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Israel
has been redeemed from slavery in Egypt with great
power, signs and wonders, and by the deaths of
the Passover Lambs. We are a free people. We have
crossed through the Red Sea on dry ground. God
is providing for our needs, even miraculously,
with manna and water that came from the rock that
Moses struck. We’ve fought and defeated the Amalekites
by relying on the Lord, symbolized by the hands
of Moses being lifted up - then there was victory.
God then manifested His presence on Mount Sinai,
and the voice of God was heard by all of Israel,
and the Ten Commandments were given. Other laws
were given. Israel accepted the covenant with
God. Animals are killed, and blood is sprinkled
on the people.
Then Moses
and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the
elders of Israel, climbed Mount Sinai, celebrated
this covenant with God. They had a meal on Mount
Sinai, and they saw the God of Israel, who manifested
Himself to them. Then the Lord called Moses up
on Mount Sinai by himself, where God gave him
two stone tablets, and other laws. Now it’s time
to build a tent, so that in spite of the Fall
of man, and our sinfulness, God could still dwell
among us, and be close to us, and so that we could
learn how to draw near to Him.
It was
made of the most valuable and precious materials,
gold, silver, skins, oil, spices, and precious
stones, telling us that God, and the things connected
to God, are precious and valuable. A Terumah -
an offering, was taken up, to build the Mishkan,
but only from those who freely wanted to give.
And we should want to give our best to build up
the work of God in our day.
In the
Most Holy Place of the Mishkan was the Ark and
the Ark Cover. There was a Table for the Bread
of God’s Presence. There was the Golden Seven
Branched Menorah. There were curtains, boards,
and veil, all of which were designed to keep people
at various distances from God. Outside the Holy
Place, but in the Court, was the Bronze Altar,
telling us that God made provision for our sins
through the sacrifices that were offered on it.
That brings
us to this week’s Torah portion: Parasha T’tzaveh,
Exodus 27:20-30:10. I want to mention the highlights,
and then help us understand how we can apply these
things to our lives.
First,
the Golden Menorah that provided light in the
Mishkan needed fuel - pure olive oil. What gives
us spiritual fuel? The indwelling Holy Spirit.
Do you have the Holy Spirit? Has He come into
your life? He has, if you believe in Messiah,
and have truly turned your life over to Him.
A hold
priesthood needed holy garments - special, beautiful
clothing. They included a breastplate, a square
piece of beautiful material, with twelve precious
stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.
The breastplate was placed on the front of the
ephod, which was a short, close-fitting jacket.
It had two onyx stones with the names of six tribes
carved on each stone. When the High Priest wore
the ephod and breastplate near his heart, the
Lord saw the stones, and remembered His love and
promises and covenants with Israel.
Under
the New Covenant, Messiah Yeshua is now our High
Priest, who carries us on His heart, into the
presence of God, who remembers us with love and
mercy as He sees His Son!
And, in
the breastplate were the Urim and Tumim, the “Lights
and the Perfections.” We are not exactly sure
what they were - if they were the same as the
breastplate with the twelve precious stones, or
something else distinct from them. They were used
to get guidance from the Lord.
There
was a beautiful blue robe, worn under the ephod.
The blue robe had a hem of golden bells interspersed
with pomegranates of blue and scarlet and purple
material. When the priest served in the Holy Place,
the bells made their sounds, and the Lord would
not kill the priest.
The priest
was to wear a hat - a turban, with a gold plate,
with the words, “kodesh l’Adonai - holy to the
Lord” telling us that the head of the priest,
and by implication, whole priest, was set apart
by God to accomplish God’s purposes, and God would
accept the priest, who represented the nation
of Israel, and mediated on behalf of the Jewish
people. These were the garments of the high priest.
Ordinary priests had tunics, sashes and caps,
and linen underwear.
Chapter
29 tells us that the priests needed to be made
holy before they could serve the Lord. And, there
were several ways to make them holy. They had
to be washed, clothed with their beautiful clothes,
their heads anointed with oil, serving with God’s
blessing and the power of the Holy Spirit. Then
a bull and two rams, were slaughtered. The priests
had to lay their hands on the heads of the animals,
symbolically transferring their sins onto the
animals, so that the priests were clean.
Under
the New Covenant, every Messianic Jew and every
Christian is a priest. We know God, and we bring
the knowledge and blessings of God to the rest
of the world. A priest needs to be prepared for
this great task. He needs to be clean. Have you
transferred your sins onto the head of the Ultimate
Sacrifice, the Messiah, by believing in Him, His
death and resurrection, and confessing your sins
to God? Have you been washed by the waters of
baptism? Do you continue to be washed by the cleansing
that comes from exposure to the Word of God? Are
you clothed with the beautiful new spiritual garments
of salvation, and the robes of righteousness?
Parts
of the sacrificed animals were burned, parts were
eaten by Moses, who was the one who actually offered
them, and some parts were eaten by Aaron and his
sons. Some of the blood of one ram was put on
the priests ears, so that their ears would be
dedicated to the Lord, so they could hear God
and obey. Are your ears dedicated to God? Can
you hear Him?
Blood
was put on their right thumbs, so that their hands
might be dedicated to serving God. Are you serving
Him? Are you doing something for Him? Anything?
Blood
was put on the big toes of their right feet, that
they might walk with God, and live according to
His ways. Are you?
Blood
and anointing oil was then sprinkled on the priests,
because blood and oil cleanse, sanctify, enable
us to fulfill God’s purposes. Are you sprinkled
with the blood of Messiah? Atoned for? Do you
have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so you
are empowered to serve Him?
Not only
the spiritual needs of the priests were provided
for, but also their physical needs. Several kinds
of bread were offered up to the Lord. Some was
burned, and the rest was eaten by Aaron and his
sons. God provided for His priests, physically
and spiritually. They ate the meat and at the
bread at the Mishkan, in the presence of God.
Eating is a sign of intimacy, friendship. The
priests were close to the Lord, close enough and
on good enough terms with Him to eat in His presence.
Do you
give thanks that the Lord meets your physical
needs and spiritual needs? Are you close to Him?
Are you friends with Him?
Chapter
29 and verse 38 gives the instructions for the
regular daily offerings. Every morning and every
evening the priests were to offer a lamb, a sacrifice
on behalf of all Israel. Likewise, we should make
special efforts to pray to the Lord every morning,
and at the end of every day, thanking Him, declaring
His goodness and His power and His mighty acts,
asking for His help and forgiveness where we fall
short.
Chapter
30 gives the instructions to build the golden
altar of incense, which was put in the Holy Place.
Every morning, and every evening, k’toret samim
- fragrant spices were burned on it, ascending
upward to Heaven, like our prayers and praises
should at the beginning and at the end of every
day.
The Mishkan
is gone. Everything in it is missing or destroyed.
We have no High Priest with his beautiful clothes,
with the ephod, the Urim and Tumim. The other
sons of Aaron, the other priests, are not serving.
There are no sacrifices being offered to make
atonement. No fragrant spices.
But Messiah,
who is the Substance to which the Shadows pointed,
remains. He is our Sacrifice. He is our Atonement.
He helps our prayers and praises ascend up to
God and be accepted by Him. He is our Great and
Holy High Priest. Even thought the High Priest
from Aaron’s line wore a gold plate with the words,
“holy to the Lord,” the High Priest of Israel
himself was a sinner. But Yeshua, our High Priest
is inherently holy, infinitely pure, completely
separated from sin.
And, He
makes us a kingdom of priests. Each believer is
a priest. We are like the priests serving under
our High Priest. Do you know Him? Do you have
Him? Are you friends with Him? Are you serving
Him as a priest to the rest of the world?
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