Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread)
Leviticus 23: 6-8

Hag ha’Matzah DIG: How does this feast bring to mind the work of Messiah? How would this festival help to maintain a close relationship with YHVH? What is the significance of the matzah being striped and pierced? What would it mean to be cut off from the people?

REFLECT: What does it mean for believers to celebrate this festival today? Is there anything wrong with Gentiles celebrating this festival? How is our fellowship with the Lord broken? How do believers purge the leaven out of our lives today? Who can you tell today?

Hag ha’Matzah was fulfilled by the sinlessness of Yeshua’s sacrifice.

Hag ha’Matzah, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is recorded in Leviticus: On the fifteenth day of Nisan is the festival of matzah; for seven days you are to eat matzah. On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. It was considered a Shabbat day. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (23:6-8). This is the biblical name for this feast found in Exodus 23:15, and emphasizes the necessity of the absence of leaven (also see Matthew 26:17; Mark 1 and 12; Luke 22:7 and John 1:9). This day started the counting of the omer (see Eb – Counting the Omer).

Hag means pilgrimage, and whenever this term is used to characterize a festival, it refers to an actual pilgrimage, either to a nearby or to a faraway site. The duty to undertake a pilgrimage is known in a number of other religions, most notably in Islam, where the Arabic term hajatun, is similar to the Hebrew hag, and designates a holy pilgrimage (see a video presentation of Hag ha’Matzah by clicking here).

This means that any festival called hag could not be fully celebrated at one’s home, but required one’s presence at the Temple in Jerusalem. In earlier times, before the Temple was built, the pilgrimage might have brought a family to a nearby altar, but subsequently Deuteronomy 12 ordained that all sacrificial offerings were to be brought to one, central Tabernacle/Temple, which necessitated a much longer pilgrimage for most Israelites (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ct – The Place to Worship ADONAI).⁴²⁹ Three times a year, every able-bodied Jewish man was to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate the three pilgrimage feasts of Hag ha’Matzah, Hag Shavu’ot, and Hag Sukkot (see the commentary on Exodus Eh – Three Times a Year Celebrate a Festival to Me).

The Biblical Practice: It is quite simple and two things should be noted. First, it is a feast that lasts for seven days immediately following Passover. No leaven can be eaten for these seven days. Hag ha’Matzah is mentioned several times in the TaNaKh and one time in the B’rit Chadashah. Exodus 12:15-20 introduces Hag Ha’Matzah in conjunction with the Passover since the two festivals come back-to-back. Not only were the Israelites forbidden to eat any leaven, they were forbidden to have it in their homes. The punishment for anyone who ate leaven or failed to clean it from their homes was to be cut off from the community of Isra’el (Exodus 12:19). In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.”⁴³⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, It is so comforting to think of Your chesed, steadfast love. But that is only one part of your character. Another very important and very crucial part of Your character is Your holiness. [Seraphim] One called out to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is ADONAI-Tzva’ot! The whole earth is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:2a and 3). Your perfect love and holiness work together to redeem for Yourself a family who loves and obeys You. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him (John 14:21). No one can say they believe in You and then go off and do whatever they want. Believing in You includes loving obedience. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Your forgiveness is wonderful but it does not give me the right to sin any time I feel like it. You hate sin and have given Your Holy Ruach to live inside of me and to convict me of sin (John 16:8-9).  I love You and delight in following Your holy ways in joyful obedience. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Exodus 23:14-15 declares this one of the three pilgrimage festivals. Actually, it is the Passover which is the pilgrimage festival but because the Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Pesach, the Jew would still be in Jerusalem when this feast began.

Deuteronomy 16:3-8 emphasizes the necessity of a total absence of leaven.

Second Chronicles 39:23-27 records how King Hezekiah kept the feast.

Ezra 6:21-22 states that it was also kept in the days of Ezra.

Ezeki’el 45:21-24 prophecies that it will be observed during the Messianic Kingdom. Not all the festivals will be observed during the thousand-year reign of Messiah, but this one will. It is mentioned only one place in the B’rit Chadashah where Yeshua observed it: Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the Torah-teachers were scheming to find a way to arrest Yeshua and kill him (Mark 14:1).

Pesach, Hag ha’Matzah, and Resheet came rapidly, three days in a row; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. All three point to Yeshua Messiah. Pesach points to the death of the Lamb of God; Hag ha’Matzah points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, and Resheet points Messiah as being the firstfruits of those who would be raised from the dead. The Feast of the Passover would last one day, and it was followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. By B’rit Chadashah times, Pesach and the first day of Hag ha’Matzah had become the same in accordance with the Pharisaic view.⁴³¹ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzah (another name for Pesach). For seven days you are to eat matzah (Leviticus 23:6).

Here is what the seven-day festival every Nisan looks like:

Pesach (or the Festival of Matzah)           Day 1 Shabbat

Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread)      Day 2 Shabbat

Resheet (First Fruits)                                       Day 3 Shabbat

                                                                                       Day 4

                                                                                       Day 5

                                                                                       Day 6

                                                                                       Day 7 Shabbat

On the first day of Pesach you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. The additional sacrifices are described in Numbers 28:17-25 (see the commentary on Numbers Fg – The Hag ha’Matzot Offering). On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (Leviticus 23:7-8). It is considered a Shabbat. On the first and seventh day of the festival, work was forbidden. The community celebrated together. On the intervening days, however, ordinary work could be carried on, if necessary, but the celebration continued.

Today in Isra’el, Passover is the seven-day holiday sometimes called Hag ha’Matzah, or the Festival of Matzah, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work. Nothing that contains yeast is eaten during that seven-day period.

The Jewish Observance: Two things should be noted. First, it follows the biblical practice of not eating leaven for seven days. There are specially prepared foods made for this occasion containing unleavened bread. The first, sixth, and seventh days were considered more holy, and they would only cook as much food as was needed, not more. Secondly, there is a liturgy that is followed with specific scriptures to read each day.

The first day of Unleavened Bread (more holy), the full Hallel is said.
Leviticus 22:26-23:44 that deals with seven holy seasons
Numbers 28:16-25 that deals with the sacrifices
Second Kings 23:1-9 and 21-25 that deals with the Passover of Josiah

The second day of Unleavened Bread, the first intermediate day
Exodus 13:1-16 that deals with the laws of unleavened bread and the first born
Numbers 28:19-15
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The third day of Unleavened Bread, the second intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The fourth day of Unleavened Bread, the third intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The fifth day of Unleavened Bread, the fourth intermediate day
Numbers 28:19-25
and a shortened version of the Hallel is said.

The sixth day of Unleavened Bread (more holy)
Exodus 13:17-15:26, the crossing of the Sea of Reeds
Numbers 28:19-25
Second Samuel 22:1-51 (see my commentary on the Life of David Eh – David’s Song of Praise),
and a shorter version of the Hallel is said.

The seventh day of Unleavened Bread (more holy)
Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17
Numbers 28:19-25
Isaiah 10:32-12:6
and a shorter version of the Hallel is said.⁴³²

The Messianic Significance: Whenever the word leaven is used symbolically in Scripture it is always a symbol for sin. That is why God would not even allow this symbol of sin to be eaten by the Jewish people during this feast or to have it in their homes or to have it anywhere in the land of Isra’el. Only Passover matzah that is striped and pierced is considered kosher (see the commentary on Isaiah Jb – Yet We Considered Him Punished and Stricken by God).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is fulfilled by the offering of the sinless blood of Messiah. When Yeshua was offered up as a sacrifice and shed His sinless blood, the moment His blood was spilled outside His body, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled. Hebrews 9:11-10:18 emphasizes the sacrifice of the innocent, sinless blood. The point here is that the blood of goats and bulls could never take away sin, but required human blood that was innocent. Only one Person had sinless, innocent blood – Yeshua Messiah.

This blood needs to be applied and sprinkled somewhere. It could not be sprinkled in the Most Holy Place of earthly Tabernacle, or the Temple, for that was merely a copy of the original. The writer to the Hebrews says it was necessary to cleanse the heavenly Tabernacle. As a result, at some point, Yeshua sprinkled the heavenly Tabernacle for the purpose of cleansing it. Whereas the earthly Tabernacle could be cleansed with the blood of animals, the heavenly tabernacle required something more – sinless human blood. This accomplished three things. First, the heavenly Tabernacle was cleansed; secondly, the sins of the Righteous of the TaNaKh (the Old Testament saints) were removed before leading the captives to heaven (Ephesians 4:8); thirdly, the sins of the New Covenant believers are forgiven and removed permanently upon faith in Yeshua, we are justified.

Another implication of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is in First Corinthians 5:6-8 where it is stated that believers are to keep it by a holy walk. Believers should purge out the leaven in our lives because Messiah, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for us. Again, leaven is a symbol of sin. Even believer’s sin, this leaven in our lives, must be purged. When a person accepts Jesus as his or her Passover sacrifice in fulfillment of the First Feast, and is at the moment born again (John 3:3), he or she experiences the regenerating work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (the Spirit of God), is baptized into the body of Messiah, and placed into the family of God (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). Once a believer is in the family he or she can never be disowned. However, fellowship within the family can be broken by sin or by leaven in the believer’s life. The means of purging out the leaven is confession: If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9b). By means of confession we can purge our lives of leaven. In that way, we can keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in its spiritual sense.⁴³³

The Feast of the Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah; the Feast of the Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: Those who desire to enter into the full celebration of the holy day begin before the arrival of the Seder by cleansing all leaven from the house. Floors are swept, vacuumed and mopped. Cupboards are cleared of leavened products and cleaned. Pots and dishes are thoroughly washed to remove any possible fragments of leaven. The spirit of the Torah is to remove all leaven from our houses (Exodus 12:19-20). This is also symbolic of the spiritual cleansing of our hearts (First Corinthians 5:6:8).

My suggestion, in that spirit of freedom, is to adapt the preparation to a comfortable degree. For some, this may mean all of the above cleaning. For others, it may mean a cursory cleaning to merely symbolize the truth of the Passover. Let everyone be convinced in his or her own mind (Romans 14).

After the general cleaning in the first weeks of Nisan, the attention becomes more focused as the day of Pesach approaches. After sundown on the fourteenth of Nisan, a special ceremony called bedikat khameytz (the search for the leaven) takes place in the home. The last little bits of leaven are found and removed. The details are intriguing. Since the house has previously been cleaned, the leader of the house must purposely hide some leaven (bits of cookie or bread) in various places. Then the leader takes a feather, a wooden spoon and a lighted candle, and the family begins searching for the final leaven. This can be a great time to get children or grandchildren involved because it’s a game like hide-and-seek.

The spiritual lessons are quite striking, however. The leaven (sin) must be cleansed from our dwellings (and hearts). The method itself is informative. The light of the candle (the Word of God) illuminates our sin, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). The leaven is scooped onto the wooden spoon for removal (like the wooden cross of the Messiah). The following morning, this last bit of collected leaven is burnt outside the home (in a can or bag) to symbolize its final destruction. This symbolizes Messiah’s destroying sin outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12-13), and making freedom from the power of sin available for all who believe.

On the day of the fourteenth of Nisan, as the first day of Passover approaches, final preparations for the Seder must be made. By now, the preliminary arrangements, such as shopping for “Kosher for Passover” products (Matzah, wine or grape juice, and any other unleavened food substitutes) should be completed. These customs may seem strange to the uninitiated, but the deep spiritual truth will be evident to discerning believers in Yeshua. Even something as unusual as the search for the leaven can become a meaningful ceremony for those whose hearts have been cleansed by the Messiah.⁴³⁴

Pesach (Passover)
Leviticus 23: 5-8

Pesach DIG: Why is Pesach celebrated on the fifteenth and not the fourteenth? What is the Messianic significance of Pesach? How does the Jewish observance differ from the biblical practice today? What are some practical things believers can do to prepare for it?

REFLECT: Do you have a Messianic congregation near you? Do you think you could find it on the internet/YouTube? Why would a Gentile want to celebrate Pesach? Why do you think other Gentiles do so? Have you ever attended a Passover Seder? Why? Why not?

The Feast of Passover is fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

The Biblical Practice: In the first month of Nisan, on the fourteenth day of the month comes Pesach for ADONAI (Leviticus 13:5). It is considered a Shabbat. This is the dating system that was in use during much of the biblical period, especially in the information of official records and laws. The operative unit of time was the lunar month (Hebrew: chodesh), not the week; and the months of the year were designated by ordinal numbers: the first month . . . the seventh month, and so forth. The counting began in the spring of the year. There is both biblical and extra biblical evidence that other calendrical systems were also in use during the biblical period, but Leviticus 23 does not refer to them.⁴²²

The entire community of Isra’el will slaughter the Passover lamb at twilight, between sundown and complete darkness, approximately one and one-third hours of duration (Exodus 12:1-6). There were two key elements. The first was the killing of the lamb. From the tenth to the fourteenth, the lamb was to be examined to make sure it was without spot or blemish (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ix – The Examination of the Lamb). The lamb would be slaughtered at twilight on the fourteenth, making sure no bones were broken (Exodus 12:46). The second element was the eating of the lamb (Exodus 12:8) with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. As the sun went down, the fourteenth of Nisan turned into the fifteenth of Nisan, and so the Passover meal was actually celebrated and eaten on the fifteenth of Nisan (see a video presentation of Pesach by clicking here).

Pesach, Hag ha’Matzot, and Resheet came rapidly, three days in a row; Friday, Saturday (Shabbat), and Sunday. All three point to Yeshua Messiah. Pesach points to the death of the Lamb of God; Hag ha’Matzot points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, and Resheet points Messiah as being the firstfruits of those who would be raised from the dead. The Feast of the Passover would last one day, and it was followed immediately by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. By B’rit Chadashah times, Pesach and the first day of Hag ha’Matzot had become the same in accordance with the Pharisaic view.⁴²³ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the festival of matzot (another name for Pesach). For seven days you are to eat matzah (Lev 23:6).

Here is what the seven-day festival every Nisan looks like:

Pesach (or the Festival of Matzot)           Day 1 Shabbat

Hag ha’Matzot (Unleavened Bread)      Day 2 Shabbat

Resheet (First Fruits)                                       Day 3 Shabbat

                                                                                       Day 4

                                                                                       Day 5

                                                                                       Day 6

                                                                                       Day 7 Shabbat

On the first day of Pesach, you are to have a holy convocation; don’t do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire (on the bronze altar) to ADONAI for seven days. The additional sacrifices are described in Numbers 28:17-25 (see the commentary on Numbers Fg – The Hag ha’Matzot Offering). On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work (Leviticus 23:7-8). On the first and seventh day of the festival, work was forbidden. The community celebrated together. On the intervening days, however, ordinary work could be carried on, if necessary, but the celebration continued. Today in Isra’el, Passover is the seven-day holiday sometimes called Hag ha’Matzot, or the Festival of Matzot, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work. Nothing that contains yeast is eaten during that seven-day period.

