Tag Archives: Leviticus

The Death Penalty

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Leviticus 20 (entire chapter), The death penalty. In this chapter, YHVH lists the penalty for the sins that he considers to be the most abominable, grievous and ruinous to a society. He then prescribes the punishment for these sins—usually the death penalty.

As you read through this chapter, consider the penalties for these sins in the U.S. That’s right… there are none (with the exception of incest with one’s minor children)! Not only that, most of these sins are tolerated (bestiality, incest, adultery, sex during menstruation), but many of these abominable practices are promoted and even celebrated (e.g., homosexuality, abortion, witchcraft, necromancy).

In our society, there is punishment for animal neglect, failing to pay taxes, or violating a building code, while there is no penalty for the sins of abortion, witchcraft, homosexuality, etc. What’s wrong here?

Notice that the punishments that YHVH prescribes for these crimes would, in most cases, in our society be considered uncivil, barbaric, or cruel and unusual (e.g., banishment, stoning, burning by fire).

The question must be asked, if we accept the Bible as the revealed truth of Elohim, then who knows best what punishment fits a crime—man or the Creator?

Interestingly, the U.S. has the highest criminal incarceration rate of any nation in the world (743 adults per 100,000 people). By year end 2010, the U.S. had 2,266,800 people incarcerated in its prisons and jails (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_States). Yet ancient Israel had no prison system whatsoever. Criminals were either banished from society, killed, or had to pay the victim restitution for their crimes.

From this brief discussion, several realizations should come to light:

  • What YHVH considers to be sin, man often either tolerates or celebrates.
  • Men’s order of priorities when it comes to the level of sin and the penalties that meet those crimes is different from that of YHVH.
  • Men’s justice systems deal with criminals very differently than did YHVH.
  • What divine judgments must be meted out on a society that tolerates or revels in the sins that YHVH calls abominable, unclean, abhorrent, and perverse?

In this context, the following scripture passage comes to my mind:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith YHVH. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8–9)

 

The Ancient Ritual of Two Doves … and Yeshua??

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Leviticus 14:4–32, Read this scripture passage and see how many clues you can find that point to Yeshua. We’ll give you hints along the way by providing you with the scripture verses to look up that will give you the answers. The purpose of this exercise is to show you that all the ceremonies and rituals that were part of the sacrificial system all prophetically pointed to Yeshua the Messiah, who fulfilled them all. This means that if we place our trusting faith in him, we no longer have to do the laborious and involved rituals that our ancient forefathers had to do in order to atone for their sins—we simply have to repent and believe in, love, follow and obey Yeshua and his word.

Now let’s look at the ritual for cleansing a metzora (one with a skin disease—a picture of our sinfulness) who had tzaraas (an infectious skin disease caused by sin).

Verses 4–7, two birds: One bird (likely a dove or pigeon) was killed in a clay pot over running water. The other bird along with the cedar wood, scarlet cloth and hyssop were dipped into the clay pot containing the blood from the killed bird and the running water. The water-blood mixture was then sprinkled on the diseased person (metzora) who was being purified, and the living bird was let loose and allowed to fly away. There is a lot going on here, but it all prophetically pointed to Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. Before deciphering this ritual out, perhaps it would help to understand the spiritual meaning of the wood, scarlet and hyssop, which we will explain next.
Continue reading →

 

What Is the Midpoint of the Torah?

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Leviticus 10:16, Diligently sought or inquired insistently (ASET). According to one Jewish tradition, these two words are the exact halfway mark of the words of the Torah. “This is to teach us that the entire Torah revolves around constant inquiry. One must never stop studying and seeking deeper and broader understanding of the Torah” (The ArtScroll Vayikra/Leviticus Commentary, p. 159).

How many times have you read a passage in the Word of Elohim only to receive a fresh revelation or to find a new nugget of understanding? This is because the Word of Elohim is spiritually alive! (Heb 4:12; John 14:25–26; 16:13; also Ps 119:30; Isa 55:11.)

It must be noted that other Jewish traditions place the center of the Torah in other passages. (These options are discussed in the Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 30a.)

