Parashas
Metzora
Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33
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 Parashas
Parashas Metzora
is the 28 portion in the yearly Torah cycle. The name Metzora means “The
Leper.” The word metzora means leper,
which refers to the complicated ritual for cleansing a leper and the home of a
leper.
Parashas metzora
deals with the first stage of the purification process. The uniqueness of the
laws of the metzora has established that, despite the fact that his
contamination is manifested in a physical sense, it was caused by his degraded
spiritual condition.
Being alone
outside the camp will give him or her the opportunity to reflect on their
deficiencies and a chance for them to repent so that they can once more be
found worthy to reenter the camp.
As soon at that
change takes place within the mind and heart, the same Elohim who afflicted him
of her will remove the mark of his degradation and he can begin the process of
reaching maturity.
They then begin a
three-stage purification process that is unique to a metzora. The first part of
the ritual was performed with two birds, outside of the camp. It was not a
sacrificial service, and the birds did not have to be doves or turtledoves,
since they were not offerings.
They had to be
healthy and kosher birds, but that was all. When that ritual was completed, the
metzor was permitted to enter the camp, but he or she was still tamei (ritually
unclean) and some of his restrictions remained in force.
After a seven-day
waiting period, he or she could bring the offering that would complete the
process of purification.
Lev 14:1
And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - I am YAHVEH You Elohim, I do not Change Mal
3:6 “For I am
YAHVEH, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Therefore when He
speaks as it this case it is forever.
Lev 14:2 “This shall be the Torah of the leper for the day of his
cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest, - Since the Torah mentions that his purification
takes place during the day, and we as believers must walk in the light, all our
actions should be in the day. He is brought to the priest at the outskirt of
the camp, were it would be easier for Kohem to come and meet him.
Lev 14:3 and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest
shall look and see, if the leprosy is healed in the leper, - The person who is now an outcast from the camp
must be examine outside the camp before he can be allow back inside.
Lev 14:4 then the priest shall command, and he shall take for him
who is to be cleansed two live and clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet,
and hyssop.- According to
Hebrew tradition, this affliction is brought on as a punishment for slander or
gossip, therefore his purification is effected by means of chirping or
twittering birds.
The birds must be
free of any illness or defects, they must be clean, they must be a species that
it permissible to eat.
Cedar wood,
because it grows tall, imposing, and wide, the cedar symbolizes haughtiness.
Crimson thread and
hyssop, the thread is wool, dyed with a pigment made from a lowly creature, a
type of insect or snail, whose identity is unclear.
Thus, it
symbolizes the penitent’s newfound humility. Hyssop, a lowly bush symbolizes
the same idea of humility.
Atonement for sin
requires that the erstwhile sinner purge himself of the moral flaw that causes
his misdeeds. The underlying root cause of slander and gossip, the sins that
are punished by tzaraas, is haughtiness, because it breeds the contempt for
others that let one talk about them callously.
The metzora’s
repentance entails a resolve to change themselves, a change that is graphically
symbolized by the following three items that accompany his offering.
Lev 14:5 “And the priest shall command, and he shall kill one of
the birds in an earthen vessel over running water. – The slaughter is done in the same manner of
shechitah, at the front of the neck with a knife. It may be performed anywhere,
but it must be done by a qualified Pastor.
After the ritual
is completed, the bird is buried, not burnt.
During the
slaughtering of the bird is held over the earth ware vessel so that its blood
will flow directly into the vessel containing the fresh spring water. This is
the Blood and the Water that flows from the side of Yahushua, for our atonement
and our forgiveness.
Lev 14:6 “Let him take the live bird and the cedar wood and the
scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird
that was killed over the running water. – The live bird must be dip in the blood of the
bird that was killed, again represent the Blood that was sacrifice and the bird
that will be let loose to carry away our sins. The cedar and the hyssop are
tied together with the red thread. Then the bungle is held in the right hand
together with the live bird and they are dipped into the blood and water
mixture. Signifying the resolving of our haughtiness.
Lev 14:7 “And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to
be cleansed from the leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the
live bird loose in the open field. – The sprinkling is the application of Blood and
the Water seven times over the person. The seven times is one of the perfect
numbers. The person is now returned to a perfect state.
The bird is now
let loose to carry away the sins as the Red Sea took away Pharaoh Army, never
to be seen anymore.
Lev 14:8 “And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his garments,
and shall shave off all his hair and wash himself in water, and shall be clean.
Then after that he comes into the camp, but shall stay outside his tent seven
days. – The focus now
turn to the sinner, his responsibility does not end with the letting go of the
live bird. His sins had been atoned for, now the root causes have to be dealt
with.
By washing the
garment is to bring it under the scrutiny of Torah, removing anything that is
not sanctioned by EL YAHVEH.
The Shaving of the
hair is to remove or discard all old thinking, and bring every taught captive
to that of Torah. Only them we may allow to enter the camp to a holding area,
to see if he or she is truly sanctified.
Lev 14:9 “And on the seventh day it shall be that he shaves all
the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he
shaves off. And he shall wash his garments and wash his body in water, and
shall be clean. – Seven days after
the seclusion inside the camp, the individual is again having all the hair on
his head shaved, he is again washed his entire garment and his entire body, and
then he shall be clean.
In the final stage
of purification, the person shall bring three animals offering and each one is
accompanied by a meal offering of one tenth of an ephah. In this matter the
metzora “The sinner” is an exception to the rule, since sin and guilt offering
are not usually accompanied by a meal offering.
It may be that the
metzora is accorded this honor as Elohim’s Own testimony to the sincerity of
his repentance, as evidenced by the removal of his bodily affliction.
An ephah is a unit
of dry measure equal to about one bushel, or about 33 liters, or a dry measure
of about 64 US pints.
Lev 14:10 “And on the eighth day he takes two male lambs, perfect
ones, and one ewe lamb a year old, a perfect one, and three-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with
oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil. – On the eight day, the day of new beginning he
must take two male lambs, and one ewe, and one log of oil. The oil was used as
describe in verse 15 – 18. A log of oil measure with a volume of six eggs,
generally reckoned at between thirteen and fourteen fluid ounces. These were to
bring a grain offering.
Lev 14:11 “And the priest who is cleansing shall present the man
who is to be cleansed, with these offerings,
before יהוה, at the door of the Tent of
Meeting. – The Pastor who
did the cleansing shall present the person who is to be cleansed along with his
offering before the Tabernacle for full reinstatement.
Three animals, the
meal offering, must be presented at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Until
the metzora is completed all his offering, he stand alone just outside the
eastern entrance to the tabernacle, opposite the Tabernacle entrance so that he
is not inside it, but close enough for the Kohen to put oil on him, as required
by the verse below.
Lev 14:12 “And the priest shall take one male lamb and bring it as
a guilt offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before יהוה. – The Pastor shall take the price of a male lamb,
and bring it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil and presented as a
wave offering before EL YAHVEH.