The Jewish Observance: Pesach (PAY-sahk) means to pass over. The Passover meal, Seder (SAY-der), commemorates the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. There are two key elements. The first key element is unleavened bread. The Torah says the people should remove any leavened products from their households (Exodus 12:15). This was to remind them that they had to flee Egypt so quickly that the bread in their ovens did not have time to rise. Leaven is a symbol of sin so God would not permit the symbol of sin to be in the Jewish home. Not only that, according to Jewish law, a Jew may not even own leaven during the Passover season. It also had to be striped and pierced. A particularly intriguing element unwittingly added by the rabbis is called the afikomen (a Greek word meaning that which comes last) ceremony. Three matzahs are placed in a special Passover bag known as the matzah tash that is only one bag, but contains three pouches. A piece of unleavened bread is placed in each pouch. Before the Seder, the middle matzah is broken in two and the larger half is wrapped in a white linen cloth and hidden away to be used later for the afikomen or the desert. The smaller half is used for the special benediction over the matzah just before the Passover starts. After the story has been told and the Passover ceremony is over, and in conjunction with the third and fourth cups of wine, the children try to find it and then it is removed from its hiding place, unwrapped, broken into small pieces the size of an olive, and distributed for all to eat. Before 70 AD the rabbis taught that after the story has been told the Passover lamb was supposed to be the last thing eaten. But after 70 AD there were no longer any “Temple approved” lambs, so the afikomen became the symbolic reminder of the Passover lamb and for this reason, it must be the last thing eaten. The rabbis later added numerous other elements, including green vegetables, a roasted egg, and kharoset (apple/nut mix).

The second key element is the wine. Each person will drink four cups of wine. First, the cup of blessing; second, the cup of plagues; third, the cup of redemption; and fourth the cup of praise with which the family sings Psalm 113-118. Later in history, the rabbis added a fifth cup called the cup of Elijah (Malachi 4:5).⁴²⁴

The passage also indicates that on the first and seventh day of the festival are to be observed as holy convocations. In the original context the holy convocation is a reference to the Temple service prescribed for the festival day. Today, the Jewish observance, the holy convocation, has come to mean the assembling together for prayer, worship, and the public reading of scripture, in other words, a congregational assembly. In addition to the prescribed Torah reading, it is traditional to read the Song of Solomon on the day of Unleavened Bread. Believers might also read the passion narratives and reflect on them.

In Chassidic communities, it has become a tradition to host a “Messianic Banquet” on the seventh day of the Festival of Matzvot. The Messianic Banquet is celebrated in anticipation of Messiah’s coming (ironic). Relevant verses from the prophets are studied as Chassidim rehearse the banquet that will inaugurate the reign of the Messianic King. In some renditions, four cups are consumed on the first night of Passover.⁴²⁵

The Messianic Significance: This feast was fulfilled by the death of Messiah. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 pictures the Messiah coming as a lamb to the slaughter (see the commentary on Isaiah Iy – The Death of the Suffering Servant). The New Covenant passages also clearly connect Messiah with the Passover Lamb (John 1:29, 35-36; First Peter 1:18-19 and Revelation 5:12). Not only is Yeshua identified with the lamb itself, Paul identifies Him with the whole Passover Feast: For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed (First Corinthians 5:7). Thus, we have here an explicit confirmation that the Passover not only points specifically to Yeshua the Messiah, but that it also finds its most complete significance in His sacrificial death. Because Yeshua is the ultimate Passover Lamb, by believing in Him we participate and benefit from all the doctrines which are characteristic of the historical exodus from Egypt. In other words, the Brit Chadsahah confirms that Messiah redeemed us, set us free to serve YHVH, and saved and delivered us from sin.

Finally, what good does all of the head knowledge do us? The Torah bids us to participate in the Passover Seder every year. It is in the participation of Pesach that we are reminded – and renewed – every year of the precious redemptive truths of Messiah as well as the powerful acts God has accomplished for us in history.⁴²⁶

The afikomen ceremony also points to Messiah. One bag with three compartments portrays one God who exists in three Persons. In this ceremony the middle matzah is removed, a picture of the incarnation when the Second Person of the Trinity became man in the person of Yeshua. It is broken in two that pictures His death When Yeshua came to this part in the ceremony, he said: This is My body broken for you (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kj – Breaking of the Middle Matzah). It is then wrapped in white linen. The Gospels make it quite clear that when the body of Messiah was removed from the cross, He was wrapped in linen cloth. It is then hidden for a time, a picture of His burial. Then it is removed from its hiding place and unwrapped, a picture of the resurrection. Pieces are broken off and distributed to the members around the table, a picture of John 6 where Yeshua said we must all partake of His body. In that same chapter Yeshua clearly interprets the “eating” of His body as believing that He is the Messiah.

Furthermore, in the Jewish observance there are four cups of wine. Luke does not mention all four cups but does mention two. The first cup is in Luke 22:17-18, the cup of thanksgiving over which the Passover observance begins. The third cup is mentioned in Luke 22:20 (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kk – The Third Cup of Redemption). For Jews it symbolizes the physical redemption brought about by the blood of the Passover lamb in the Egyptian Passover (see the commentary on Exodus Bv – The Egyptian Passover). Now it symbolizes our spiritual redemption from the tyranny of sin. Yeshua clearly identified Himself in terms of the Jewish observance of the Passover.⁴²⁷

Therefore, the Passover is fulfilled by the death of Messiah.

A Practical Guide for Believers in Messiah: On the fourteenth of Nisan, final preparations for the Passover Seder must be made. A traditional Seder plate and ceremonial items will also be needed. The zeroah is a lamb shankbone representing the lamb sacrifice. If no lamb shankbone is available, a turkey or chicken bone that has been roasted by fire may be substituted. The baytzah is a roasted, hard-boiled egg representing the burnt offerings of the Temple period (see Ai – The Burnt Offering). The maror (bitter herbs) is usually horseradish, which is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery to sin. The kharoset (the sweet apple/nut mix) is a wonderful reminder of the sweetness of our redemption, and the karpas (parsley), a green vegetable, speaks of life. A kiddush cup (goblet) for each person plus the cup of Elijah with its own place setting is also needed to prepare the Seder table. A matzah tash (afikomen bag) and a ceremonial washing bowl of water are also essential items.

Each reading participant will need a haggadah (Hebrew: the telling) for the Seder, which is a Jewish instructional guide that sets the order and commemorates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt. If the leader feels comfortable, it is possible to use a traditional haggadah available through any Jewish bookstore. Many believers, however, prefer to use a Messianic Jewish haggadah. These contain most of the traditional reading, but are also accompanied by relevant New Covenant passages and explanations. One recourse I recommend to Messianic believers is The Messianic Passover Haggadah by Lederer Messianic Ministries. It is a quality Messianic haggadah. Lederer also has a very helpful preparation guide for the Seder.

Pesach officially begins after the sun sets on the fourteenth of Nisan and the fifteenth of Nisan begins. In Judaism, the night precedes the day. Since most of the Jewish communities outside Isra’el celebrate the first two nights of Passover with a traditional Seder, many Messianic believers have different types of Seders each night. Many Messianic congregations have a large community Seder the first night of Pesach for their members and to reach out to those who need to hear the message of redemption. The second night is usually spent at a smaller, home Seder with family and close friends. But whatever your options, I encourage you to make plans to celebrate this wonderful festival.

The Seder is the focal point of the celebration of Passover, yet it is a seven-day holy day. The Torah says we are to remove the leaven from our homes and eat matzah during this time. For some, this might be the ultimate inconvenience. What? No bagels for seven days? Yet, when spiritually appraised, even something like eating matzah crackers for a week can be an uplifting experience.

Remember the symbolism. It is not just spring house cleaning; it is to remind us of our need for spiritual cleansing and repentance. Hence, every time we eat a matzah sandwich during Pesach, we are reminded of the meaning of the holy day. Every time we long for a leavened cookie we are reminded of this great spiritual truth!

It is my prayer that Pesach will become a source of joyful celebration as believers experience Messiah our Passover in an intimate and practical way. Therefore, celebrate the feast not with old hametz (leaven), the hametz of malice and wickedness, but with unleavened bread – the matzah of sincerity and truth (First Corinthians 5:8).⁴²⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for not only loving and rescuing those who love You from sin’s penalty, but You also bringing us into Your Kingdom (Colossians 1:13) and living within us now! The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him. You know Him, because He abides with you and will be in you . . . Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:17, 23).

Praise You for Your great love that knew how shameful and painful the cross would be, yet You went ahead and suffered because of the joy set before You (Hebrews 12:2). I desire to follow Messiah’s example by scorning the trials and suffering that I have on this earth, and look ahead to the joy of worshiping You for all eternity! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). In the Name of the One who sits at Your right hand. Amen

Shabbat
23: 1-4

Shabbat DIG: How is Shabbat like a date with God? How does the biblical calendar remind us of the agricultural year, particularly in the celebration of the harvest? How does Shabbat speak about creation and redemption? What is the link between Genesis 2:1-3 and Hebrews Chapter 4:10? How does Shabbat give us a future taste of the future world to come?

REFLECT: Do you have a Messianic congregation near you? Do you know how to access a Messianic congregation on the internet? As a Gentile, grafted into the Olive tree (Isra’el), do you choose to observe Shabbat? Why? Why not? Is there anything wrong with attending a Messianic congregation of Shabbat on Saturday and then going to church on Sunday?

Even though Gentiles are not bound to observe the sacred times (Colossians 2:16; Romans 14; Galatians 4:8-17), their freedom in Messiah allows them to do so if they choose to.

The biblical calendar (23:1-2): God said to Moshe, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, ‘These are My appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred festivals’ (23:1-2).” The religious calendar coincided with the agricultural year, particularly in the celebration of the harvest. The feasts of Pesach (Passover) and Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread) were celebrated at the time of the barley harvest in the late spring, while Shavu’ot (Weeks) was celebrated fifty days later in late spring/early summer during the time of the wheat harvest The fall festivals of Rosh ha’Shanah (Trumpets), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (Booths) during the seventh month (September/October) were celebrated in conjunction with the harvest of grapes, figs, and olives.⁴¹⁸

Shabbat (23:3-4): The first of the festivals (mo’adim, meaning a time and place to meet) listed in Chapter 23 of Leviticus is Shabbat. The first listed is also the most important. It is a day of cessation from all regular work. It is like a date with God. Our relationship with the Lord is like a bride and groom, and is reflected in Shabbat and these feasts. The pattern for this day was set by the Holy One when He created everything (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Aq – By the Seventh Day God Had Finished His Work). We are told that when ADONAI completed all the work which He intended to do in the creation: God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all His work which He had created, so that it itself could produce (Genesis 2:3). Thus, the pattern for rest and completion on the seventh day was set from the very beginning of creation.

So, Shabbat is a verb, an action word – it is something that we do. What action is this verb related to? Rest! Rest is an action? It seems strange in our busy society that the concept of stopping and resting is an action. But if you have ever tried to fully participate in Shabbat, I’m sure you will soon realize that it is an action (rest) that takes much practice to be completely lived out. Our minds are simply not trained to stop and not be concerned with life, business, finances, etc. Yet, His provision is so complete. We can fully rest in His completed work and no longer toil in life to earn His love – it is given to us abundantly and freely. There is something about doing nothing (to further our own desires) that enables the Ruach of our Father to minister to us deeply and thoroughly on that day.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so wonderful! You are such an Awesome Father to Praise! We owe so very much to You: Your gift of eternal life (Romans 5:17), Your great grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9), Messiah’s willingness to take our shame and pain on the cross (Hebrews 12:2), Your steadfast love forgiving me for my sins and placing them as far as the East is from the West (Psalms 103:10-11). Through Yeshua then, let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15). It is a joy to praise You always – when I fall asleep, when I wake in the morning and even in the middle of the night if I wake up. Praising You is such a comfort for it puts the focus of life, not on the problems and trials of life; but on You, our Almighty, Loving and Holy, Heavenly Father. In the name of Yeshua and by the power of His resurrection. Amen

The Torah enjoins Isra’el to do as YHVH did and abstain from all their creative work. The Torah also stresses the importance of Shabbat in other ways. First, there are an abundance of passages – at least forgotten different ones – that teach about the Shabbat. Second, there is at least one Shabbat included in each mo’adim of Chapter 23. Third, by establishing a Shabbat year (see El – The Sabbath Year) and a Shabbat year after seven-sevens of years (see Em – The Year of Jubilee), we can understand that there must be something very awe inspiring about our celebration or acknowledgment of this seventh-day rest.⁴¹⁹

There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. These are ADONAI’s appointed times (see Dw – God’s Appointed Times), the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times (23:3-4 NIV). The seventh-day Shabbat stands at the front of this list of festivals. This is an indication of its importance. Moreover, to further emphasize the teaching of Shabbat-rest, each of these special days contains at least one Shabbat, or day of rest. The first and last days of Hag ha’Matzvot (including Pesach and Resheet) and Sukkot both start and finish with a Shabbat. And Shavu’ot, Rosh Ha’Shanah, and Yom Kippur are each a Shabbat in themselves. We get the impression that Shabbat may be, indeed, the most important of the festivals.

Shabbat in this context is referred to as shabbat shabbaton, the Shabbat of Shabbats, or the most restful cessation. Thus, according to traditional Jewish thinking – based upon the Torah statements regarding Shabbat, the weekly Shabbat reminds us of two things: creation and redemption. Accordingly, each of the feasts teach us something about being a creation of God and about being a redeemed person. It seems, therefore, that Shabbat is intimately connected with the themes of each festival. A special day called Shabbat is there to further emphasize on a weekly basis the themes of creation and redemption of which each feast speaks. But just how does Shabbat speak about them?

First, Shabbat reminds us of creation, in that, it is entirely independent of the month and unrelated to the moon. Its date is not determined by any event in nature, such as a new moon, but by the act of creation itself. Thus, the essence of the Shabbat is completely detached from the world of space. By reminding us of the physical creation Shabbat reminds us that we were all created to be completely dependent upon the Creator for everything. Life was meant to be one of eternal rest in Him and His provision for all of our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.

But sometime after the creation, the Fall occurred (see the commentary Genesis Ay – The Fall of Man). Mankind, in his sinful state, continually attempts to assert his desire for independence from his Creator. This has left all of us in a state of spiritual slavery where sin has so bound us that we cannot on our own break away from our desire to live life independent of our Creator.

However, because of His grace, love, and mercy toward His creation, the Creator set out to set us free from that spiritual bondage, whose ultimate end is death. For the wages of your [sin nature] is death (6:23a). This is called redemption – releasing us from the slavery of sin. The result is that when anyone accepts God and receives His redemption accomplished by the atoning sacrifice of Messiah, that person is made into a new creation. Moreover, the chains of sin are broken forever and sinful mankind is changed into a spiritual being whose innermost desire is to a life that is completely dependent upon the Creator (see the commentary on Romans Bu – The New Freedom in Messiah).

YHVH provided a wonderful gift to His people. Once a week, He has created a day serving as a reminder to believers that they are made to depend on God. Hence, we are to cease from our labors. Just as Ha’Shem ceased from making His physical creation because there was simply nothing else to be done, so we are to practice once a week to cease from striving and all daily laboring because there is nothing else which can possibly be done to us – we are complete in Messiah! Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation – the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new (Second Corinthians 5:17)!

Second, Shabbat also reminds believers of redemption. When Messiah saved us from our sins and atoned for them, ADONAI also redeemed us from slavery to our sin. He made us free to live for Him and free to rest in Messiah’s finished work. Thus, once a week, God provided a reminder of what it means to rest in Him and live as a redeemed person. Moreover, each of the other festivals also contain at least one day of rest. The picture here is that each of the festivals teach us something about what it means to rest in Him and walk as a redeemed person.

