Study the Scriptures!

Parashat Shemini – Leviticus 9-11

Shemini means 8 (Eight)

In book of Exodus or Shemot, we are explained how to build the Tabernacle. In the book of Leviticus, or Vayikra, we and our priests are instructed how to perform the different sacrifices to the LORD. We are now in the third parashat of Vayikra, called Shemini.

There are many subjects to study here; however, I would like to speak about an insight the LORD gives us from the Hebrew.  After Moses had seen how Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abiu had died before the LORD; he was being extra careful and was still giving specific instructions on the offering procedures to Aaron and his other 2 sons, Eleazar and Ithamar. On chapter 10, verse 16 we read that Moses inquired about the male goat of the sin offering, which had already been burned.  Aaron explained that in his grieving condition, he did not think his eating of the offering would have been acceptable to the LORD; this answer appeased Moses.  

It is said in the Talmud by our early sages, the soferim, the scribes, meaning those who count, that right here in Leviticus 10:16 is the very middle of the word count of the Torah and the two words that are right at the center are: DAROSH, DARASH.

In this verse in Hebrew, the verb DERASH is repeated to indicate that he, Moses searched diligently and carefully.  DAROSH DARASH Moshe.

This makes us think that this is important to God in reference to searching His Word.  Studying the Torah requires to search the Torah; to search the Scriptures. We can interpret these words as STUDY, STUDY! We must inquire of the Word of God constantly. It is the Word of the Creator of the Universe; it is our instruction manual.

Proverbs 8 and 9 urge us to learn wisdom from the Word of God. “Receive my instruction instead of silver and knowledge rather than choice gold”.

Psalm 12 says, the Words of ADONAI are pure, as silver purified in a furnace of the earth purified seven times.

Jeremiah says we are to understand and know Him, for He is ADONAI who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness. In this, He delights.

Yeshua said: 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Search, search, inquire, seek, knock.

We are encouraged by the words: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him”.

We are further encouraged, to dig into the Word by knowing that: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We are exhorted to study to show ourselves approved unto God. To be diligent on giving Him our very best.

We know that the heart of our Good Father through the Scriptures is to reveal His plan of redemption and salvation to us, Yeshua. Yeshua said to the religious men of His time: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. In Yeshua are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God. All the fullness of God is in our precious Redeemer. 

In Luke 24, we read that on the way to Emmaus, two disciples, Cleopas and his companion, are sad, thinking about Yeshua’s death. Suddenly the resurrected Yeshua joins them and they don’t recognize Him. As he inquiries about their conversation, they explain… Yeshua of Nazaret, a prophet, powerful in deed and word before God and all the people. How He was put to death. We were hoping that He was the One to redeem Israel. Some of our women say they went to His tomb and saw a vision of angels but He is not there! To this thought, Yeshua answered: “Oh foolish ones, so slow of heart to put your trust in all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary for Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures. As they urged Him to stay with them since it was late, “it happened that when He was reclining at the table with them, He took the matzah, offered a bracha and, breaking it, gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him, and He disappeared from them. They then recognized their hearts burnt as He spoke to them. The things told by Yeshua here, are not specified, they are left for us to search and find more revelation about Him. We pray, Ruach HaKodesh, continue to reveal Yeshua to us.

All the scripture is God breathed! It’s all about Yeshua. John 1 says He is the Word. Yeshua is the essence, the substance of the Torah.

As we count the Omer and ponder about the AWESOME WORD OF GOD as we read Psalm 119 – our love for Torah – God’s instruction.  As we practice DAROSH DARASH, as we read intently, as we search, as we dig into the Word, as we “study study”; Yeshua will be more and more revealed to us.

We are invited by God Himself to know Him intimately, yadah, by reading His Word.

In John 17 Yeshua says, and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Yeshua the Messiah, the One You sent.

Thank you, Abba, for giving us Your Truth, Your Word. Thank you for giving us Yeshua. Ahmen.

https://torahportions.ffoz.org/torah-portions/allportions/shemini/

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/698,2210154/How-many-words-and-letters-are-in-the-Torah.html

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1883118/jewish/What-Is-the-Midpoint-of-the-Torah.htm

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/soferim

An Acceptable Offering Unto Our God.

Shalom,
On this occasion, they offered the sin offering: a young calf. It had to be without blemish, then the burnt offering , also without blemish, and the peace offering. I can't go into much detail. We just read it. But, the point I want to focus on is “without blemish.” Yeshua shed His blood. He is the Lamb of Adonai who takes our sin. And He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His love makes us respond to Him, that as He offered himself for us, so must we also offer ourselves holy unto Him. But how can we be holy? It is really hard in our culture. Nevertheless, Adonai has provided a way. He always makes a way where there seems to be no way. Do you agree? So He says in Romans 12:1. It's an urgent plea for us to offer ourselves. It's a response to God's love to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing unto God. This is our worship, with understanding, knowing the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and of wisdom and departing from evil—that is intelligence!

So, He gave us His Ruach, His Spirit, and when we humble ourselves before Him, He can really do marvels with us. You see, Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.”
One day, I woke up and God put in my heart to read the book of Malachi. I had an amazing time with God that morning. In a way a had a reconciliation with my Abba, even though I didn't know I needed one. I thought I was OK; but God showed me otherwise. This was amazing to me because I understood Adonai's frustration with those who were giving him imperfect offerings. So I found that sometimes we don't have the proper respect and fear of Adonai, and we despise Him and take Him for granted. But He does not want that. The portion reads, “But cursed is the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am Great King, saith the Lord of Hosts, and my Name is dreadful among the heathen.” You see we have to respect Him. And it's a serious matter. We have to go to Him fully. That's why our worship is our intelligent service because we come to Him humbling ourselves in His presence.
In Matthew 5, one of my favorite parts of the Bible, Yeshua gave the beatitudes. He said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” Have we come to see how meaningful this is? The pure in heart. Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart O God Thou wilt not despise.” This is how God does good for us because He takes pleasure in us. So, we are to be followers of God as His dear children, walking in love as Messiah has loved us and has given Himself as an offering, and being a sweet-smelling sacrifice to Adonai, and not giving place to the devil and to the flesh. Because as Rabbi Neil taught us, with God, it is always about our heart.

Adonai has called us to be a royal priesthood. In this reading we see that when we humble ourselves before His presence and we become that living sacrifice, then in response to our obedience, God blesses us. We see at the end of this portion how they had a wonderful encounter with the Lord. It says, “And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people and blessed them and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offering and Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people and there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces.” What joy to think that when we do what we are commanded, we will be rewarded with the presence of God Almighty, El Gibor. God bless you. Shalom.

Hebrew:  Yayigash

English: And He drew near

Torah: Genesis

 44:18-47:27

Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28

Brit Chadashah: Luke 6:9-16

Today’s Parasha speaks about the re-encounter of Joseph and his brothers.

God Always Has a Plan

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  These were some of the last words of Yeshua before His death.  He had been separated from whom He so much loved, His Father,  in order to save us.   Joseph had also been separated from His loving father, Jacob, so he could be used to save many people and all his family from famine.  God is always making a way for our salvation. God always has plans of peace to give us a good end.

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Joseph manifested himself to his brothers as also did Yeshua.  Joseph’s brothers despised him but God allowed it for good.  Yeshua was despised and rejected, acquainted with grief, afflicted.  He was wounded and bruised for our transgressions and iniquities to give us peace and healing.

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The Hardships

Joseph suffered much in the hands of his brothers.  He endured hardships. God was forming a leader out of him, a man fit for God’s plan and purpose.  But the separation from his father, his brother Benjamin and even the rest of his brothers, was extremely hard for him.  Separation hurts.  Divorce hurts.  Rejection hurts, to be mocked hurts, to be disliked hurts… very much.  But the wounds are healed with love.

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The Re-encounter

Joseph’s brothers come to him from Canaan in order to buy food.  After a series of events, Joseph reveals his identity to them.  There was lots of forgiveness and consolation.  His brothers cried, asked for forgiveness and humbled themselves before their little brother who was now a great authority figure before their very eyes.  As the prophetic dream said, his brother’s sheaves bowed to Joseph's sheaf.

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Strength in Unity

I come from a family of 9 children.  We had a large dining table, I remember at the table my father used to tell us that separated we were not strong, but as the fingers of a hand, if we stood together, we formed a fist that was very strong.  There is strength in unity and there is victory in unity. In oneness.

God multiplied Jacob’s descendants as He had promised and agreed with Abraham. He kept them together.  God made the re-encounter of Joseph and his brothers possible and orchestrated their reconciliation.

There is strength in unity.  When the disciples were united, 'all in one accord' and in fervent prayer, the Holy Spirit was sent down and God's powerful movement of announcing  salvation to the world through the Messiah was started.  Psalm 133 says that it is pleasant for the brethren to be together, the oil, meaning the Spirit is given us, the dew meaning the abundant blessing of God is given us, even more, God commands a blessing for us.

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In this congregation, we are a mishpocha, a family. God wants us to be together, echad.  The New Testament/Brit Chadashah gives us rich instruction on unity, respect, honor, encouragement and love towards one another.  The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is very much related with how we treat each other.  The fruit of the Spirit is shown on how we treat each other.  God rejoices when we love one another.  The Spirit of God is grieved when we do not love one another.  Yeshua was one with the Father, and He prayed in John 17 that we would be one with Him as He was one with the Father.  This concept was given high importance by Yeshua.  He prayed for them then and for us now. We are a body.  We need each other. A body needs all its parts and when one hurts, the whole body hurts. When we do not obey God's will in His commandment to love each other, we are just making noise.  That means we are not being effective in God's work.

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One New Man

We are jew and gentile together. God himself broke down the barrier that used to separate us.  The enmity has been abolished. We are one new man and God has given us His peace.

In Ezekiel 37 God speaks about how He will bring the kingdoms of Judah and Israel together under one pastor.  God is in the business of mending broken hearts, broken relationships.  He is in the business of healing, bringing together and unifying us.  One in the Messiah. 

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Keeping the Unity in the Bond of Peace

There is much more to say about this theme, but for now I close with some verses of Ephesians 4.

 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,  with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering  bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.  “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Messiah forgave you.

Shalom.

Video - Grace - CBN's Kristi and Max Lucado Talking about God's Grace.

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/SUK74_MaxLucado_092012_WS

And I pleaded/sought

Ve'etchanan - And I pleaded/sought
Torah: Deut. 3:23-7:11
Haftorah: Isaiah 40:1-26
Brit Chadashah (New Testament): Mark: 12:28-34

This commentary is based on Deuteronomy Chapters 3 to 7.  Moses is re-telling his people the Ten Commandments and warning them not to forget Adonai and all His deeds for them.  One thing that stands out here is the Shemah, which is fundamental to our faith.  It is followed by the first commandment; to love God.  We repeat it every Shabbat in Hebrew and then in English here at TAK.  Such important words that speak about the oneness of Elohim.  Adonai Echad.

In Mark 12 Yeshua also mentions the first commandment: “Yeshua answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  There is none other commandment greater than these”.  By practicing these two, we accomplish all the rest and certainly please God.  This means that God’s purpose for creating us was that we would walk in love.  If we are moved by what moves the heart of God, we are unequivocally moved first and foremost by His ahava, His love.

We can love Him because He first loved us.  He is LOVE.  He loved us so much that He GAVE us Yeshua, in order to bring us to Him.  The blood and sacrifice of Messiah are so that you will have an intimate relationship with God. Let go of your sin and your idols because they separate you from Him.  Prepare the way of the Lord in your heart. Guard your heart by sowing to the spirit.  Let the crooked be made straight and the rough places plain and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed to you.  Love not the world; let your affection be fixed on God.

Adonai so desires to be loved by us that He gives us this mitzvot to love Him with much emphasis; to keep His words in our hearts; to teach them diligently to our children; to talk about them when sitting in our house, when walking on the way; when we go to sleep and when we wake up; to bind them as a sign on our hand and as frontlets between our eyes; (Tefillin). He wants us to write his words on our doorposts and our gates; (Mezuzot).  He is serious.  He wants us to remember Him, to think of Him constantly.  He says: “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame”.  He is so passionate about loving you.  He is jealous of your love.

Elohim, the powerful Creator, the King of the universe is pursuing you.  Remember him; run to Him.    O, the Father is seeking worshipers that will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.  Come, seat down under His shadow and enjoy great delight; His fruit will be sweet to your taste.  He will bring you to His banqueting house and His banner over you will be love.

When we are immersed in the love for God, we can also love our brothers and sisters in Messiah.  Conversely, If we don’t love our brother who we can see, how can we love God who we do not see?  Yeshua gave us a new commandment, to love each other.   We are to wear love as a garment and walk humbly with each other.  Encourage one another, build each other up.  Help each other.  Love each other so truthfully as to be willing to give our lives, as a true friend, as Yeshua.  As the Father, Yeshua and the Spirit are echad,  one; Yeshua wants us all to be echad, one.  Love is the bond of perfectness, the more excellent way.  Prophecies, tongs and knowledge will cease, but love is eternal.  Faith, hope and love remain, but love is the greatest of these three.  Love shows your growth in Messiah. Maturity.

The world will know we are His disciples and will want of that love.  Unity and fervent prayer bring us the strong presence of God, the Ruach/His Spirit.  God commands a blessing upon us and we are anointed with power by His Spirit to be effective witnesses for Him.

We are also to love ourselves.  If God loves you so much, that means you are forever loveable to Him.  If He did not condemn you;  don’t you condemn yourself either.  Be also patient with yourself and love on yourself by instructing yourself to follow hard after God.  Accept love, allow yourself to be loved.  Receive your mishpocha’s (congregation/family) love and God’s love with humbleness.

Beloved, let us heed the call to love God, our neighbor and ourselves, because doing so we will give Him glory and honor and praise.  Hallelujah.

Command

Midrash 03-31-2012 - Hebrew: Tzav - English: Command

Torah: Leviticus 6:1-8:36

Haftora: Malachi 3:4-24
Brit Chadashah Hebrews 8:1-6

This commentary is based on Leviticus Chapters 6,7 and 8 where we read about Offerings, The Burnt, The Grain, The Sin, The Gilt, and The Fellowship Offerings.  Chapter 8 speaks about the consecration of Aaron as Cohen Gadol or high priest and his two sons as cohanim or priests.  The purposeof the offerings, sacrifices or Korbanot were to bring us near to God. To bring reconciliation or closeness with God and the ultimate purpose was to bring us into SHALOM; with God, with our neighbors and with ourselves.  In His great love for us, God implemented early on, ways to bring us into fellowship with Him.  He wants the fire on the altar of our hearts to never be quenched.  We are to have a burning desire in our hearts to serve Him.

Because of His great love for us the Father gave Yeshua/Jesus to die for us and to be our High Priest, who at the same time was the sacrificed Lamb, the propitiation for our sins. For He loved us so much, He came to save us and not to condemn us. He is the one that now cleanses us and makes us holy and acceptable before the Father.

The very special way the priests were to dress represents the excellence that God desires to manifest in our lives as believers.  These garments reflect the high significance of a priest’s office and the highest respect toward God and the holiness and consecration of those who wear them.  Psalm 104 says that God is clothed with honor and majesty and that He covers Himself with light as with a garment. 

In his vision, Isaiah saw Adonai High and lifted up, seating on a high lofty throne, and His robes filled the temple.  Seraphim cried out to each other, holy, holy, holy is Adonai Tzva’ot, the whole earth is filled with His glory. 

In his vision in Revelation 1, John describes Yeshua/Jesus, wearing a robe down to His feet and a gold band around his chest.  His head and hair were as white as wool, his eyes like a fiery flame, his feet like the burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters.  In his right hand He held seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp double-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.  We are to be his imitators.  He has made us kings and priests.  We are to be dressed in beautiful white linen.  We are to be ready for Him as a bride is for her bridegroom, with light, with sparkles and splendor.  We are to be covered with the garments of His Holiness.  As Moses’ face shed light when He had been with God, we are to shine forth His glory. We are the light of the world which shines in the darkness.  Do not hide this light.

Hasatan is attacking the minds of people, making them inadequate, uncomfortable in their own skin, desperate and confused. While some of us rest the enemy is busy stealing, killing and destroying those he can deceive.  So take up the call of Messiah to be an empowered Spirit filled believer.  Beloved, rejoice for God wants to share His nature with you, He says be holy for I am holy.Now every believer is called to be a minister of reconciliation.  We are called a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, so that we should show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Beloved, we are called to execute His plans and to accomplish His purposes. The Spirit of Adonai/Elohim is upon Him, He is anointed to announce good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives, to let out into light those bound in the dark; to proclaim the year of the favor of Adonai and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn giving them a garland of joy instead of ashes, a cloak of praise instead of a heavy spirit.  He came to make us trees of righteousness, to rebuild, to restore, and to renew.  When John sent word to Yeshua to confirm if He was the Messiah, Yeshua sent word to him saying, the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleaned, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and to the poor is announcedthe wonderful plan of salvation.  Before leaving, Yeshua/Jesus commissioned us to reconcile all nations to Him.  The signs to show forth in the believers are to cast out demons, to speak with new tongs, to take up serpents and that no deadly thing would harm us that we would lay hands on the sick and these would recover and be healed.  He gave us His Holy Spirit and empowered usto be the carriers of His mercy.  Now we can say, the Spirit of Adonai is upon me, for He has anointed me to love, to heal, to restore, to set free, to announce His Salvation, his freedom, his joy. So fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom; go forth and heal the sick and broken hearted, deliver the captives and make the blind see.  And while doing it, rejoice in Him and give Him glory and honor and praise. Hallelujah!

This last part was not read at TAK but I don’t want to leave it out.

You see beloved, God wants not only to dress you as a priest; He has already said you are a priest.  You are not to live barely making it, troubled and in fear, but you are to take to completion that which He has called you for.  It just takes a little seed of your faith and you can already move mountains.  For the Spirit of God is also upon you.  You are anointed to announce the good news of Yesua/Jesus to the poor.  To heal the broken hearted. To preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those that are bruised.  Use your authority and scare the devils out of those He is oppressing.  Bring the souls close to God.  You are a priest, you are a warrior and you are a conqueror for Yeshua/Jesus.  Strengthen those feeble knees, stand firm for you are not under condemnation but under a great blessing to be as He is.  Say you are strong in Him, and take dominion for as a royal priesthood, you are called to reign.

We were meant to be courageous!