Lev 14:13 “And he shall slaughter the lamb in the place where he
slaughters the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a set-apart place. For
the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest. It is most
set-apart. – At the North
Part of the Outer Court, the guilt offering like the sin offering is offered.
The sacrificial part is then placed on the Brazen Altar. The other parts like
the sin offering belong to the pastor.
Lev 14:14 “And the priest shall take some of the blood of the
guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him
who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe
of his right foot. – The blood is place
on the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe, symbolizing that from
here on these three body parts must improve himself in mind, deed, and walk.
Lev 14:15 “And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and
pour it into the palm of his own left hand. –
Lev 14:16 “And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil
that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger
seven times before יהוה. – The Pastor shall sprinkle the oil westward,
in the direction of the Holy Place. For each toss of oil the Pastor symbolize
that the individual must walk perfectly from now on.
Lev 14:17 “And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest puts
some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb
of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the
guilt offering. – The right ear,
the thumb, and the right big toe is now anointed and required to operate in
perfection for the rest of the person life, until he or she reaches perfection.
Lev 14:18 “And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he
puts on the head of him who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall make
atonement for him before יהוה. –
The Pastor shall place the
rest of the oil on the head and make atonement through El Yahushua for the
individual.
Lev 14:19 “And the priest shall make the sin offering, and make
atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterwards
he slaughters the burnt offering. – The Pastor shall perform the sin offering and an atonement offering
for him who is being cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the burnt
offering may be offered.
Lev 14:20 “And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the
grain offering on the altar. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and
he shall be clean. – After the final
step in this rather lengthy purification process, he may now enter the
Sanctuary and eat the sacrificial flesh. The guilt offering atones for the sins
that cause him to become metzora, unclean. The sin offering atones for the
blasphemies he may well have uttered. And finally, there is atonement in the
sense that the elevation and meal offering elevates him back into the place we
was before his demise.
Verse 21 –32
illustrates the point of the offering of the poor unclean person.
Lev 14:21 “But if he is poor and is unable to afford it, then he
shall take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for
him, and one-tenth of an ĕphah
of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil, - Every animal offering must be accompanied by
a meal offering, so that a metzora, unclean person who is wealthy enough to
bring three animal offering brings three tenth ephah of flour. Since the poor
metzora, unclean person brings only one animal, requires only one
meal-offering.
Lev 14:22 and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is
able to afford, and one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering. – The requirements of the two turtledoves, which
are slightly larger than a young pigeons, were indicative of the financial
status of the person. A person may bring what-ever he can afford; however a
rich person cannot bring a poor person offerings.
Lev 14:23 “And he shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day
for his cleansing, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before יהוה. – The same ritual principles describe in 14:10 - 19
is the same ritual principles here in verse 24 – 32.
Lev 14:24 “And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt
offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering
before יהוה.
Lev 14:25 “And he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering,
and the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on
the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his
right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. –
Lev 14:26 “Then the priest pours some of the oil into the palm of
his own left hand. –
Lev 14:27 “And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger
some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before יהוה. –
Lev 14:28 “And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his
hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb
of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the
blood of the guilt offering. –
Lev 14:29 “And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he
puts on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before
יהוה. –
Lev 14:30 “And he shall prepare one of the turtledoves or young
pigeons, such as he is able to afford, - We
have here the gracious provision which the law made for the cleansing of poor
lepers. If they were not able to bring three lambs, and three tenth-deals
of flour, they must bring one lamb, and one tenth-deal of flour, and, instead
of the other two lambs, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, as in verse 21,
22.
Here
we see, that the economic situation of the person concerned, would not excuse
him if he brought no offering at all. Let none think that because we are poor
YAHVEH does not requires any sacrifice from us, since HE has considered us, and
demands that which it is in the power of the poorest to give.
"My
son, give me thy heart,
and with that the calves of thy lips shall be accepted instead of the calves
of the stall.’’
That
YAHVEH expected from those who were poor only according to their ability; HIS
commandments are not grievous, nor does HE make us to serve with an
offering. The poor are as welcome to YAH’s altar as the rich; and, if there
be first a willing mind and an honest heart, two pigeons, when they are the
utmost a man is able to get, are as acceptable to YAHVEH as two lambs; for HE
requires according to what a man has and not according to what he has not.
But
it is observable that though a meaner sacrifice was accepted from the poor, yet
the very same ceremony was used for them as was for the rich; for their souls
are as precious and Messiyah and His gospel are the same to both. Let not us
therefore have the faith of our Lord Yahushua HaMashiach with respect of
persons, Jam. 2:1.
Lev 14:31 that which he is able to afford, the one as a sin
offering and the other as a burnt offering, with the grain offering. And the
priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before יהוה. – Every finger of the hand has a purpose, what we
called the ring finger represent the ministry of the Pastor. This finger part
of the Mighty Hand of YAHVEH, administer the Blood and the Water that flow from
the side of Yahushua. This is the ministry of atonement and deliverance, much
like the second cup of wine drank at Passover, the cup of deliverance.
Whatever financial
position any of us may find ourselves, Messiyah Yahushua has provide a way of
deliverance for us. All we have to do is to bring the require offering
according to our financial capability. Then with the help of the Pastoral
finger apply the Blood of Messiyah over our lives seven times.
Lev 14:32 “This is the Torah for one who had an infection of
leprosy, who is unable to afford for his cleansing.” – Leprosy in this example is anything that causes
us to become unclean. There is a law, a way in which these things must be taken
care off. Today many of us run to see a Physiologist for help, when all we have
to do is to apply the principle outline in this text. My people perish for the
lack of knowledge.
Verse 33 – 57
defines the type of afflictions that affect a house or building. As we have
seen in the past chapters a contamination that affect a human is usually caused
by a spiritual defecate.
Obviously, the
appearance of a Tzaraas is for a reason. This Tzaraas like all the others are
Divine punishment for selfish behavior and gossip. Elohim mercifully begins by afflicting
property such as the house where the guilty party lives first, and then his
garment, if the victim fails to modify their behavior, he or she will be
stricken by an affliction on their body.
By bringing
tzaraas to their house, Elohim is forcing them to remove their belongings from
it, so that everyone can see what he owns, and how thoughtless he is.
Such a person may
display a breath of heresy. He thinks that his property is his alone, acquired
solely through his own efforts, and that no one else is entitled to enjoy the
benefits of his personal success.
But his wealth and
success are from Elohim, the same Elohim Who made him what he is, is the same
Elohim that will take it away when he misused it.
Although the
imposition of the afflictions goes from the less severe to the more severe, the
Torah lists them in the opposite order, beginning with the personal affliction
and concludes with the affliction of the house. This is because the Torah
usually does thing contrary to man’s thinking.
Lev 14:33 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh
and to Aharon, saying, - Again we are reminded that these are not Moses
words, they are EL YAHVEH Words.
