Emor

Parashas Emor

Leviticus 21:1 – 24:23

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

The Hebrew word Emor imply to sing or to say. This Torah portion is the 31 portion and it begins with the instruction to Moses to “say or speak” to the Kohanim the Priest, who is the Mighty Hand of יהוה. Sabbath Emor precedes and prepares us for the revealing of the Light to us, the CREATOR was about to revealed a great information to the Kohanim through Moses. On this Sabbath like every other Sabbath, information about the Kingdom of Heavens are reveal through the various Torah Portion we read.

On this Sabbath like all other Sabbath, as we indulge in Torah study, it is to arrive at a complete new level of consciousness, a consciousness where we can taste and see that the Light of the CREATOR is good.

At every level of light or days of creation, we experience a greater illumination of the same light, as the light of each day starts at dawn with the first glimpse and progress from there, so every believer experience light on the first day of creation, but that light should progress as we arrive at the sixth day.

At the various level or days of creation, we experience further revelation of the light or greater secrets or sensation from Torah. When Torah talks about secrets it is not talking about words. It is talking about illumination of the Word.

This secret, this experience of the Light being revealed each day or Sabbath is something each individual must experience for themselves. We cannot give it to someone else, we either feel it or we don’t. In Torah a secret is like a taste, it is something that we cannot give to someone directly.

If I am eating an Apple, I cannot tell you the sensation I am experiencing, there is no word that can articulate a sensation or my experience, it is an individual experience.

When we talk about secrets in Torah, we are not talking about information, but the intense spiritual light that the Torah student received every Sabbath. Sabbath Emor reminds us of the goal of Sabbath which is to elevate our consciousness every week to a new level of attainment.

We all live on a gigantic rock that rotates around an enormous ball of fire call the sun at a tremendous speed. Have you ever wonder what cause the Earth to rotate on its own axis at the same time that it revolves around the sun?

Science explains that there are two natural forces at work as it rotates through space. One is the earth’s inertia, which is the tendency of an object to keep moving in a certain direction once it has started in that direction, and the force that opposes it is the second, the gravitational pull of the sun.

There is always a constant struggle between these two forces. If the gravitational pull of the sun should win, the earth would be drawn into the sun and be destroyed. If the inertia would win then the earth would be like a wondering rock flowing aimlessly in space.

At the root of our physical existence lies a struggle between the nature of the Earth and the nature of the heavens, a constant tension of desires manifest itself, creating the perfect dynamic to support life.

This tension is also the foundation of our spiritual growth. Although the majority of us want our lives to be struggle free, there are forces that oppose us. As we see, these obstacles actually serve an essential function, for only with resistance can we accomplish what we came to earth to do.

As believers when we examine our spiritual lives, we often separate our days into good and bad. On the good days, we wake up with great expectation; we are usually at our best for that day. There are also days when wild-horses could not drag us out of bed, those day nothing seem to go right.

If we should ask the average human they would tell you that the day when everything when well was their best days. In the spiritual, those so-called good days is when we make the least spiritual impact, for light shine the brightest when it is the darkest. As believers we are in this world to bring love where there is hate, to make peace when there is war; to bring light when there is darkness; to bring joy when there is sadness; to bring hope when there is despair; to bring faith when there is unfaithfulness.

Most of us do not experience days that are either completely difficult or completely great; we usually spend our days between either in one or the other. We might awaken in the morning with great expectation, only to receive a call that a friend is in a serious accident, then a few hours late another friend call you and ask you to be the godparent of their new born child. Then a few minute we are arguing with our teenage as to why they can go out with their friends.

To most of humanity we are reacting, to the situation. The truth is that we have to completely change our understanding, because every hour we have are very significant. The few minute when we are reacting with our friends, either in a happy or sad situation, are the reason why we are here in this world.

If we can experience these dark moments in our lives when nothing seems to go right and display the fruit of the spirit, when the opposite is staring us in the face, we have turn the fruit of the flesh into the fruit of the spirit. We will have revealed light in darkness, or light from darkness.

When we as believers read the Torah Portion of Emor, it appears to contain several instructions that does not seem to apply to our lives today. It begins by explaining whom the Mature believer, the kohanim, the Priest, the Mighty Hand can or cannot marry and how he can become impure.

This Torah portion introduces the various Feast day we celebrate each year. On Yum Kippur, our Messiyah Yahushua present to the Creator our daily, weekly, monthly and yearly spiritually report card, making a tally of the mount of Light we manifested over the past year.

The beauty of this Torah Portion is that it allows us to completely change how we view our life. The long hour we spent studying and praying is not what matters. The only reason we are here on this earth this moment, are for the few second or minutes we have where we can pull light out of darkness.

Worthy is the man or woman who for a few minutes each day fights against the inclination that tries to stop us, when we know we should exemplify the fruit of the spirit.

The previous Parashas dealt with the commandment that the entire nations should strive collectively to become a holy nation, and with it, the broad range of activities that brings one to this most exalted state.

In this chapter, the Torah now turns to the Kohanim, whose Divine service places upon them a particular responsibility to minister at one of the five Altar of the Tabernacle. Their responsibility is to maintain the highest standards of holiness and purity, as a Mighty Hand representative of EL YAHVEH, created to brings people to perfection.

Lev 21:1 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aharon, and say to them: ‘No one is to be defiled for the dead among his people, - Moses the most mature believer among the children of Yisrael, the one to whom יהוה spoke directly. He was given a special assignment to speak directly to the Kohenim, that is Aaron and his sons, who were the Mighty Hand representative at that time. Moses was acting in the office of a Prophet, one to whom the Creator speak before He acts.

יהוה message is simple, do not defile yourself by been among the dead. From a spiritual sense, do not hang out with those who are spiritually or even physically dead. He is an Elohim of the living not the Dead. Yahushua says in Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:60 ‘But Yahushua replied, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’

These dead ones are those who have no hope of sanctification. It is only those who believe in El Yahushua, who have any hope of ever reaching perfection, do not waste your time with them, you might become defiled by their ways. Bad company will always influence good character in a negative way. Seldom will good ever influence bad for the positive.     

Death in scripture represents to cease in the flow of energy from the CREATOR to HIS children.

Lev 21:2 except for his relatives who are nearest to him: for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother; - As there are physical dead, there are also spiritual dead among us. The same principle applies in both the physical and the spiritual realm. The physical death of a person is when the flow of blood ceases in the body. In the spiritual sense it is when the Light of the CREATOR ceases to flow to him or her. If a Kohenim had a mother or father, or his son, or his daughter, or even his brother, he may associate with them, in order that he might save them in the process, other than that restricts who they socialize with.

Lev 21:3 and for his maiden sister who is near to him, who has had no husband – for her he can be defiled. – This is also true if the Kohenim had an unmarried sister, who is not under the authority of her husband. If any of the Kohenim is the eldest male, he is spiritually responsible for her.

 

Lev 21:4 He may not make himself unclean, because he is a leader (husband) among his people; doing so would profane him – All Spiritual leaders are forbidden to contaminate themselves by the dead or for the dead. Only an ordinary Kohen is permitted to contaminate himself for close relatives, while the other are not. As priest in the family or in the Tabernacle, extra care must be taken not to become contaminated, so that he may be prepared at all time to serve at a priest.

 

Lev 21:5 they do not make any bald place on their heads, and they do not shave the corner of their beard, and they do not make a cutting in their flesh. -  This verse refers to a common practice of making a bald spots or gashes in the skin as a sign of mourning for the dead. When someone dies, there is nothing else that can be done for them. Their spiritual destiny is seal the moment one dies. Ecc 11:2  …. Whether a tree falls toward the north or the south, the place where the tree falls is where it stays. The tree in this scripture represent us, we have no more spiritual growth to make.

This is a clarification of the prohibition stated in 19:27. The prohibition against removing the beard applies only to shaving with a sharp blade; however, facial hair may be removed with a scissors. There is a certain demeanor that a Priest must maintain at all times.

Lev 21:6 ‘They are set-apart to their Elohim and do not profane the Name of their Elohim, for they bring the offerings of יהוה made by fire, and the bread of their Elohim, and shall be set-apart. -  This concept of holiness implies abstinence and is particularly relevant to Priesthood; who are forbidden from contaminating themselves by the dead and from taking certain women for a wife.

Although a Kohanim/minister have several responsibilities and privileges beyond those of the ordinary people, they do not have the right to resign from their position or to give up their prerogatives. They are servants of יהוה and for them to abandon their role is a desecration of יהוה   Name.

The Torah indicates that a Kohen, who falls short of holiness, is guilty of desecrating יהוה Name. This is a reflection of the axiom, that more is demanded from people of prominence. Because a Kohen is the servant of יהוה, he must be scrupulous in his behavior; when he sins, onlookers regard it as a desecration of the One against whom he transgresses.

A similar responsibility applies to all Hebrew, EL YAHVEH chosen people, and especially those who are privilege to be Torah intellectual; they must hold themselves to a higher standard of behavior and ethics.

Lev 21:7 ‘They do not take a woman who is a whore or a defiled woman, and they do not take a woman put away from her husband, for he is set-apart to his Elohim. – The definition of a harlot who is prohibited to a Kohen is quite limited: It is a woman who had has lived with a man who is not permitted to her because of a negative commandment. This includes not only relationships punishable by death or Kares, but also living with a mamzer or a nonbeliever.

A woman who is a defile woman, this term refers to any woman who is forbidden to be a wife of a Kohen or a Kohen Gadol. She is a polluted woman, her behavior is not circumspect. She cannot be a woman who believes in women liberation movement, one who practice a woman right to abortions and to make her own choice. She cannot eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Lev 21:8 ‘and you shall set him apart, for he brings the bread of your Elohim, he is set-apart to you. For I, יהוה, who sets you apart, as I am set-apart. – A Kohen is not merely an individual; as a representative of the Sanctuary, he is responsible to the nation, and the nation is obligated to require him to remain true to his calling.

The rest of the Nation of Yisrael must recognize the sanctity of the Kohanim by showing them respect and give them precedence. This is why a Kohen is called to the Torah first and has priority in leading the assembly in grace after meals.

  

Lev 21:9 ‘And when the daughter of any priest profanes herself by whoring, she profanes her father. She is burned with fire. – The daughter of a Kohanim must be circumspect in her behavior at all times. Her attitude determines the character of her father. Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The fact that she must be burnt, send a strong signal that this kind of action is most serious and the punishment are final.

Verse 10 – 15 covers the laws of the Kohen Gadol. Remember the story of El Yahushua and Lazarus; Yahushua did not enter the Tomb. John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead were laid. And Yahushua lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which standby I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. El Yahushua spoke from outside the Tomb and called Lazarus to come out.

