Parasha Tsav- Leviticus 6:8-8:36
- Jeremiah 7:21-9:24
- Hebrew 9:11-28
The Torah Portion at a Glance
YHWH instructs Moses to command Aaron and his sons regarding their duties and rights as Kohanim ("priests") who offer the korbanot (animal and meal offerings) in the Sanctuary.
The fire on the Altar must be kept burning at all times. In it are burned the wholly consumed Ascending Offering; veins of fat from the Peace, Sin, and Guilt Offerings; and the "handful" separated from the Meal Offering.
The Kohanim eat the meat of the Sin and Guilt Offerings and the remainder of the Meal Offering. The Peace Offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the Kohen. The holy meat of the offerings must be eaten by ritually pure persons, in their designated holy place, and within their specified time.
Aaron and his sons remain within the Sanctuary compound for seven days, during which Moses initiates them into the priesthood.
(adapted from chabad.org)
The Messiah in the Torah Portion
This week's Torah portion always falls on Shabbat HaGadol, the Sabbath before the Biblical festival of Passover. Within a few days of this reading, families will gather around the dinner table and recount the exodus. Unleavened bread, wine, and bitter herbs are shared while the story of the Passover Lamb is remembered. It is easy to see the Messiah as the Passover Lamb. He is also the sacrificial lamb that was offered daily in the Tabernacle. "Messiahloved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to YHWH," Ephesians 5:2.
When Y'shua said that He was the "lamb slain from the foundation of the earth" He was referencing the Passover and the daily burnt offering. "YHWH commanded Aharon and his sons, saying, 'this is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth of the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar is to be kept burning on it," Leviticus 6:9. This offering was one sacrificial lamb in the morning and one sacrificial lamb in the afternoon. This teaches us that Y'shua's sacrifice is continually before YHWH. (see Exodus 29:24-42)
There are four specific places in the Bible when a burnt offering is acceptably pleasing to YHWH. Through studying these we can begin to understand and appreciate the death of Y'shua. These four offerings were:
-the consecration of the tabernacle (Lev 9:24),
-when David called upon YHWH at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (1 Chronicles 21:26),
-at Solomon's dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 7:1),
-when Elijah challenged the priests of Baal at Carmel (1 Kings18:38).
As the Passover Lamb, Y'shua was the offering whose blood provided protection from the death angel. As the burnt offering, Y'shua is the payment for sin whose blood atones for both day and night. "Nor was it that He would offer Himself often... otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifest to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself," Hebrews 9:25-26.
Applying the Portion to Life Today
Read this week's Torah portion but please don't just read it.
Torah Parasha Tsav is this week's reading. This little portion of the Bible deals with the continued instructions being given on offerings and sanctuary worship. Aharon and his sons are given the priestly garments and are anointed along with the tabernacle. All that is within it and the priests are set apart as special for YHWH's use. The offerings that are given point to the purpose of the mishkan and the priesthood - to draw near and commune with YHWH Eloheynu.
To approach the Holy One of Yisra'el there are certain steps that must be taken. The Torah is very clear and specific about proper worship. Not just anything will do.
To experience YHWH's presence and receive a deeper revelation of Who He is requires obedience to YHWH's word. Selah.
Adam is instructed not to eat from a certain tree. Avraham is commanded to sacrifice his only son. Moshe is told to take off his shoes. And the priests go through a series of events. These proceedings enable the Levites to minister to YHWH before the people in the correct manner.
What takes place in this parasha is a prophecy made and a prophecy fulfilled. The prophecy fulfilled is that the actions you'll read about are a direct accomplishment of Shemot (Exodus) 28:41. It says, "And thou shalt put them upon Aharon thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office."
The prophecy made is that the pattern of ordination that the kohanim or priests go through is also the pattern for all believers.
-Anointing
-Purification
-Sanctification
First, they were anointed
In Vayikra (Leviticus) 8:12 the kohanim were anointed with the sacred anointing oil - "And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aharon's head, and anointed him, to sanctify him." During Torah times a person was anointed when the Ruach (spirit) of YHWH would minister and move through them. Today it is no different. The anointing of the Ruach HaKodesh is YHWH's mighty presence that empowers the believer. But, don't mistake this as some "feeling" people experience. The anointing is not some cheap thrill of goose bumps but an endowment of the Living Elohim. Please don't dismiss and minimize the anointing as something a person "feels." The anointing is something a person is.
Believers are anointed with the Ruach HaKodesh. "Now he which established us with you in Messiah, and hath anointed us, is Elohim; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts," 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. The anointing is an endowment of Ruach power and you as a believer have been endowed.
Second, they were purified
In Vayikra / Leviticus 8:14 there is a sin offering of a bull made for the priests and the place of worship. Aharon and his sons laid their hands on the animal's head as a means of identifying with the transference of guilt. Sin requires death, so the bull takes the place of the kohanim as the chat' at or sin offering. This offering purifies the defilement of sin that has affected the mishkan. Chat' at offerings were given for sins that might have taken place by accident or without knowledge. This purification offering cleanses from unintentional sin.
Purification is a process in every believer's life. It is the development of removing whatever causes life to be impure.
Being pure for each moment in life leads to staying pure throughout life. Purity in the scriptures means to be "fair, bright; clear, unadulterated, levitically uncontaminated; morally innocent, clean, purged." First man is given or anointed with the Ruach HaKodesh, and then the Spirit begins to work its job. The job of the Ruach is to cleanse or purify the believer from the defilement of sin and worldly ways. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see Elohim," Matthew/Mattitiyahu 5:8. When a person is purified through YHWH then they are clear - their life is transparent and people see the Almighty in them. You can see straight through a purified believer and what you should see is YHWH Y'shua. Perhaps a different rendering of the Mattitiyahu verse could be, "Blessed are the pure in heart for YOU can see Elohim through them."
Third, they were sanctified
"Then Moshe took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aharon and his garments and on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aharon and his garments and his sons and their garments," Vayikra 8:30.
Before the sons of Aharon can minister in the mishkan they must be set apart through proper preparation. The ram offering and anointing oil acts as a type of ordination that takes a total of seven days. What lessons could be learned from the priests!
Before doing any "priestly" work or sacrifices for the people they themselves experience the sanctification of YHWH. They look to leadership; they follow the precepts of the Torah; they spend time in YHWH's presence.
"Sanctification" is a big churchy word that literally means "setting apart." For the priesthood to be sanctified they had to be removed from the ordinary for seven days. Sanctification doesn't happen over night. It comes over time as the believer walks in obedience to YHWH through the Ruach's power. Sanctification happens as a person resists the world and the enemy and clings to YHWH. And the priests weren't the only people called to be set apart to YHWH. The entire nation of Yisra'el was chosen to withdraw from the ways of the world and separate themselves. "For thou art an holy people unto YHWH Eloheynu: for YHWH Elohim hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth," Devarim 7:6.
The process of the priesthood is not some "quick fix" for spiritual problems but an overview of the spiritual transformation a person goes through when they follow after YHWH. It is not easy. Nor is it exactly fun. The progression of being anointed, purified, and then sanctified was the pattern of the kohanim and is the pattern of believers today. Considering this, where are you right now? How is YHWH sanctifying you or setting you aside from the world? Did you know that you have been given a spirit of power love and self-control? Do people see YHWH through your actions?
Don't just read about this Parasha...be it...live it for the glory of YHWH.
Portion Points to Ponder
1. The Hebrew name for this portion is "Tsav." What does this mean?
2. Read Jeremiah 7:21-8:3 and 9:23-24. How does this relate to the story of Exodus this week?
3. Consider the words found in Hebrews 9:11-28. What did you learn from studying this passage?
4. How does this Torah portion speak of the Messiah Y'shua?
5. Describe two ways that you can apply this week's Torah portion to your life.
6. What is a burnt offering?
7. What is the difference between a meal offering and a sin offering?
8. Why would frankincense be put in a meal offering?
9. Where the priests allowed to eat some of the offerings and sacrifices?
10.How much is an "ephah?"
11.When would a sin offering need to be given?
12.Was the guilt offering totally burnt up?
13.Where the peace and thanksgiving offerings made with leavened bread?
14.If an offering was given voluntarily could it be eaten within a two day span?
15.Why would unclean people who offer sacrifices be "cut off" from Israel?
16.Who is forbidden from eating fat and blood according to Leviticus 7:23? Does Acts 15 agree with this?
17.What does Leviticus 7:27 specify as the punishment for consuming blood? Why?
18.Why would Aharon and his sons be washed in water in Leviticus 8? Is baptism important today?
19.Explain the usage of the Urim and the Tummim. Why would YHWH allow decisions to be made by casting lots?
20.How many times was anointing oil sprinkled on the altar? Why was this number chosen?
21.How much oil was traditionally poured on the head of the High Priest? Did it run down his beard?
22.Why was the altar sanctified before it was first used? Where else in the Scriptures is this repeated?
23.Leviticus 8:24 shows blood of a sacrifice being placed on specific body parts of the priests. Why?
24.When were the leaders told to stay day and night for seven days at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting?
25.What separated the priests skin from the priestly garments?
26.How often were the ashes removed from upon tabernacle?
27.If someone extinguishes the fire in the temple, how many Torah violations has he transgressed?
28.When a priest/kohen is inaugurated, what offering must he bring?
29.When is a kohen disqualified from eating from a chatat sin offering?
30.What is the difference between a copper and earthenware vessel regarding removing absorbed tastes?
31.In which four instances is a thanksgiving offering / korban todah brought?
32.What are the 5 categories of korbanot / offerings listed in this Parsha?
33.What do you think the fire on the altar represents and why would God want it to burn eternally?
34.Food seems to play a large role in the sacrificial rituals. What makes food holy?
35.Why only the males of Aaron's descendants?
36.Why would something become holy by merely touching the food allocated to the priestly class?
37.How do you think that slaughtering an animal affects forgiveness from God?
38.Why would someone offer a sacrifice for no apparent reason at all? Would you?
39.Sacrifice represents the principal form of worship in the days of the Temple. What in your mind is the connection between sacrifice and worship?
40.Some sacrifices had to be consumed on the same day. Others could be finished the next day or even several days later. What does the time of consumption have to do with purpose of the sacrifice?
41.The Hebrew word for ordination is s'micha. In what context is s'micha used today?
42.How would you explain the use of blood and oil to consecrate ceremonial clothing?
43.What qualities does blood have that it might consecrate objects, like clothing?
44.What does the anointing oil do? What does anointing actually mean?
45.Does the order of the offerings given in this Torah portion signal a special meaning?
46.When would the peace offering be presented?
47.What did you learn from this Open Bible study?
The Open Bible is a teaching series written by Daniel Rendelman of Emet Ministries. Find more teachings, audio messages, videos, and music at www.emetministries.com.
Daniel Rendelman is the found and leader of Emet Ministries and the author of the book "Finding the Truth." He, his wife, and five children live in Newberry, South Carolina. He can be reached at emetministries@gmail.com.
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