Lev 14:34 “When you come into the land of Kenaʽan, which I
am giving you as a possession, and I put a plague of leprosy in a house in the
land of your possession, - The address here
is that when we reach maturity, when we reach our objective, the Promise Land
given to us as an example of the Spiritual mandate. These are some of the
principles we must abide by.
As Lucifer sinned
and was cast out, so do anyone who sin while in the promise land. The fall of
that person would result in their loss of their physical beauty and appearance due
to the affliction on their home, and clothing. It is only in the Holy Land
could spiritual flaws have such tangible effects.
What the
implication here is, saying is at this stage of spiritual growth sin is dealt
with more stringent. A plague in a house is a public way of saying something is
wrong in this house.
Lev 14:35 then shall the one who owns the house come and inform
the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me that there is some plague in the house.’ – The one who dwells in that house, the leader
of the house, the priest of the house the man, must go to the priest and
informed the Priest/Pastor that there is an affliction in his house. It is not
the wife; it is the person of spiritual authority that must perform this act.
This should be the oldest living male.
Lev 14:36 “And the priest shall command, and they shall empty the
house, before the priest goes in to look at the plague, so that all that is in
the house is not made unclean. And after that the priest goes in to look at the
house. – The
Priest/Pastor shall order an immediate cleaning of the house. This is a source
of public humiliation to the leadership of that house to allow his house to
fall into disrepair spiritually.
The house would be
declared tamei or quarantined; everything in it would become tamei as
well.
Lev 14:37 “And he shall look at the plague and see, if the plague
is on the walls of the house with sunken places, greenish or reddish, which
appear to be deep in the wall, - The Priest/Pastor must make a total examination of the house to
determine the level of contamination. The color of the afflicted area will
determine the depth of the afflicted area.
Lev 14:38 then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door
of the house, and shut up the house seven days. – After the Priest/Pastor has made his decision,
the house is now close up for seven days.
Lev 14:39 “And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and
look and see, if the plague has spread on the walls of the house, - Seven days later another inspection is
required, to determine if the affliction is a corporate or an individual
affliction. Corporate in that is a family sin or is it an individual who is the
cause of the contamination.
Lev 14:40 then the priest shall command, and they shall remove the
stones with the plague in them, and they shall throw them outside the city,
into an unclean place, - If it is
determine that the affliction have not change the Priest/Pastor must order the
afflicted stone taken out of the wall. If two people share the same wall, the
owner of the afflicted house and his neighbor must join in taking down the
offending part of the wall. Woe to the wicked one and woe to his neighbor, for
they will both suffer.
Another way of
looking at this affliction is that after several attempt to deal with the
affliction, it might be a spiritual affliction, and the stone or the belief
system that that is base on must be cast out of the person and remove from
among the camp.
Lev 14:41 while he lets the house be scraped inside, all around,
and the dust that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place
outside the city. – Since the
Promise Land is a Holy Place, any contamination removed from the afflicted
house, must be dispose of in a safe place, known as an unclean place or garbage
dump.
Lev 14:42 “And they shall take other stones and put them in the
place of those stones, and take other mortar and plaster the house. – Fresh clean stones must be used to replace
those that have been removes. It is similar to replacing a defective or
religious way of thinking with Torah way of thinking. Too often the physical affliction
that afflicts an individual is based on their religious thinking.
Lev 14:43 “And if the plague comes back and breaks out in the
house, after he has removed the stones, after he has scraped the house, and
after it is plastered, - It is not
necessary for the plague to return to the same place or for it to be even large
than the first. If it return during the seven days isolation, the house must be
rendered contaminated. If it returns after the seven days then it is consider a
new affliction.
Lev 14:44 then the priest shall come and look and see, if the
plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house, it is
unclean. – If the Pastoral
minister sees that after all the removal of the contaminated area, the problem
still persist, then the house itself is beyond restoration.
Lev 14:45 “And he shall break down the house, its stones, and its
timber, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall bring them outside the
city to an unclean place. – If after the
initial scrubbing, cleaning, and the replacing of the stone; if the plague
brakes out again, then the whole house must be dismantled.
If it is a family,
the whole family structure needs to be carefully examined carefully outside the
city. Too often the spiritual authority over the Family has been compromised.
The man is no longer the authority, maybe the woman now wear the pants or even
the children, as is so often the case in today’s society.
It this should
happen in the redeemed community, that family dwelling place would become a
place of contamination. The whole entire family support system in that house
needs to be carefully scrutinized.
Lev 14:46 “And he who goes into the house, all the days while it
is shut up, becomes unclean until evening. – Because of the spirit of rebellion that is over
that house, anyone who enters it is unclean until evening, when he or she
washes themselves in the blood and the water that flows from the side of
Yahushua. It is so essential for us to apply the Water that flow from the Side
of Messiyah to our lives every evening, for we do not know what type of spirit
we might have inadvertently bring home with us.
Lev 14:47 “And he who lies down in the house has to wash his
garments, and he who eats in the house has to wash his garments. – Anyone who lies down in the house is
compatible to someone who associate with the inhabitance of the house is one
who tolerates the principles practices in that house.
Anyone who eats in
that house is one who accepts the principles practice in that house, both the
one who lie and the one who eats must reconsider their belief system and repent
and change their mindset to that of Torah.
When we listen to
false doctrine, we must always wash our mind from any words that we may find attractive.
Many time women in the church embrace women liberation theology doctrine,
because it is mix with a little light and a little darkness, a little obedience
and a little self sufficient.
It is imperative
that we break the influence of these teaching from the initial revelation that
we do not entertain any of its doctrine not even for a moment. These teaching,
like the thin edge of the wedge, all it needs is a sympatric ear.
Lev 14:48 “However, if the priest indeed comes in and looks at it
and sees that the plague has not spread in the house after the house was
plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague
is healed. - There is a
multitude of spiritual meaning behind every word in the Torah, this verse is no
exception. In the context of this verse we can discern that after the
priest/pastor has done a thorough inspection and cleaning, after the seven day
isolation period is over, he is now looking for new sets of criteria.
He looks to see if
one the plague had spread, and two if it did spread. If it did spread the house
would be condemned as unclean. If it had not spread and there were sign of
improvement, then the house would be considered clean.
Lev 14:49 “And to cleanse the house, he shall take two birds, and
cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. – According to Hebrew tradition, this affliction is
brought on as a punishment for slander or gossip; therefore his purification is
effected by means of chirping or twittering birds.
The birds must be
free of any illness or defects, they must be clean, they must be a species that
it permissible to eat.
Cedar wood,
because it grows tall, imposing, and wide, the cedar symbolizes haughtiness.
Crimson thread and
hyssop, the thread is wool, dyed with a pigment made from a lowly creature, a
type of insect or snail, whose identity is unclear.
Thus, it
symbolizes the penitent’s newfound humility. Hyssop, a lowly bush symbolizes
the same idea of humility.
