Why is it so Important?
T H E I M PO RTA N C E
O F F O L L OW I N G
D I R E C T I O N S
This week's portion starts out with the mention of the death of Nadav and Avihu.
This gives us a huge clue as to WHY Nadav and Avihu were killed.
It gives a warning to Aharon, and his descendants on improperly entering the Holy of Holies.
It then goes into a discussion on the who, when and how of entering into the very presence, albeit concealed, of The Almighty in the Holy of Holies.
The Almighty interacts with His people by giving them instructions, guidelines, and rules on how He expects us to conduct our lives in order to interact with Him.
These commandments, instructions, etc. are contained within the Torah.
There is no aspect of our lives that is not addressed in the Torah.
Sadly, many today believe and teach that the Torah has been set aside for a better set of rules.
Torah is NOT a contract that allows us to negotiate the terms.
Israel understood this, at least on an intellectual level, at Sinai.
I would say with all that is within me, "IF we want to have the best relationship with The Almighty, we MUST do it on HIS terms.
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I.
Who was Torah given to?
Some would have us believe that it was given only to the descendants of Israel.
Yet we read, even at the first Passover that there was a mixed multitude who came up out of Egypt. Exodus 12:38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with flocks and herds, a very large number of livestock. (NASB95) We also read in Dt. 29:10-15
“You stand today, all of you, before the LORD your God: your chiefs, your tribes, your elders and your officers, even all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and the alien who is within your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water, that you may enter into the covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath which the LORD your God is making with you today, in order that He may establish you today as His people and that He may be your God, just as He spoke to you and as He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. “Now not with you alone am I making this covenant and this oath, but both with those who stand here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here today . (NASB95)
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Five times in Torah we read that the same instruction/Torah shall apply to the native born as well as the sojourner who lives among Israel.
Exodus 12:49 -- "The same law shall apply to the native as to the stranger who sojourns among you.”
Leviticus 24:22 -- ‘There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the LORD your God.’ ”
Numbers 15:15, 16, 29 --‘As for the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the alien who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the alien be before the LORD. 'There is to be one law and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you.’ ”... ‘You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.
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II. Some will say that the Torah was impossible to keep. Therefore, there had to be a better law given.
They say this better law was given through/by Yehoshua. They incorrectly use passages like John 1:17, Galatians 3:10, and Hebrews 8:1-7 to "prove" their point.
John 1:17 -- For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ( ESV2011) Galatians 3:10 -- For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. ( KJV)
Sadly, the translators left untranslated a very important word in this verse. They left out the word "out". This word is εξ in Koine Greek.
Hebrews 8:1-7 -- Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. (ESV2011)
The covenant spoken of here is NOT the Torah. It is the priesthood. Originally, The Almighty intended for the heads of the tribes to be the priesthood. They rejected that offer. After the sin of the Golden Calf, HE chose the tribe of Levi. (See Ex. 24)II.
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III. What does the Scriptures say?
Deut. 30:11-14 -- “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it. ( ESV2011) Deut. 29:29 -- “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. ( ESV2011)
We don't have to have a college degree to understand the scriptures. Though there is nothing wrong, in and of itself, if one attains a degree(s) in Biblical Studies.
The Torah is a delight, not a burden. (See Psalm 119, et al).
We must understand the difference between being flawless and being perfect.
We CAN be righteous and blameless before The Almighty. (See Luke 1:6)
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IV. Does the Ketuvim haNotsrim (NT, Brit Chadasha, etc.) say that Torah has been set aside?
On the contrary, Yehoshua said he came to fulfill it, not abolish it. (See Matt. 5:17)
Yeshoshua said that if we don't believe the words of Moses, we won't be able to understand and believe his words.
John 5:46, 47 -- For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” ( ESV2011)
Paul said he kept every aspect of it as well as the traditions of the fathers.
Acts 28:17 -- After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ( ESV2011)
Paul instructed his students to do the same.
1 Cor. 11:1, 2 -- Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. ( ESV2011)
2 Thess. 2:15 -- So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. ( ESV2011)
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V. Some would have us distinguish between the moral and ceremonial laws. They state that the ceremonial laws have been done away with through the sacrifice of Messiah once and for all. Define moral and ceremonial laws.
Yet, we see Paul going to the Temple, offering sacrifices, and paying for certain followers of Yehoshua to fulfill their Nazarite Vow AFTER the death and resurrection of Yehoshua.
Acts 21:17-26 -- When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. ( ESV2011)
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NOWHERE in the Ketuvim haNotsrim do we read that we are to keep the moral laws, while it is no longer necessary to observe the ceremonial laws. Torah is Torah. ALL of it. It is not a buffet line.
The understanding of the Congregation of Notsrim in Jerusalem, under the leadership of James/Ya'aqov, was that converts from the Gentiles would study the Torah. The four directives were just the starting point so that they could come into the synagogue and do so.
Acts 15:19-21 -- Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” ( ESV2011)
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Let us purpose in our lives to imitate Yehoshua, his followers, and their students by living out Torah in its fulness.
Including proper traditions/customs of our fathers.
I am NOT saying that we should be doing sacrifices today!
Doing so would be a DIRECT violation of Torah! Dare I say a willful disobedience
I am NOT saying that we are a NEW priesthood under Yehoshua and that we have replaced the Levitical priesthood.
The Levites will once again function as priests in the restored Temple. They will function under our Prophet, High Priest, and King; Yehoshua.
On that note, let me just say:
There were three groups/offices of people who were messiahs/anointed in ancient Israel; Prophets, Priests, and Kings.
Yehoshua served as our Prophet in his ministry.
He now functions as our High Priest.
He will come as our reigning King.
The one who is FULLY Moshiach.
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THE END
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