  Lev 21:10 ‘And the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is ordained to wear the garments, does not unbind his head nor tear his garments, - A kohenim/priest who has been inaugurated, assumes the office is one of two ways: by being anointed with oil of anointed prepared by Moses, or simply by donning the vestments of his office. This is deriving from our verse, which speaks of both anointment and the wearing of the vestments. This vestment is full maturity. We as believers must guard our spiritual garment with our lives.

It is also customary for a person to tear their garment when they are under great distress, a Kohim if forbidden to do so. From a spiritual point of view their garment represents their righteousness, which is not allowed to be compromise.

Lev 21:11 He is not to go in to a building where any dead body is or make himself unclean, even when his father or mother dies. – Very straight forward. A building is a dwelling place, as the first day of creation symbolize, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death does not mix.

Lev 21:12 Do not go out of the set-apart place, nor profane the set-apart place of his Elohim, for the sign of dedication of the anointing oil of his Elohim is upon him. I am יהוה. – He is not allowed to stop being a Kohanim, or is he allows to contaminate the Position that he holds. If the anointing is on him, it is a lifelong anointing, he cannot decide it is time to resign of retired.

    

Lev 21:13 ‘And let him take a wife in her maidenhood. – A Kohem must only take for a wife a woman who is a virgin. He might not marry a widow (as other priests might), much less one divorced, or a harlot. The reason of this was to put a difference between him and other priests in this matter; and (as some suggest) that he might be a type of Messiyah, to whom the church was to be presented a chaste virgin, 2 Co. 11:2. See Eze. 44:22. Messiyah must have our first love, our pure love, our entire love; thus the virgins love thee, and such only are fit to follow the Lamb, Rev. 14:4.

 

Lev 21:14 ‘A widow or one put away or a defiled woman or a whore – these he does not take. But a maiden of his own people he does take as a wife. – Self-explanatory. This concept of a widow is some time very misleading. A widow is one whose husband has died within the redeem community. If a woman from outside the community joins the Nation of Yisrael, she is now a new creature. The husband she has in Yisrael must be her only husband. A woman can only be put away for some impurities. Remember the story of Abigail in 1 Samuel, her husband Nadal was a wicked man, after he died David took her to be one of his wives.

Lev 21:15 ‘And he does not profane his offspring among his people, for I am יהוה, who sets him apart. -  His sons and daughters must be role models for the other people. He must be careful how his children behave in public.

He might not profane his seed among his people. Some understand it as forbidding him to marry any of an inferior rank, which would be a disparagement to his family. Jehoiada indeed married of his own tribe, but then it was into the royal family, 2 Chr. 22:11. This was not to teach him to be proud, but to teach him to be pure, and to do nothing unbecoming his office and the worthy name by which he was called. Or it may be a caution to him in disposing of his children; he must not profane his seed by marrying them unsuitably. Ministers’ children are profaned if they be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

Verse 16 – 24 speaks of blemishes that cause disqualification of a kohanim.

Lev 21:16 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -   

Lev 21:17 “Speak to Aharon, saying, ‘No man of your offspring throughout their generations, who has any defect, is to draw near to bring the bread of his Elohim. – What manifest itself in the natural has a spiritual manifestation. This verse forbids a blemished Kohen to perform the service in the Tabernacle. The next verse gives the reason for this prohibition. It is not proper for him to do so in the spiritual sense if there is a spiritual blemish on his character.

 

Lev 21:18 ‘For any man who has a defect is not to draw near: a man blind or one lame or disfigured or deformed, - A blind person, also means to be spiritually blind, or one who the Holy Spirit has departed, they have become spiritually blind. Such an incident can be seen in King Saul, who became spiritually blind after the Holy Spirit departed from him.

In the spiritual sense, one who has one foot longer than another, represent an uneven walk spiritually? The spiritual walk of a believer must be even at all times.

Lev 21:19 a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, - This verse describe a person who spiritual walk and work is broken, or it can be describe as having two sets of walk and work, one when one set of friends are around and the other when a different set of friends. The Apostle Paul, rebuke Peter for that same practice in Galatians 2:14  But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

Lev 21:20 or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. -  A defect in the natural is a defect in the spiritual.

Lev 21:21 ‘No man among the offspring of Aharon the priest, who has a defect, is to come near to bring the offerings made by fire to יהוה – he has a defect, he does not come near to bring the bread of his Elohim. -  Physical defect manifest itself in a spiritual manner.

Lev 21:22 ‘He does eat the bread of his Elohim, both the most set-apart and the set-apart, - Although a Kohen with a blemish may not perform the service, he has the privilege of eating meat from the same sacrifice, but he cannot administer it. It is this bread of life that will clean him from all unrighteousness. An imperfection in the natural can be found in the spiritual. By eating from the sacrifice, that kohen with the defect will be able to restore himself. This is the root cause of miracles, the inner spiritual development, manifest itself in the natural.

Lev 21:23 only, he does not go near the veil or approach the altar, because he has a defect, lest he profanes My set-apart places. For I am יהוה, who sets them apart. – Only those who are perfect spiritually may approach the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Yet they must not serve at the altar, at either of the altars, nor be admitted to attend or assist the other priests in offering sacrifice or burning incense. Great men choose to have such servants about them as are slightly, and it was fit that the great EL should have such in his house then, when he was pleased to manifest his glory in external indications of it. But it was especially requisite that comely men should be chosen to minister about holy things, for the sake of the people, who were apt to judge according to outward appearance, and to think meanly of the service, how honorable it was made by the divine institution, of those that performed it looked despicably or went about it awkwardly. This provision YAHVEH made for the preserving of the reputation of his altar that it might not at any time fall under contempt. It was for the credit of the sanctuary that none should appear there who any way was disfigured, either by nature or accident.

 

Lev 21:24 Thus Mosheh spoke to Aharon and his sons, and to all the children of Yisra’ĕl. – Even though the commandments related only to the Kohanim, Moses taught them to all the people as well.  Let such therefore as are openly vicious be put out of the priesthood as polluted persons; and let all that are made to be YAHVEH spiritual priests be before him holy and without blemish, and comfort themselves with this, that, though in this imperfect state they have spots that are the spots of YAH’s children, yet they shall shortly appear before the throne of YAHVEH without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.

Chapter 22

Verse 1 – 9 describes the safeguarding of the sanctity of offering and terumah. Here in this chapter the people are enjoined to avoid the contamination of sacrificial meat and terumah(The prescribed portions of the crops that are given to the Kohanim)

Lev 22:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, 

 

Lev 22:2 “Speak to Aharon and his sons, that they separate themselves from the set-apart offerings of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and that they do not profane My set-apart Name in what they set apart to Me. I am יהוה. – Whenever a Kohanim become tamei “contaminated”, they must withdraw themselves from all aspects of the Temple service, lest they contaminate the peoples offering, making their offering unacceptable. The penalty for those who serve while contaminated is death by the hand of Heavens.

The word separate comes from the Hebrew word that mean crown. This alludes to the great people of Yisrael, those who are crowned with distinction, and cautions them to be especially careful to avoid desecration of the Name. Such people are prone to think that they can allow themselves liberties not permitted to commoners. On the contrary, the Torah tells them; their responsibilities are greater than those of other.

 

Lev 22:3 “Say to them, ‘Any man of all your offspring throughout your generations who draws near the set-apart offerings which the children of Yisra’ĕl set apart to יהוה, while he has uncleanness upon him, that being shall be cut off from before Me. I am יהוה. – The term any man, meaning that this position should be only open to men, in any generation. Oh My! If he draws near or goes into the Court Yard or the Holy Place to present the people offering in a contaminated state will be cut off, or he will not be allow to present it at the various altars.

 

Lev 22:4 ‘Any man of the offspring of Aharon, who is a leper or has a discharge, does not eat the set-apart offerings until he is clean. And whoever touches what is rendered unclean by a corpse, or a man who has had an emission of semen, - This verse explains that anyone who is unclean must not touch any off the sacred things offered to EL YAHYEH until he is clean.

Lev 22:5 or a man who touches any creeping creature by which he would be made unclean, or any being by whom he would become unclean, even any of his uncleanness; - or who has touched a reptile or insect that can make him unclean, or a man who is unclean for any reason and who can transmit to him his uncleanness.

 

Lev 22:6 the being who has touched it shall be unclean until evening, and does not eat the set-apart offerings, but shall bathe his body in water. - The person who touches any of these will be unclean until evening and is not to eat the holy things unless he bathes his body in water. Today we wash ourselves in the Blood and water that flow from Messiyah side.

    

Lev 22:7 ‘And when the sun goes down he shall be clean, and afterward eat the set-apart offerings, because it is his food. -  After sunset he will be clean; and afterwards, he may eat the holy things; because they are his food.

Lev 22:8 ‘He does not eat that which dies or is torn by beasts, becoming unclean by it. I am יהוה. - But he is not to eat anything that dies naturally or is torn to death by wild animals and thereby make himself unclean; I am יהוה.

 

Lev 22:9 ‘And they shall guard My Charge, lest they bear sin for it and die thereby, when they profane it. I יהוה set them apart. - The Kohanim must observe this charge of mine; otherwise, if they profane it, they will bear the consequences of their sin for doing so and die in it; I am EL YAHVEH, who makes them holy.  

Lev 22:10 ‘And no stranger eats the set-apart offering. A sojourner with the priest, or a hired servant, does not eat the set-apart offering. - No one who is not a Cohen may eat anything holy, nor may a tenant or employee of a Cohen eat anything holy.

  

Lev 22:11 ‘But when the priest buys a being with his money, he does eat of it. And one who is born in his house does eat his food. -  But if a Cohen acquires a slave, either through purchase or through his being born in his household, he may share his spiritual food.

Lev 22:12 ‘And when a priest’s daughter is married to a stranger, she does not eat of the set-apart offerings. - If the daughter of a Cohen is married to a man who is not a Cohen, she is not to have a share of the food set aside from the holy things, she must eat of the spiritual food provide in her husband house. Meaning that the husband must be the priest of the family.

 

Lev 22:13 ‘But when a priest’s daughter is a widow or put away, and has no child, and has returned to her father’s house as in her youth, she does eat her father’s food, but no stranger eats of it. - But if the daughter of a Cohen is a widow or divorcee and has no child, and she goes back to her father's house as when she was young, she may share in her father's spiritual food; but no one who is not a Cohen is to share in it.  These verses describe what most women would find had to accept, that the man is the spiritual head of the family.

  

Lev 22:14 ‘And when a man eats the set-apart offering by mistake, then he shall give a set-apart offering to the priest, and add one-fifth to it. - If a person eats holy food by mistake, he must add one-fifth to it and give the holy food to the Cohen. This is the portion of our offering that should be set-aside for the Priest.

 

Lev 22:15 - 16‘And let the priests not profane the set-apart offerings of the children of Yisra’ĕl, which they lift up to יהוה, or allow them to bear the crookedness of trespass when they eat their set-apart offerings. For I am יהוה, who sets them apart. - They are not to profane the holy things of the people of Yisra'el that they have set apart for EL YAHVEH, and therefore causing them to bear the guilt requiring a guilt offering, by eating their holy things; because I am YAHVEH, who makes them holy.

  

Verse 17 – 25 speaks of the blemished animals. Just as Kohanim with bodily blemishes are not permitted to perform the Divine Service, so blemished animals are invalid as offering. EL YAHVEH wants perfections from His sons in the spiritual and moral sense and from His offerings in the physical sense. Even though a blemish animal may be larger and more valuable than an unblemished one, it is not acceptable, for YAHVEH does not measure perfection in monetary terms.

Lev 22:17 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -  

Lev 22:18 “Speak to Aharon and his sons, and to all the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘Any man of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or of the strangers in Yisra’ĕl, who brings his offering for any of his vows or for any of his voluntary offerings, which they bring to יהוה as a burnt offering, - "Speak to Aharon and his sons and to the entire people of Yisra'el; tell them: 'When anyone, whether a member of the house of Yisra'el or a foreigner living in Yisra'el, brings his offering, either in connection with a vow or as a voluntary offering, and brings it to EL YAHVEH as a burnt offering, it must be perfect. A vow is a personal obligation: “I obligate myself to bring an elevation offering.” The nature of the undertaking means that if the owner consecrates an animal and it become lost or blemish, he has not discharge his vows and must bring another animal.

A free will offering is a contribution “I consecrate this animal for use as an elevation Offering. The owner’s obligation is to offer that animal, but if for any reason that cannot be done; the owner has no further responsibility to bring another one.

Lev 22:19 for your acceptance, is a male, a perfect one from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. -  In order for you to be accepted, you must bring a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep or the goats. We must pay the cost of a male goat, for the Goat is El Yahushua (Jesus Christ) he is the one our voluntary offerings. This verse specifies only animal’s elevation offering; birds, however, are acceptable even if they are female and blemished. They are disqualified only if they are lacking a limb.

Lev 22:20 ‘Whatever has a defect, you do not bring, for it is not acceptable for you. - You are not to bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted from you.

   

Lev 22:21 ‘And when a man brings a peace offering to יהוה, to complete a vow, or a voluntary offering from the cattle or the sheep, it is to be perfect to be accepted, let there be no defect in it. - Whoever brings a sacrifice of peace offerings to EL YAHVEH in fulfillment of a vow or as a voluntary offering, whether it come from the herd or from the flock, it must be unblemished and without defect in order to be accepted. This also means that if we also bring a monetary offering it must be from your own labor, not from someone else’s pocket.

  

Lev 22:22 ‘Those blind or broken or having a cut, or have an ulcer or eczema or scabs, you do not bring to יהוה, nor make an offering by fire of them on the altar to יהוה. - If it is blind, injured, mutilated, has an abnormal growth or has festering or running sores, you are not to offer it to יהוה or make such an offering by fire on the altar to יהוה.

   

Lev 22:23 ‘As for a bull or a lamb that has any limb deformed or dwarfed you do prepare as a voluntary offering, but for a vow it is not accepted. - If a bull or lamb has a limb, which is too long or short, you may offer it as a voluntary offering; but for a vow it will not be accepted. A blemish animal may be contributed for its monetary value for the upkeep of the Temple.

 

Lev 22:24 ‘Do not bring to יהוה what is bruised or crushed, or torn or cut, nor do it in your land. - You are not to do these things in your land, an animal with bruised, crushed, torn or cut genitals you are not to offer to EL YAHVEH.

The blemishes listed in this verse is a form of castration, which is forbidden in the Land. The phrase in your land means that it is forbidden to do so to every conceivable species of animal in the country, whether or not they are acceptable for offering or Kosher as food.

 

Lev 22:25 ‘And from a son of a stranger’s hand you do not bring any of these as the bread of your Elohim, for their corruption is in them, and defects are in them, they are not acceptable for you. - And you are not to receive any of these from a foreigner for you to offer as bread for your Elohim, because their deformity is a defect in them - they will not be accepted from you. The stranger of this verse is an unbeliever. He is not permitted to bring animals to be offered in the temple. What does this mean, do not let a Muslim come into your church to offer his offering. If He is not coming to bring the perfect offering which is El Yahushua, it is not permitted.

Verse 26 – 33 speaks of the Eligibility of offering. Following the physical disqualifications, the Torah now goes into the requirement of minimum age and various other rules governing offerings.

 

Lev 22:26 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -

 

Lev 22:27 “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be seven days with its mother. And from the eighth day and thereafter it is acceptable as an offering made by fire to יהוה. -  When a bull, sheep or goat is born, it is to stay with its mother for seven days; but from the eighth day on, it may be accepted for an offering made by fire to EL YAHVEH. Just as a Sabbath must past before a boy can be circumcised, the animal instinct must undergo their seventh day of recreation, before he can bears the mark of the testimony of the Kingdom of Heavens. This is the position of full maturity, where the Sabbath rest is the qualification, the validity to the entire purpose of Creation.

Lev 22:28 “But do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day. - However, no animal is to be slaughtered together with its young on the same day, neither cow nor ewe. Despite the masculine of this prohibition it applies only to the mother and her young. The masculine pronoun refers to the species, not the individual animal. This is to safeguard the animal’s species, in World War II, we see a violation of this principle, when both mother and child was sent to the gas chambers. It is a protection against extermination.

 

Lev 22:29 “And when you bring a slaughtering of thanksgiving to יהוה, bring it for your acceptance. - When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to EL YAHVEH, you must do it in a way such that you will be accepted. The offering must be presented in such a way that Elohim will find it, and you, acceptable. The next verse goes on to say that the Kohan must have his mind at the time of the slaughter that it will be eaten within the assign time.

Lev 22:30 “It is eaten that same day, leave none of it till morning. I am יהוה. - It must be eaten on the same day it is offered; leave none of it till morning; I am EL YAHVEH.

 

Lev 22:31 “And you shall guard My commands and do them. I am יהוה. – It is incumbent on every believer to guard the Laws, Precept, Statues, and Judgments found in Torah.

  

Lev 22:32 “And do not profane My set-apart Name, and I shall be set-apart among the children of Yisra’ĕl. I am יהוה, who sets you apart, - You are not to profane The holy Name; on the contrary, He must be regarded as holy among the people of Yisra'el; It is He who determine what or who is holy; do not applying His Name to an idol, or treating it with irreverence or contempt or as a byword.

A believer should be willing to gives his own live in order to sanctify EL YAHVEH’S Name. If someone sin because he believes that Yah’s Will does not matter to him, he has already desecrated the Name of EL YAHVEH.

The desecration of the Name is the most serious of all sins and the one to which it is most difficult to atone. If anyone dedicates his or her lives to EL YAHVEH service, He will devote Himself personally to you, by regulating your activity, and not through any intermediary.

Lev 22:33 who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. I am יהוה. - Who set us apart, meaning that He liberated us from Sin on the condition that we would make ourselves holy for His son; therefore He has a right to make demands on us.

Chapter 23

This chapter deals with יהוה, appointed time called in Hebrew as Moadims, because they are special days when the Redeem people meet, as it were, with EL YAHVEH.

Moadim, appointed seasons, summon us to submit ourselves entirely to the contemplation and the inner realization of those things or ideals, which lies at the foundation of our spiritual growth.

Just as moed in space refers to the locality which men have as their appointed place of assembly for an appointed purpose such as the tent of meeting ”Ohel Moed”, so Moed in time is a point in time which summons us to an appointed activity. In our case to a spiritual activity.

Therefore the moadims are the days, which stand out from the other days during the yearly cycles. They summon the faithful from our everyday life to stop and dedicate all our spiritual activities of to them.

The moadims interrupt the ordinary activities of our life and give us the power, and consecration for the future by revivifying those ideals upon which our whole spiritual growth is based, or they help us eradicate such evil consequence of past activates that are deadly to our spiritual development. These moadims helps us to receive the blessing essential for growth, as rain is important for the development of the plants around us.

These moadims are dress rehearsal before the real proformance which is the marriage feast of the Lamb, in Revelation 19.

Lev 23:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - 

Lev 23:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed times of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these: -   You are to proclaim my designated times as holy convocations. The sun, the moon, and the stars, which are EL YAHWAH unchanging calendar, determine these times. These festivals must be based on the Heavenly calendar, which is the sighting of the newly visible moon, and the barley harvest in Yisrael.

EL YAHVEH show the sign of His time in nature and it is incumbent on Yisrael to respond; this reaction by His people expresses the mutual love of the Creator and His chosen people.

Speak unto the Chidren of Yisrael, and say unto them, Concerning the Divinely Appointed times of YAHVEH, which ye shall proclaim to be holy dress rehearsals, even these are for my divinely set appointments for Messiyah Yahushua.

The purpose of the Moadims, “Festivals” is spiritual elevation, and the special foods and festive clothing are to help people achieve that goal. By giving honor and distinctiveness to the day, we focus our mind on it significant and thereby help us foster a realization of the spiritual opportunities it offers us, if we but utilize them properly. Matthew 22:3-4.

Lev 23:3 ‘Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה in all your dwellings. – The day of complete rest in the natural signifies the same in the spiritual. When we as believers experience each day of Creation, we will eventually come to the seventh day spiritually. This is the state of Spiritual maturity, which is the whole purpose of creation.

The Torah introduces this day as the first of the festivals. As true to form, EL YAHVEH always starts with the objective first, and then He tells us how to achieve it.

Lev 23:4 ‘These are the appointed times of יהוה, set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times. -  These are the designated times of ELYAHVEH, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder of the purpose of Creation. Now, we are going to learn the yearly milestone to achieve this goal. Number 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year.

Verse 5 – 8 speaks of Passover or Pesach.

Lev 23:5 ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, is the Passover to יהוה. –  Who determine when the Year starts? Is it not the Creator of the Universe! Did He not determine that the New Moon will be the sign of the new month? Is it not Him who determines when the Barley harvest comes to maturity? Therefore in the mouth of two witnesses let the New Year be established.

Therefore, fourteen days after the sighting of the Barley harvest turning white and the New moon, the next full moon fourteen days later is YAHVEH Passover. This Passover can fall on any day. The day El Yahushua “Jesus Christ” died on the Cross, Passover fell on a Wednesday. Then how is it that Christian only celebrates Christ death on a Friday, Good Friday?

Lev 23:6 ‘And on the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Unleavened Bread to יהוה – seven days you eat unleavened bread. – The Day after Passover, regardless of which day it falls on, is the first day of the festival of Unleavened Bread. 

Lev 23:7 ‘On the first day you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. – On the fifteenth day is a holy day; we must not do any form of labor. This is the day the children of Yisrael start their journey out of Egypt. It is also the day we graduate from one day of creation to the next, or from one color of light to the next.

Lev 23:8 ‘And you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה for seven days. On the seventh day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. – For these seven days it is a time of praise and worship. A time when we take a close look at ourselves and confess our shortcomings, those leaven in our lives that causes us to become hearer of the word only.

Verse 9 – 14 speaks of the counting of the Omer. The fifty days that leads up to Pentecost. Before any grain produce of the new crop may be eaten, a measure of ground barley must be brought to the temple on the second day of Passover as a new meal offering. This is the first fruit of the Barley offering. Once it is brought, the barley harvest may be eaten.

Lev 23:9 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -  

Lev 23:10 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. – When we have come into the Land of Yisrael, as when we will receive our inheritance in Heavens, we must all bring a tenth of the harvest to the Creator. All these are Kingdom principles that we must practice here on earth, that when we get to Heavens, we will know how the Kingdom works.

When we come into the land, have a spiritual meaning behind it. When we receive our inheritance, as a son of EL YAHVEH, it will be required of us to give a tenth of our Kingdom to our El Yahushua, Who will also give a tenth to His Father. These principles is what we must learn while we are here on earth, in preparation for the Kingdom to come.

 

Lev 23:11 ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it. – On the morning after the first day of Passover the 16^th of the first month. Passover is on the 14^th, the next day the 15^th is a Holy Day, and the next day is the day the tithes of the new crop are given. The morrow after the first day of Pesach, which is called a rest day because any ordinary work is forbidden. Although the word ordinarily refers to the Sabbath, this cannot be the case, because this verse does not specify which of the fifty-two Sabbaths is meant.

The term however, means that it must be treated like any ordinary Sabbath. This as becomes a major points of controversy between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees interpreted the verse literally, as referring to the seventh day Sabbath, and claim that the Omer must always be counted from a Sunday, regardless of which day the Passover falls on.

If the Passover falls on a Sunday, then the first day of the Omer will be started from the other Sunday, this would make it 56 day from Passover to Pentecost. However if we used the Pharisees way of determine the First day, and then Pentecost will always fall fifty days after Passover, regardless of which day is Passover.

Lev 23:12 ‘And on that day when you wave the sheaf, you shall prepare a male lamb a year old, a perfect one, as a burnt offering to יהוה, - This is a lamb of celebration to go with the first fruit of the new crop. This offering is not necessary a tenth, of the whole crop. The field might not yet be completely harvested, but the first of new crop must be given first. The tenth will be given later, when the entire crop is completely harvested.

 

Lev 23:13 and its grain offering: two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to יהוה, a sweet fragrance, and its drink offering: one-fourth of a hin of wine. – This offering is an exception to the rule, since the meal offering of a lamb is normally one tenth-ephah. The wine-libation given below is the normal quarter-hin. This offering is an exception to the rule, since the meal offering of a lamb is offered with one tenth-ephah of fine flour. The wine-libation given below is the normal quarter-hin. 

Lev 23:14 ‘And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. – The product of the new crop must not be eaten until; the offering of the new crop is given. This speak of a time in the Kingdom when we receive our inheritance that we must not use the produce of our Kingdom until we give our tithes to those in authority to El Yahushua over is over us. He intern must pay His tithes to EL YAHVEH.

 We should never eat of our pay cheaque until we have offer up one tenth of it to EL YAHVEH. This is a practice that will be performed in the Kingdom, after those who have reach maturity been given our share of our Fathers Kingdom, we all must pay a tithes to our father. If we should ever have anyone under us, they too must pay tithes to us.  

Verse 15 – 21 speaks of the Omer count and Shavuos. Unlike all the other festivals, Shavuos is not identified as a specific day on the Hebrew calendar, but as the fiftieth day after the Omar-offering.

Beginning on the second day of Pesach, when the Omar is brought, forth-nine days are counted, and the next day the fiftieth is Shavuos or Pentecost. This recalls the days in the wilderness immediately after the Exodus, when the Children of Yisrael excitedly counted the days, each day improving and elevating themselves, so that they would be worthy of receiving the Torah. Today, it is both the Torah and the Ruach (Holy Spirit.)

The fact that Shavuos does not a specific calendar date of its own, but is attached to Pesach by the seven weeks count, symbolizes that the freedom of Pesach is significant as the prelude to the giving of the Torah, and the Ruach fifty days after El Yahushua died on the Cross.

The day does not begin on the first day of Pesach, because that day id reserve for the celebration of the Exodus and its miracles, for that event established undeniably that YAHVEH alone controls nature and changes it at will to suit His purposes.

  

Lev 23:15 ‘And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. – From the day after the first day of Passover every individual believer must count every one of the days separately and audibly. This day is now the 16^th of Aviv, the first biblical month. This is not Sunday as the Sadducees teaches. The day after Passover is the 15^th of Avis (Nisan), is the first day of unleaventh bread, which is a Sabbath day. 

 

Lev 23:16 ‘Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to יהוה. – The repeat of the day after the first day Passover, fifty days must be counted, this is the time when the new Wheat harvest is now ready to be harvest. The meal offering of Shavuos is called new and first-offering because it was the first temple-offering from the new wheat crop. We count 50 days from Passover or count 7 sets of 7 days from the 16^th Aviv, the day after the First Day of unleavened bread. This would be Pentecost. The Children of Yisrael leave Yisrael on the first day of unleavened bread, and fifty days later was the first Pentecost at Mount Sinai

What this mean is that fifty days after the barley is harvested, the wheat harvest will be ready to be harvest also. EL YAHVEH used the things of nature to teaches us a spiritual lesson. As we harvest the product of earth, so does our Heavenly Father harvest the Souls of man. When the children of Yisrael left Egypt, was a fulfillment of this day, then El Yahushua send the Ruach on Pentecost was another fulfillment of that day. All the Feast Days speaks of specific events that will be fulfilled on a global scale, in the past or in the future.

Lev 23:17 ‘Bring from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread, of two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour they are, baked with leaven, first-fruits to יהוה. – Two things were given at Pentecost, the Torah, and the Menorah, both fifty-day after Passover. The two loves also represent the two stone tables that the summery of the Torah was written on. Two tenths of an ephad of fine flour represent the process of making fine flour baked with the leaven of the Holy Spirit, in particular the Spirits of Understand, Knowledge and Wisdom. Those who have achieved this quality of spiritual development will be the first fruits to our Heavenly Father. On Pentecost fifty days from Passover we must bring two loaves of Bread as a praise offering.

Lev 23:18 ‘And besides the bread, you shall bring seven lambs a year old, perfect ones, and one young bull and two rams. They are a burnt offering to יהוה, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to יהוה. -  With the bread offering, the animal’s mentions in this verse must be offered complementing the two loaves “grain” offering.

The grain offering is a presentation of our achievement we have made in the acquiring of the principle of Torah. The offering of seven one year old lam, represent the seven days of creation, the sacrifice the seven sin of the animal nature that so easily ensnare us.

Lev 23:19 ‘And you shall offer one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old, as a peace offering. – Once we are still in the flesh, we must always offer a sin offering, which is El Yahushua. The two lamb of one year old, represent the yearly sin and atonement of our sin that we must achieve in our spiritual progression.

As believer we are require to make seven peace offering, during the seven days of our spiritual development.

 

Lev 23:20 ‘And the priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave offering before יהוה, besides the two lambs. They are set-apart to יהוה for the priest. – Every year, the priest/Pastor must offer the first fruit of their congregation unto EL YAHVEH, along with the two lambs, one for a sin offering and the other to take away the evil inclination for that year, until we reach maturity.

It is the best of the bunch that will set apart for further advance Torah study, as it was in the olden days. Only the best of those children in Torah School were chosen to be prepared for training to be a Rabbi. Just like it is the best ten percent that was given as tithes.

 

Lev 23:21 ‘And on this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do no servile work on it – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. – This is a form of spiritual term test as it is one of the three harvests of the crop for the year.

As there are three yearly harvests, there are three assessment points in our yearly spiritual cycle. Our obedience to those feast days will determine the spiritual marks we will receive for the spiritual year, or our spiritual cycle. This must be a principle we must practice, until the restoration of the Kingdom of Heavens.

Lev 23:22 ‘And when you reap the harvest of your land do not completely reap the corners of your field when you reap, and do not gather any gleaning from your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am יהוה your Elohim. – When we have assessed the spiritual situation of the group, we must not remove all the fruit; we must leave some of the fruits for the Spiritual poor among us. The Stranger among us is those who have not yet save those who are a stranger from El Yahushua.

During the seven days of unleavened bread we should have had remove from us certain evil tendencies, those tendencies will produce the fruit of the spirits seven week later. The fruit of the spirit that will be produce, will depends on the evil tendencies we have wash away during the seven days of unleavened bread.

Verse 23 – 25 speaks of Rosh Hashanah the feast of trumpet. The Torah speaks of Rosh Hashanah both in these verses and in Numbers as a day of the sounding of the Shofar. The Shofar is a call of repentance; the Shofar calls out to believers to awake, those who are spiritually asleep, to remember the purpose of Creation, which is to prepare mature sons for the Kingdom.

Remember the purpose why you are created, look into your soul, and improve your selves spiritually. The appointed time of the second coming of Messiyah is drawing near. Prepare your selves, those of us who are within range of the mark of the higher calling.

This day is like a call to study hard for a coming final examination in two weeks. As the first coming of Yahushua our Messiyah was on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacle, and His circumcision was on the eight day; His second coming will be on during the same feast. We will not know what year, or what day, however we are given the time of the year, in which we may expect Him.

We are told that the sound of the Shofar or trumpet will in Mat 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in Heavens: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of Heavens with power and great glory. 31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of Heavens to the othe. 1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. EL YAHVEH people will never be without a witness. Torah is not for the unsaved, it is for the Redeemed Community only.

   

Lev 23:23 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -  

Lev 23:24 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you have a rest, a remembrance of blowing of trumpets, a set-apart gathering. – On the first day of seventh month all the Children of Yisrael must used this day to blow the Shofar or trumpet. It is a gathering for the Redeemed Community only. The Shofar, the ram’s horn symbolizes the ram that Abraham offered in place of Isaac, it explains that a remembrance before EL YAHVEH is needed because Rosh Hashanah inaugurates the ten-day period of judgment and repentance, before Yom Kippur.

 

Lev 23:25 ‘You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. – It is a time of rejoicing for those who have gotten to that lofty state of a mature believer, a time when we can look forward for the returning of the Bridegroom.

In ancient Hebrew culture, before a wedding feast began, the Bride Groom would announce his arrival with the sound of the Shofar, this would give the bride enough time to prepare herself and send back the signal that all is well.

This Day of Rosh Hashanah is a day when we practice the different sound of the Shofar that all believer should know, that when that great day arrive and the angel of the YAHVEH will sound the Trumpet, we will be aware of the meaning of the sound of the Shofar.

1Co 14:6  Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine? 7  And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? 8 For if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

There is a particular sound of the Shofar that call people to battle, there is also a call for a special occasion, and there is a reassuring sound that says all is well. How will you know which is which.

Verse 26 – 32 describes some of the laws governing Yom Kippur. This day is the final day or the final chance for believers to prepare themselves for the coming of the bridegroom.

Lev 23:26 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -  

Lev 23:27 “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. -  On the tenth day of Tishrei is the day of Day of Atonement, it is the day El Yahushua give a report to our Father EL YAHVEH pertaining to our spiritual growth or our spiritual progress. It is a day of fasting; of afflicting our body to see what fruits of the Spirit governs it.

Our body usually reacts according to the level of maturity. If Yum Kippur is a struggle then we know for certain that we are not yet a mature believer. If we control our body according to the Spirit of Authority, then we know that we have managed to bring our body under the control of the Holy Spirit. This is the so-called final test for the year, the time when the final harvest for the year is gathered in.

Like the wise virgins who had oil in their lamps, this day spiritually is for the so-called foolish virgins to become wise and purchase the oil essential to keep their lamps burning all night.

Lev 23:28 “And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before יהוה your Elohim. – Like Passover, Pentecost, Rosh Hashanah, and Yum Kippur have a very specific day of the year, it is interesting to note that it is the New Moon, Rush Kodesh that determines the Yearly Feast. The difference between the feast day and the weekly Sabbath is that food can be prepared except for Yum Kippur, when we must fast.

Lev 23:29 “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. – Any believer, who does not take this time to cram spiritually for the final test, will not make it to graduation. This fasting is an affliction of the soul. The influence of the flesh and the spirit of man govern our soul. When we afflict the flesh by denying it the very essence of life, we react in the spirit according to how much influence our flesh has over our soul.

  The fruit of the Spirit will manifest itself according to our level of maturity. Am I in the first, second, third, forth, fifty, sixth or seventh day of Creation will determine our reaction to the affliction on Yum Kippur.

Lev 23:30 “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. – This day is not a day for studying; it is a day of testing. The term work is over, the time for trying to improve on our spiritual existing, as the sixth day of Creation represent mans striving to attained that lofty goal of spiritual maturity.

Lev 23:31 “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. – As we are not allowed to do no work physically, we are also not allowed to improve our spiritual portfolio.   

Lev 23:32 ‘It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.” – On the ninth day of the month at evening, Yum Kippur must be observed. As the Sabbath represent coming into the fullness spiritually, these feast day help us forms part of our yearly spiritual achievement.

Verse 33 – 43 describes succott and Shemini Atzeres. Succoth, the festival of Booths, commemorates the shelter hat EL YAHVEH provides for the Hebrew people in the wilderness, and an essential parts of the Succoth service as it recall the shelter in the Wilderness, and to a greater extent El Yahushua our Messiyah.

Succoth is at time to rejoice in EL YAHVEH’S provision for our well being. It is the only festival that our prayer describes as a time of our Joy. This is because Succoth is a time of culmination, a time when the individual and the nation have succeeded in attaining a long-sought goal.

In the agricultural sense, this is because it is the time when the summer’s produce is gathered. In the spiritual sense, Succoth is the culmination of a process. First comes redemption; then the purpose of redemption and finally, these lessons are brought into our everyday lives when we find our joy in observing the commandments.

Lev 23:33 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -

 

Lev 23:34 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Booths for seven days to יהוה. – On the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Festival of Booths. It is a time when we are commandment to live in booth, temporary shelter.

Lev 23:35 ‘on the first day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. – On the fifteen-day of Tishrei is the first day of Succoth, is a holy Sabbath day. Notice that all the Yearly Sabbath is determine by the New moon. It is the New Moon that marks the start of the new month. It was on this day that our Lord and Savor El Yahushua were born to us in Beth Lechem on that wonderful night. It was the day on which He came and Tabernacle among us, and was circumcise on the Eight-day of Succoth. 

Lev 23:36 ‘For seven days you bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. On the eighth day there shall be a set-apart gathering for you, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. It is a closing festival, you do no servile work. – For seven day we are required to live outside for eight days, in make shift or temporary lodging. It is a time when we celebrate with our friends, the producer of the Harvest. If we are a fig farmer we share in the abundance of figs that EL YAHVEH has bless us with. 

On the eight day the day when El Yahushua was circumcises. It is a day in which we give thanks for a fresh, a new start to the new Torah Cycle. El Yahushua might not have come this year, but He might next year. Never the less we will use the new Torah cycles to develop our selves further. Those of us, who have reach maturity, must continue to lead and encourage other to strive for Maturity.

This is a time when the believer prays for the new rain. The raining season usually start with the gentle rain, which germinate the seeds of the Barley crop, that they might start to grow; and as the plant grow stronger the rain intensify, to a point where is will be able to survive the heavy rain. It is the heavy rain that helps the plant to establish their roots deep into the soil.

Lev 23:37 ‘These are the appointed times of יהוה which you proclaim as set-apart gatherings, to bring an offering made by fire to יהוה, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a slaughtering and drink offerings, as commanded for every day – Each festival day has its own required nussaf-offering, as listed in Number 28 – 29. This term indicates that if a mussaf was not offered on the appropriate day, it may not be brought later. Passover was the only day, that that particular offering could be brought another day.

Lev 23:38 besides the Sabbaths of יהוה, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your voluntary offerings, which you give to יהוה.  - The mussaf offerings mentioned in the previous verse are in addition to the mussaf that would be required if a Sabbath fell during the festival.

Lev 23:39 ‘But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the fruit of the land, observe the festival of יהוה for seven days. On the first day is a rest, and on the eighth day a rest. – The Torah now reintroduces the subject of Succoth, which was interrupted by verse 37 – 38. The laws of Succoth are divided into two passages: The first refers to the sanctity of the festival as represented by the offerings; now the Torah gives the commandments that are unique to Succoth.

The word, but, suggest a limitation. Previously, the Torah spoke of Rosh Hashanah and Yum Kippur, the solemn days of judgment and fasting.

Now the word but emphasizes that Succoth is different. It is a time when there is a special commandment to be joyous and grateful for the blessing of the harvest, El Yahushua first Coming.

You shall celebrate, for a seven-day period. This celebration is the commandment to bring a special peace offering, known as Chagigah, in honor of the festival. All men who come to the Temple must offer the Chagigah on each of the three pilgrimage festivals; El Yahushua was brought to the Temple on the eight day of Succoth.

Again seven is one of the numbers of completion, when we celebrate Succoth we are either in the first day or up to the seventh day, if we are in the eight-day spiritually we will be a mature believer.  

Lev 23:40 ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of good trees, branches of palm trees, twigs of leafy trees, and willows of the stream, and shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim for seven days. – As believers we are one of four types of trees: the fruit of citron, the branches of the dates palms, twigs of a plaited tree, and brook willow.

The four Species of tree represent our character. The Citron resembles the heart, the lulav palm branch represents the spine; the hadasim myrtle leaves, the eyes; and the aravos willow branches, the lips.

By presenting all four together, we symbolize the need for a person to utilize all his faculties in the service of EL YAHVEH.

The esrog which has both a taste and a pleasant aroma, symbolizes one who possesses both scholarship and good deeds; the Lulav a branch of the date palm whose fruit has a taste but no aroma, symbolizes a scholar who is deficient in good deeds; the myrtle which has no taste but does have an aroma, symbolizes a person who is deficient in Torah but possesses good deeds; and the willow which lacks both symbolizes a person who has neither. The four Species are help together because all sorts of people must be united in the community of Yisrael.

The term whosoever will may come, applies to this verse.

   

Lev 23:41 ‘And you shall observe it as a festival to יהוה for seven days in the year – a law forever in your generations. Observe it in the seventh month. – We shall celebrate it for seven days. We also know that one-day also represent a year, and also one thousand years. These four types of people are the character who will come to the Mature Believer for help, they are the ones we must help to establish their body as a Soccoth for the Shekinah. The end of Succoth eight day marks the beginning of the New Torah Cycle, and the start of the new rainy season.

Lev 23:42 ‘Dwell in booths for seven days; all who are native Yisra’ĕlites dwell in booths, - The symbolic representation of the booths, or temporary dwellings, is a reminder that our life here on planet earth is only a temporary dwelling. You might remember me saying that Adam and Eve were created to live seven thousand years, of seven years.

We are to dwell in booths for seven days; all, of us who are of the Commonwealth of Yisrael, this planet is certainly is not our home. 

Lev 23:43 so that your generations know that I made the children of Yisra’ĕl dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim. I am יהוה your Elohim. -  This verses teach us that the individual, who performs this commandment in faith, will bear in mind that as EL YAHVEH sheltered Yisrael in the wilderness, He will also shelter us as we lived here on Planet earth, while we strive for perfection.

  

Lev 23:44 Thus did Mosheh speak of the appointed times of יהוה to the children of Yisra’ĕl. – The appointed times are for the Children of Yisrael only. Those who practice them are in essential citizen of the Kingdom of Heavens while here on Earth. Obedience to the Moedems, generates or release the anointing so to speaks, that is essential for the functioning of the Menorah. John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; 17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

  

Chapter 24

This chapter begins with the commandment to perform two parts of the Temple service, the lighting of the Menorah and the placing of the Altar of Show-bread on the Table, in essence the Spirit and the Word.

We have just read about the moedems, the rendezvous in time between EL YAHVEH and Yisrael, and the festivals that commemorate great events and call Yisrael to raise itself again to a higher spiritual peak every year, until full maturity is attained.

The concern for Yisrael as a community spiritual growth is embedded in the Moedems, and is illustrated in a greater details in the lighting of the flames of the Menorah, and fuel by the twelve loaves of bread that are on constant display on the Altar of Show-bread.

Verse 1 – 4 speaks exclusively of the Menorah.

Lev 24:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -  

Lev 24:2 “Command the children of Yisra’ĕl that they bring to you clear oil of pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn continually. – The Children of Yisrael had to bring Olive oil that was produce by pressing the olive fruit against each other. It is the close association with each other that cause the oil of the anointing to flow among us. If we press olive and fig we will never receive olive oil, where two are three are gathered the Holy Spirit is in the midst.

This chapter seems to repeat the commandment of oil, which was stated before in Exodus 27:20. The Menorah is an indicator of the Holy Spirit, one of the few object lesson authorize by The Creator. It is supposed to be a continual flame, for which oil would be require, the flame of YAHVEH, the Flame of Wisdom and Understanding, the Flame of Counsel and Might, the Flame of Knowledge and the Fear of Elohim. Holiness is the oil that is burn in the Menorah.  

Lev 24:3 “Outside the veil of the Witness, in the Tent of Meeting, Aharon is to arrange it from evening until morning before יהוה continually – a law forever throughout your generations. – The area outside the Veil of Witness is called the Holy Place; it is a place where holiness dwells. It is a place where holiness must be practice from evening until morning continually, meaning that it is an ongoing practice as long as humans live on planet earth. 

Lev 24:4 “He is to arrange the lamps on the clean gold Menorah before יהוה continually. – The gold that is used to build the Menorah is pure gold. Pure gold goes through the process seven times, making the gold virtually transparent. It is at this point in our spiritual development that our lives will become a transparent vessel before our Creator. Meaning that there is no hidden or untouchable area in our lives. These lamps are the seven Spirits found in Isaiyah 11:2 and Rev 5:6. These lamps are an indicator of us, who we are called to be. We must walk in: the Spirit of YAHVEH, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of YAHVEH; 3 And shall make us of quick understanding in the fear of YAHVEH: and we shall not judge after the sight of our eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of our ears: The first three lamps are developed first, as the sun, the moon, and the stars was created on the fourth day, the first three lights are developed in our lives on the forth Torah cycle, the fourth year.

The Menorah, represent who we are called to be. The Holy Spirit is here to help us developed these seven character, which help us the produce the nine fruit of the spirits found in Galatians 5:22 - 23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:

In Revelation 5:6  ….. having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of YAHVEH sent forth into all the earth. The Menorah is also described as seven horns, seven authorities; and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of EL YAHVEH available to the entire world.

  Verse 5 – 9 described in Exodus 25:23 – 30. Every sixth day, twelve large loaves were baked, and was place on the Table on the Sabbath, as describe below, and the old bread were divided among the Kohanim and eaten. Miraculously, the bread remained fresh all week. This bread represents the Torah, and the new loves every week represent the weekly Parashas.

Lev 24:5 “And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it, two-tenths of an ĕphah in each cake. – The fine flour is the written words; it was to be prepared into food for the people every week. Even though the bread was made from flour, every bread prepared was in its self a unique loaf.

Regardless of whatever stage of our spiritual development we are at, the loaves, the weekly Parashas will provide enough food for our spiritual needs. The twelve loves represent the twelve tribe of Yisrael. Regardless of what tribe we are from, our Heavenly Father have provide enough spiritual food for our spiritual growth.

Lev 24:6 “And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the clean table before יהוה. – We also know that two is the number of separation, these bread are for those people who are a part of the Nation of Yisrael. The clean table represents an uncontaminated surface, while religion represent mans viewpoint a contaminated surface.

Lev 24:7 “And you shall put clear frankincense on each row, and it shall be on the bread as a remembrance portion, an offering made by fire to יהוה. – The bread on the Altar of Show-bread represents the Torah. It has been said that when Moses wrote the Torah he place the summary in the Ark of The Covenant, and gave one copy of Torah to each one of the twelve tribes.

Therefore each bread on the Altar represent the Parashas been given to each one of the twelve tribe of Yisrael. The Frankincense on each row, represent the fragrance EL YAHVEH receive when He see His Children eating from the Altar of Show-bread.

   

Lev 24:8 “On every Sabbath he is to arrange it before יהוה continually, from the children of Yisra’ĕl – an everlasting covenant. – Every Sabbath a fresh set of loves is place on the Altar, so it is that a fresh set of bread is placed on the Altar of the Teacher every Sabbath. In Torah a teacher is a Rabbi, every Sabbath the teacher expound on the Torah, from a certain section of the Torah called a Parashas. This reading of the Parashas is a sweet smelling fragrant much like the smell of Frankincense is being burnt.

  

Lev 24:9 “And it shall be for Aharon and his sons, and they shall eat it in the set-apart place, because it is most set-apart to him from the offerings of יהוה made by fire – an everlasting law.” – Since the Word of EL YAHVEH is from an Holy ELOHIM, it must be read in a holy place, just like the bread must be eaten in a set apart place. The Constitution of the Heavenly Kingdom is a Holy Document; it must be treated as such. It is a form of burn offering unto EL YAHVEH every time we read from the Torah.

The Torah now proceeds to a narrative that seems to be out of place. It is a story of a Hebrew man who committed the atrocious sin of blaspheming the Name of EL YAHVEH. 

Parashas Mishpatim, which deals with relationships among believers, preceded the long series of laws dealing with the Tabernacle and the offerings, so, too, after the passage dealing with the showbread, Leviticus deals with such relationships.

This method seems to imply that the goal of the Torah is to establish a nation of human beings who seek perfection in their relationship with one another, no less than in their relationship with EL YAHVEH.

In this context, it is instructive that there is a stress on the requirement that the Menorah and the Torah require us to be pure. Only if there is an essential purity in wisdom, understanding, counsel, authority, knowledge, and the fear of Elohim, can our social relationships be sound.

The narrative of the blasphemer symbolizes the need for the Spirit of the Fear of EL YAHVEH one of the attribute of the Holy Spirits. Anyone who utters a curse against EL YAHVEH lacks the Spirit of the Fear of EL YAHWWEH and the Spirit of Wisdom. For if he did feared the Creator, he would never had curse His Name. If he had wisdom, he also would not have Curse YAHVEH’S Name.

 Such a human failure leads easily to the subject of murder and property damage, the sort of anti-social behavior that makes it impossible for society to function properly.

Indeed, the fruit of the Spirit flows from man’s desire to build his or her Menorah, which is the root of the Tree of Life. That tree produces the nine fruit of the spirits, found in Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.

Lev 24:10 And the son of an Yisra’ĕlite woman, whose father was a Mitsrite, went out among the children of Yisra’ĕl. And the Yisra’ĕlite woman’s son and a man of Yisra’ĕl strove in the camp. – The verb he went out implies that he separate himself from the rest of the people, he gave up his share of the world to come. This is a form of backsliding.

His mother was Hebrew, but his father was one of the Egyptian who came out with the exodus. It is important for the verse to describe his father. After all he was the head of the household. His son should reflect the essence of the father. But the young man chooses to blasphemy in public, this would incur the death penalty.

Why you may ask? Any form of Cancer must be remove with extreme predigest. Blasphemy is a contagious action, like leprosy. If left unattended, very soon the whole camp would be affected. Others may see it and choose to follow the same practice. By dealing with it quickly and swiftly, the message is send not to blasphemy the Holy Name of EL YAHVEH.

Torah mentions the fight, because if they had argued rationally, they would not have come to blows; had they merely disputed, there would have been no blasphemy.

  

Lev 24:11 And the Yisra’ĕlite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. So they brought him to Mosheh. Now his mother’s name was Shelomith the daughter of Diḇri, of the tribe of Dan. – The sinner’s innocent mother and the tribe are mentioned to teach that a sinner brings shame not only upon himself, but also upon his parents and tribe. On the other hand, the righteous brings credit upon all who are associated with them. 

Lev 24:12 And they put him in under guard, that it might be declared to them at the mouth of יהוה. – He was place under guard. There was no prison in those days. He was completely isolated, as is the case with all contamination. This was done, while the elders see from EL YAHVEH what they were to do.

 

Lev 24:13 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -  

Lev 24:14 “Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and all those who heard him shall lay their hands on his head, and all the congregation shall stone him. – The guilty person must be brought outside the Camp, and those who had firsthand knowledge were to be the first to cast the stone in the presence of all the people. I am also quite sure he was given an opportunity to repent and he chooses not to. The story of El Yahushua and the lady caught in adultery is a case in point.

Lev 24:15 “And speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘Anyone who curses his Elohim shall bear his sin. – Both verses 15 and 16 speak of the sin of intentional sin blasphemy. 

Lev 24:16 ‘And he who blasphemes the Name of יהוה shall certainly be put to death, and all the congregation certainly stone him, the stranger as well as the native. When he blasphemes the Name, he is put to death.  – A standing law made upon this occasion for the stoning of blasphemers. Magistrates are the guardians of both tables, and ought to be as jealous for the honor of YAHVEH against those that speak contemptuously of his being and government as for the public peace and safety against the disturbers of them.

1. A great stress is laid upon this law, as in no case to be dispensed with: He shall surely be put to death; they shall certainly stone him. Those that lightly esteemed YAH’s honor might think it hard to make a man an offender for a word (words are but wind); but YAHVEH would let them know that they must not make light of such words as these, which come from malice against YAHVEH in the heart of him that speaks, and must occasion either great guilt or great grief to those that hear.

2. It is made to extend to the strangers that sojourned among them, as well as those that were born in the land. YAHVEH never made any law to compel strangers to be circumcised and embrace the Jewish religion (proselytes made by force would be no honor to the EL of Yisrael), but he made a law to restrain strangers from speaking evil of the EL of Yisrael.

3. He that was put to death for blasphemy is said to bear his sin, in the punishment of it; no sacrifice being appointed, on the head of which the sin might be transferred, he himself was to bear it upon his own head, as a sacrifice to divine justice. So his own tongue fell upon him (Ps. 64:8), and the tongue of a blasphemer will fall heavily.

Anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is a person of the lowest spiritual level that they are considering beyond saving. That person is not worth to be keep alive, meaning that person should not receive any more light from the CREATOR. Life on earth is about acknowledging YAHVEH as EL and strive for perfection, if anyone do not desire to accomplish the spiritual goal of the Creator, he or she is not worth to live. That is what this verse elucidates.

Verse 17 – 22 this passage contains perhaps the most misunderstood phrase in the Torah: an eye for an eye. The unlearned maintain that it is originally meant literally, but was later reinterpreted to mean monetary compensation. Torah never require anything more than monetary compensation.

Lev 24:17 ‘And he who smites the life from any man shall certainly be put to death. – A person who murder has sunken to the lowest possible spiritual level even lower than an animal. His life is not worth the effort to be saved. That person also has elevated themselves to the position of god, the ability to decide who should live or who should die. Every life as long as there is breath in them have the potential to achieve perfection, anyone who deprive another of that goal, is against the Creator purpose for Creation. The Creator alone has the right to decide who should live and who should die. 

Lev 24:18 ‘And he who smites a beast repays it, body for body. -  In the case of an animal, a life for a life or the cost of the animal must be paid. This is what scripture call an eye for an eye. Cost for Cost.

Lev 24:19 ‘And when a man inflicts a blemish upon his neighbor, as he has done so it is done to him: - This does not mean if I cut your finger off, you must also cut mines off also. This means that I must compensate the victim for his loss, with whatever is at my disposal. Torah is expressing responsibility for one’s actions. Cutting of the other person finger does not compensate the first person for his or her lost.

Lev 24:20 ‘Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he inflicts a blemish upon him, so it is done to him. – Whatever we do to another believer, we must stand the cost, whatever it is. That is why a person is often describing as a slave to another person, it is for the debt he or she has incurs. We are never told to be slave to the outside world, only to each other. 

Lev 24:21 ‘And he who smites a beast repays it, and he who smites a man to death is put to death. – There is a consequence for every action. The divine law took not only their lives, but their goods also under its protection. Those beasts which belonged to no particular person, but were, as our law speaks, of a wild nature, it was lawful for them to kill; but not those which any man had a property in. Does God take care for oxen? Yes; for our sakes he does.

Lev 24:22 ‘You are to have one right-ruling, for the stranger and for the native, for I am יהוה your Elohim. – The same ruling for the stranger who come to live among us as for the native Hebrew? That strangers, as well as native Yisraelites, should be both entitled to the benefit of this law, so as not to suffer wrong, and liable to the penalty of this law in case they did wrong. And, it should seem, this is it that brings in these laws here, to show how equitable it was that strangers as well as Yisraelites should be punished for blasphemy, because strangers as well as Israelites were punishable for other crimes. And there may be this further reason for the recognition of these laws here, YAHVEH would hereby show what provision he had made for man’s safety, in punishing those that were injurious to him, which should be an argument with magistrates to be jealous for his honor, and to punish those that blasphemed his name. If YAHVEH took care for their comfort, they ought to take care for his glory.

Lev 24:23 And Mosheh spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and they brought the one who cursed outside the camp, and stoned him with stones. And the children of Yisra’ĕl did as יהוה commanded Mosheh. -  The execution of the blasphemer. Moses did, as it were, sign the warrant or it: He spoke unto the children of Yisrael to do it, and they did as the YAHVEH commanded Moses. This teaches that death is the wages of sin, and that blasphemy in particular is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. But, if those who thus profane the name of YAHVEH escape punishment from men, yet the YAHVEH our Elohim will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. This blasphemer was the first that died by the law of Moses. Stephen, the first that died for the gospel, died by the abuse of this law; the martyr and the malefactor suffered the same death: but how vast the difference between them!

  

Haftarah

Yechezkel “Exekiel” 44:15-31

Eze 44:15 “But the priests, the Lĕwites, the sons of Tsaḏoq, who guarded the duty of My set-apart place when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray from Me, they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, and shall stand before Me to bring to Me the fat and the blood,” declares the Master יהוה. – Those who have been faithful are honored and established. These are remarkably distinguished from the other: "But the sons of Zadok, who kept their integrity in a time of general apostasy, who went not astray when others did, they shall come near to me, shall come near to my table.’’

Eze 44:16 “They shall enter My set-apart place, and they shall draw near to My table to serve Me, and they shall guard My charge. – YAHVEH will put marks of honor upon those who give proofs of their fidelity and constancy to him in shaking trying times, and will employ those in his service who have kept close to his service when others deserted it and drew back. And it ought to be reckoned a true and great reward of stability in duty to be established in it. If we keep close to YAHVEH, HE will keep us close to him.

Eze 44:17 “And it shall be, when they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, that they put on linen garments, and no wool shall come upon them while they attend within the gates of the inner courtyard or within the house. – YAH’s priests must be regulars, not seculars; and therefore here are rules laid down for them to govern themselves by and due encouragement given them to live up to those rules. Directions are here given,

Concerning their clothes; they must wear linen garments when they went in to minister or do any service in the inner court, or in the sanctuary, and nothing that was woollen, because it would cause sweat. They must dress themselves in a cool manner that they might go the more readily about their work; and they had the more need to do so because they were to attend the altars, which had constant fires upon them. And they must dress themselves clean and sweet, and avoid everything that was sweaty thing that may cause one to be easily irritated and filthy, to signify the purity of mind with which the service of YAHVEH is to be attended to. Sweat or one who is easily irritated came in with sin and was part of the curse.

Eze 44:18 “They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies, they shall not gird themselves with sweat. – In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Clothes came in with sin, coats of skins did; and therefore the priests must use as little and as light clothing as possible, and not such as caused sweat

Eze 44:19 “And when they go out to the outer courtyard, to the outer courtyard to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have attended, and shall leave them in the set-apart rooms, and shall put on other garments. And they shall set apart the people in their set-apart garments. – When they had finished their service they must change their clothes again, and lay up their linen garments in the chambers appointed for that purpose, as before, ch. 42:14. They must not go among the people with their holy garments on, lest they should imagine themselves sanctified by the touch of them; or, They shall sanctify the people, that is (as it is explained, ch. 42:14), they shall approach to those things which are for the people, in their ordinary garments.

Eze 44:20 “And their heads they shall not shave, nor shall they let their hair grow long – they shall keep their hair well trimmed. – Concerning their hair; in that they must avoid extremes on both hands: They must not shave their heads, in imitation of the Gentile priests, and as the priests of the Romish church do; nor, on the other hand, must they suffer their locks to grow long, as the beaux, or that they might be thought Nazarites, when really they were not; but they must be grave and modest, must poll their heads and keep their hair short. If a man, especially a minister, wear long hair, it is not becoming (1 Co. 11:14); it is effeminate.

Eze 44:21 “And no priest is to drink wine when he comes into the inner court. - Concerning their diet; they must be sure to drink no wine when they went in to minister, lest they should drink to excess, should drink and forget the law. It is not for kings to drink wine, more than will do them good, much less for priests. See Lev. 10:9; Prov. 31:4, 5.

Eze 44:22 “And they do not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take maidens of the seed of the house of Yisra’ĕl, or widows of priests. – Concerning taking a wife. In Torah taking a wife is to find a woman to live with, this include having sex with. Any woman a man have sex with become his wife. In this verse it is explaining that a priest must not have sex with anyone other than a virgin. Here they must consult the credit of their office, and not  to take as wife one that had been divorced, that was at least under the suspicion of immodesty, nor a widow, unless she were a priest’s widow, that had been accustomed to the usages of the priests’ families. Others may do that which ministers may not do, but must deny themselves in, in honor of their character. Their wives as well as themselves must be of good report. Let me say this again, marriage is not a biblical activity, it is the commandment of men, instituted in the 11^th century to replace the Bride Price ordained by the Creator.

Eze 44:23 “And they are to teach My people the difference between the set-apart and the profane, and make them know what is unclean and clean. – Concerning their teaching and church-government. It was part of their business to teach the people; and herein they must approve themselves both skilful and faithful: They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane, between good and evil, lawful and unlawful, that they may neither scruple what is lawful nor venture upon what is unlawful, that they may not pollute what is holy nor pollute themselves with what is profane.

Ministers must take pains to cause people to discern between the clean and the unclean, that they may not confound the distinctions between right and wrong, nor mistake concerning them, so as to put darkness for light and light for darkness, but may have a good judgment of discretion concerning their own actions.

The most important ministry in the church is the teacher, not the Pastor. A Pastor is a counselor, who helps believers overcome or deal with problem in their lives. When these problems, hard areas or stony ground, are removed, then the person or field in now a good ground to sow the seeds of the Word. This sower is the teacher.

Eze 44:24 “And they are to stand as judges in a dispute, and judge it according to My right-rulings. And they are to guard My Torah and My laws in all My appointed festivals, and set apart My Sabbaths. – It was part of their business to judge upon appeals made to them (Deu. 17:8, 9); and in controversy they shall stand in judgment. They shall have the honesty to stand up for what is right, and, when they have passed a right judgment, shall have the courage to stand to it and stand by it. They must judge, not according to their own fancies, or inclinations, or secular interests, but according to my judgments; that must be their rule and standard.

Ministers must decide controversies according to the word of YAHVEH, to the law and to the testimony. Let the judge be unbiased. Their business is to keep courts in YAH’s name, to preside in the congregations of his people. And herein they must go to the statute-book: They shall keep YAHVEH statutes in all my assemblies. YAHVEH calls the assemblies of HIS people HIS assemblies, because they are held in his name, to HIS glory. Ministers are the masters of those assemblies, are to preside in them, and in all their acts must keep close to YAH’s laws. Another part of their work, as church governors, is to hallow YAH’s Sabbaths, Passover, Pentecost, Day of Atonement, feast of Trumpet, and Succoth. They must do the public work of that day with a becoming care and reverence, as the work of a holy day should be done, and to see that YAH’s people also sanctify those days and do nothing to pollute it, Lev 23.

Eze 44:25 “And they are not to defile themselves by coming near a dead man. Only for a father or mother, for a son or daughter, for a brother or unmarried sister they defile themselves. – Concerning their mourning for dead relations; the rule here agrees with the law of Moses, Lev. 21:1, 11. A priest shall not come near any dead body (for they must be purified from dead works) except of his next relations. Decent expressions of a pious sorrow for dear relations, when they are removed by death, are not disagreeable to the character of a minister. Yet by this approach to the dead body of a relation they contracted a ceremonial pollution, from which they must be cleansed by a sin-offering before they went in again to minister. Though sorrow for the dead is very allowable and commendable, yet there is danger of sinning in it, either by excess or dissimulation; and those tears have too often need to be wept over again.

Eze 44:26 “And after his cleansing, they count seven days for him, - The process of cleansing from dead works is usually seven days, so is the sixth day of Creation plus the seventh day a illustration of this process. The death of the physical body is a must, it is appointed for a man to die once. However, the death of the body that the CREATOR is seeking is the death to the influence of the body on our spiritual life. A priest should be a person who has already overcome the flesh, they have brought spiritual death to the influence of the body on our soul. By avoiding dead bodies, the message they are conveying that they no longer associate themselves with dead things. The dead bodies of their next of kin should be a body that has been sanctified by their association with him; meaning that anyone who is associated with a priest should be a mature believer.

Eze 44:27 and on the day that he comes into the inner court of the set-apart place to attend in the set-apart place, he brings his sin offering,” declares the Master יהוה. – Every human beside Messiyah Yahushua, is a fallen human, therefore a sin offering is require before they entered into the Holy Place. This is the Blood and Water that flow from Messiyah’s Side. The Laver in the outer court is where the priest must wash themselves before entering in to the Holy Place to perform their service to ABBA YAHVEH.

Eze 44:28 “And it shall be to them for an inheritance, I am their inheritance. And you give them no possession in Yisra’ĕl – I am their possession. - Concerning their maintenance; they must live off the altar at which they served, and live comfortably: "You shall give them no possession in Yisrael, no lands or tenements, lest they should be entangled with the affairs of this life;’’ for YAHVEH has said, I am their inheritance, and they need no other in reserve; I am their possession, and they need no other in hand. Some land was allowed them (ch. 48:10), but their principal subsistence was by their office. What YAHVEH appropriated to HIMSELF they were the receivers of, for their own proper use and behoof; they lived upon the holy things, and so YAHVEH was the portion both of their inheritance and of their cup. Those who have YAHVEH for their inheritance and their possession may be content with a little, and ought not to covet a great deal of the possessions and inheritances of this earth. If we have YAHVEH, we have all; and therefore may well reckon that we have enough. In the Kingdom to come, some of us will be given a inheritance, while others will be ask to minister to ABBA YAHVEH. This verse gives us an illustration on how the reward will be given in the World to come.

Eze 44:29 “The grain offering, and the sin offering, and the guilt offering they are to eat, and all that is dedicated in Yisra’ĕl is theirs. – What the priests were to have from the people, for their maintenance and encouragement.

(1.) They must have the flesh of many of the offerings, the sin-offering and trespass-offering, which would supply them and their families with flesh-meat, and the meat-offerings, which would supply them with bread. What we offer to ABBA YAHVEH will redound to our own advantage.

(2.) They must have every dedicated devoted thing in Yisrael, which was in many cases to be turned into money and given to the priest. This is explained, in verse 20. Every oblation or free-will offering (which in times of reformation and devotion would be many and considerable) of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s. We have the law concerning them Lev. 27.

(3.) They were to have the first of the dough when it was going to the oven, as well as the first of their fruits when they were going to the barn. YAHVEH, who is the first, must have the first; and, if it belong to HIM, HIS priests must have it. We may then comfortably enjoy what we have, when a share of it has been first set apart for works of piety and charity. To this the apostle’s rule bears some analogy, to begin the week with laying by for pious uses, 1 Co. 16:2.

Eze 44:30 “And the first of all the first-fruits of all, and every contribution of all, of all your contributions, belong to the priests. And the first of your ground meal you give to the priest, so that a blessing rests on your house. – What the people might expect from the priest for their recompence. Those that are kind to a prophet, to a priest, shall have a prophet’s, a priest’s reward: That he may cause the blessing to rest in thy house, that YAHVEH may cause it by commanding it, that the priest may cause it by praying for it; and it was part of the priest’s work to bless the people in the name of YAHVEH, not only their congregations, but their families. It is all in all to the comfort of any house to have the blessing of YAHVEH upon it and to have the blessing to rest in it, to dwell where we dwell and to attend the entail of it upon those that shall come after us. And the way to have the blessing of YAHVEH abide upon our estates is to honor YAHVEH with them, and to give him and his ministers, him and his poor, their share out of them. YAHVEH blesses, he surely blesses, the habitation of those who are thus just, Prov. 3:33. And ministers, by instructing and praying for the families that are kind to them, should do their part towards causing the blessing to rest there. Peace be to this house.

Eze 44:31 “The priests are not to eat any bird or beast found dead or torn to pieces. – The priests being so well provided for, it would be inexcusable in them if they (contrary to the law which every Yisraelite is bound by) should eat that which is torn or which died of itself. Those that were in want of necessary food might perhaps expect to be dispensed with in such a case. Poverty has its temptations, but the priests were so well provided for that they could have no pretence for it.

Brit Chadasha

Qlesayah “Colossians” 2:11-23

Col 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Messiyah, - Had they circumcision, which was the sign of the seal of the covenant? In Messiyah we are spiritually circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by the work of regeneration in us, which is the spiritual circumcision. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, Rom. 2:29. This is owing to Messiyah, and belongs to the Messiyanic dispensation.

It is made without hands; not by the power of any creature, but by the power of the blessed Spirit of YAHVEH. We are born of the Spirit, Jn. 3:5. And it is the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit, Tit. 3:5. It consists in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, in renouncing sin and reforming our lives, not in mere external rites. It is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards ABBA YAHVEH, 1 Pt. 3:21.

It is not enough to put away some one particular sin, but we must put off from the body the desire of sin. The old man must be crucified, and the body desire for sin destroyed, Rom. 6:6. Messiyah was circumcised, symbolizing that he too had put off the desire for sin, even thou He Himself never need to be circumcised. When He was circumcised, He said He did it to fulfill all righteousness. By virtue of our union to Him, we partake of that effectual grace which helps us to puts off the lust of the body of the sins of the flesh.

The Jews thought themselves complete in the law; much the same as Christian think themselves complete in Messiyah. We can become complete in Messiyah, as we also could become complete in the Law, Noah was consider righteous in his generation. Those who tell you that the Law was useless have no idea what they are saying. The Law was establishing to mark the journey of a perfect son; Messiyah Yahushua did just that perfectly. However, every other man who lived, are in need of a Savor. That is where Messiyah ministry help us, it provide Grace that when we sin, He died for us, and His blood gives us grace to try to overcome that sin the next time. The law was never imperfect and defective; the first set of covenants had been faultless, therefore Messiyah sought for a better Covenant (Heb. 8:7), and the law was a shadow of good and perfect Son, and could never by those sacrifices, make the sons of sinner perfect, Heb. 10:1. The law requires that anyone who sin should die and the Law cannot change. That is why we have a better covenant today, because Messiyah the world first perfect man died for us. The Law require absolute perfection, anyone who sin must die, this was a given in the beginning, it is still a given today. Every time we sin Messiyah show his nail Pearce hand and say I die for this one too.

The covenant we have in Messiyah is that we can be given another chance to correct our mistake we made when we confess our sin and make atonement for it.

Messiyah is the head of all principality and power. As the Torah priesthood had its perfection in Messiyah when they offer a sacrifice, so likewise had the kingdom of David, which was the eminent principality and power under the Old Covenant, and which the Jews valued themselves so much as Christian value Grace. Law without Grace is useless; Grace without the Law is equally useless.

Col 2:12 having been buried with Him in immersion, in which you also were raised with Him through the belief in the working of Elohim, who raised Him from the dead. – We have communion with Messiyah in his whole undertaking: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you have risen with him. We all can be buried and rise with him, and both are signified by our baptism; not that there is anything in the sign or ceremony of baptism which represents this burying and rising, any more than the crucifixion of Messiyah is represented by any visible resemblance in then Passover: and he is speaking of the circumcision made without hands; and says it is through the faith of the operation of YAHVEH. But the thing signified by our baptism is that we are buried with Messiyah, as baptism is the seal of the covenant and an obligation to our dying to sin; and that we are raised with Messiyah, as it is a seal and obligation to our living to righteousness, or newness of life. Yahushua in baptism engages to be to us a EL, and we become engaged to be his people, and by his grace to die to sin and to live to righteousness, or put off the old man and put on the new.

Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses¹ and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Footnote: ¹Eph. 2:1. – The sins of the flesh made us all dead spiritually, the circumcision of our flesh made us alive again spiritually. The Blood that flow from Yahushua feet, His Side, His Right and Left and ant the crown of Thorns. All of these bloods were shed for us to use in our spiritual journey to perfection.

Col 2:14 having blotted out the certificate of debt against us – by the dogmas – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake. – There are two type of laws in Torah, Exodus 40:20 is the Ten Commandments that was place inside of the Ark. Deuteronomy 31:26 describe the Law that was place on the outside of the Ark. The law on the our-side of the Ark is the Law that is against us, for it is the Policeman of the Scripture. If we break the law that was place inside of the Ark, the law that is outside of the Ark will come against us. This law is describe in Deuteronomy 28:15 – 68 call the curse of the law. We must remember that the law can never change. Messiyah Yahushua dies to protect anyone who believes in Him, from the curse of the law, the law that was place on the outside of the Ark.

Many Christian often use this verse to justify breaking the law that was place inside of the Ark.

Col 2:15 Having stripped the principalities and the authorities, He made a public display of them, having prevailed over them in it. – When the serpent got Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, it gave the principalities and the authorities a major advantage in the war for the human soul. Messiyah death and Resurrection took back that authority and establish a better Covenant that human can used to reach perfection. Believers do not have to worry about the blood of bulls and sheep, they have a better Blood that of a perfect Lamb Messiyah Yahushua. The blood from the Feet of Messiyah is for our Justification, The Blood and Water that flow from His Side is for our Deliverance, the Blood from His Right Hand represent the Holy Spirit, the Menorah of the Holy Place, the Blood from His Left Hand the Altar of Showbread the Torah, the Written Word, the Blood from the Crown of Thorns the Altar of Burnt Offering, Praise and Worship.

Col 2:16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths.  – In this verse we are admonish not to allow anyone to judge us, by the things we eat or drink, or in our ability to keep the Feast day or the Torah definition of the Scriptural month “new moon” or in keeping the Sabbaths. Christians used this verse to justify their desire to eat pork and unclean meat, and disobeying the Festivals and the Sabbath, when all this verse is saying, is that we must never allow anyone to find us guilty of these actions. My people perish for the lack of knowledge.

Col 2:17 which are a shadow of what is to come – but the Body of the Messiyah. – The fulfillment of these commandments is a shadow of things to come. When we fulfilled this commandment we are bringing heaven to earth.

Col 2:18 Let no one deprive you of the prize, one who takes delight in false humility and worship of messengers, taking his stand on what he has not seen, puffed up by his fleshly mind, - This verse warns us not to let anyone deprive us of the prize of achieving full maturity, which is the goal of Creation, this is what Messiyah accomplish perfectly. We too can accomplish this even though we have sinned and fallen short many time. Grace is the better Covenant Messiyah Yahushua have negotiate for those who desire to achieved the goal or the prize set aside for us. Revelation 3:21 outline this ultimate prize. ²¹ To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. This prize is to rule and reign with Messiyah.

Col 2:19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the Body – nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments – grows with the growth of Elohim. – In scripture the Head represent Messiyah, it is also an indicator of the Spirit, and the Body represents anyone who believes in Messiyah, the flesh. The whole Messiyanic assembly is spiritually nourished my associating with Him. We grow spiritually when we fulfilled the festival, and new moon and the Sabbath found describe in verse 17. Each day of creation describe a Torah cycle, one spiritual year, starting with Passover in the first month or spring. We cannot keep the Passover if we do not know the Biblical month, which is determine by the new moon. The moon is YAHVEH time table, anywhere in the world we are we can tell what day of the month it is by looking at the moon. The moon is what the festival in Leviticus 23 is based on, except for the Sabbath.

Col 2:20 If, then, you died with Messiyah from the elementary matters¹ of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations: Footnote: ¹See v. 8, and Gal. 4:3 & 9. – If we die with Messiyah from the foolish thing of this world, such as the Julian calendar which the majority of humanity follow. Human follow the Julian calendar or New Year, Christmas, the Julian calendar some month have 31 days, some 30 and one 28, The New Moon calendar is always 28.5 days it never change. The true believer who live in this world will guide there live by the time ordain my EL YAHVEH and not mans.

 We must not be subject to mans time and feast days such as Christmas, new years, valentine day, mother’s day est.

Col 2:21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” – We should not touch their dead things, or eat there pork, nor participate in there customs.

Col 2:22 which are all to perish with use – according to the commands and teachings of men?¹ Footnote: ¹Note: commands and teachings of men, not of Elohim. – All these practices will perish when the earth is purge in the end of the age. All manmade commandment philosophy and teaching will come to an end, while the Torah will remain forever.

Col 2:23 These indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed worship, humiliation and harsh treatment of the body – of no value at all, only for satisfaction of the flesh. – Man made commandments such as holy matrimony, Holy Communion all have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed righteousness; however it is of no value spiritually except to gratify the flesh and our religious inclination.