Atonement for sin
requires that the erstwhile sinner purge he of the moral flaw that cause his
misdeeds. The underlying root cause of slander and gossip, the sins that are
punished by tzaraas, is haughtiness, because it breeds the contempt for others
that lets one talk about them callously.
The metzora’s
repentance entails a resolve to change themselves, a change that is graphically
symbolized by the following three items that accompany his offering.
Lev 14:50 “And he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel
over running water, - The ritual of
purification of the house is identical to the first stage of a metzora’s
purification and it is carried out only if the afflicted stones had to be
removed from the house. However if the affliction disappeared or the color fade
from the house, the ritual is not necessary. Unlike the purification of a human
being, no further steps are necessary.
Lev 14:51 and he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and
the scarlet, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and
in the running water, and shall sprinkle the house seven times. - The live bird must be dip in the blood of the
bird that was killed, again represent the Blood that was sacrifice and the bird
that will be let loose to carry away our sins. The cedar and the hyssop are
tied together with the red thread. Then the bungle is held in the right hand
together with the live bird and they are dipped into the blood and water
mixture. Signifying the resolving of our haughtiness.
Lev 14:52 “He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the
bird and the running water and the live bird, and with the cedar wood, and with
the hyssop, and with the scarlet, - During the slaughtering of the bird is held over
the earth ware vessel so that its blood will flow directly into the vessel
containing the fresh spring water. This Blood and the Water that flows from the
side of Yahushua, for our atonement and our forgiveness.
Lev 14:53 and he shall let the live bird loose outside the city in
the open field, and shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean. – The live bird is the one that take away the
sin, it is a figure of El Yahushua that bears the curses of our sin, and so we
will not be found guilty.
Lev 14:54 “This is the Torah for any infection of leprosy, and
eruption, - This a
permanent ritual law for the Children of Yisrael, which everyone who believe in
El Yahushua the Messiyah is a part off.
Lev 14:55 and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house, - The spiritual definition of garment and house
is our righteousness and the way we conduct out lives.
Lev 14:56 and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright
spot, - The spiritual definition
of Swelling is those areas in our lives that we are particular sensitive to,
and the scabs are those area in our lives that are we have shown some
improvement yet there are still work to be done. Bright spots are visible
manifestation of problems in our lives that we need work on.
Lev 14:57 to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This
is the Torah of leprosy. – These principles
outline in this story elucidate a principle if we are in the Outer court, the
individual, the Holy Place the garment, and the Holy of Holies the House. What
is the ritual needed to restore or cast out an individual. Too often people get
cast out of the body because they angered the pastor or even Rabbi. Torah gave
us a specific reason why someone should be declared unclean.
Chapter 15
Every Kingdom has
a set on principle that governs it operation; it is what I will refer to an
underlying principle. The various discharges from the human body that are
contaminated to various degrees, and which may require offerings as part of the
person’s purification process, it then what, the result of why.
The Why are the
sins that cause the contamination, the contamination produces the various
discharges, or physical manifestation on the person’s body.
In this chapter,
we will look at the how, in relation to a cure for the various afflictions.
Verse 1 – 18 deals
with the various discharge of the body. Semen or a zav-emission that emanate
from a human body is considered contaminated. It causes contamination to the
one who emitted it and to others who come into contact with it.
There is three
degree of such contamination, depending on the frequency and type of the
discharges, as follows:
§
A male who had a
seminal emission, whether the fluid is normal semen or the slightly different
zav fluid describe in verse 2. This contamination is the mildest of the tree
degrees, and it applies no matter what are the circumstances that brought about
the discharge. The person who has such an emission is called baal keri, and
should immerse or wash himself or herself in water and they will become clean
at sundown.
§
This discharge,
which makes someone a zav, is different from semen, but a man who has had a
single discharge, has the same status as the baal keri person. A man who has
had two such discharge is a zav and has the full severity of contamination, as
will be set forth in the next passages.
§
A man who has had
three-zav discharge, either in the same day within short intervals or on
successive days, has the same degree of contamination as an ordinary zav, but
he must also bring an offering at the conclusion of a seven-day period of
seclusion, following the discharge.
Lev 15:1 And יהוה spoke
to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, - Since this is a Kingdom principle, the King of the Kingdom determine
His solutions for total restoration, and we know that His decree cannot change.
The flesh refers here to the male organ. The fluid that Torah calls zov is
similar to, but different from semen. This could be describing a venereal
disease, which is a result of a form of contamination.
The root word zav
‘’ appears twice in this verse and is followed by
the word contaminated. The same root word appears three times in the next verse
where it is followed by the word his contamination. In this formula, we see a
difference between a man who had two discharges and one who has had three.
Two discharge
makes one a zav, and create a level of contamination that lasts for seven days,
but is removed by immersion or washing in water, without the requirement of an
offering or sacrifice. This is not a sin unto death. The man who had three such
discharges requires an offering after seven day.
Lev 15:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them,
‘When any man has a discharge from his flesh, his discharge is unclean. – Moses the leader of the Children of Yisrael, a
mature spiritual person, was the one who this message was given. It was a
result of his maturity, his pure spiritual state, that he was able to hear the
Voice of EL YAHVEH. This chapter is teaching us the principle or the spiritual
rituals, a person must perform in order to restore them to the position from
which their sins had made them fall.
Lev 15:3 ‘And this is his uncleanness in regard to his discharge;
whether his flesh runs with his discharge, or his flesh is stopped up by his
discharge, it is his uncleanness. – This uncleanness may give a symptom of a discharge or a stoppage of
flow. This could also refer to the urinal discharge, which can also be
described as stoppage of water in some case.
Lev 15:4 ‘Any bed becomes unclean on which he who has the
discharge lies, and any object on which he sits becomes unclean. – Any bed on which urine or semen falls become
unclean, and anyone who sleep on it become unclean.
Even if one should
sit on a pile of blanket, and the one at the bottom has the zaw contamination
of mishkav u’moshav, so that he did not actually come into direct contact with
a contaminated blanket, he is still tamei as if he had touched the afflicted
blanket.
Lev 15:5 ‘And anyone who touches his bed has to wash his
garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – Anyone who even touches the resting place of
this person, have to wash his or her garments and shall bathe in water and
become clean again in the evening.
If this is the
case, a man should not have sexual inter course on his bed, for fear of
contamination of the area in which he sleep.
Lev 15:6 ‘And he who sits on any object on which he who has the
discharge sat, has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be
unclean until evening. – The story of
Rachel and her father’s idols is a good example. The men who were looking for
the idols would not touch her for she was in a state of ritual contamination.
Lev 15:7 ‘And he who touches the flesh of him who has the
discharge has to wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and shall be
unclean until evening. – Anyone who has
sexual intercourse with that person, must consider first their righteousness
actions, wash their cloth, and be clean at sundown.
