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.2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Reading much differently from its English processed translations, the original Hebrew text of the second verse of the first chapter of the Book of Leviticus presents interesting messianic insights. I do not believe that the English misreading is due to any conspiratory voluntary malefic action, but rather to a reading with an already established theology. We must also realize that a translation always carries the bias of the translator; it is merely a commentary in another language. I heard it said one time that reading the Bible through a translation is like kissing a bride through a veil! The usual translations of the verse read something to the effect of: “When any one of you brings an offering to ADONAI … (Lev. 1:2), but a more literal translation of the text would read, (my translation) “When a man from among you (you: 2nd person plural) desires to come near Me with n offering …” The word for ‘man’ is adam אדם, the same as the name of the first man Adam. This did not pass the attention of Chassidic teacher Rabbi Schneur Zalman. In 1812 The Rabbi suggested a deeper meaning in the verse; he came to the messianic conclusion of the existence of a supernatural/spiritual Adam who approaches Hashem on the behalf of Israel. Based on the vision of Ezekiel in which he saw ‘a figure with the appearance of an Adam, Jewish teachings sometime offer the idea of a heavenly Adam; it is to this spiritual Adam the Rabbi refers to. This may sound far-fetched, but only until we read Paul teaching along the same lines in. The Apostle says, "The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven" (1 Cor. 15:47). Understanding that everything on earth was created after an heavenly pattern, we understand that Paul’s accounting of first and second does not refer to importance, but only to the chronology of this Adam’s earthly manifestations. The Rabbi was right. Israel does have an Adam, who approaches Hashem on our behalf, and who "lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25 referring to Isaiah 53:12). He is our burnt offering in Hebrew called olah עולה or ‘he that ascends’, an image of a total submission and consumption in God and ascending to him (Lev. 1:3; Matt. 26:39; John 3:13-15). He is our grain offering (Lev. 2:2; Matt. 26:26); our peace offering which is an image of communion and fellowship with Hashem through a meal (Lev. 3:1; John 14:27; Rev. 19:9). He also is our sin offering for involuntary sins (Lev. 4:2; 2 Cor. 5:21 (the word for sin in Hebrew or Greek also means: sin offering); Heb. 9:28); and our guilt offering ((Lev. 5:19; Isa. 53: 10-11). In studying the eternal offering ordinances in the Book of Leviticus, we learn about Yeshua’s eternal intercessory role in our lives. It is one and the same thing, and since He completes them (Matthew 5:17), if the offerings become obsolete as some teach, Yeshua also becomes obsolete, God forbid! May we always be granted to confidently approach Hashem through him who is our eternal intercessory offering, in a spirit of submission and humility, in full knowledge of our sin, and personal unworthiness.
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1Timothy 2:15
Yet she will be saved through childbearing The subject of ritual uncleanliness in Leviticus is very extensive and complicated. In essence it tells us that we are born to get close to God but that we can’t because we are born. It is the greatest paradox in the Bible, but yet, without a basic understanding of its workings, we do not fully understand several parts of the Gospels or even of Paul’s epistles. Because of the sin in Eden, humanity is born unclean and remains so all the days of its life. This uncleanliness raises an uncrossable wall between us and God. There are many stories trying to explain what happened in the Garden of Eden but the literal one is that Eve was tempted, and by acting on her temptation sent humanity away from the presence of God. Until today, we reap the results of this event. Some of the first Words from the Almighty preserved in the Scriptures tell the woman, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children” (Genesis 3:16), and to the man that “cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life”. Since that time, things have not changed. Man may try to avert childbirth pain through anesthesia and caesarians, but this is just to circumvent what God has decreed. It is the same about mankind always trying to earn a living without working. It is not natural. About working Paul continues the “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” rhetoric by advising the congregations of his days not to allow loafers in their midst. He says, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The early Teachings of the Apostles (The Didache) mention that even an itinerant Scripture teacher should not be at charge of congregations for more that two days. After three days he needs to work for his upkeep. For women things seem to fare a little differently. The apostle mentions that though she brought sin and impurity in the world, “Yet she will be saved through childbearing” if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with self-control (1 Timothy 2:15). It seems therefore that the suffering of a woman in childbearing has atoning values. It is remarkable to notice that it is through the process of child-bearing that the Messiah appears on the world’s sin to make His redemptive work manifest to mankind. Of all the stories I have heard about Eden here is the one I like the most. ‘Eve sinned and was rejected from the garden. Adam loved Eve so much that he did not want to be separated from her so he agreed to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil so he could stay with her and help her’. Whereas some so-called ‘modern’ minds may criticize this Jewish version of the story as sexist, it nevertheless stands as the earliest version of the Gospel. It is the story of a man made sinless accepting ritual impurity and sin upon himself for the sake of his beloved bride. It is not only a romantic story, but very messianic. Isn’t it what Yeshua whom Paul calls the ‘last Adam’ did for us His bride (1 Corinthians 15:45)? Paul even says that Adam was “a type of the one who was to come” (Romans 5:14). |
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