In these ways, Shabbat displays its preeminence among the festivals, and the rest on each of the festivals should be considered just as important as the weekly Shabbat and the Shabbats of the other festivals all picture some aspects of what it means to be a new creation and a redeemed person in Messiah.⁴²⁰

The Good News: There is a vital connection to the importance that ADONAI puts on the Sabbath and the revelation of Messiah in it. To see this clearly, we will examine Hebrews Chapter 4. In this amazing chapter, the writer makes a link between the establishment of a seventh day Shabbat by YHVH in Genesis and entering into the eternal spiritual rest we have through faith in the Messiah. The link is the concept or rest.

In Genesis 2:1-3, God did not stop all activities. He, of course, continued to sustain the universe which He had just finished creating. But His rest consisted of a cessation of all His creative work. The creation was finished and accomplished. There was simply nothing else necessary to do other than sustaining the work that He had just completed. Therefore, YHVH rested – not because He was physically tired – but simply because He was finished.

Hebrews Chapter 4 tells us that belief in Yeshua is exactly the same way. The six days of labor in one’s life are the time before he believes in Messiah. It is a time where he seeks to earn God’s approval. It is a time when he strives to do, to perform, to labor and struggle in order to attempt to gain approval of his Creator.

In contrast, when a person trusts in the Messiah for his salvation, he “enters into a rest,” according to Hebrews 4:3a. This is the same kind of rest that YHVH entered into when He finished the creation as is stated in Hebrews 4:4, “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.” Why is believing in Messiah likened to entering a Shabbat-rest? Continuing our study in Hebrews, we find the key in verse 4:10, “For the one who has entered His rest has Himself also rested from His works, as God did from His.”

What, then, enables a person to be accepted by God as righteous? It is not our efforts. It is simply resting in what Messiah did for us! Messiah did all the work for us. He paid the penalty for our sin. He accomplished the atonement. He secured our justification. He completely changed us from His enemy (James 4:4), to His child (John 1:12). He redeemed us from slavery. He reconciled us to God. He forgave us. He saved us! Even the very faith necessary for all of this to be true for us was a gift given to us from our loving heavenly Father, “For you have been delivered by grace through faith, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore, no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). What more was necessary to make us new creations (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bd – A New Creation). NOTHING! Except to merely, by faith, enter into the wonderful eternal Shabbat that ADONAI has waiting for all who believe in Messiah.

In essence, therefore, if we understand the message of Shabbat, especially as it is explained in Hebrews 4, we see that the message of Shabbat is the Good News! That is why the Torah deems Shabbat as being so important. If we do not understand the Shabbat, then we are deficient in our understanding of salvation. Hence, once a week God provides us with a visible practical way to remember our rest in Messiah – by setting aside the seventh as He did. Moreover, each of the other festivals (mo’adim) have at least one Shabbat associated with them. This is as if YHVH were saying that whatever else these appointed times may teach, it all begins by entering into God’s eternal rest through faith in the finished work of Messiah.

A taste of the future: Hebrews Chapter 4 also teaches us at least one more important concept about the Shabbat. It tells us that the present Shabbat is just a small test of the future eternal Shabbat we will enjoy because Messiah saved us by His grace (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). This idea is hinted at in Hebrews 4:9, where we read: There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. The writer of Hebrews had already discussed the necessity of entering into God’s spiritual rest for our daily lives (Ps 95). In this verse, however, the writer of Hebrews seems to hint of a future rest. Both the TaNaKh and in rabbinical literature, the Sabbath is viewed as a type of the world to come.

Therefore, when we observe Shabbat in a physical way every week we not only act out the rest we presently have from being in Messiah but we also live out a little bit of what it will be like in the world to come when we will forever experience the perfect blessings of the rest Messiah gave to us through His redemption.⁴²¹

God’s Appointed Times
23: 1-44 

Counting the God’s appointed times and the Shabbat’s, the Israelites had a total of over eighty holy days a year, which was about 23 percent of the year dedicated to a time of fellowship with God. A foretaste of an eternity spent together with ADOANI.

A search for Jewish Roots: As Barney Kasdan writes in his book God’s Appointed Times, something unusual is stirring among believers in Yeshua in our day. Throughout Church history there has been a chasm of misunderstanding between the Church and the Jewish people. Both Christians and Jews have falsely concluded that there is little real or practical connection between Christianity and Jewish life. However, these views are based on either ignorance or false presuppositions.

As one objectively studies the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament), one finds there is no escaping the inherent Jewishness of faith in Messiah. Yeshua Himself was a traditional Jew living in the land of Isra’el. He called other Jews to follow Him as the Messiah, the anointed one from God. His early followers considered themselves to be Jews who had found the promised Messiah; hence, they naturally continued the Jewish expression of faith. It is a tragedy that the Christian community has not understood, for the most part, the rich heritage on which its faith is built. Many believers, however, rediscovering these connections, are wondering just how they can understand the Jewishness of their faith in a practical way. These feasts were revealed by YHVH for His own particular reasons, and through them all believers can be blessed, both Jews and Gentiles.

The purpose of God’s appointed times: The Feasts of ADONAI, or the biblical holy days, teach us about the nature of God and His plan for mankind. A classic passage in regard to God’s appointed times (23:4) is found in the New Testament. So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Chodesh (head of the month) or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah (Colossians 2:16-17). While this passage is often taken to mean avoid legalism, there is another truth stated. It is true that the festivals are not the ultimate goals of faith, yet they do hold tremendous lessons for God’s children. The festivals are not antiquated tangents to faith but, on the opposite side, they are in fact legitimate shadows or models of ADONAI’s truth. This is something that should be explored in a positive way, not shunned as legalism for each feast carries with it a message of salvation and rest in the Lord.

For example, the Shabbat has much to teach about our weekly lives. Passover is rich in the symbolism of the Messiah’s death, burial and resurrection. Rosh ha’Shanah and Yom Kippur are not obsolete, but continue to declare the reality of Yeshua’s return to this earth. In short, all of the Feasts of ADONAI were given to Isra’el and to grafted in believers to teach, in a practical way, more about God and His plan for the world. When analyzed with the right spirit, there are some exciting new truths waiting to be rediscovered through participation in the Jewish/biblical holy days!

The continuity of God’s appointed times: Some believers understand, at least in a theoretical way, that the feasts provide excellent teaching for believers. Yet, because of certain popular theological positions, these believers question the value of continuing the celebrations today. Their contention is that the appointed times of ADONAI are no longer relevant because Yeshua fulfilled all their symbolism in His earthly life and ministry (to see link click Dv – Holiness of the Seven Feasts). While there is a fulfillment to the festivals, there is also a continuation of the practical expression of these feasts.

Yeshua Himself observed the various feasts during His early life. The Gospel writers tell us that His custom was to worship on the Shabbat (Luke 4:16). It was during Sukkot (Tabernacles) that Yeshua offered living water to the Jewish multitude (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gp – On the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast). One of His most powerful sermons, in which He proclaimed His Messiahship, took place in the Temple at Hanukkah (see The Life of Christ Hj – Then came Hanukkah at Jerusalem and it was Winter). The earthly life and ministry of Messiah show the continuity of the biblical holy days. This continuity didn’t suddenly stop with the apostolic generation that followed. Although there are several statements in the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament) that cause us to think carefully about the proper balance concerning God’s appointed times, there is clear indication that the early followers of Yeshua continued these practices.

It was at Shavu’ot (Pentecost) that the first believers gathered for worship to proclaim the risen Messiah (Acts 2). In his discussion about the spiritual significance of Pesach (Passover), Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers (a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles) to celebrate the Seder (First Corinthians 5:8) with right understanding. There is abundant evidence that the disciples understood and continued to celebrate the wonderful truth of God through the holy days explained in the Scriptures. This is an example for believers today. Much can be gained by continuing to observe the feasts in the present generation.

The freedom of God’s appointed times: A final note needs to be made as we consider the celebration of the biblical feasts by believers. Hopefully you are excited about the positive reasons to understand and incorporate God’s appointed times into your life. Of utmost importance is the emphasis upon our freedom in the Messiah. These days, as with any other biblical custom, are not meant to lead us into legalistic bondage. Messiah Yeshua is our total sufficiency when it comes to our spiritual standing before YHVH (Galatians 5:1).

Yet, there are some compelling reasons to celebrate the feasts. I hope you will discover, as many believers have, that a balanced celebration of the holy days is a wonderful blessing. The biblical festivals teach much about who God is and His exciting plan for life. It is my prayer that this positive blessing will be yours as you better understand and celebrate the appointed times of ADONAI.⁴¹⁷

Whenever we see the number seven in the Scriptures, it is the number of completion (see the commentary on Revelation Ag – The Importance of the Number Seven in the book of Revelation). So here, we have a complete picture of God’s appointed times. The seven appointed festivals all follow a basic structure. First, there is the Biblical Practice, second we look at the Jewish Observance, next we study the Messianic Significance, and lastly, we will offer a practical guide for believers in Yeshua to celebrate the festivals today.

Holiness of the Seven Feasts
23:1 to 25:55

Celebrate the feasts of the LORD. This is a real big issue in the Bible, but it is even a bigger issue in Christianity. The issue is big in the Church, not because what is written in the New Testament, but because what has happened in the Catholic church between the 4th and the 6th century A.D. or Anno Domini, “In the year of our Lord” (or the way that it is called universally, C.E. – or Christian Era, to ease the minds of non-Christians who might object to this implicit acknowledgement of Yeshua as Lord) During that time, and even starting a little earlier, the paganized Christian churches were alienating themselves from Isra’el, and even from the Jewish disciples of Yeshua. They were alienating from Isra’el for clear political internal Roman issues. It is all well documented, and there is no question about it. (If you are interested to see some of the most striking documents of this systematic anti-Jewish, anti-Torah and anti-Old Testament campaign that the Catholic church set in motion, please read John Chrysostom, Against the Jews. Homily 3). Another good book to read on this subject is The Anguish of the Jews: Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism.

Messiah and the apostles kept all the biblical feasts of ADONAI, and this is clear from the B’rit Chadashah itself. In fact, Paul commands the church in Corinth to keep the Passover under the inspiration of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (First Corinthians 5:7-8).

The seven festivals (the mo’adim) of Leviticus are the only place in the Bible where we find any commandment concerning worship. Each festival bearing with it a specified time for a holy assembly of the redeemed community to worship the Lord. What is even more peculiar is the fact that even in the B’rit Chadashah, there are no commanded times of worship. To be sure, believers are taught to worship, but there are no specified days on which to do it, except, perhaps for the observance of the Lord’s Supper.

Does this mean that if a believer in Yeshua is not born physically Jewish, he or she has no commanded worship times? Did God forget about this kind of a person? Are specified times of worship important? Of course they are! Romans Chapter 11 and Leviticus Chapter 23 provide us with the answer (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Cz – The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future). It teaches that Gentile believers are grafted into the olive tree which, in context, is Isra’el. This means, among other things, that Gentile believers are part of the commonwealth of Isra’el.

But what does that look like? What is the evidence of this if Gentiles don’t do any of the things which characterize Isra’el? One point of identification is Leviticus 23 and the mo’adim cycle, which is like a dance circle. You can join in at any point, it does not matter where. Eventually as the circle goes around and around, you will always come to the places where you missed when you joined. If someone joins in at Sukkot, eventually they will come to Pesach. So come join the circle, or should I say, come join the cycle. If the Church were to celebrate these mo’adim it would accomplish two things. First, it would provide Gentile believers in Yeshua regular times of worship and praise in a systematic and logical order. Second, it would afford Gentile believers in Messiah a point of contact or identification with the nation into whom they are grafted.⁴¹⁶

Unfortunately, today, the Messianic community is treated like it doesn’t exist. When the leaders of the first Messianic Community met (see the commentary on Acts Bs – The Council at Jerusalem), the main issue was, “Can these Gentiles really be believers?” And they responded positively to that question (see Acts Bt – The Council’s Letter to the Gentile Believers). Yet, today, that question seems to have been reversed by the majority of Christian churches and denominations, who ask “Can these Messianics really be believers?” Far too often, the response to where a Jew should go if saved, the answer is “Find a good bible believing church!” Very few churches follow Paul’s command to keep the Passover feast, and fewer still systematically teach through books of the TaNaKh. If you are sitting under a pastor who teaches through books of the TaNaKh you are fortunate indeed! Fewer still (if any) follow the other feasts of the Jewish biblical calendar. This is why my wife and I attend a Messianic congregation. Implicit in Paul’s admonition to keep the Passover feast, is the idea of celebrating them all. Please contact me if you are a member of a church that celebrates all seven of the biblical feasts.

Finally, the seven biblical feasts all point to the ministry of Messiah. If we claim to be “people of the Book,” then we should be interested in learning about Yeshua: (1) The festival of Pesach (the Passover) points to the death of Messiah, (2) the festival of Hag ha’Matzah (Unleavened Bread) points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, (3) the festival of Rasheet (First Fruits) points to His resurrection, (4) the festival of Shavu’ot (Pentecost) points to the birth of the Church, (5) the festival of Rosh ha’Shannah (Trumpets) points to the Rapture, (6) the festival of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) points to the Great Tribulation, and (7) the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) points to the Messianic Kingdom.

Sanctifying the Name of God
22: 29-33

Sanctifying the Name of God DIG: What does it mean to profane God’s holy Name? How are our choices in life a reflection on the Name of God? Why does 7:17 say one thing and 22:29-33 say another? Why were the people duty bound to comply with God’s holy offerings?

REFLECT: How do you sanctify the Name of God? What does it mean to sanctify His name? Why is it important to do things God’s way? What happens when we do things our way? How can you sanctify the Name of God this week? Who can you tell of our great God this week?

When God’s will is done on earth, His commandments are being kept;
When His reign and rule are being exercised on earth, and His Name will be sanctified.

When you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to ADONAI (to see link click Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God), you must do it in a way such that you will be accepted. It must be eaten on the same day it is offered; leave none of it till morning; I am ADONAI (22:29-30). That principle affirmed the sense of fellowship with YHVH. To leave an offering for several days loses its connection with the sacrifice itself.

But 7:17 appears to contradict 22:29-30. The earlier text permits eating of the sacrifice on the second day as well as the first. In Leviticus 22 the prohibition clearly limits consumption to the day of the sacrifice. However, in 7:17, the sacrifice had to be eaten on the day he offered it, but anything left over could be eaten on the next day (see As – The Shalamim Offerings: Leading the Celebration of Peace). The difference was that in Leviticus 7:17 the mitzvah was for the priests, and in Leviticus 22:29-30 the mitzvah was for the people.

You are to keep my mitzvot and obey them; I am ADONAI. You are not to profane my holy Name (22:31-32a). What does it mean to profane or desecrate the Name? Conversely, how does one sanctify the Name of ADONAI? The concept is one of reputation. It is the idea that our actions and behaviors affect God’s reputation. Our behavior reflects on Him (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Be – The Ministry of Reconciliation: Reconciliation is by the obedience of faith). If we act in a holy manner befitting children of God, God’s Name is sanctified. However, if we act in a godless or wicked manner, the LORD’s reputation will be tarnished. In that case, our behavior would profane His reputation.