Lev 15:8 ‘And when he who has the discharge spits on him who is
clean, then he shall wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be
unclean until evening. – Even the spit of
the contaminated person is considered to be unclean. The person who got spit on
must wash himself or herself and be clean at sundown.
Lev 15:9 ‘Any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides
becomes unclean. – Even the saddle
on which the person sits, even if they were in a bus, or an airplane seat, they
become unclean. Can you imagining sitting in a contaminated seat in an airplane
when it crashes.
Lev 15:10 ‘And whoever touches any of that which was under him is
unclean until evening. And he who is carrying them up has to wash his garments,
and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – We need the Spirit of Wisdom to be with us
every day to help us to make the right choose as to where to sit in a public
area or whether we can even shake a next person hand. It is a good thing we are
commanded to wash every evening in the Water that flows from the side of El
Yahushua.
Lev 15:11 ‘And anyone whom he who has the discharge touches
without rinsing his hands in water, shall wash his garments and bathe in water,
and be unclean until evening. – This verse makes an important discloser here. It is incumbent on the
contaminated person to wash their hand before greeting another person. Have we
ever wondered why there are so many outbreaks of diseases such as Sars among
our midst?
Lev 15:12 ‘And the earthen vessel which he who has the discharge
touches has to be broken, and every wooden vessel has to be rinsed in water. – We know from previous study that a vessel made
from earth is very porous, and become quite easy for the contamination to
reside in the numerous pores of the vessels. These earth vessels must be
destroyed if it was even touch by an individual.
Lev 15:13 ‘And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge,
then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, and shall wash
his garments, and shall bathe his flesh in running water, and be clean. – The person who is contaminated by the third
stage of this discharge must experience the seven-day cleansing. It is my
belief that this could be a discharge of masturbation that was deliberate done
by the man. The other two discharges were involuntary.
The seven day if
for the man to look carefully at himself and determine why he was drawn to
perform such an act.
Lev 15:14 ‘And on the eighth day he takes for himself two
turtledoves or two young pigeons, and shall come before יהוה, to the door of the Tent of
Meeting, and shall give them to the priest. – The guilt offering for such an offense is two turtledoves
or two young pigeons, which is to be brought to the Pastor/Priest to be
offered.
Lev 15:15 ‘And the priest shall prepare them, the one as a sin
offering and the other as a burnt offering. And the priest shall make atonement
for him before יהוה because of his
discharge. – When the victim
is healed, he must offer a sin offering to atone for his sin that cause the
malady to be brought upon him. Then he must bring his elevated offering to
thank EL YAHVEH for having cured him.
The purification
process of a metzora the contaminated one, involves three animals; even for a
poor person has to bring at least one, but a zav and a zavah must bring only
birds.
The sacrificial
service of animals requires the Kohanm, so it is inevitable that the metzora’s
purification process will become well known. This would cause him no
humiliation, however, because his sin and punishment were public in some case.
To the contrary,
the fact that so many people will know that he repented and become purified is
to his honor.
Because a zav’s
sin is a very private matter and EL YAHVEH wishes to spare him from shame, he
brings only birds, whose service can be performed by a single Kohen.
Lev 15:16 ‘And when a man has an emission of semen, then he shall
wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until evening. – This also includes our regular sexual
intercourse with our wives. It is always a good time to have sex with one
spouse just before sundown that they might wash immediately afterwards to
prevent any extended time in an unclean state.
Lev 15:17 ‘And any garment and any leather on which there is
semen, shall also be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. - This signified the great gospel
duties of faith and repentance, and the great gospel privileges of the application
of Messiyah’s blood and water that flow from His side, to our souls for our
deliverance and his grace for our sanctification. YAHVEH has promised to
sprinkle clean water upon us, and to cleanse us from all our filthiness, and
has appointed us by repentance to wash and make ourselves clean: he has also
provided a sacrifice of atonement, and requires us by faith to interest
ourselves in that sacrifice; for it is the blood and water from the side of
Messiyah his Son that cleanses us from all sin, and by which atonement is
made for us, that we may have admission into YAH’s presence and may partake of
his favor.
Lev 15:18 ‘And when a woman lies with a man, and there is an
emission of semen, they both shall bathe in water, and be unclean until
evening. - It is also
essential to know that a man has no reason to masturbate, in the Hebrew culture
or in Torah he is allow to have as many wives as he can afford. If the man was
having regular emission of semen, he has to go find a wife.
One of Judah son
was consider sinful for he did not deposit his semen in the right place. Exodus 38: 8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry
her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 9And Onan knew that the seed
should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s
wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his
brother. 10And the thing which he did displeased the YAHVEH:
wherefore he slew him also.
Verse 19 – 28
describes the female discharges. These verses deal with the sanctity of the
Hebrew home, for it contain the laws of niddah. “The menstruate”, and niddus,
the monthly period when husband and wife may not cohabit.
It is significant
that this mitzvah is known as purity of the family. Just as the ritual that the
binds man and women to one another is called, sanctification, for a Hebrew
marriage is an exercise in bringing sanctity to the human relationship that can
most easily become an act of degradation.
The maintenance of
this sanctity throughout the years during which the home is built and the
children of the future are brought into the world depends on the constant
purity of the family and the partners to whom the responsibility was given to
create it.
It is essential
that Hebrew women understand that a great personal sacrifice and hardship is
require to maintain this purity, and thereby help to build the family on a
strong foundation of holiness. Unlike the contamination of a male discharge,
which has virtually no application in the absence of the Temple and sanctities
that must be kept ritually pure, the female discharge discussed in this passage
still has the applicability of the niddah laws.
The passage here
contains two categories of law. The first applies to a woman in her menstrual
period, called niddah. The other passage speaks of a zavah, who, like her male
counterpart, may be require to bring an offering as part of her purification
process.
Since it is very
difficult to determine when a is in her niddah and when she is a zavah, it is
necessary to impose some regulation of zavah upon all women. Since this state
is a state of contamination, the woman is required to isolate herself for seven
days. This is enforce by a law prohibit cohabitation with a niddah woman as we
will see in chapter 18 and 20.
Verse 19 –24 set
forth the first part of the passage deals with a woman’s regular menstrual
flow, but not with the separate condition of zavah. As indicated in verse 25, a
crucial difference between niddah and zavah is the time of her discharge. If it
comes during the time of her regular monthly period, she has the status of a
niddah; if it comes at other times, she may be a zavah.
Lev 15:19 ‘And when a woman has a discharge, and the discharge
from her flesh is blood, she has to be in her separation for seven days. And
whoever touches her is unclean until evening. – In her state of separation, throughout the
seven-day period, she is ritually contaminated to the same degree as a zav, and
she must therefore separate herself from people or things that are required to
remain ritually pure.
Lev 15:20 ‘And whatever she lies on during her separation is
unclean. And whatever she sits on is unclean. – Bed she lays or sits on during this time of
separation is considered unclean. One of the reasons why I refuse to take public
transit if for this same reason. I do not know who was sitting in the seat I
just sat in.
Lev 15:21 ‘And anyone who touches her bed has to wash his
garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. It is incumbent on all of the Mighty Hand of EL
YAHVEH ministers to stay away from your wives the night before you attempt to
minister in Church. Do not even shake the hand of a young woman, for you are
not sure if she is ritually clean.
Lev 15:22 ‘And whoever touches any object that she sat on has to
wash his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – There are some churches that require the women
to sit on one side of the church while the men sit on the other side. There is
some validity to this practice. How many men arrive in church on Sunday hand in
hand with their wife and she is on her monthly cycle. This is not to be so.
Lev 15:23 ‘And if it is on the bed or on any object on which she
sits, when he touches it, he is unclean until evening. – If a woman who is ritually contaminated
touches a Pastor after sundown on Friday evening, that Pastor is not allowed to
minister on Sabbath.
Lev 15:24 ‘And if any man lies with her at all, and her monthly
flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days. And any bed he lies on is
unclean. – Here is another principle, if her husband has
marital relationship with her; he is unclean for seven days. And any bed he
sleep on will become unclean. Yet today it is taught that a woman is more
sensitive during this time of the month, and it is a time for maximum pleasure.
Do we ever wonder why there are so many sexual transmitted diseases?
Verse 25 – 28
describes zavah. According to the tradition taught to Moses by EL YAHVEH at
Sinai, there are seven days during which a discharge gives a woman the niddah
status of the previous verse.
Lev 15:25 ‘And when a woman has a discharge of blood for many
days, other than at the time of her monthly separation, or when she discharges
beyond her usual time of monthly separation, all the days of her unclean
discharge shall be as the days of her monthly separation. She is unclean. – Many days seem to imply plurality of actions
is sufficient to indicate that there must be a minimum of two days. The
additional words many imply that this is a condition known as a major zavah
require a flow of three days. What is this flow one may ask?
Outside of her
monthly separation explained in the prefatory remarks, the days of potential
zivah can begin only after the seven niddah days are over. Therefore the sense
of this phrase is that she in now past her niddah days.
What kind of flow
is this verse describing, if it is not the regular monthly cycle, and it is
safe to say it is not a venereal disease. Then what is it? Is it the flow that
comes from a woman when she is ready for her husband? This flow might mean any
undesirable flow that is not part of the monthly cycle.
Lev 15:26 ‘Any bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge
is to her as the bed of her monthly separation. And whatever she sits on is
unclean, as the uncleanness of her monthly separation. – Any bed that she lies on will become
contaminated, due to her state of impurities.
Lev 15:27 ‘And anyone who touches them is unclean, and shall wash
his garments, and shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. – If there is a flow from a woman or a man, if
it is beyond the natural boundaries of nature. It is a sign that something is
wrong with the body, it is in a state of uncleanness. Mucus from a cold could
be one such activity.
Lev 15:28 ‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall
count for herself seven days, and after that she is clean. – The same principle is seen here after she is
clean from her impurities; she must be secluded for seven days.
Lev 15:29 ‘And on the eighth day she takes for herself two
turtledoves or two young pigeons, and shall bring them to the priest, to the
door of the Tent of Meeting. – On the eight day the day of new beginning she is require to bring her
guilt offering and her elevation offering to the Tabernacle
Lev 15:30 ‘And the priest shall prepare the one as a sin offering
and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her
before יהוה for the discharge of her
uncleanness. – The
priest/Pastor shall prepare the sin offering, which include a confession for
allowing ourselves to get to this stage of contamination. Even though it may
not be a sin unto death, it is a sin anyway.
Lev 15:31 ‘Thus you shall separate the children of Yisra’ĕl from
their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My
Dwelling Place which is in their midst. – The result of continue to live in this state,
will eventually led to Spiritual death of the individual. The spiritual death
comes when we defile the Tabernacle, with our uncleanness.
Lev 15:32 ‘This is the Torah for one who has a discharge, and for
him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, These are the statues when anyone has a discharge
from their bodies, and it is a law forever.
Lev 15:33 and for her who is sick in her monthly separation, and
for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with an
unclean woman. – The charges are
repeated here again as a reminder. Notice that the extra chare of associating
with an unclean woman is also included.
HafTorah
2Kings 7:3 – 7:28
2Ki 7:3 And
there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one
to another, Why sit we here until we die? - How the Syrians’ flight
was discovered by four leprous men. Samaria was delivered, and did not know it.
The watchmen on the walls were not aware of the retreat of the enemy, so
silently did they steal away. But Providence employed four lepers to be the intelligencers,
who had their lodging without the gate, being excluded from the city, as
ceremonially unclean: the Jews say they were Gehazi and his three sons; perhaps
Gehazi might be one of them, which might cause him to be taken notice of
afterwards by the king, ch. 8:4. See how these lepers reasoned themselves into
a resolution to make a visit in the night to the camp of the Syrians.
They were ready to perish for hunger; none
passed through the gate to relieve them. Should they go into the city, there was
nothing to be gain where they were, they must die in the streets; should they
sit still, they must pine to death in their cottage.
2Ki 7:4
If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die
there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us
fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if
they kill us, we shall but die. - They therefore determine to go over to the enemy, and
throw themselves upon their mercy: if they killed them, better die by the sword
than by famine, one death than a thousand; but perhaps they would save them
alive, as objects of compassion. Common prudence will put us upon that method
which may better our condition, but cannot make it worse. The prodigal son
resolves to return to his father, whose displeasure he had reason to fear,
rather than perish with hunger in the far country.
2Ki 7:5
And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians:
and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. - These lepers conclude, "If they kill us, we shall
but die;’’ and happy they who, in another sense, can thus speak of dying.
"We shall but die, that is the worst of it, not die and be damned, not be
hurt of the second death.’’ According to this resolution, they went, in the
beginning of the night, to the camp of the Syrians, and, to their great
surprise, found it wholly deserted, not a man to be seen or heard in it.
2Ki 7:6
For YAHVEH had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots,
and a noise of horses, even the
noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Yisrael
hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the
Egyptians, to come upon us. – The wicked will run away when no one
is in persuaded. Some time when we hear of people hearing voices in their mind,
do not think it strange.
2Ki 7:7
Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and
their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. - Providence ordered it,
that these lepers came as soon as the Syrians had fled, for they fled in the
twilight, the evening twilight, and in the twilight the lepers came verse 5,
and so no time was lost. When our Creator delivered our enemies into our hand
it will be total.
