A Hand from Heaven…Extended to YOU!

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Leviticus 3:2, Without blemish. Heb. tamiym meaning “complete, whole, entire, sound, healthful, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity.” Of this word, The TWOT states, [Tamiym r]efers to animals which are without blemish; also translates as such related adjectives as full, whole, upright, perfect. It represents the divine standard for man’s attainment.” Tamiyn occurs in the Tanakh 91 times, and the KJV translates it in a variety of ways: without blemish, perfect, upright, without spot, uprightly, whole, sincerely, complete, full. What can we learn form this and how does it apply to us?

First, here are some examples of how tamiym is used in the Tanakh:

  • Noah was a just, perfect or upright (tamiym) man (Gen 6:9).
  • YHVH admonished Abraham to walk perfectly or blamelessly (tamiym) before him (Gen 17:1).
  • The Passover lamb was to be without blemish (tamiym, Exod 12:5) as were all the other animals offered to YHVH as sacrifices (e.g. Exod 29:1; Lev 1:3, 10; 3:1, 6, 9; 4:3, 23, 28, etc.).
  • YHVH instructed the Israelites to be blameless (tamiym) before him by not being like the wicked, abominable and idolatrous nations around them (Deut 18:13).
  • Elohim is perfect (tamiym, Deut 32:4).
  • The people of Elohim are to fear him and to serve him in sincerity (tamiym) and truth and to put away the gods of Egypt (this world) and to serve Elohim (Josh 24:14).
  • David was blameless or upright (tamiym) before Elohim (2 Sam 22:24). Even thought David committed adultery, murder and egregiously disobeyed in some other areas, Elohim viewed him as tamiym because of he had repented of and turned away from his sins.
  • When a person is upright or blameless (tamiym) before Elohim, Elohim will be blameless (tamam meaning “to be complete, be sound, be unimpaired, be upright or to deal in integrity, to act uprightly) in response to that person (2 Sam 24:26).
  • The ways of Elohim are perfect (tamiym, 2 Sam 22:31).
  • Elohim makes the ways of the saint perfect (tamiym,2 Sam 22:33).
  • Those who walk uprightly (tamiym) will be allowed to dwell in the presence of Elohim (Ps 15:2).
  • The Torah-law of YHVH is perfect (tamiym, Ps 19:7).
  • YHVH blesses or withholds no good thing from the upright (tamiym, Ps 84:11 cp. Ps 119:1; Prov 2:21; 28:10, 18).
  • The righteous are to walk perfectly or blamelessly (tamiym) before Elohim (Ps 101:2, 6; 119:80; Prov 11:5).
  • YHVH delights in the blameless (tamiym) person (Prov 11:20).
  • The wicked abhor those who speak uprightly (tamiym, Amos 5:10).

From the scriptural usages of tamiym it is evident that this not only describes the sterling character of Almighty himself, but is the high bar, gold standard for how the saints of the saints of the Most High are to be and to act as well. To have a relationship with our Father and Creator in heaven, we must endeavor to become like him—to meet him on his terms and on the transcendent plateau on which he exists. Yes, Scripture is clear that Elohim reaches his hand down from heaven to lift lost humans from the pit of their sinful existence, but it is only to lift them up. All day long he is continually extending his hand of mercy and grace to those humans who will reach out to him in humility and want to  brought up to his place of perfection and wholeness. Scripture is also clear that there is no other way to bridge the vast and cavernous gap that exists between humans and their Creator except through Yeshua the Messiah who is the way to our Father in heaven, and who is the ladder that all must climb to meet our Maker in heaven on his terms (John 14:6; 1:51). YHVH Elohim is reaching out to some of you right now through these words that you are currently reading. What are you going to do about it?

More Discussion on Sin, Its Consequences and Yeshua’s Atoning Death on the Cross

Leviticus 4:2, Sins unintentionally.This chapter deals with the sin offering for unintentional or inadvertent sins that occur through carelessness. By contrast, there is no animal offering to atone for an intentional sin (The ArtScroll Tanach Series Vayikra Commentary, p. 72). Elsewhere, the Torah spells out the fate for those who sin presumptuously or intentionally. They were to be cut off from Israel, which is tantamount to a death sentence (Num 15:30). YHVH pronounced such a harsh sentence on the willful sinner because he had defiantly despised the word of YHVH—the Torah (Num 15:31). After this exhortation in Numbers, the Torah then gives an example of one who had sinned willfully. The penalty for this was death (Num 15:32–36). The Testimony of Yeshua discusses this type of sinful behavior as well in what has become known as the unpardonable sin (Heb 10:26 cp. 6:4–6).

Sins…against any of the commandments.The spiritual implications and ramifications of this statement should be clear enough. The Bible defines sin as the violation of the Torah-law (1 John 3:4). If one breaks one of the Torah-commandments of Elohim, one has broken them all (Jas 2:10). The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23; Ezek 18:4). All people have sinned (Rom 3:23). Sadly most mainstream Christians don’t have a clear understanding of what the biblical definition of sin is. It is simply the violation of Elohim’s commandments. If believing people knew what sin was, clearly they’d all be biblical kosher eating, Sabbath and biblical festival keeping people, for the Bible states over and over again that those who refuse to follow these commandments are guilty of sin. Those church leaders who teach otherwise are not only going against the Word of Elohim and but are also false teachers.

Leviticus 4:3, Guilt.The result of sin is guilt and shame.

Leviticus 4:6, Sprinkle…blood…seven times.Seven is the biblical number signifying perfection or perfect completion. The sacrifice of Yeshua on the cross where he shed his blood as an atonement for man’s sin was the perfect, complete, once and for all sacrifice. The apostolic writers echo the concept of the sprinkling of blood as a cleansing agent for man’s sins and relate it to Messiah in several places (Matt 26:28; Eph 1:7; Heb 10:19–22; 12:24; 1 Pet 1:2, 19; 1 John 1:7; Rev 1:5; 7:14).

Before YHVH. This is a picture of the temple in heaven where the throne of Elohim is located (Rev 7:17; 21:22; 22:1, 3).

Leviticus 4:20, Make an atonement for them.This particular sin may have been forgiven, but that doesn’t mean that all the sins they had committed previously or will ever commit in the future were forgiven by this one act much less that they received salvation leading to eternal life. Only faith in Yeshua’s sacrifice can achieve this monumental feat. There aren’t enough clean animals in the world to sacrifice in order to atone for the sins of all humans.

 

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