This can be understood in a parable. A king had two sons: a wise son and a wicked son. When people encountered the wicked son, he would abuse them and carry on in a manner unbefitting the prince. People would remark, “Is this how the king raises his son? Is this the kind of man the king is?” Yet when people encountered the wise son, he would treat them courteously and provide them all manner of service as befits a prince among his people. Then they would say, “What a fine king we have over us who has raised such a fine son. Truly he is worthy of his throne” (Midrash Immanuel). A significant amount of Jewish ethical standards are formulated around the idea of sanctifying the Name of God. Every choice we make in life will in some way or another reflect upon ADONAI. Our every interaction with other human beings will in one way or another say something about the God we serve.

This conclusion has a structure built around the threefold declaration: I am ADONAI, which occurs once in each verse. To sanctify God’s Name means to treat His Name with the respect, honor and dedication that He deserves. But in the broader sense, it refers to obedience and uprightness of character. The Torah explains that the formula for sanctifying (setting apart) God’s Name is in obedience to the commandments. I must be regarded as holy among the people of Isra’el; I am ADONAI, who makes you holy, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am ADONAI (22:32b-33). The Master concurs: Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). The central claim in this conclusion: I must be regarded as holy among the people of Isra’el, can as easily be rendered: I will be regarded as holy among the people of Isra’el. It can be a command or a promise, and that point explains the structure of these concluding verses. They move from commands Ha’Shem gives to Isra’el, to promises of His work for Isra’el to make her holy as He did the past. Safeguarding the holiness of the Tabernacle, God’s house, dominates the world of Leviticus. Isra’el needed to purify its House, because a holy God demands a holy House.⁴¹²

Therefore, consecrate yourselves – you people must be holy, because I am ADONAI your God. Observe my mitzvot, and obey them; I am ADONAI, who sets you apart to be holy (20:7-8). ADONAI commands the Israelites to make themselves holy. The only other place in the book where YHVH commands Isra’el, “consecrate yourselves,” is 11:44, which concerns eating kosher. Leviticus 20:7 repeats this because, as with the clean and unclean animals, Isra’el’s holiness required distinction from the practices of the Gentile nations and adherence to a separate way of life, whether in diet, worship, or sexual practices. By avoiding activities that would tie Isra’el with the deities of other peoples, they would be recognizing that ADONAI was their God alone.⁴¹³

This is part of the meaning of the words the Master taught us to pray: Our father in heaven! May Your Name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven (Matthew 6:9b-10), are all parallel statements. When God’s will is done on earth, His commandments are being kept. His reign and rule are being exercised on earth, and His Name will be sanctified. In Judaism, martyrdom for the sake of faith is regarded as the ultimate sanctification of the Name. When we sin, God’s Name is profaned. His reputation is tarnished because of us. This is a very serious matter that deserves far more attention than we can give to it here.⁴¹⁴

Conclusion to the Holiness for the Priests (21:1 to 22:33): As the spiritual guides of the people of God, Isra’el’s leaders were to be without blemish and above reproach. The same principle applies to those who take the mantle of leadership in the Church today. A congregation leader must be above reproach, he must be faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, orderly, hospitable and able to teach (First Timothy 3:2). One particular feature of holiness of the Israelite priesthood emphasized in this section is the avoidance of contact with the dead (21:1-6). This possibility formed part of the rationalization of the priest in the parable of the Good Samaritan, who avoided contact with the injured man (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gw – The Parable of the Good Samaritan).⁴¹⁵

The priests’ motivation to obey these mitzvot was the fact that the God who lovingly gave these commandments was the same God who delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians (22:32-33). As the Exodus was the motivation for service for the righteous of the TaNaKh in the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah), so the sacrifice and death of Messiah provides our motivation for obedience and service in the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your gracious gift of righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:15). Too often the idea of a gift is thought of as something that we are given and then we can do with whatever we like; but Your gift is not like that. Your gift of salvation is a loving covenant. Salvation is all Your work, Your mercy, Your grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), but we do have a part in the covenant – to love and respect You, heeding all that You tell us to do. No matter how good and righteous any person may be, they can never earn their own way to heaven. You paid for our sin at the cross. It was Messiah’s blood that brought our redemption (Ephesians 1:7) and His blood is what is needed to bring us near to You (Ephesians 2:13). What a joy to have you as our Lord!

My heart is heavy for friends and family who know about You and who think You are good and kind, but they have only head knowledge and not heart love. Covenants are not made by head knowledge. You Yourself tell of those who will stand before You and they have performed miracles in Your Name, cast out demons, and You tell them: Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?”  Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness (Matthew 7:21-23)! Please give my family and friends who are not saved a moment of spiritual clarity so that they can see their sin for what it is and make a decision on what to do with their eternity. In Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Eighth Day
22: 26-28

The eighth day DIG: What significant biblical events happened on the eighth day? Is there a connection between the commandment of circumcision and the sacrifice of the eighth day? How does the eighth day focus on God’s ultimate plan for mankind? Who can you tell?

REFLECT: Are there any significant day eights in your life? A broader, fuller restoration to ADONAI? How can full families be wiped out besides physically like Achan? Spiritually? Emotionally? Financially? What do you do when you are “behind the eight ball?”

The eighth day is the broader, fuller restoration to ADONAI.

The Bible is filled with symbolism, giving hints of the mind of ADONAI. The symbolism of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25), the cherubim at God’s throne (Ezekiel 1), the creation itself (Romans 1:18). Some things about YHVH are able to be understood easily, some things can only be spiritually discerned, and some things are not knowable at this time (Isaiah 55:8). Still, the LORD does show us many wonderful and inspiring things about His plan of salvation for all of mankind. The eighth day, which is specified as being kept at the end of Sukkot in Leviticus 23:39, is the culmination of all the Holy Days. Following the description of the seven days of Sukkot, it says: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the fruit of the land, you are to observe the festival of ADONAI seven days; the first day is to be a sabbath-rest and the eighth day is to be a sabbath-rest.

The eighth day is separate and distinct from Sukkot. God has placed symbolic meaning in counting up to the number eight. Why don’t we just go back to one after counting the seven days? Because that is not what the LORD is portraying. He is not portraying a weekly cycle with Sukkot. Instead, He is showing what it means to finally arrive at the eighth day. What does that number mean? Looking through the rest of the Bible, we find various illustrations that help open up the meaning of that great day.

From circumcision to Nazirites: One of the most enduring covenants God made was the covenant of circumcision with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-11). He said: He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Being circumcised on the eighth day was symbolic of being in complete submission to God. Today, we know physical circumcision is not required for salvation for all people (Acts 15), but it is also true that circumcision is a symbol of our spiritual commitment and focus. Paul wrote: For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God” (Romans 2:28-29). Paul is talking about righteousness, and being in complete submission to ADONAI.

Animals offered for sacrifice were to be at least eight days old. ADONAI said to Moshe, “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 on the bronze altar to ADONAI.” It seems like there is some connection with this verse and the commandment of circumcision (see the commentary on Genesis En – Every Male Who Is Eight Days Old Must be Circumcised). It may be that circumcision, in some respects, is a sacrificial right.⁴⁰⁸ An Israelite male baby was circumcised on the eighth day and became a member of the covenant community (see Bt – Women After Childbirth). In like manner, a young male animal could not be fully identified with Isra’el, and therefore function as a substitutionary sacrifice until the eighth day of its life. No animal was to be slaughtered together with its young on the same day, neither cow nor ewe (Lev 22:26-28). The prohibition against slaughtering a whole family of animals for sacrifice on the same day demonstrates the identification of the sacrificial animal with the Israelite offering it. The family was, and is, the basic unit of society, and only the worst of punishments would destroy the whole family, as seen in Joshua 7 with Achan.⁴¹⁰

Another example of the number eight is with Noah. In his second book, Peter writes to the Church, warning them about false preachers. He makes the point that each individual will be responsible for their own salvation, and he uses Noah as an example: And [God] spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly (Second Peter 2:5, KJV). Noah was saved because he was in complete submission to God. Seven other people were saved on the ark but not because of their own righteousness – only the eighth was saved because of righteousness. Peter’s point is that in the eternal judgment, each of us will be saved in response to our own righteousness, not anyone else’s, like the other seven in the Ark

Still another example of the number eight is in Exodus when God told Isra’el: You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me (Ex 22:29). But when did He say to give these? The next verse reveals: Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. The first seven days were for preparation, counting toward and looking forward to the eighth day, when the offering of the firstborn was to be given to God. But it was not only on the eighth day that the firstborn offering could be made, it was from there on after (Lev 22:26). From eight days onward, the sacrifice could be made. Likewise, the fulfillment of the eighth day shows that God’s Kingdom will be eternal. It will begin, but never end.

As we know, ADONAI will build another Temple complex in Jerusalem during the Messianic Kingdom (Ezekiel 40 begins the description of that vision). In that vision, God explains what it will take to purify the altar before sacrifices can be made: seven days’ worth of offerings for sin offerings for the priests and for the altar (Ezekiel 43:18-27). Only then – on the eighth day – will the altar be dedicated and God will accept the burnt offerings and peace offerings made there. There is a similar seven-day period of consecration for the priests described in Leviticus 8, where Moses first prepared Aaron and his sons for their service as priests to God at the tabernacle. After being washed, clothed in the priestly garments, and sprinkled with blood, they stayed in the tabernacle for seven days. And you shall not go outside the door of the tabernacle of meeting for seven days, until the days of your consecration are ended. For seven days he shall consecrate you (Leviticus 8:33). After this, they came out on the eighth day and made a sin offering for the people. The seven days were the time of preparation so that on the eighth day they could begin to fulfill what they had been prepared to do.

There are many examples of the meaning of the number eight in God’s Word. The Nazirite vow included instructions on what to do if someone who had taken that vow became defiled by accident or because of circumstances beyond their control. It included seven days of purification, with an offering made on the eighth day. The steps for the cleansing of lepers or other unclean people were also seven days of purification, and an offering was to be given on the eighth day (see Ci – The Concluding Purification Ceremony). On the eighth day the process would be complete.

The Ultimate Focus of God’s Plan: We tend to focus on day number seven because we look to the return of Yeshua Messiah. We want to be done with the trials, the stresses and the troubles of this life and to see our redemption into glory. We want to rise to meet Messiah in the air. These are things we should indeed look forward to and long for. But the plan of God does not focus ultimately on the return of Messiah. That is incredibly important, but God putting His throne on this earth on the figurative eighth day is what everything ultimately moves toward. Messiah’s return is part of the process. It’s pretty clear – seven figurative days to cleanse, to dedicate, to prepare. But the eighth day is the broader, fuller restoration to ADONAI. It was on that day that baby boys were circumcised; when the baby bulls, sheep or goats could be accepted as a sacrifice; when the priests were allowed to begin to make sacrifices; when the firstborn offerings were to begin to be made; and when the Nazirites and those who were cleansed were restored to YHVH. The symbolism of the eighth day, laid out like fingerprints throughout God’s Word, is incredibly significant.⁴¹¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that Your purpose for mankind is not merely to take Your children to heaven, nor merely to save people from sin’s punishment; rather, Your purpose is a fuller restoration as shown by the symbolism of the eighth day. The restoration that You desire is a loving relationship of unity “in Messiah”. Making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which he set forth in Messiah as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10). What a joy that You have planned to bless Your children with every spiritual blessing in Messiah.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Messiah (Ephesians 1:3). This is an incredibly great blessing. Being united means that when You look at Your children, you do not see their sin, instead You see Messiah’s righteousness. For our sake the Father made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). How wonderful that you planned for an eighth day of full restoration by uniting Your children to be with you. Praise and thank You for Your wonderful and gracious love and grace. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Unblemished Sacrifice
22: 17-25

The unblemished sacrifice DIG: What do God’s values say about His expectations for approaching Him? What does the desire for perfection say about the value of the offering? Of the Recipient? Of the worshiper? Compare the descriptions that render both the sacrifices and priests unfit for the bronze altar (Leviticus 21:18-20 and Leviticus 22:22-24).

REFLECT: Why do you think ADONAI only accepts perfect sacrifices? In what area of your life are you giving less than your best? Where are you trying to just get by with offering God the leftovers of your life? What is keeping you from offering the LORD your best? What will you do today to begin giving Him your best? Who can you help with this?

After five days of testing, Yeshua qualified as the perfect Lamb of God without blemish.

Levitical sacrifices were to be unblemished animals. The Hebrew word translated unblemished is tamim, the same word which is sometimes rendered integrity, or sometimes as perfect. Since the beginning of Leviticus, every prescribed animal sacrifice has been required to be unblemished, but until now, we haven’t had a description of what constitutes a blemish. The Torah continues with a long list of defects that disqualify an animal from sacrifice. It is prohibited to even bring a blemished animal for sacrifice because it will not be accepted.⁴⁰²

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to the entire people of Isra’el; tell them: ‘When anyone, whether a member of the house of Isra’el or a foreigner living in Isra’el, brings his offering, it can be either in connection with a vow (Hebrew: neder) or as a voluntary offering (Hebrew: nedabah) (22:17-18a).” Vows were an important element of Israelite religion, and making a vow, in itself a private act, was often interrelated with public worship. In First Samuel we learn that Elkanah and his family, on a pilgrimage to Shiloh to offer the annual sacrifices, attended to their private vows on the same occasion. The payment of a vow could take the form of a sacrifice. The appropriateness of the Peace Offering (to see link click Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God) for such a payment is suggested in Proverbs 7:14. There we read that a prostitute might lure an unsuspecting young man to her house by offering him a portion of her peace sacrifice, “I had to offer peace sacrifices today, and I fulfilled my vows. There were no restrictions regarding where the donor of a peace offering could eat his portion of the offering, so long as it was done promptly, and brought it to ADONAI as a burnt offering (22:18b). The burnt offering (see Ai – The Burnt Offering: Acceptance by God), in addition to being the mainstay of public worship, it also served as an individual sacrifice, often brought as a voluntary offering.⁴⁰³

Gentiles, or foreigners, also donated sacrificial offerings to YHVH. In the ancient Near East, it was customary to pay respect to the god of the host country. Solomon’s prayer (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Bn – Solomon’s Prayer of Intercession: The fifth request – a prayer for foreigners), refers to the stranger from a distant land who, impressed with the reputation of the God of Isra’el, wished to worship Him in Jerusalem.⁴⁰⁴

In order for you to be accepted, you must bring a male without defect from the cattle, the sheep or the goats. It was better not to vow, than to try one’s best and fall short. You are not to bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted from you. Whoever brings a sacrifice of peace offerings to ADONAI 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. Deuteronomy 17:1 states the same requirement, but to the children of the Exodus generation. The disqualifying defects are then given in detail. If it is blind, injured, mutilated, has an abnormal growth or has festering or running sores, you are not to offer it to ADONAI or make such an offering by fire on the bronze altar to ADONAI (22:19-22).

In the center of this section lies an exception to the general prohibition. 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 (22:23). Voluntary offerings allow animals to be sacrificed even though deformed or stunted. Having one part of the animal shorter or longer than normal did not achieve the ideal sense of balance required for sacrifices involving the perfect fulfillment of a vow, but neither did it call into question the wholeness of the animal as the other blemishes and defects did. Hence, those types of animals could be used for sacrifices that were voluntary offerings, free expressions of gratitude to the goodness of YHVH. However, an animal with bruised, crushed, torn or cut genitals could not be offered to ADONAI. This was a similar disqualification for priests in 21:20. You are not to do these things in your land (22:24).⁴⁰⁵

Even if the sacrifice is not their own, but one that they brought to the Temple on behalf of a pagan, it must be unblemished. The Torah specifically warns: You are not to receive any of these from a Gentile for you to offer as bread for your God, because their deformity is a defect in them – they will not be accepted from you (22:25).

