case and
condition of the people, and to press upon them that which is more practical.
Many that are very
accurate in teaching may yet be very cold and unskilful in exhorting; and on
the contrary. The one requires a clearer head, the other a warmer heart. Now
where these gifts are evidently separated (that the one excels in the one and
the other in the other) it conduces to edification to divide the work accordingly;
and, whatsoever the work is that we undertake, let us mind it. To wait on our
work is to bestow the best of our time and thoughts upon it, to lay hold of all
opportunities for it, and to study not only to do it, but to do it well.
Rom 12:8 or he who encourages, in the encouragement;
or he who is sharing, in sincerity; he who is leading, in diligence; he who
shows compassion, joyously. – The work of the Prophet is one who is sent to encourages
the believer to walk faithfull, or to return to the straight and narrow path.
Ministry. If a man hath the office of a deacon, or
assistant to the teacher, let him use that office well, a (suppose), an elder,
or an overseer of the poor; and perhaps there were more put into these offices,
and there was more solemnity in them, and a greater stress of care and business
lay upon them in the primitive churches, than we are now well aware of. It
includes all those offices which concern the of the Assembly, the outward
business of the house of YAHVEH. See Neh. 11:16.
Serving tables, Acts 6:2. Now let him on whom this care of
ministering is devolved attend to it with faithfulness and diligence;
particularly,
He that giveth,
let him do it with simplicity.
Those church-officers that were the stewards of the church’s alms, collected
money, and distributed it according as the necessities of the poor were. Let
them do it liberally and faithfully; not converting what they receive to
their own use, nor distributing it with any sinister design, or with respect of
person: not froward and peevish with the poor, nor seeking pretences to put
them by; but with all sincerity and integrity, having no other intention in it
than to glorify YAHVEH and do good. Some understand it in general of all
almsgiving: He that hath wherewithal, let him give, and give plentifully and
liberally; so the word is translated, 2 Co.
8:2; 9:13. ABBA YAHVEH loves a cheerful bountiful giver.
He that ruleth
with diligence. It should seem, he
means those that were assistants to the Apostle in exercising
church-discipline, as their eyes, and hands, and mouth, in the government of
the Assembly, or those ministers that in the congregation did chiefly undertake
and apply themselves to this ruling work; for we find those ruling that
laboured in the word and doctrine, 1 Tim. 5:17. Now such must do it with
diligence. The word denotes both care and industry to discover what is amiss,
to reduce those that go astray, to reprove and admonish those that have fallen,
to keep the church pure. Those must take a great deal of pains that will
approve themselves faithful in the discharge of this trust, and not let slip
any opportunity that may facilitate and advance that work.
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