 

To Tithe or Not to Tithe … That Is the Question

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Leviticus 10:13, Because it is due. In the days before coinage, a man’s wages were weighed out in silver bullion or bartering occurred. In the case of the Levites (including the priests), they were given a portion of the offerings and sacrifices as their wages for serving the people. It is often the attitude of those in congregations that ministers should serve the people for free—without pay, and they therefore refuse to give. This is contrary to the Torah, which commands the Israelites to remunerate the Levites for their services (see Lev 27:30, 32). YHVH even calls the tithe to his ministers “their inheritance” (Num 18:21, 26).

Although the Testimony of Yeshua doesn’t uphold the concept of tithing per se, it does enforce the Torah principle of giving to the ministry. For example, Paul instructed the believers in Philippi about giving. He addresses the issue of supporting his ministry and that by their faithfulness in giving to him it is in effect giving an offering (a sacrifice) to YHVH, and that the Philippians would be blessed for this (Phil 4:16–19). He goes on to say that we are to give to those who spiritually feed us (1 Tim 5:17–18). Paul backs up this assertion by quoting a Torah principle here.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shalt not muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”

What’s more, the Scriptures tell us that great blessings from heaven accrue to those who tithe to YHVH’s spiritual work on earth (Mal 3:10–11).

To not tithe, according to the Scriptures is called “robbing Elohim” (Mal 3:8–9). Those who refuse to tithe bring a curse upon themselves (Mal 3:9). Paul rebukes the congregation in Corinth for not supporting him financially, and states that he has “robbed” other churches who did support him, thus forcing him to use their offerings to pay his ministry expenses in Corinth (2 Cor 11:8–9). Corinth was not the only stingy congregation in the first century. The problem seemed to be widespread then (Phil 4:15) as it is today.

 

The Sprinkling of Blood & Yeshua’s Crucifixion

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More Passover meditations—

Leviticus 1:5, Sprinkle. The Heb. word zaraq means “to scatter, sprinkle, toss, throw, scatter abundantly, strew.” The sprinkling of the blood of the sacrificed animal on and around the altar of sacrifice (and elsewhere in the tabernacle as well) is mentioned numerous times in the Torah (e.g. Exod 24:6; 29:16; Lev 1:11; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:6,17; 5:9; 7:2). The blood was even sprinkled on the people (Exod 24:8), and on Aaron and his sons (Exod 29:20–21). This is a prophetic picture of Yeshua bleeding, while dying on the cross and shedding his blood as an atonement for our sins. Yeshua’s sprinkling of his blood on the cross fulfilled the sprinkling of blood under the sacrificial system in the following ways:

  • On the altar, which is a picture of the cross (Exod 24:6–8).
  • All around the altar (Exod 29:12–16) including on the earth beneath the altar (Lev 7:2). Yeshua’s blood covered himself and the entire area around
    the cross.
  • On the high priest’s garments (Exod 29:20–21). Yeshua is our Great High Priest who was covered in his own blood during his crucifixion.
  • The blood was sprinkled seven times for perfection (Lev 4:6–7). Yeshua bled from seven areas of his body (his head, back, two hands, two feet, and his side).
  • At the bottom of the altar (Lev 4:6–7). Yeshua’s blood would have dripped down and pooled at the base of the cross.
  • On the side of the altar (Lev 5:9). The cross was entirely covered in blood.
  • Sprinkled seven times before the door of the tabernacle (Num 19:4). Yeshua died (probably on the Mount of Olives) on the hill of Golgotha (or Calvary) in view of the temple in Jerusalem just outside the city gates (Heb 13:12).

The Scriptures tell us that the life of the flesh is in the blood, and that YHVH has given it to us upon the altar as an atonement for sins, for it is the blood that makes atonement for our soul (Lev 17:11). Additionally, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sins (Heb 9:22).

All the religions of the world (including rabbinic Judaism), except those that have faith in Yeshua, are bloodless and have no provision to save man from his sins.

Let’s ponder Yeshua’s death on the cross and his shedding his blood to make atonement for (or to cover) our sins as we approach Passover.