Why was it so important that the sacrifices were unblemished? It teaches us to always place our best in the service of the Lord. The human tendency is to live a life of self-service and offer to YHVH that which is leftover at the end. We give tithe if we can afford to after all our own appetites are satisfied. We give our time to the Kingdom if there is time left after we have spent ourselves on our own pursuits. The demand for only unblemished animals teaches us that ADONAI should receive the best of what we have to offer, not the leftovers. In the first chapter of Malachi, this message is brought home in a straightforward rebuke. The prophet scolds the northern kingdom of Isra’el for bringing to God blemished animals that even a human governor would reject.

A son honors his father and a servant his master. But if I’m a father, where is the honor due Me? and if I’m a Master, where is the respect due Me? I says ADONAI-Tzva’ot to you priests who despise My name. You ask: How are we despising your name? By offering polluted food on My bronze altar! Now you ask: How are we polluting you? By saying that the table of ADONAI doesn’t deserve respect; so that there’s nothing wrong with offering a blind animal as a sacrifice, nothing wrong with offering an animal that’s lame or sick. Try offering such an animal to your governor, and see if he will be pleased with you! Would he even receive you?” asks ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Malachi 1:6-8). Obviously not!

More importantly, in the B’rit Chadashah, the blemish on an animal unfit for sacrifice came to represent sin. The symbolism was interpreted thusly: Because man is blemished by sin (see the commentary on Genesis Ay – The Fall of Man), he must bring an unblemished animal in his place. Messiah is described as a lamb unblemished and spotless (First Peter 1:19) who offered Himself without blemish to God (Hebrews 9:14). In this Messianic interpretation of the sacrificial requirements, Yeshua’s perfect obedience to the Father made Him the unblemished, perfect lamb suitable for sacrifice.⁴⁰⁶

At the feast of the Passover (see Dy – Pesach), the man of the house was commanded to examine a lamb for the Passover meal (Exodus 12:3-6). For five days, from the tenth of Nissan to the fourteenth he was to examine the lamb to make sure it was without defect or blemish and worthy to be the Pesach sacrifice. Yeshua entered Jerusalem on Sunday, the tenth of Nisan and was examined by the Jews for five days. As far as the Jewish religious leaders were concerned, they had two goals. They would question Yeshua in front of the multitude to turn the people against Him, and they looked for a specific way to charge Him with a crime so they could put Him to death by Roman law. But it was not successful. After those five days of examination by the Pharisees, by the Sadducees, by the Torah-teachers and by the Herodians, Messiah answered all their objections and questions; therefore, He was found to be without defect or blemish (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ix – The Examination of the Lamb). Yeshua ate the Seder meal on the night of the Passover, the same night that all the Jewish people ate it. But because the Son of God qualified as the Pesach Lamb, He was slaughtered on the day of the Passover, the fifteenth of Nisan.⁴⁰⁷

Yet the priesthood offering the sacrifices also had to be without blemish (see Dp – Priests with Defects). That both priest and sacrifice had to be unblemished implied some connection between them. Just as the sacrificial animals had to be unblemished to be accepted at the bronze altar, so too the priest that brought them had to be unblemished. The distinction between priest and sacrifice, then, begins to blur, especially when we consider the person of Messiah. He is the unblemished Lamb and the unblemished Priest all in one (see the commentary on Hebrews Ay – Messiah’s Qualifications as our Great High Priest). He brought His own blood to the altar of sacrifice. He is Priest and Sacrifice, unblemished and perfect on both counts.⁴⁰⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for always being perfectly holy and loving! Your holiness means that You can always be trusted in all that You do and in all that you tell me. Though I may not understand why You are doing something, I can confidently rest in the fact that whatever You do, it is the very most loving and best for me.

When problems come up they usually look big. In the flesh we think: Big Problem – small God. But when the focus remains on God’s Almighty Holiness and love, then the situation is reversed: Big God – small problem. The prophet Habakkuk wondered why God would use the brutal Babylonians to crush Isra’el whom He loves (Habakkuk 1:13). When Habakkuk lifted His eyes to focus on his great God, his attitude became rejoicing and he felt God’s strength. Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the LORD, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places (Hanukkah 3:17-19).

Jeremiah also questioned God’s fiery wrath. He blazed against Jacob like raging fire, devouring everything around (Lamentations 2:3c). Then Jeremiah realized that Holy God could not tolerate sin and was keeping His promise to punish evil. ADONAI has done what He planned; He has fulfilled His word that He commanded from days of old (Lamentations 2:17a-b). As Jeremiah lifted his eyes and focused on how merciful and faithful God always is, then he had hope. This I recall to my heart – therefore I have hope: Because of the mercies of Adonai we will not be consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning! Great is Your faithfulness. “ADONAI is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him” (Jeremiah 3:21-24).

When I wonder why sometimes in discipline, You may allow events to happen in this world that I cannot understand. But I know that I can always trust You in every detail to do what will bring the best result, for I know You love me. Now all discipline seems painful at the moment – not joyful. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

Please help me to remember to lift my eyes up to You, our wonderful, holy and loving Heavenly Father. Then I will have hope. Your heart is always full of compassion and Your mercies are new every morning. Nothing can separate me from Your awesome love! Thank You and praise You always! I have great hope as I focus on You! In the name of Your holy Yeshua the Messiah and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Who May Eat the Sacred Offerings
22: 10-16

Who may eat the sacred offerings DIG: Who could eat the sacred offerings? Who was prohibited from eating it? What would happen if someone ate it accidently? Where was the mitzvot of the priest’s daughter? Why wasn’t the death penalty imposed for violators?

REFLECT: What happens to us at the moment of faith? Who is supposed to partake of the sacred food today? Who should not partake of it? Why? Who is our Great High Priest? Do you feel like a priest of the Most High God? Does Scripture overrule your feelings on that?

Our adoption into the family of God allows us to eat at the Lord’s table.

The regulations limiting the food of the sacred offerings (to see link lick Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective) to members of a priest’s family resemble those who may not eat of the Passover. “But if anyone has a slave he bought for money, when you have circumcised him, he may eat it. Neither a traveler (Hebrew: tosab) nor a hired servant may eat it” (Exodus 12:44-45).

Who may (and who may not) eat the sacred offerings (22:10-13): No one who is not a priest may eat anything holy, nor may a tenant or employee of a priest eat anything holy (22:10). Note the tenant (Hebrew: tosab) here in 22:10 and the traveler in Exodus 12:45 translate the same Hebrew word tosab. Therefore, the offering to the God of the Passover as the family celebrated the feast, transfers to the sacred offerings of Isra’el, and they become available to the priest’s family and the permanent bondservant (see Cz – The Hebrew Slave). But if a priest acquires a slave who ends up being a bondservant, either through purchase or through his being born in his household, he may share his food (22:11). A bondservant in a Jewish home is also required to be circumcised (Genesis 3:17:12-13). Presumably the slave received the privilege of becoming a member of the household and being attached to the priest’s family in a way that other ordinary workers were not.

A priest’s daughter who married outside the priesthood must not eat of the food, the sacred offerings, because she no longer fell within the responsibility of her father’s household. If the daughter of a priest is married to a man who is not a priest, she is not to have a share of the food set aside from the sacred offerings. But if the daughter of a priest is a widow or divorcee, and she is sent back to her father’s house as when she was young, she may share in her father’s food; but no unauthorized person is to share in it (22:12-13). But there is one exception, she must have no children from the marriage. This suggests that any such “seed” compromises her complete loyalty to her father’s household. In such a case, her children continue the line of her husband, and his family assumes the responsibility of her well-being and that of her family. Compare 21:14-15, where the offspring constitute the rationale for prohibiting the high priest from marrying a widow or divorced woman.³⁹⁷

Eating a sacred offering by mistake (22:14): This verse envisions the possibility that someone may accidently eat of the sacred offerings. This could easily happen if a person ate food grown in Isra’el which had not yet been tithed.³⁹⁸ In such a case, the reparation offering (see Am – The Guilt Offering: Evidence of Repentance) must be used to overcome the guilt. If a person eats holy food by mistake, he must add one-fifth to it and give the holy food to the priest. This normally involved a ram and an additional 20 percent restitution. But the requirement of the ram was replaced with the demand to return to YHVH the equivalent of the food eaten.³⁹⁹

The Pharisees took special precaution in this regard, refusing to eat food unless they were certain it had been already tithed on. They even tithed a tenth of their spices – mint, dill and cumin (Matthew 23:23a), before eating any of them. The Master agreed with their concern for keeping the mitzvah, but condemned them for ignoring the weightier matters of the Torah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Jd – Seven Woes on the Torah-Teachers and the Pharisees).

The pharisaic necessity to be certain that all food was properly tithed forced them to eat only within their own fellowships where those concerns could be monitored. However, when Messiah sent out His disciples, He dismissed this stringency saying: Eat what is set before you (see The Life of Christ Gv – Jesus Sends Out the Seventy). Nevertheless, the principle is one of placing the things of the Kingdom before our own needs. The tithe and priestly portions must be separated out first. So too, the priorities of the Kingdom must be set ahead of our own. Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).⁴⁰⁰

Summary: the priest’s responsibility (22:15-16): These verses warn that the lack of care when eating the sacred offerings could lead to profaning them. In this case, however, the result envisions the need for a payment of restitution rather than death as in 22:3 and 9. They are not to treat the sacred offerings as everyday items, thus profaning them by allowing common Israelites to eat them. The priests had a special responsibility to guard the LORD’s holy things. Doing so meant that they were actually protecting the Israelites from sin (see the commentary on First Corinthians By – Issues Surrounding the Lord’s Supper). ADONAI’s shepherds are responsible for the spiritual well-being of their sheep (Malachi 2:7-8; Acts 20:28; First Timothy 4:16; Hebrews 13:17). If they failed to do so, it would cause the common Israelites to bear their guilt requiring a guilt offering (see above).⁴⁰¹ Why should the Israelites obey these mitzvot? Because I am ADONAI, who sets them apart to live in a holy manner.

Once we are adopted into the Body of Messiah (see The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith), Yeshua Messiah becomes our Great High Priest (see the commentary on Hebrews Ay – Messiah’s Qualifications as our Great High Priest), and we can partake of the holy food of the Lord’s Supper: the bread (see The Life of Christ Kj – Breaking the Middle Matzah) and the wine/grape juice (see The Life of Christ Kk – The Third Cup of Redemption) because we are a kingdom of priests. The Bible tells us that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of the darkness into His marvelous light (First Peter 2:9), and made us a kingdom of priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6). However, those who are not believers, like those who were not from the household of priests (22:10-13), should not partake of the Lord’s supper, for they are not of the family of faith.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are always Holy! Thank you that Your Holy Ruach lives inside Your children to help us live holy lives and conqueror temptations (First Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes we hear so much about Your great love, which is a fantastic steadfast love, that we forget our part of the covenant is to love You back. Receiving Your gift of love happens by someone moving beyond intellectual agreement. They love you so much for forgiving their sin that they eagerly follow You as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10).

Knowing about you is wonderful, but head knowledge can never unite any two people. Being one in union takes a heart of love. Someone may like someone else, but that is not being one in union with them. Your purpose and plan, which you set forth in Messiah for all who love you, is to unite them into one with Him. For those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, I in them and You in Me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that You sent Me and loved them even as You loved Me (John 17:20b-21b, 23).

How gracious You are that You open the door of union with You, to Jews and Gentiles. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 2:28). But now in Messiah Yeshua you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah . . . For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:13, 18). We are so thrilled to be united to You in Messiah and we desire to live our lives pleasing to You, honoring You with holy living, with hearts quick and eager to obey and actions that lift up Your holy Name. In Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Purity for Priests
22: 1-9

Purity for priests DIG: Why did the priests need to be careful with regard to the sacred sacrifices on the bronze altar? Why was it important for a priest not to touch a dead body? What did it mean for a priest to be unclean? What did it mean to be “cut off” from YHVH?

REFLECT: What do these verses imply about the attitude necessary for anyone to approach ADONAI? How would you depict your own attitude in approaching God? Casual or formal? Confident? What is “unclean” in your world? What do you have to be careful to avoid?

Priests had the privilege of handling God’s holy items. But with such privilege came great responsibility,
for now they risked disrespecting those items, and the One who owned them.

The reason for the priesthood’s added concerns around ritual purity was their regular contact with the Tabernacle/Temple and the sacred offerings within. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell Aaron and his sons to be extremely careful with the sacred offerings that the Israelites set apart for me. So, they do not bring shame on My holy Name. I am the LORD. This phrase occurs many times throughout Leviticus. It occurs at the beginning and end of this chapter. It affirms the holiness of what YHVH has received and warns against giving Him less than the best or treating His offerings with disrespect (22:1-2).³⁸⁸ The verses that follow provide the details and consequences of such actions. The first mitzvah is that impure/unclean priests may not come into contact with the sacred offerings.

Tell them, “Any descendant of yours through all your generations who approaches the sacred offerings that the people of Isra’el dedicate to ADONAI and is unclean will be cut off from before Me; I am ADONAI” (22:3). The general principle first appears here, then again in verse 9. In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned in the context as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.³⁸⁹

Any descendant of Aaron with tzara‘at (to see link click Bv – The Test of Tzara’at) or a discharge is not to eat the holy things until he is clean. Then Moshe, inspired by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh mentions several examples. Any priest who has touched a person made unclean by a dead body (22:4a). Corpse contamination was suggested earlier, where the bodies of Nadab and Abihu were removed by using their tunics as the means of lifting them. This prevented direct contact with the bodies (see Bh – The Death of Nadab and Abihu). In 21:11 the Bible prohibited a high priest from being in the same room or building as a corpse. Such strict separation of the corpse and the high priest was also demanded for the other priests. They could only mourn the loss of close family members (see Do – Prohibited Practices for the Priests: The priests and the dead).

Any priest who has had a seminal emission would be unclean (22:4b). The reference to the emission of semen recalls the earlier description (see Cm – Male Chronic Uncleanness: Normal male discharges). And touching a detestable reptile or insect could also make him unclean recalls Leviticus 11. Not only are detestable creatures unclean to eat (11:10, 20-23, 29, 31, and 41-44), they are also unclean for priests to touch. Or a man who is unclean for any reason and who can transmit to him his uncleanness (22:5).³⁹⁰ The person who touches any of these will be unclean until evening and is not to eat the holy food of God unless he bathes his body in water (22:6). Sacrificial offerings are often called lehem, translated bread or food, and, at least in a symbolic sense, are considered bread for YHVH. The priests needed to observe strict codes of purity for they were the mediators between the worshiper and ADONAI.³⁹¹ Therefore, they were expressly warned not to serve or offer sacrifices at the bronze altar while in a state of ritual impurity (see Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective).

After sunset he will be clean (22:7a). After sunset on the day of his immersion, a person was regarded as clean and able to enter into the Tabernacle/Temple and partake of the sacrificial service. In the way the Bible calculates time, sunset marks the beginning of the new day. This principle is reiterated here for the benefit of the priesthood.

And afterwards, the priest could eat the holy things; because they were his food (22:7b). Sacrificial offerings are often called lehem, translated bread or food, and, at least in a symbolic sense, are considered bread for YHVH. The priests needed to observe strict codes of purity for they were the mediators between the worshiper and ADONAI.³⁹² It seems that what gave God great joy was the fact that He was obeyed by worshipful people who offered the prescribed sacrifices just as He had commanded. This is what pleased Ha’Shem and the offering became a sweet aroma to Him. In other words, God’s bread was mankind’s seeking to draw near to Him.³⁹³

But he was not to eat anything that died naturally or was torn to death by wild animals and thereby making himself unclean; I am ADONAI. A similar statement occurs in Ezeki’el 44:31. In Leviticus 17:15 this same prohibition is addressed to all Israelites, and similar commandments are addressed to the Israelite people in Exodus 22:30 and Deuteronomy 14:21. It is likely, therefore, that this very ancient prohibition was repeated here for emphasis in the mitzvot specifically addressed to priests.³⁹⁴

Just as the common Israelite was forbidden from eating of the peace offerings (see Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God) while in a state of ritual impurity, the priests were forbidden from eating of the priestly portions of the sacrifices while in a state of ritual impurity. A priest who flaunted these prohibitions and intentionally ate the priestly portions while in a state of ritual impurity risked an untimely end. The priest must observe this charge of mind; otherwise, if they profane it, they will bear the consequences of their sin for doing so and die in it. In all but the most serious cases of ritual contamination, a person need only immerse himself (and often his clothes) and then wait until sunset before being deemed clean again. And to provide the motivation for following these mitzvot, YHVH declared: I am ADONAI, who makes them holy (22:9).

The priests needed to be particularly diligent about these matters. By handling the sacrifices in a state of ritual impurity, they could invalidate the sacrifice, defile the bronze altar, and defile the priestly portions of the sacrifices. The warning about waiting until sunset after immersion before eating the sacrifices counted as one of the 613 commands of the Torah.³⁹⁵ Priests had the privilege of handling the LORD’s holy items. But with such privilege came great responsibility, for now they risked disrespecting those items – and ADONAI who owned them – if they mishandled them. Those with special privileges in the affairs of YHVH must treat their responsibilities with absolute seriousness: Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, since you know that we will be judged more severely (James 3:1).³⁹⁶

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are such a holy and pure God (Isaiah 6:3)! I love being Your child (John 1:12). But with the privilege of being in Your family, comes the responsibility to act holy, for You are holy. Salvation is a wonderful gift but not something that can be taken for granted (Romans 5:17). Being joined with You unites us together, both in Your death to sin and in Your resurrection to life. For if we have become joined together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also will be joined together in His resurrection (Romans 6:5). Your purpose, set forth in Messiah, has always been a wonderful union with You. You planned from before creation (Ephesians 1:4) to make those who love You holy, by adoption into Your family -uniting them in Messiah. Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Messiah as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth (Ephesians 1:9-10). It is such a joy to be united with You and so with great pleasure we seek to live holy lives to please You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Priests with Defects
21: 16-24

Priests with defects DIG: Why do you think there’s such an emphasis on physical perfection and ritual cleanliness for the priests? How does this relate to God’s holiness? Do you think this indicated that priests with deformities were of less value to God? Why? Why not?

REFLECT: How do you view people with spiritual defects? Do you avoid them? Feel sorry for them? Try to help them? What does ADONAI know about your defects, physical or spiritual? Why are you able to approach a holy God with these defects? Who can you tell?

Since the animal which was offered was required to be free from defects,
the priest who offered it on behalf of the sinner, had to be just as free from defects.

The priesthood was not an equal opportunity employer. Priests with a physical defect or blemish were disqualified from serving at the bronze altar of sacrifice and entering into the holy place. Standards of holiness increased as those around YHVH moved closer to Him. It was like a pyramid with the common people of Isra’el at its base, then, as you move up were the Levites, then priests with defects, then priests without defects, and finally at the top of the pyramid was the high priest himself who went into the Most Holy Place once a year.

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell Aaron, ‘None of your descendants who has a defect may approach to offer the bread of his God’ (21:16-17).” Four times in Chapter 21 (verses 6, 8, 17 and 21) we are informed the reason why the priests were to remain ritually clean, having no blemish, physical handicap, or any bodily defect. Since the animal which was offered was required to be free from defect, the priest who offered it on behalf of the sinner, had, therefore, to be just as free from defects. They were to be holy for their God and not defile the name of their God. For they are the ones who present ADONAI with offerings made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore, they must be holy (21:6). Sacrificial offerings are often called lehem, translated bread or food, and, at least in a symbolic sense, are considered bread for YHVH. The priests needed to observe strict codes of purity for they were the mediators between the worshiper and ADONAI.³⁸³ It seems that what gave God great joy was the fact that He was obeyed by worshipful people who offered the prescribed sacrifices just as He had commanded (to see link lick Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective). This is what pleased Ha’Shem and the offering became a sweet aroma to Him. In other words, God’s bread was mankind’s seeking to draw near to Him.³⁸⁴

Dear Heavenly Father, What a joy it is that You actually enjoy mankind’s seeking to draw near to You! You are so Almighty, All-Wise and absolutely wonderful! We know that Messiah made it possible for us to draw near to You, our Father God. In Him we have redemption through His blood . . . He did this in order to create within Himself one new man from the two groups, making shalom, and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross – by which He put the hostility to death.  And He came and proclaimed shalom to you who were far away and shalom to those who were near – for through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach. So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household (Ephesians 1:7a, 2:15-18).

Thank You for Messiah’s one-time perfect sacrifice so no more sacrifices are needed. The One who does remain forever has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is also able to completely save those who draw near to God through Him, always living to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:24b-25). We seek to draw near to You by abiding in Your Word that became flesh (John 1:14). We love You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Physically defective or deformed priests were not allowed to function as priests by offering sacrifices. Kefa cutting off the right ear of the high priest’s servant is an extreme example of this (see The Life of Christ Le – Jesus Betrayed, Arrested and Deserted). The abnormalities listed here are probably examples rather than a complete list (a complete list of animal defects listed in 22:20-25), although this passage comprises the most comprehensive discussion on the subject of defects in the Bible. The ritual wholeness of the Levitical sacrificial system found physical expression in wholeness and normality.³⁸⁵ These defects include only those observable on the surface of the body. Nothing is mentioned of internal ailments. No one with a defect may approach – no one blind, lame, with a mutilated face or a limb too long, a broken foot or a broken arm (such injuries would be permanent because broken limbs were not set properly in ancient times), a hunched back, stunted growth, a cataract in his eye, festering or running sores, or damaged testicles – no one descended from Aaron the priest who has such a defect may approach to present the offerings for ADONAI made by fire; he has a defect and is not to approach to offer the bread of his God (21:18-21).

In the intertestamental days of Antigonus, he had the ears of the high priest Hyrcanus II (40 BC) cut off so that (as a result of this mitzvah) he would forever be disqualified from being high priest again. Also, Deuteronomy refers to a physical defect that if it existed among the congregation at large would prohibit a man from worshiping in the covenant community (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Eb – Purity in Public Worship: Eunuchs). Such a priest was not disqualified from the priesthood. He still enjoyed the privileges and rights of being a priest. He was not banned from the outer court of the Tabernacle (see the commentary on Exodus Ex – The Courtyard and Gate of the Tabernacle). He was able to participate in the services and eat the sacred offerings. While the priest’s family could partake of the holy offerings, the most holy offerings could be eaten only by the priests and had to be eaten in the Tabernacle courtyard. However, he was not to go into the Holy Place through the outer veil (see Exodus Fj – The Outer Veil of the Sanctuary) or approach the bronze altar of sacrifice, because he has a defect – so that he will not profane my holy places, because I am ADONAI, who makes them holy. Moshe said these things to Aaron, his sons and all the people of Isra’el (21:22:24).

Isn’t it unfair to discriminate against the priest with a blemish or defect? It may well be, but it is also unfair to exclude all but the sons of Aaron from the priesthood, and it is unfair to tell the priests that they could not mourn while on duty (see Do – Prohibited Practices for the Priests: The priests and the dead). It may not have been fair, but it was purposeful.

You may recall that the priesthood played an intermediary role between God and mankind. The officiating priest could not be blemished or less than whole because he represented the invisible God. He represented the Kingdom of YHVH. For the same reason that they were not to mourn while on duty, the priests were to be without defects. Since the animal which was offered was required to be free from defects, the priest who offered it on behalf of the sinner, had, therefore, to be just as free from defects. Thus, God’s perfection demanded the highest degree of perfection possible among those who minister and among the offerings that were presented to Him. This demand for perfection of both the priest and the offering was ultimately and uniquely fulfilled in the Person of Yeshua Messiah, who, as our High Priest, was not only holy, blameless, and pure (Hebrews 7:26), but as the sacrificial Lamb of God, was a sacrifice without defect. You should be aware that the ransom paid to free you from the worthless way of life which your fathers passed on to you did not consist of anything perishable like silver or gold; on the contrary, it was the costly bloody sacrificial death of the Messiah, as of a lamb without defect or spot (First Peter 1:18-19).³⁸⁶

Through the ministry of the Master, we learn that physical defects, infirmities and diseases are ultimately not in agreement with God’s Kingdom. When His Kingdom comes and His full and perfect will is accomplished on the earth, disease, defect and human suffering will be eradicated for believers because they will have their resurrected bodies. The Messianic Temple represents that ideal state of the Kingdom, where Yeshua Messiah will reign and rule for a thousand years from the Most Holy Place (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple). Therefore, the priests who served on duty inside the Sanctuary were to be representative of that not-yet realized state of renewal.³⁸⁷

Prohibited Practices for the Priests
21: 1-15

Prohibited practices for the priests DIG: Who was a priest allowed to mourn for and why? Why wasn’t a priest allowed to attend the burial of his wife? In what sense are the Levitical sacrifices “God’s bread?” Why did the priests need to have no blemishes to offer sacrifices?

REFLECT: Do you celebrate God’s appointed times? Why? Why not? Do you feel that the prohibited practices for the priests were excessive? Why or why not? What standards do you have for your spiritual leaders? What does it mean to sanctify the Name of God?

Parashah 31: Emor (Say) 21:1 to 24:23
(See my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People are Moshe, the sons of Aaron, and Aaron.

The Scene is the Tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai.

The Main Events include ADONAI giving Moshe mitzvot for priests to stay holy, with special mitzvot for the high priest; guidelines for treating the sacred offerings with respect, including what may be eaten by whom and which animals were acceptable as sacrifices; descriptions of the appointed feasts to proclaim as sacred assemblies, including Shabbat, Pesach and Hag ha’Matzah, Resheet, Shavu’ot, Rosh ha’Shanah, Yom Kippur, and Shukkot; instructions for the priests to tend the lamps and bake bread to set before the LORD; and the story of a blasphemer stoned as Ha’Shem commanded; guidelines for restitution – life for life.

We now come to a parashah that is filled to the brim with teachings about the Person and ministry of the Messiah. The main feature of this parashah is the revelation of God’s calendar, or God’s appointed times for His people. ADONAI instructed Isra’el to set aside certain days and years that would serve as special times of worship, celebration, and rest. In Leviticus 23:2 God said to Moshe, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them, “These are the LORD’s sacred assemblies, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.” The Hebrew word translated sacred assemblies is from the word mo’ed. This word actually means appointed times (to see link click Dw – God’s Appointed Times). It can be likened to YHVH telling Isra’el to get out her personal and national planning calendars and write in certain appointments for Ha’Shem. He already has her in His calendar and He, therefore, instructed Isra’el to give time to Him accordingly. For, on those particular days ADONAI desires to meet with His people in very special ways.³⁷³

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You so much that You desire a relationship of love with me. You are the Almighty King of Kings, yet You also walk in chesed, steadfast love, with me! We so love to walk, talk and to listen to You. A smile comes to my face and my heart skips a beat when I think of having an eternal relationship with my loving Father. Your steadfast love frames all that You do and say. When there are rules that I don’t understand, I remember that You, in Your infinite kindness, love me and want the best for me. Yeshua says: I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10c)!

Trials are often used by you to purify my soul. When I am in the midst of trials that I don’t understand, just like David when he was being pursued by Sha’ul, I remember the eternal reality of your steadfast love which satisfies me like a wonderful meal. Since Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise You . . . My soul is satisfied as with fat and oil, so my mouth praises You with joyful lips (Psalms 63:3,5).

Never have You forgotten Your child, but with your eye carefully checking the heat of the fire that I feel myself in, You are seeking to purify me like gold purified in the fire. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua. (1 Peter 1:7). These trials and rules are momentary, but the joy that comes from trusting and obeying You will last forever. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). You are a joy to obey! In Your holy name and power of Your Son’s resurrection. Amen

The appointed times all point to the ministry of Yeshua Messiah. Pesach points to His death, Hag ha’Matzah points to the sinlessness of His sacrifice, Resheet points to His resurrection, Shavu’ot points to the birth of His Church, Rosh ha’Shanah points to the rapture, Yom Kippur points to the Great Tribulation, and Shukkot points to the Messianic Kingdom.

The priests and the dead (21:1-6): More than a double standard for leadership, standards of holiness increase as those around YHVH move closer to Him. Being sanctified (being made holy for the purposes of God) means becoming kosher, or acceptable, to draw near to the LORD. In the case of the priests, failure to observe priestly commands seen in these verses could defile the Tabernacle. The priests could only mourn the loss of close family members. ADONAI said to Moshe, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron; tell them: ‘No priest is to make himself ritually unclean for any of his people who dies, dies, except for his close family members – defined as his mother, father, son, daughter and brother or an unmarried sister’ (21:1-3).” These same six relatives are mentioned in Ezeki’el 44:25. Anything dead is laden with the power of death, and for that reason it does, in a special way, render that person ritually unclean, incapable of dealing with the holy, the power of life itself.³⁷⁴ The priest, in the role of husband, was not even permitted to attend the burial of his wife, who is related to him through marriage. The six relatives at whose death a priest could mourn (being near the dead body) rendered him impure. But other than this one exception, he could not make himself unclean, because he was a leader among his people; doing so would defile him (21:4). The mitzvot regarding contact with a corpse by the Israelites is addressed in Numbers 19:10-22. Touching a dead body rendered one unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:11).

Priests are not to make bald spots on their heads, shave the edges of their beards or cut their flesh (21:5). A similar prohibition is stated in Ezeki’el 44:20. Deuteronomy 14:1 prohibits all Israelites from doing this, but it is understandable that this code should emphasize this prohibition with respect to the priests. Like cutting, shaving the hair or pulling it out were rites of mourning in ancient Canaan that Israelite religious leaders sought to prevent.³⁷⁵ Holy behaviors like these may sound discriminatory to western ears. But what is kosher to God does not carry good or bad connotations in the Semitic world. As in constructing a puzzle, each piece of the puzzle fits together and helps to complete the whole!³⁷⁶

There is a fascinating teaching contained in this section which deserves some attention. Four times in Chapter 21 (verses 6, 8, 17 and 21) we are informed the reason why the priests were to remain ritually clean, having no blemish, physical handicap, or any bodily imperfection. Since the animal which was offered was required to be free from imperfections, the priest who offered it on behalf of the sinner, had, therefore, to be just as free from imperfections. They were to be holy for their God and not defile the name of their God. For they are the ones who present ADONAI with offerings made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore, they must be holy (21:6). Sacrificial offerings are often called lehem, translated bread or food, and, at least in a symbolic sense, are considered bread for YHVH. The priests needed to observe strict codes of purity for they were the mediators between the worshiper and ADONAI.³⁷⁷ It seems that what gave God great joy was the fact that He was obeyed by worshipful people who offered the prescribed sacrifices just as He had said (see Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective). This is what pleased Ha’Shem and the offering became a sweet aroma to Him. In other words, God’s bread was mankind’s seeking to draw near to Him.³⁷⁸

The priests and women (21:7-9): The Torah explains that the priest must exercise a higher standard in the choice of a bride. A priest is not to marry a woman who is a prostitute, who has been defiled or who has been divorced; because he is holy for his God (21:7). A woman defiled by prostitution has traditionally been understood as any woman who has lived a promiscuous lifestyle, whether for pay or not. The same woman was permitted to marry any other Israelite as illustrated in the book of Hosea. Conversely, it was clearly implied that the priest himself was forbidden to live promiscuously. If the exalted sanctity of the priesthood forbade him to marry a woman who lived a worldly lifestyle, how much more so was he himself forbidden from living such a lifestyle. Rather, you are to set him apart as holy, because he offers the bread of your God. Consider them holy, because I ADONAI am holy – who made them holy (21:8). From the command to sanctify the priesthood we learn the importance of giving Messiah, our spiritual High Priest, the sanctity and honor due Him. Sanctifying the Master requires reverence of His Name and Person.

The daughter of a priest who defiled herself by a promiscuous lifestyle defiled her father. It became a capital offense and she was to be put to death by fire (see 21:9 for further details). A priest who would allow a prostitute to reside under his roof, even if it was his own daughter, would not be qualified to render decisions on behalf of the covenant community. The priest was not in any way to be associated with evil practices because he was the designated vessel in the service of God. These mitzvot teach us about the very nature of YHVH and His relationship to His people. Throughout the Scriptures, God compares His people to a bride. What kind of bride are we to be? We are to be a people without a spot, wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without defect (Ephesians 5:27b). Whenever the people of God slide into idolatry, He compares us to a prostitute and an unfaithful bride. Such a bride is unfit for the holiness of God.³⁷⁹

The high priest’s family (21:10-15): The high priest was held to an even higher (no pun intended) standard than an ordinary priest. This is the first occurrence of the term high priest in the Bible and its only occurrence in Leviticus. The one who is ranked highest among his brothers, the one on whose head the anointing oil is poured and who is consecrated to put on the garments, is not to shave his head, tear his clothes, go in to where any dead body is or make himself unclean, even when his father or mother dies (21:10-11). The high priest was not to shave his head or beard or cut his body (21:5). The practice of shaving the head, or making oneself bald, is also prohibited in Deuteronomy 14:1, and appears to be associated with pagan mourning rites (Isaiah 3:24 and 15:2; Jeremiah 47:5 and 48:37; Ezeki’el 7:18 and 27:31; Amos 8:10; Micah 1:16). He could not go anywhere near a dead body, not even when his father or mother died.

Aaron and his sons could not leave the Sanctuary (21:12a) during their seven-day ordination ceremony (see Av – The Ordination Ceremony of the Priesthood). Obviously, this couldn’t mean that he could never leave the Sanctuary at all, otherwise, it would be impossible for him to live with his family, or to have physical relations with his wife. Note also that Aaron, the high priest, did not remain in the Sanctuary all the time (Numbers 12:1-4 and 16:47). The context therefore suggests that the high priest could not leave the Sanctuary to mourn or become impure.³⁸⁰

Additionally, he could not defile the Sanctuary of his God because the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is on him; I am ADONAI (21:12b). Child sacrifice to Molech defiled the Sanctuary in 20:3 (also see 21:23). Along with verse 12 here, these three verses are the only times that the Torah describes the Sanctuary being defiled. General concerns for defilement occur in verses 7 and 9. Between them, verse 8 declares: because I ADONAI am holy – who made them holy, just as verse 15 does. Thus, the text twice relates the holiness of God to the avoidance of defilement. Just as verses 7-9 deal with sexual matters, so does verse 13. The reaffirmation of God’s holiness explains why the Sanctuary should not be defiled. The holiness of ADONAI demands that those who draw near to Him, must worship Him in holiness.³⁸¹ For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Unlike the other priests, the high priest could only marry a virgin daughter of Isra’el, meaning a native-born woman, neither a Gentile or proselyte. He may not marry a widow, divorcee, or a defiled woman who has lived a promiscuous lifestyle; but he must marry a virgin from among his own people and not disqualify his descendants among his people; because I am ADONAI, who makes him holy (21:13-15). Abstinence from premarital sex on the part of the wife of the high priest would certainly say something about her character, although the legitimacy of the offspring to inherit the high priesthood would certainly have been the greater concern.³⁸²

Holiness for the Priests
21:1 to 22:33

All Isra’el was called to live by the mitzvot of holiness, but the priesthood, the cohenim, were called to an even higher standard of holiness than the average Israelite. In order to serve at the bronze altar for the sacrifices of the people, or in the Holy Place as mediators between YHVH and mankind, the priesthood, themselves, were required to live at a higher standard of holiness. They are the ones who present ADONAI with offerings made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore, they must be holy (Leviticus 21:6).³⁷¹

This parashah (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah) follows a section on holiness which began in Leviticus 17 (see Cy – The Holiness Code), where three levels of sanctification can be seen. First, the broad base of the nation (see Cz – Holiness for the People), then the level of Levites, who assisted the priests (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah An – Priests, Levites and Temple Servants), and finally to the highest level, the priests (the kohanim), with the high priest himself who was the very summit of human holiness in Chapters 21 and 22.

The basic concept in these chapters is a basic review of the need for the priests to be ritually clean (see Bk – Ritually Clean and Unclean Animals) in order to perform their duties. But the teaching found here is more specific than what has previously been taught. For example, we are now informed that even if there is a small physical blemish such as a hunched back, or a broken arm (21:16-21), the man was disqualified from becoming the high priest. Thus, because these two chapters stress the need for the kohanim to be different from the rest of the Israelites, we find that most of the teaching is designed to give specific examples which would serve to remind the priests to be ritually clean. These examples cover every area of life; from what kind of woman to marry to skin blotches.³⁷²

Family Sins Deserving of Capital Punishment
20: 9-26

Family sins deserving of capital punishment DIG: Why doesn’t YHVH see the death penalty as “cruel and unusual punishment?” What is the meaning of being cut off? Has the death penalty been eliminated because of Romans 8:1? Why is living in the world so dangerous?

REFLECT: Since the Torah is our blueprint for daily living, why do you think ADONAI went into such detail regarding these disgusting sins within the family? Are these sins forgivable? Why or why not? What do you think about the different levels of punishment?

ADONAI separated His people from other pagan nations. Now that they were ready to move into the world of the Canaanites, they had to maintain significant distinctions in every aspect of their lives. Is it any different for us today? Who are the Canaanites for you?

The transgression of certain commandments carried the death penalty. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Virtually all these sins have been described before. The new aspect is the punishment. Though capital crimes have previously appeared, here, the Bible introduces the punishment of stoning for the first time. The whole community participated, and therefore, symbolically made a statement that it had removed the uncleanness from its midst.³⁵⁶ The methods of execution are described in the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law). None of them are pleasant. Only the Great Sanhedrin (see The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin), the Jewish Supreme Court, had the authority to issue the death sentence.³⁵⁷

The punishment for serious offenses was death (20:9-16): Leviticus next condemns the kinds of sins that were common in the pagan world and threatened to invade the lives of the people of God. It called for the covenant community to obey his commands. Thus, the argument of the whole chapter is, “Do not worship falsely, but obey ADONAI; do not live like the pagans, but obey Ha’Shem.” A natural connection is made between the two. Those who might give way to false worship, eventually found themselves in the spiritual gutter.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your perfect love and complete holiness. It is Your love that leads me to live a holy life that You want me to have. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10c)! Thank You for Your Holy Ruach’s abiding presence within me. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Ruach – if indeed the Ruach Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Ruach of Messiah, he does not belong to Him (Romans 8:9). He helps me to be victorious over temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Cursing parents: The first violation of the divine order is cursing parents. Honoring parents is commanded in the Ten Words (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bp – Honor Your Parents). Thus, a person who curses his father or mother must be put to death; having cursed his father or his mother. The word cursing (Hebrew: qalal) can refer to treating parents as if they are of little importance, or stronger cursing, wishing the deity to do them harm (see the commentary on the Life of David Ds – Shim’i Curses David). The stronger meaning must apply here since the sin brought the death penalty. Moreover, cursing is more serious if it invokes God (or gods) to bring evil upon the parents. This is a serious attempt by some people to discredit or destroy their parents. In explaining the punishment YHVH says: his blood is on him (20:9). As a justification for the death penalty, this means that whoever committed the crime knew the consequences and therefore bore the sole responsibility (Ezeki’el 18:20). It also meant that the blood could not be avenged by a relative (see Deuteronomy Dm – Six Cities of Refuge).³⁵⁸

Adultery: The second major disruption of God’s blueprint for living is the destruction of the family through adultery. It is forbidden in the Ten Words (see Deuteronomy Br – Do Not Commit Adultery). As its punishment makes clear, it was a very serious wrong, being an act of treachery against one’s spouse (Jeremiah 3:20; Malachi 2:14), as well as a sin against ADONAI (Genesis 20:6 and 30:9), who created marriage between a man and woman as the cornerstone of a stable human society (Genesis 2:18-24). If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, that is, with the wife of a fellow countryman, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death (20:10). As its punishment makes clear, this mitzvah addresses cases of mutual, consensual, sex. In cases of rape, the woman is not held liable (Deuteronomy 22:25-27).³⁵⁹ Significantly, the B’rit Chadashah focuses on the intent of the sin and not just the act. Yeshua said that a man who even looks at a woman with the purpose of lusting after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). That adulterer may not have ruined a family by carrying out his desire, but as far as Messiah is concerned, he is guilty of the same sin.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for making guidelines that help me find joy in my life. You desire to fill my life with so many good things; though sometimes the forbidden apple does look so very good, but one bite is poison to the soul. Everyone sins sometimes, but praise You that when I repent – You so graciously forgive (First John 1:9-10). Even though I sin, Your Spirit lives within me to convict me and counsel me to avoid sin and embrace righteousness. I love You and desire to obey You; I want to please You by my thoughts and actions. In the Name of the One who sits on Your right hand. Amen

Incest: The man who goes to bed (Hebrew: shakab, indicating mutual consent, that is why both people received the death penalty) with his father’s wife (another wife, not his own mother) has disgraced his father sexually (literally “uncovered the nakedness of the father”), and both of them must be put to death. Because the father and his wife were one flesh, violating his wife violated him. their blood is on them. In the other case, to sleep with a daughter-in-law was a perversion because it introduced confusion into God’s order. YHVH set up boundaries for marital relationships, and violating them for any reason, whether for power or lust, is wrong. More than that it is sinful. Therefore, if a man goes to bed with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death; they have committed a perversion, and their blood is on them (20:11-12). The B’rit Chadashah records the case where Paul found a man guilty of having such a relationship with his father’s wife and delivered him over to Satan for the destruction of his flesh (First Corinthians 5:1-5). Pagan societies like ancient Corinth might have allowed such practices, but in the eyes of Ha’Shem, they were sinful.³⁶⁰

Homosexuality: The Torah clearly prohibited homosexual acts as violations of the divine order for life (see Ae – The Bible and Homosexual Practice). If a man goes to bed with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. These are other words and phrases that God uses to describe this deviant practice: cut off, detestable, wicked, vile, an outrageous thing, godlessness, without excuse, fools, sinful desires, impurity, degrading their bodies, shameful lusts, unnatural relations, penalty, deceived, sexually immoral, sinful, the unholy, irreligious, perversions, a lie exposed as a warning of the everlasting fire awaiting those who must undergo punishment. And the B’rit Chadashah confirms that it is an abomination (see the commentary on Romans An – The Depraved Mind of the Pagan Gentile). Thus, they must be put to death; their blood is on them (20:13). In an effort to justify the homosexual lifestyle, various modern writers try to revise the interpretation of passages regarding this abomination in Leviticus. However, we must remember that Homosexuality, like all the sins listed here, is not the unforgivable sin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Em – Whoever Blasphemes Against the Holy Spirit Will Never Be Forgiven).

Sexual relations with a woman and her daughter: This mitzvah next addresses a man who took two women to live with, a mother and her daughter together. If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is depravity (Hebrew: zimmah, or wickedness), and all three are to be put to death by fire, so that there will not be wickedness among you (20:14). Death by fire bore a special relationship to forbidden sexual behavior. According to 21:9, if the daughter of a priest defiled herself by becoming a prostitute, she must be burned in the fire. In the account of Genesis 38:24, Judah threatened his daughter-in-law Tamar with death by fire when he learned that she had become pregnant with awaiting levirate marriage, an offense synonymous to adultery.³⁶¹ The burning of the corpse would represent complete removal from the LORD’s people: not even the bones are left (Second Kings 9:36-37). In today’s language, they have no tombstone and are not even in an unmarked grave. The method of punishment suggests that this type of incestuous relationship was particularly vile.³⁶² It was used so infrequently that the specifics of how it was carried out seems to have been forgotten by the time the Oral Law was written (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law).

Bestiality: In the case of the sin of bestiality, it is a clear case of violating the divine order of creation. It brought about confusion because it was contrary to the laws of nature. The one who committed the crime and the animal involved were both put to death. If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you are to kill the animal. If a woman approaches an animal and has sexual relations with it, you are to kill the woman and the animal; their blood will be on them (20:15-16). According to Jewish tradition, the reason the animal was to be put to death was because the sight of the animal would have been a constant reminder of the heinous union. Although the manner in which the death penalty was to be carried out for both is not stated, it was most likely stoning, the common method of execution.³⁶³

The Torah’s demands of capital punishment for certain sins seems objectionable to many today because they are not willing to admit the seriousness of sin. Though believers are typically willing to theologically accept the idea that sin merits eternal punishment, they are frequently unwilling to accept the idea that it might merit a death penalty. Yet, if we apply the standard of equal weights and measures, we will have to acknowledge that the death penalty in this life is far more lenient than an eternity in hell separated from the love of God. If we can stomach eternal damnation, then who are we to object to a simple death sentence which, at the most, merely shortens one’s life on this earth.

Often it is inferred by many that the death penalties have all been removed because: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Yeshua (Romans 8:1). Undoubtedly, the condemnation Paul speaks of is not condemnation in this world, but in the world to come. Otherwise, how could justice be served? The idea that justice would be overturned or death penalties revoked because a guilty person is a believer is indefensible. Justice must be served. If a believer is found guilty of murder, although saved (see The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer), he must face the punishment for his crime like any other man. However, if he has repented and clung to the hem of Messiah, he may go to his punishment with the certainty that the punishment in this world is adequate. He will only face the loss of rewards in heaven (see the commentary on Revelation Cc – We Must All Appear Before the Bema Seat of Christ).³⁶⁴

The punishment for some violations was to be cut off (20:17-19): With the next section comes a change in the way the mitzvot were enforced, which may indicate a different kind of sin or level of seriousness. Up to this point, for each violation of Torah the guilty were put to death by the community after a proper trail from the Great Sanhedrin. For the next few violations, the Bible simply says that the guilty are to be cut off publicly (see the commentary on Jeremiah Fb – The Destruction of Babylon and the Restoration of Isra’el: three degrees of excommunication).

Sexual relations with a sister (20:17): If a man takes his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter. Here, the expression probably means that the man married his sister, or at least that they lived together as husband and wife. This is confirmed by the fact that he had sexual relations with her, and she consented. ADONAI declares that it is a shameful thing. They are to be cut off publicly – he has had sexual relations with his sister, and he will bear the consequences of their wrongdoing. The act is a violation of the boundary of the family.³⁶⁵

In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned in the context as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.³⁶⁶

Sexual relations with a menstruating woman (20:18): Having sexual relations with a woman during her period is also included here was a serious violation of God’s order of marital relations. Sexual relations during menstruation was ruled out in Leviticus 15:19 and 24, where the punishment was only a period of uncleanness for the couple followed by the ritual cleansing in a mikvah. Here, the punishment was more severe. They would be cut off. If a man goes to bed with a woman in her menstrual period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her blood, and she has exposed the source of her blood; both of them are to be cut off from their people. Ha’Shem dealt with the couple because it was impossible to take them to court. Leviticus 15 dealt with all kinds of incidental contact with things unclean, but Leviticus 20 deals with the deliberate violations of the Torah. If the violation was due to merely an accident of timing, then uncleanness and ritual impurity were in order. But if it was done intentionally, that meant those involved knowingly violated the holiness code of God (see Cy – The Holiness Code).

Sexual relations with a close relative (20:19): In the final violation in this section, ADONAI said: You are not to have sexual relations with your mother’s sister or your father’s sister; a person who does this has had sexual relations with his close relative; they will bear the consequences of their wrongdoing. God would deal with them in His own time and way. Like the other two violations in this section, they too would be cut off.

Lesser violations were punished with childlessness (20:20-21). In the next cases, the punishment changes to childlessness, a form of divine punishment that was not as strong as death by stoning or being cut off from the covenant community, but indicated God’s disapproval just the same. The word for childless (Hebrew: ariri, means stripped). It is used in the sense of posterity, like in Genesis 15:2, where Abraham says: What will You give me since I remain childless. The word is also used in a curse on King Jehoiachin (Hebrew Coniah, a shortened form of Jeconiah, also called Jehoiachin) in Jeremiah 22:30: Record this man as if childless . . . for none of his offspring will prosper, nor sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah. From these we see that the curse of childlessness did not mean someone had no children. Indeed, Jehoiachin had children (First Chronicles 3:17-18). For him, a king, it was as if he had no child, no true son (of a full wife) to keep his memory alive or provide a legitimate place in the genealogy. He was “struck off the list,” as it were. In this chapter, then, illegitimate marriage relationships might have produced children, but in ADONAI’s sight they were not legitimate and would not benefit the family. In the ancient world, this was a great calamity.³⁶⁷

Sexual relations with an aunt (20:20): If a man had sexual relations with an aunt, the punishment was childlessness. If a man goes to bed with his uncle’s wife, he has disgraced his uncle sexually. Because a woman’s nakedness is her husbands – they are one flesh – he dishonored his uncle. They will bear the consequences of their sin and die childless. The sin violated her relationship to him as well.

Sexual relations with a sister-in-law (20:21): If a man takes his brother’s wife, it is uncleanness. Here, the expression probably means that the man married his sister-in-law, or at least that they lived together as husband and wife. He has disgraced his brother sexually, and as a result, they will be childless (20:21). The couple would face the punishment for adultery (death at the hands of the Earthly Court) in addition to the added punishment of childlessness. In other words, they would not only face the death penalty, but they would leave no heir to carry on their family line (divine justice administered by the Heavenly Court). Rashi suggests that if they already had children, their children would die childless.³⁶⁸ People who choose to violate God’s boundaries of marriage cannot expect God’s blessing on their union.

God’s people are called to holy living (20:22-26): You are to observe all my regulations and rulings and act on them, so that the Land to which I am bringing you will not vomit you out. Do not live by the regulations of the nation which I am expelling ahead of you; because they did all these things, which is why I detested them. But to you I have said, “You will inherit their land; I will give it to you as a possession, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am ADONAI your God, who has set you apart from other peoples. Therefore, you are to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and between clean and unclean birds; do not make yourselves detestable with an animal, bird or reptile that I have set apart for you to regard as unclean. Rather, you people are to be holy for me; because I, ADONAI, am holy; and I have set you apart from the other peoples, so that you can belong to me.

The instruction for the people of Isra’el was that they sanctify themselves and be holy. Leviticus 20:22 states the message very graphically, they must keep all the mitzvot or the Land would vomit them out. Put negatively (20:23), they had to avoid the customs of the Gentile nations, for it was because of those corrupt practices that YHVH expelled the Canaanites from the land. Stated positively, the motivation for loyalty was that Isra’el was God’s elected nation. She existed because of the covenant, and lived in anticipation of the fulfillment of the divine purposes (20:24). ADONAI separated His people from other pagan nations. Now that they were ready to move into the world of the Canaanites, they had to maintain significant distinctions in every aspect of their lives. They were holy, because the LORD who set them apart is holy.

This message is important for both Jewish and Gentile believers. The Jew must remember that he is a Jew, and not one the nations. He must not seek to emulate the ways of the Gentiles. In addition, he must not seek to hide his identity. The Gentile must no longer consider himself as a child of a pagan nation, but one as born again and grafted into the cultivated olive tree, or Isra’el (see the commentary on Romans Cz – The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future), set apart from the Gentile world. Thus, Peter tells the Gentile believers of today to be holy, regarding themselves as part of Isra’el, no longer a part of the Gentile world. Instead, they are to regard themselves as aliens and strangers among the nations, “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you; but to live such good lives among the pagans that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of seeing your good actions, give glory to God on the Day of His coming” (First Peter 2:11-12).³⁶⁹

Haftarah K’doshim reading (Amos 9:7-15 (A); Ezeki’el 20:19-20 (S):
(see the commentary on Deuteronomy Af – Parashah)

Zadokites ruled as High Priests from the time of David to the Hasmoneans, who threw off Seleucid rule (First and Second Maccabees). Zadok sided with David when Absalom rebelled against his father and king (Second Samuel 19:11), and he sided with David when Adonijah tried to seize Solomon’s crown (First Kings 1:8). Now, yet another Zadokite preaches to those facing exile from Jerusalem. Ezeki’el warned his generation not to live by the rules and customs of their parents, but rather to shed their idolatries (Ezeki’el 20:18). According to a standard of strict justice, the nation should have perished for worshiping the idols of Egypt (Ezeki’el 20:7-8; Joshua 24:14). A pattern develops. Isra’el rejected ADONAI’s mitzvot and profaned His Shabbats (Ezeki’el 20:13). Isra’el’s disobedience defamed God’s Name and hindered His efforts to redeem the Gentile nations (Ezeki’el 20:9 and 14). Yet, in His grace, YHVH continued to extend compassion (Ezeki’el 20:17) and resisted finishing them off in the desert. What began during the exodus continued during the exile.

B’rit Hadashah reading (Matthew 5:48):

Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Holiness includes being loving in godly ways. Yeshua set the standards for His disciples when He said: Unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:20 CJB)! Messiah extended the standard of love for one’s neighbor and the stranger in the Land to one’s enemies. Application of a principle of strict justice (apart from mercy) would have destroyed Isra’el for practicing idolatry in the wilderness (Ezeki’el 20:18). God used Jewish disobedience for His own purposes. But, in contrast with that, Gentiles now have the opportunity to be the conscious and intentional means of blessing to Isra’el. ADONAI has blessed the Gentiles by choosing them as His instrument for willingly blessing Isra’el and the Jews (see the commentary on Romans Da – The Redemption of Isra’el). YHVH calls Gentiles to imitate His holy love for Isra’el and to perfect that love.³⁷⁰

Religious Sins Deserving of Capital Punishment
20:1-8 and 27

Religious sins deserving of capital punishment DIG: What was the Jewish form of capital punishment? When was it taken away and by whom? Why was the punishment against those who worshiped Molech so severe? What did it mean for someone to be cut off?

REFLECT: How do you feel about capital punishment? Do you think it is unfair or justified? When you read that “The wages of sin is death,” do you think of it in terms of spiritual death or physical death? Is the death penalty a deterrent to wrong behavior or punishment?

God’s people must shun pagan beliefs and develop lives of holiness to the LORD.

The transgression of certain commandments carried the death penalty. For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Virtually all these sins have been described before. The new aspect is the punishment. Though capital crimes have previously appeared, here, the Bible introduces the punishment of stoning for the first time. The whole community participated, and therefore, symbolically made a statement that it had removed the uncleanness from its midst.³⁴⁵ The methods of execution are described in the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ei – The Oral Law). None of them are pleasant. Only the Great Sanhedrin (see The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin), the Jewish Supreme Court, had the authority to issue the death sentence.³⁴⁶

God’s people must avoid false religion (20:1-6): ADONAI said to Moshe, “Say to the people of Isra’el, ‘If someone from the people of Isra’el or one of the foreigners living in Isra’el sacrifices one of his children to Molech, he must be put to death (20:1-2a). The offering of children to Molech was previously mentioned (see Dd – Incest and Other Uncleanness: Molech). There, the offense was equated with profaning God’s name. Here, the punishment for this crime is given. Any Israelite or stranger living in the Land who offered his child up to Molech, trying to gain favor with the deity, was to be put to death. Offering children to Molech not only involved horrendous treatment of one’s offspring but also constituted idolatry in that the offering was a sacrifice being made to a pagan god (Deuteronomy 18:21; Second kings 23:10).³⁴⁷

The people of the Land are to stone him to death (20:2b). The hofal form of the verb yummat, meaning he shall be put to death, points to execution by human hand (Exodus 21:15-17 and 29). The Hebrew verb r-g-m is used specifically to describe what is done with stones. They are to be thrown or hurled (Leviticus 24:14; Numbers 15:35-36 and 21:21). The question arises as to how the sentence was to be carried out (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Dg – Judges: Crime against the covenant). Witnesses for the prosecution threw the first stones, then they were followed by others of the covenant community.³⁴⁸ In most circumstances the stoning would be performed outside the camp (Leviticus 24:14; Deuteronomy 22:24; First Kings 21:13). Stoning was still carried out during New Covenant times (John 10:31; Acts 7:59-60, 14:5).³⁴⁹

There are those today to say that capital punishment should be abolished because it has been proven that it does not discourage people from committing horrific crimes. But that is a worldly view because the Bible teaches just the opposite. Capital punishment is not meant to be a deterrent for other crimes, it is meant to be a punishment for the crime committed.

Additionally, Ha’Shem said: I too will set myself against him and cut him off from his people, because he has sacrificed his child to Molech, defiling my Sanctuary and profaning My holy name (20:3). Impurities pollute. The holy and the impure are contagious states that don’t mix.³⁵⁰ Being cut off was the punishment for mixing unclean and common (see Bj – The Mitzvot of Purification) with that which is holy. In rabbinic literature the penalty is called karet, or “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned in the context as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.³⁵¹

The death penalty of Torah functions on two levels. When a sin was charged against someone, the Great Sanhedrin was to investigate the matter, hold a trial, examine the witnesses and arrive at a verdict. If the person accused was found guilty, the Human Court was to carry out the verdict. If, however, there were no witnesses or there was not adequate evidence to convict, then the sentence was thought to be administered by the Heavenly Court.³⁵² In other words, Ha’Shem had to punish those who were truly guilty.

Ha’Shem held the community responsible if they did not punish the offender. This theme of corporate responsibility came from the nature of the community as the holy people of God. When there was sin, the community no longer enjoyed the fellowship with YHVH because its holiness had been compromised. In the B’rit Chadashah, the people of God are the sanctuary and its holiness. The uncleanness of idolatry receives mention by the apostle Paul because he advocated faithfulness and resistance to sin (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers).³⁵³

They too faced the sentence of being cut off from YHVH (see the commentary on Jeremiah Fb – The Destruction of Babylon and the Restoration of Isra’el: three degrees of excommunication). If the people of the land look the other way in negligence when that man sacrifices his child to Molech, and fail to put him to death, then God Himself will set myself against him, his family members who are equally to blame should they hide their eyes, and everyone who follows him to go fornicating after Molech, and cut them off from their people (20:4-5). If the people would turn a blind eye toward the sin, so to speak, and look the other way, and allowing it to go unchecked, God warns that He Himself would intervene and administer justice.

When the Bible talks about fornicating after Molech, it is speaking of spiritual adultery. Isra’el is pictured as the wife of ADONAI. For your husband is your Maker, ADONAI-Tzva’ot is His name. The Holy One of Isra’el is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of all the earth (Isaiah 54:5). Isra’el would constantly go lusting after idols, as if committing spiritual adultery (Ezeki’el 23:1-21). YHVH said: I supplied all their needs, yet they ran to the houses of prostitutes, or the shrines of other gods (Isaiah 5:7).

The death penalty was also punishment for consulting spirit-mediums and sorcerers. By seeking them out, the Israelites would be committing spiritual adultery and violating her covenant with her husband, ADONAI. The person who turns to spirit-mediums and sorcerers to go fornicating after them – I will set Myself against him and cut him off from his people. A man or woman who is a spirit-medium or sorcerer must be put to death; they are to be stoned to death; their blood will be on them (20:6 and 27). The phrase blood will be on them draws attention to the seriousness of the offense and is to be equated with the death penalty, which is the stated punishment for these offenses.

God’s people are called to holiness (20:7-8): Safeguarding the holiness of the Tabernacle, God’s house, dominates the world of Leviticus. Isra’el needed to purify its House, because a holy God demands a holy House.³⁵⁴ Therefore consecrate yourselves – you people must be holy, because I am ADONAI your God. Observe my mitzvot, and obey them; I am ADONAI, who sets you apart to be holy (20:7-8). ADONAI commands the Israelites to make themselves holy. The only other place in the book where YHVH commands Isra’el, “consecrate yourselves,” is 11:44, which concerns eating kosher. Leviticus 20:7 repeats this because, as with the clean and unclean animals, Isra’el’s holiness required distinction from the practices of the Gentile nations and adherence to a separate way of life, whether in diet, worship, or sexual practices. By avoiding activities that would tie Isra’el with the deities of other peoples, they would be recognizing that ADONAI was their God alone.³⁵⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that in Your great wisdom You are completely holy and completely loving. We so enjoy thinking about Your love, but the truth is that in order to be loving, You must also hate evil. It is such a comfort that when You discipline, because God disciplines the one He loves (Hebrews 12:5-6). Your holiness demands discipline for wayward believers; but You keep calling them so tenderly to repent and to come back to You.

How it grieves my heart and your heart that some people think they do not need You. They think they can live life for themselves, but what a lie it is to think that eternal happiness can be found anywhere other than in trusting Your grace and loving You with our whole heart (Matthew 22:37-40).

Some of my friends and family know in their heads that You are the one true God; but they have no fear of You and no love for You. Dear heavenly Father, praise You for being the Awesome Almighty King of the Universe! Please touch the hearts of my friends and family. Open the eyes of their hearts to see that they will get the death penalty of eternity in hell if they do not choose to love you. He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen