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Hebrews 5:8
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. There is an expression in English: “The devil is in the details.” It is funny that the enemy is given this attribute. Hasatan השטן, the Adversary doesn’t know anything. All does is copy God. He only tries to be a counterfeit in order to deceive us. God is the one really into details as is revealed in this week’s reading sections. In one place we have Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, who perish for offering unauthorized incense, and in the other one Uzzah who dies for touching the Holy Ark while not being authorized, probably because of not being in a ritually clean state. (Lev. 10:1-2; 2 Sam. 6:6-7). These two stories are very similar and that is why they are read together. Their similarity lies in the lesson that they teach. Both stories happen at a time of spiritual ecstasy and jubilation. In the incident with Nadab and Abihu, it was the eighth day of the dedication. Fire had just come from heaven and the people saw the glory of Adonai. Can you imagine the jubilation and the spiritual ecstasy? We can easily picture the joy, the shouts, the dancing, the clapping of the hands (Lev. 9:23-24). It was the same when David was bringing the Ark into Jerusalem. We are told of musicians, of dancing, of joy, and merry-ing (2 Sam. 6:5). In both cases tragedy strikes for what could be considered in our eyes, a breach in protocol. These two events teach us a very important lesson, a lesson often forgotten and ignored by people of faith today. They teach us that religion without the instruction and the parameters of Torah is unacceptable to Hashem. Hashem teaches us how to come to him, how to worship him, and how to honor him. He also told us how not to (Leviticus). Oh, but that goes against our natural instinct and desire for spontaneity. Do you mean that we won’t to be able to follow the leadings of our hearts? We will have to only act in obedience to commands? "Oh, but that wouldn't be natural!" We say. "Where is the spontaneity?" We ask. You mean that it's not just the heart and the intent that counts? Form and format is also important in the eyes of the Almyghty. Really though, when we ask these questions we doubt his ways. It is nothing more than pride acting out in the form of an inability to submit to instructions and wanting things our own way. We understand that even in this world we cannot approach a high dignitary such as a King or a President without going through protocol hoops. If one were to just barge in the Oval Office in the White House without permission and unannounced he would surely be arrested. If he resisted he might even get shot at. The difference is that in the case of an earthly dignitary, they try to protect the dignitary; in the case of Hashem, the protection is for us. We simply cannot approach God on our terms and it is his prerogative. Why can't we just obey? But no; people always want to find new ways to approach Hashem. They even borrow ways from the pagans in manifestations that are not from him. The simplicity in which he told us to do things is not enough; we must tweak it and give it our own imprint. It is pride, and the pride of man leads to destruction. May we learn to be in the details as he is in the details. Obedience is not a small thing: in obeying God we emulate the Master. Even he had to learn obedience through the things which he suffered (Heb. 5:8). P. Gabriel Lumbroso For P. Gabriel Lumbroso's devotional UNDER THE FIG TREE in Kindle edition click here.
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1 Corinthians 10:14
… flee from idolatry. IDOL SOUP RECIPE: You will need: 1 freshly worshipped golden calf; 1 angry prophet; a large rock; a big stick; a pestle and mortar; 1 blazing open-flame fire; a generous supply of water. Remove idol from its elevated platform; meanwhile, heat open fire to full strength. Handling roughly, toss idol into open flames. Allow image to thoroughly melt. Wait till gold has assumed a shapeless mass. Poke with stick to make sure it is completely melted before extinguishing fire. Allow gold to cool. Once cold, crush gold with big rock into medium size chunks. Thoroughly grind gold chunks with pestle and mortar until they reach a powder-like consistency. Spread powder over surface of the water. Serve cold. Serves 603,550. (Courtesy of First Fruits of Zion Ministries). In the incident of the golden calf, God treated the Israelites like the woman suspected of adultery (emphasis on ‘suspected’). Here is the passage about it, And if the spirit of jealousy comes over him (the husband) … the man shall bring his wife to the priest … And the priest shall take holy water … and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. … And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself … the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, … But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children (Num. 5:14-28). In the last part of the section the Hebrew says, "she shall bear seed". I believe that Hashem is knowledgeable of human biology and that he knows that women do not bear seed. We also find the mention of a woman bearing seed in I will put enmity between … your offspring and her offspring (Hebrew text for offspring: seed) (Gen. 3:15), so this is not the first time that the Tanach תנך conceives the idea of the ‘seed’ of the woman. Both these references about women bearing seed are formidable Messianic expressions. The first one speaks of the final demise of the devil by the only woman (Miriam) to ever conceive seed without the agency of a man (Mat. 1:18—20), while the other speaks of the future destiny of Israel. How does that work? The woman in question is merely suspected of adultery; she has not been caught in the act. If she had been, she would be stoned right away, but she is only suspected of adultery and that probably because of uncomely behavior. She shall then be put to the bitter water test; if she really is guilty she should become deadly sick and a curse to her people. Israel as a nation has been put through the bitter waters tests of Sinai, and of exile, but in the end has come out victorious. Looking at the full story, we see Israel again, the Israel of the believers, in the woman of Revelation 12 bearing seed from among the gentiles as a sign of her restoration. Sometimes the Father allows us to go though bitter times. If our heart is pure towards him, these passing moments of our lives only enhance our station. Bitter times are coming to test all those that live upon the earth (Rev. 3:10). As in Horeb, these bitter times will also take the shape of an idolatrous image (Rev. 13:14). May we keep our heart pure from the world, that we may be found guiltless and bear ‘seed’ unto him. Matthew 5:9
"Blessed are the peacemakers” As Aaron is anointed High-priest, he became a foreshadow of Messiah. The one time anointing of Aaron is remembered in Psalms 133 in the following words, Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there Adonai has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (Psalms 133:1-3). Why did David compare Aaron’s anointing to peace and unity? We have learned before of the little scheme Aaron used to get people at odds with each other back in fellowship. Jewish sages taught that we should emulate Aaron in our efforts to bring peace within our families and communities. We all search for peace and unity but seem to be plagued with division and conflicts. Maybe we have a wrong idea of what peace and unity are. Peace and unity does not mean 'absence of conflict' and uniformity. Debates from differences of opinions are healthy. They keep us intellectually alive and sharp while seeking for better answers. Also, as humans, we are naturally divided into cultural groups and thought patterns. Who said that we were all supposed to be uniformed zombies all thinking the same thing? Hashem made us human beings with free will, not preprogrammed robots. What creates our inability to be together is not the way Hashem made us, but the way we react to those that are different from us. We generally fear that which we do not understand and do not have the control over, and that is what causes the problem. We all believe in unity but because of our fear mixed with intolerance, we want that unity to orbit around us. The Master had around Him twelve men coming from diverse walks of life, culture, and religious affiliation from Israel, and He taught them to love, accept, understand each other, so they could work together. As a result, they taught about the God of Israel to the whole world. Let us therefore learn not to concentrate on what divides us but on what unites us; not on what we dislike but on what we appreciate about each other; not to merely see each other, but see Yeshua, the image of the Father in our brethren. Didn’t our Master say, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9)? John 9:5
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Adonai said to Moses, "You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. …. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel (Exodus 27:20-21). This lamp was a seven branch candelabrum called: the Menorah. This Menorah was to be perpetually lit in the first chamber of the Tabernacle usually called the holy place. In the letter to the Hebrews, this chamber was also called the ‘first’ (In Hebrews 8:13, the word ‘covenant’ was added in the text by KJV editors thus changing the context of Hebrews 9; that is why it is italicized in KJV Bibles) in front of the ‘second’, the Ark’s chamber (Hebrews 9:7) which represented the very presence of God. When the Temple was built, this lamp was again placed in the ‘first’, right in front of the ‘second’. The Aaronic priesthood alone had the charge to care for it, to make sure it was perpetually lit, but all of the people had the charge to provide the oil; in this way, all of Israel was represented before God and had a part in being the 'light of the world' in Jerusalem. Now, without a temple the command cannot be performed, but in the days of the Third Temple the practice will again resume since it is a ‘forever’ commandment given to Israel (Exodus 27:21). In the mean time, the Menorah is charged with messianic symbolism. Several prophets and servants of God were privy to enter the Father’s throne room. The first one we know of is Moses who was asked to reproduce what he saw and therefore to put this seven-branch candelabrum in the room in front of the Ark (Exodus 25:40). The last one we know of is John who wrote what he saw in the following words, And between the throne and the four living creatures … I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God … (Revelations 5:6). Yeshua well proclaimed ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:5) Yeshua is now with the Father, and He also told to His disciples, "You are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We are on a mission. We who proclaim the Name of the Messiah, the Almighty’s Agent of redemption, have a role to perform, a duty to be the Menorah or the ‘Light of the world’. When He was on earth, the Light of Messiah shone for all to see. He did not hold back no matter how dangerous it was. Now the staff (the baton) is passed on to us and we must also perpetually let our light (the Light of Messiah in us) shine before others, so that they may see our 'mitzvot' (good works of obedience to Torah) and give glory to our Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). As the light of Messiah, we stand as His representative to the world. When the day of reckoning comes, may we not be found to have hid our light under a bushel (to have been a believer in secret for fear of man), but through obedience, to have set it on a candlestick for all to see (Matthew 5:15). Mark 11:26 (DHE)
But as for you, if you do not pardon, neither will your Father who is in Heaven forgive your transgressions. When two brothers do not recognize each other, it is like each is exiled from the family unity. The sages taught us that God's Shekinah cannot dwell where there is no unity; in disunity, all are exiled. Joseph was exiled in Egypt, but it is also said that God's Shekinah does not abide on a mourning soul, so through Jacob's continual mourning for Joseph, his whole family was exiled from Hashem's Presence. Only joy, zest for life, and unity between brothers can bring it back down. King David so beautifully expresses these thoughts in, Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony. It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down over the beard, over the beard of Aharon, and flows down on the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon that settles on the mountains of Tziyon. For it was there that Adonai ordained the blessing of everlasting life (Psalms 133:1-3). Aaron was known for being a peacemaking force who often worked reconciliation between people within the tribes of Israel. David knew that so he used the anointed High-Priest as a metaphor to tell us that unity between brethren is fluid. It flows everywhere positively affecting everything in its path. From the head, it descends to every part enveloping all with its shine, smoothness, and healthy properties. It is like two mountains on two opposite ends of a country, one sharing its proverbial abundant dew (material blessings) with the other who shares its divinely appointed blessing (spiritual wealth); everything working in perfect harmony. This is the picture that we see in Joseph and his brothers kissing and reuniting with each other (Genesis 45:15). The son of Rachel acted as a true godly leader. Joseph revealed himself thus putting an end to the four generation old game of concealed identities. He also forgave his brothers stopping the never-ending returning measure of evil for evil. Unity is restored; Hashem is now able to bless Israel and send it to its destiny of growing into the powerful nation that will eventually teach the whole world about Him. May we learn from this. As disciples of Yeshua, we have a job to do of sharing the Spirit of His mission to everyone. We therefore do not have the right to indulge in grudges; it is actually forbidden by the Torah (Leviticus 19:18). The sages mentioned that even entertaining grudges in our hearts was sinful, thus agreeing with the Master (Matthew 5:21) who even implied that holding grudges against our brothers nullifies our offerings and prayers (Matthew 5:23-24). It is funny how in English we use the term 'holding' a grudge; all we have to do is let go of it! Matthew 12:37
“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Extreme tragedy often accompanies extreme glory. On the very day when God accepted the hard work performed by the Israelites in building the Tabernacle and sanctifying the priesthood, two of Aaron’s sons die (Leviticus 9:1-2). Everything was in place. The Children of Israel had performed beautifully. They were finished with the building of the Tabernacle and the priesthood was sanctified. Everything was ready for the great moment. Suddenly, fire came from heaven to light the wood on the altar and consume the offerings of the Children of Israel. God was pleased. Whereas he had been refused entrance before (Exodus 40:35), Now, the offering accepted, Moses could come near His God again (Leviticus 9). Things have not changed very much. We are still only allowed in the Divine Presence by the virtue of an innocent victim No sooner was the ecstasy of joy settled that Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, decide to make an offering of ‘esh zarah/foreign fire’ to the Lord. As suddenly as before, the Lord’s fire also comes out from heaven but this time to devour the two young men. The Torah not giving us many details about the event, speculations by commentators abound as to God’s seeming irrational reaction. What I would like to bring out today is Aaron’s reaction after Moses’ attempt at comforting him, ‘Aaron kept silent (Leviticus 10:3). Maybe that is the reason why the Torah Itself remains silent. Aaron was silent. Aaron suffers this tragedy in the middle of a service when he is not allowed to mourn nor get out of ‘character’. Whereas he later acknowledges his grief and mourning heart (Leviticus 10:19), Aaron does not permit himself to blot God’s reputation and Name by expressing himself during the service. His two boys die, but he remains silent. Jewish texts have commented on this with the statement, ‘by your silence you shall live’. The idea is related to Aaron’s lofty position of honor as the High-Priest of the people. As spiritual leaders, when inexplicable tragedy strikes, when what seems unreasonable and irrational happens to us, we are not forbidden to mourn or be sad, but we may we not publicize it through words of personal anger and doubt about God’s wisdom. The Master agreed to that in that He taught His disciples, by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned (Matthew 12:37). He Himself, in the image of the innocent daily lambs was offered on the altar of justice. He was subject to a cruel and inhumane death for crimes He did not commit and yet, he opened not his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). May we also learn from Aaron’s godly attitude and though our hearts may be bleeding, may we also learn to have control over our mouths when inexplicable tragedies strikes. Hashem knows our hearts, but our mouths need not to seal our burdens on those around us who may be carrying a heavy burden of their own. Ours may the one to make them stumble and fall. Matthew 5:9
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Aaron was the High-priest. From him and his children descend the High-Priesthood of Israel. It stands therefore to reason that since believers are to model themselves according to character of Aaron, the high priest (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9). Aaron’s character is unveiled for us in Psalms 133. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity (V. 1)! Aaron was known in Jewish literature to be a man active in solving conflicts between brothers, avidly working towards the unity of the spirit. The Master also encouraged His disciples to be ‘peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes (V. 2)! In ‘brothers dwelling together in unity’ the psalmist sees the fragrant golden anointing oil flowing from the head of Aaron down to his face and beards and clothing. The high-priest foreshadows Mashiach; he is an ‘anointed one’. And David who is a soldier and a man of many passions envisions in Aaron’s anointing the peace, unity and harmony of the Messianic era when Messiah will reign on the earth as the ‘Anointed One’ of God. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion (V.3a)! Mt Hermon is far North of Israel, and its water shed does not reach Mt Zion in Judean Jerusalem. The description is midrashic, it is a Talmudic analogy. In Talmudic texts, because dew seems to emerge from the ground, it is used as an illustration to the resurrection. Again the writer longs for the peace of the messianic of Messiah on earth, the time of the resurrection of the dead that will initiate from Mt Zion. For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore (V.3b). Amen! As priests of the Most-High God, as disciples of the Master (Exodus 19:6; Mathew 5: 9; 1 Peter 2:5, 9)., may the same be said of us. Peace is not the absence of conflict but the conquest of conflict, of conflict within and without. When we hate, we become like the enemy and have lost the battle for our soul. Smart sounding people have often mocked and criticized the Master for the idea of ‘turning the other cheek’ making it look weak and pacifistic, but that was far from the idea. What Yeshua was promoting was something akin to civil resistance: standing your grounds while not giving an inch of land, morals, or ideals to the enemy while he tires and exhausts his own resources in beating us down. He was teaching the Torah concepts of not giving in an inch to hatred and desire for revenge because it is forbidden in the Torah; that my friend is real strength coming from above; anyone can weaken into hatred and anger; only the strong can conquer them. 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Though all Israel is liable to the whole Torah, not all of the Torah is incumbent upon each individual of Israel. Some rulings are solely incumbent on High-Priests, others on priests, some on Levites, Nazarites or firstborns. Some statutes solely concern men, others women or children; some also pertain singly to the stranger in the Land. The children of Moses’ brother Aaron are called Levites. They are called so because they are the descendant of the tribe of Levi, the son of Jacob. When God divided the tribes of the new born Jewish nation into the land of Canaan, God said that the Levites that they will have no land inheritance in Canaan, but that He was their inheritance (Leviticus 18:20-24). In this manner the tribe of Levi obtained the spiritual oversight and responsibility of Israel. Not all Levites automatically became priests, but all priests were to be Levites. Studying the lifestyle incumbent upon the Levite priests, it is easy to see that they were to live in a standard of purity and dedication higher than that of the rest of Israel. This standard was surpassed only by that of the High-Priest himself. Some of the particularities of the Levite priest are that he was to not own land nor busy himself with the affairs of the world. His primary job was that of a Torah teacher to the people. Wealthy folks often had their own Levite living among them teaching them and mostly their children. Most of the time though, the Levite taught in a village and people supported him with tithes and/or offerings in exchange for his services. He was the travelling living Word to the people. In His definition of the higher calling of discipleship, the Master drew from the Levitical priestly standards. He told the twelve with him that their dedication to Him was to be greater than that to their own families (Matthew 10:37), that they were in the world but not of the world (John 15:19), that they were to let go of material pursuits (Luke 12:16-35; Matthew 8:19-20) and spend their lives in the studying teaching of the Word and in prayer (Matthew 28:19-20). Yeshua did not ask for all to do that, but He left it there as an option. It seems that Peter understood the connection between a disciple of Yeshua and the Levitical priesthood when he referred to the people of the Roman congregation as a ‘royal priesthood’ (1 Peter 2:9). Many of us want to define ourselves as disciples of the Master. May we realize that this is not a title to be taken lightly. It is incumbent on whoever takes it to live like the Master did and obey His Words. A higher standard of purity is also required of us, and if we don’t fall under it, we better not call ourselves disciples at all unless a greater condemnation falls upon us (James 3:1). 1 Peter 2:9
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Studying Leviticus we have seen that all Israel was called to live according to certain rules of holiness. We have also seen that priests and High-Priests were called to an even higher standard. The reason for this was that it was the priest’s job to process the offerings of the people and splash the blood on the altar so in a way, the priest came closer to the Presence of the Lord than any other person. It is like no one would ask me anything if I were to come to Washington D.C. or even if I stood in front of the White House perimeter, but I would need special permissions to come inside the White House and even more the closer I came to the President’s quarters. Believers have also been called to a royal priesthood and live nearer to the Master. We are therefore liable to live in higher standards of holiness. We remember also from the Texts that once Aaron and his sons were anointed for the priesthood, Aaron was not allowed to care for his deceased two sons or to mourn for them. The reason was because Aaron was on duty and High-priests are not allowed to mourn nor bear the signs of mourning while performing their duties in the presence of God (Leviticus 21:10). It makes sense when you realize that approaching God is approaching life itself, the One who swallows death in victory and prepares for us a world where death no longer will be (Isaiah 25:8; Revelations 21:3-40). This understanding od not showing sadness before high dignitaries was very common in the East in those days. It is recorded that no matter what were his personal problems, Nehemiah never showed sadness in front of his kingly master (Nehemiah 2:1). His onetime display of sorrow was so out of character for the king’s butler that it engendered a discussion that changed the fate of the Jewish nation in exile. One may suppose these practices archaic and bordering on hypocrisy, but let’s take a second look at them. Once we have given our lives to the Master; once we have yielded control of every aspect of our lives to the Mighty Creator in Whom is life and Light with no shadow of darkness or death; once we have affirmed to be called according to His purpose, how can we deny that all do things do come for good (Romans 8:28). How do we dare come to Him complaining and murmuring about our poor sorry fate in life? Isn’t that a contradiction? All things do come for good to those called according to His purpose and if things seem to go bad, it is probably because we do not live within the healthy and safe boundaries He prescribed, living a life according to the purpose he called for. Godly living may not keep us from all problems but I can affirm that it serves as a good protection against most social and health issues. We have enough to battle with the enemy, but it seems that Satan can rest at ease; we are creating our own hell though our disobediences to His commandments! May God help us to obey Him, even now even in our days! |
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