2Ki 7:8
And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went
into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and
raiment, and went and hid it;
and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. - How they reasoned themselves into a
resolution to bring tidings of this to the city. They feasted in the first tent
they came to and then began to think of enriching themselves with the plunder;
2Ki 7:9
Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold
our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us:
now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household. - but they corrected
themselves: "We do well not to conceal these good tidings from the
community we are members of, under color of being avenged upon them for
excluding us from their society; it was the law that did it, not they, and
therefore let us bring them the news. Though it awake them from sleep, it will
be life from the dead to them.’’ Their own consciences told them that
some mischief would befall them if they acted separately, and sought themselves
only.
2Ki 7:10 So they came and called unto the porter of the
city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and,
behold, there was no man there,
neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. - Selfish narrow-spirited
people cannot expect to prosper; the most comfortable advantage is that which
our brethren share with us in. According to this resolution, they returned to
the gate, and acquainted the sentinel with what they had discovered.
2Ki 7:11 And
he called the porters; and they told it
to the king's house within.- who straightway brought
the intelligence to the King, and it was not the less acceptable for being
first brought by lepers.
2Ki 7:12 And the king arose in the night, and said unto
his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know
that we be hungry; therefore
are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When
they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city.- The
king’s jealousy of a stratagem in the Syrian’s retreat. He feared that they had
withdrawn into an ambush, to draw out the besieged, that they might fall on
them with more advantage. He knew he had no reason to expect that YAHVEH should
appear thus wonderfully for him, having forfeited his favor by his unbelief and
impatience. He knew no reason the Syrians had to fly, for it does not appear
that he or any of these attendants heard the noise of the chariots which the
Syrians were frightened at. Let not those who, like him, are unstable in all
their ways, think to receive anything from YAHVEH; nay, a guilty conscience
fears the worst and makes men suspicious.
2Ki 7:13
And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which
are left in the city, (behold, they are
as all the multitude of Yisrael that are left in it: behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Yisraelites that are
consumed:) and let us send and see. -
The course they took for their satisfaction, and to prevent their
falling into a snare. They sent out spies to see what had become of the
Syrians, and found they had all fled indeed, commanders as well a common
soldiers. He that gave this advice seems to have been very sensible of the
deplorable condition the people were in; for speaking of the horses, many of
which were dead and the rest ready to perish for hunger, he says, and repeats
it, "They are as all the multitude of Yisrael.
2Ki 7:14
They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host
of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. - Yisrael used to glory in their
multitude, but now they are diminished and brought low.’’ He advised to send
five horsemen, but, it should seem, there were only two horses fit to be sent,
and those chariot-horses. Now YAHVEH repented himself concerning his servants,
when he saw that their strength was gone, Deu. 32:36.
2Ki 7:15
And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels,
which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned,
and told the king.- They could track them by the garments which they
threw off, and left by the way, for their greater expedition.
2Ki 7:16
And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a
measure of fine flour was sold
for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of
YAHVEH. - The plenty that was evident in Samaria, was seen from
the plunder of the camp of the Syrians. Had the Syrians been governed by the
modern policies of war, when they could not take their baggage and their tents
with them they would rather have burnt them (as it is common to do with the
forage of a country) than let them fall into their enemies’ hands; but YAHVEH determined
that the besieging of Samaria, which was intended for its ruin, should turn to
its advantage, and that Yisrael should now be enriched with the spoil of the
Syrians as of old with that of the Egyptians.
Here
we see,
1.
The wealth of the sinner laid up for the just (Job 27:16, 17) and the
spoilers spoiled, Isa. 33:1.
2.
The wants of Yisrael supplied in a way that they little thought of, which
should encourage us to depend upon the power and goodness of YAHVEH in our
greatest straits.
3.
The word of Elisha fulfilled to a title: A measure of fine flour was sold
for a shekel; those that spoiled the camp had not only enough to supply
themselves with, but an over plus to sell at an easy rate for the benefit of
others, and so even those that tarried at home did divide the spoil, Ps.
68:12; Isa. 33:23. YAH’s promise may be safely relied on, for no word of his
shall fall to the ground.
2Ki 7:17
And the king appointed YAHVEH on whose hand he leaned to have the charge
of the gate: and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man
of YAHVEH had said, who spoke when the king came down to him. - The death of the
unbelieving courtier, that questioned the truth of Elisha’s word. Divine
threatening will as surely be accomplished as divine promises. He that
believeth not shall be damned stands as firm as He that believeth shall
be saved.
This
lord, was preferred by the king to the charge of the gate, to keep the
peace, and to see that there was no tumult or disorder in dividing and
disposing of the spoil. So much trust did the king repose in him, in his
prudence and gravity, and so much did he delight to honor him. He that will be
great, let him serve the public.
Was
trodden to death by the people in the gate, either by accident, the crowd being
exceedingly great, and he in the thickest of it, or perhaps designedly, because
he abused his power, and was imperious in restraining the people from
satisfying their hunger. However it was, YAH’s justice was glorified, and the
word of Elisha was fulfilled. He saw the plenty, for the silencing and shaming
of his unbelief, corn cheap without opening windows in heaven, and
therein saw his own folly in prescribing to YAHVEH; but he did not eat of the
plenty he saw. When he was about to fill his belly YAHVEH cast the
fury of his wrath upon him (Job 20:23) and it came between the cup and the
lip. Justly are those thus tantalized with the world’s promises that think
themselves tantalized with the promises of YAHVEH. If believing shall not be
seeing, seeing shall not be enjoying.
2Ki 7:18 And it came to pass as the man of
YAHVEH had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and
a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the
gate of Samaria: - This matter is repeated, and the
event very particularly compared with the prediction, that we might take
special notice of it, and might learn,
How
deeply YAHVEH resents out distrust of him, of His power, providence, and
promise. When Yisrael said, Can YAHVEH furnish a table? YAHVEH heard it and
was wroth. Infinite wisdom will not be limited by our folly. EL YAHVEH
never promises the end without knowing where to provide the means.
How
uncertain life and the enjoyments of it are. Honor and power cannot secure men
from sudden and inglorious deaths. He whom the king leaned upon the people trod
upon; he who fancied himself the stay and support of the government was
trampled underfoot as the mire in the streets. Thus hath the pride of men’s
glory been often stained.
How
certain YAH’s threatening are, and how sure to alight on the guilty and
obnoxious heads. Let all men fear before the great ELOHIM, who treads upon
princes as mortar and is terrible to the kings of the earth.
2Ki 7:19 And that YAHVEH answered the man of YAH, and
said, Now, behold, if YAHVEH
should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And He said, Behold, thou
shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.-
2Ki 7:20
And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate,
and he died.
Brit Chadasha
Markus 5: 24 - 34
Mark
5:24And Yahushua went with him; and much people followed him, and
thronged him. - Here is one, that comes openly
to beg a cure for a sick child; and it is no less a person than one of
the rulers of the synagogue, one that presided in the synagogue-worship
or, as some think, one of the judges of the consistory court, which was in
every city, consisting of twenty-three. He was not named in Matthew; he
is here, Jairus, or Jair, Jdg. 10:3.
He
addressed himself to the Messiyah, though a ruler, with great humility and
reverence; When he saw him, he fell at his feet, giving honor to him as
one really greater than he appeared to be; and with great importunity, he besought
him greatly, as one in earnest, as one that not only valued the mercy he
came for, but that knew he could obtain it no where else.
The
case is this, He has a little daughter, about twelve years old, the
darling of the family, and she lies gravely ill; but he believes that if
The Messiyah will but come, and lay his hands upon her, she will return
even from the gates of the grave. He said, at first, when he came, She lies
a dying (so Mark); but afterward, upon fresh information sent him, he said,
She is even now dead (so Matthew); but he still prosecutes his suit; see
Lu. 8:42–49. Messiyah readily agreed, and went with him.
Mark
5:25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood
twelve years, - Here is another, that
comes clandestinely to steal a cure (if I may so say) for
herself; and she got the relief she came for. This cure was wrought by the
way, as he was going to raise the ruler’s daughter, and was followed by a
crowd. See how Messiyah improved his time, and lost none of the precious
moments of it.
Many
of his discourses, and some of his miracles, are dates by the way-side;
we should be doing good, not only when we sit in the house, but when we walk
by the way, Deu. 6:7.
Now
observe, he piteous case of this poor woman. She had a constant issue of
blood upon her, for twelve years, which had thrown her, no doubt,
into great weakness, had embittered the comfort of her life, and threatened to
be her death in a little time.
She
had had the best advice of physicians, that she could get, and had made use of
the many medicines and methods they prescribed: as long as she had anything to
give them, they had kept her in hopes that they could cure her; but now that
she had spent all she had among them, they gave her up as incurable.
Mark
5:26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and
had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, - That skin for skin, and all that a man has, will be give
for life and health; she spent all she had upon physicians. It is ill with
those patients whose physicians are their worst disease; who suffer by
their physicians, instead of being relieved by them.
Those
that are not bettered by medicines, commonly grow worse, and the
disease shows no sign of improvement. It is usual with people not to apply
themselves to Yahushua, till they have tried in vain all other avenues, and
find them, as certainly they will, physicians of no value. And he will
be found a sure refuge, even to those who make him their last refuge.
Mark
5:27When she had
heard of Yahushua, she came and press behind Him, and touched His garment. - Those who have not been made bettered
by medicines commonly grow worse, and the disease gets the worst of the
Patents. It is usual with people not to apply themselves to Yahushua, till they
have tried in vain all other helpers, and find them, as certainly they will, physicians
of no value, and He will be found a sure refuge, even to those who
make him their last refuge.
Mark
5:28For she said, If I may but touch the end of His
Garment, I shall be whole. – The strong faith that she had in the
power of Messiyah to heal her; she said within herself, though it doth not
appear that she was encouraged by any preceding instance to say it, If I may
but touch his “tzitziyot”clothes, I shall be whole. She believed that he cured, not as a prophet,
by virtue derived from EL YAHVEH, but as the Son of YAH, by a virtue inherent
in Himself. Her case was such as she could not in modesty tell him publicly, as
others did their grievances, and therefore a private cure was what she wished
for, and her faith was suited to her case.
Mark
5:29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried
up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. - The wonderful effect produced by it; She
came in the crowd behind him, and with much ado got to touch the
fringes of His garment. This fringe is called tzitziyot, Numbers 15:38,
and immediately she felt the cure wrought.
The
flux of blood was dried up, and she felt herself perfectly well all over
her, as well as ever she was in her life, in an instant; by this it appears
that the cure was altogether miraculous; for those that in such cases are cured
by natural means, recover their strength slowly and gradually, and not all
at once; but as for YAHVEH, his work is perfect. Those whom Messiyah heals of the disease of
sin, which bloody issue, cannot but experience in themselves a universal change
for the better.
When
any believers wear tzitziyot on the end of his garment, it is a sign that they
observed all of EL YAHVEH commandment. Such a person is a walking source of
healing, for virtue dwells with them.
Mark
5:30And Yahushua,
immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him
about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
- Messiyah’s
enquiry after his concealed patient, and the encouragement he gave her, upon
the discovery of her; our Messiyah knew in himself that virtue had gone out
of him. He knew it not by any deficiency of spirits, through the exhausting
of this virtue, but rather by an agility of spirits, in the exerting of it, and
the innate and inseparable pleasure he had in doing good.
Mark
5:31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the
multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? - And being desirous to see
his patient, he asked, not in displeasure, as one affronted, but in tenderness,
as one concerned, Who touched my tzitziyot? The disciples, not without a
show of rudeness and indecency, almost ridiculed his question; The
multitudes throng thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? As if it had been
an improper question.
Mark
5:32And he looked round about to see her that had done
this thing. - Yahushua passed by the
affront, and looks around to see her that had done this thing;
not that he might blame her for her presumption, but that he might commend
and encourage her faith, and by his own act and deed might warrant
and confirm the cure, and ratify to her that which she had surreptitiously
obtained. He needed not that any should inform him, for he had presently his
eye upon her.
Mark
5:33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was
done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. - As
secret acts of sin, so secret acts of faith, are known to Yahushua Messiyah,
and are under His eye. If believers derive virtue from Messiyah ever so
closely, he knows it, and is pleased with it. The poor woman, hereupon,
presented herself to Yahushua Messiyah, fearing and trembling, not
knowing how He would take it.
Yahushua
Messiyah’s patients are often trembling, when they have reason to be
triumphing. She might have come boldly, knowing what was done in her;
yet, knowing that, she was in an unclean state she was in fears
and trembles. It was a surprise, and was not yet, as it should
have been, a pleasing surprise. However, she fell down before him.
There
is nothing better for those that fear and tremble, than to throw themselves at
the feet of YAHVEH Yahushua; to humble themselves before him, and refer
themselves to him.
Mark
5:34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath
made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. - She told him all the truth. We
must not be ashamed to own the secret transactions between Messiyah and our
souls; but, when called to it, mention, to His praise, and the encouragement of
others, what He has done for our souls, and the experience we have had of healing
virtue derived from him.
The
consideration of this, that nothing can be hid from Messiyah, should engage us
to confess all to him. See what an encouraging word he gave her; Daughter,
thy faith hath made thee whole. Yahushua puts honor upon faith, because
faith gives honor to the Messiyah.
But
see how what is done by faith on earth is ratified in heaven; Messiyah said,
be whole of thy disease. If our faith sets the seal of its amen to
the power and promise of EL YAHVEH, saying, "So it is, and so let it be to
me;’’ YAH’s grace will set the seal of its amen to the prayers and hopes
of faith, saying, "So be it, and so it shall be, to thee.’’
Therefore,
"Go in peace; be well satisfied that thy cure is honestly come by,
is effectually wrought, and take the comfort of it.’’ They that by faith are
healed of their spiritual diseases, have reason to go in peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment