1.What do you think was G-d’s purpose for the kosher laws?
a. The kosher laws were to set the people apart,
b. to keep them from being assimilated into the pagan world around them.
c. It was teaching them to live by G-d’s plan, to live in G-d’s framework.
d. Also the kosher laws teach us to be obedient. If we learn to master control over our fleshly desires in what we eat, we are more likely to develop self-control on more difficult matters in our life.
In choosing what to eat we find in the very last verse of chapter 11 of Leviticus, “to distinguish between the impure and the pure.” This word translated as distinguish is the Hebrew word, “lehavdil.” It is the same word used at the end of the Sabbath – Havdala – when we distinguish between Shabbat and the other days of the week.
Many believers see little reason to study G-d’s dietary laws. Yet, the Messianic scripture says that “All Scripture is inspired by G-d and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Tim. 3:16). If the dietary laws no longer serve any purpose, how are they “profitable for teaching?” How are they “profitable . . . for training up in righteousness?”
If these laws were finished, why would Yeshua warn us against teaching that they are annulled? “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:19).
2a.For my next question read Leviticus 11:44-45, “I am the L-rd your G-d; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.I am the L-rd, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your G-d; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”
We have talked about it many times but I would like us to again consider what does it mean for us to be holy? How does this work out in our daily lives? Look at our Haftorah reading in II Samuel 6:1-19 does this story relate to holiness in any way? Also in the Torah section, how can we relate the story of Nadav and Avihu to this command from G-d to be holy because G-d is holy? What are these stories telling us?
2b.How do we decide what is holy and unholy or clean and unclean? Can you think of concrete examples of either.
Example: A friend of ours is a minister. He was reading this section of Torah years ago and was convicted that he should stop eating things that were unclean such as pork and shrimp. He went to his wife and read the verses to her and told her he would no longer eat the things listed in scripture as unclean. Her response to us about this situation was, “I have a family recipe that has pork in it. I can’t stop making that and stop eating pork! It’s a family tradition. So she continued eating pork, not because she did not know the truth but because she chose to go by her own desires.
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, G-d’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” G-d calls us to be holy, to distinguish between pure and impure. This reaches to every part of our life. We are called to distinguish between what is pure and what is not pure even when outwardly things may seem the same.
We make those choices based on what G-d has said, not on how we feel or what we want. We are a holy people and as such some things are off limits for us, even if it goes against our desires or our personalities.
We are not allowed to do certain things, just because G-d has said it. When our feelings are hurt or we feel the need to be hard on someone because of some hurt we can’t lash out just to feel better. G-d has said we are to be peacemakers not trouble makers. We are to choose the higher path, to put our own desires under the constraints of G-d’s word. We are not people who can be ruled by emotions or our own desires
Which brings us to Nadav and Avihu, Aaron’s sons. In chapter 10 we read what happened when they brought strange fire before the L-rd. Why did they do this? They knew the rules. They knew the power of G-d.
Yet they did something that was strictly against the pattern that G-d had arranged and set out. Why? Again we read about a lot of reasons. They were drunk or they were caught up in the moment. However when we get right down to it they did what they wanted to do, not what G-d said. They got caught up in the moment and followed their on fleshly desires. It cost them their lives. They were not able to control themselves.
In II Samuel 6:1-19 David, after defeating his enemies saw the need for a central place of worship in Jerusalem. He decided to go get the ark from Abinadab’s house.
Look at verses 6-7. The scripture tells us they put the ark of G-d on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab and Uzzah put out his hand to the ark and took hold of it when the oxen stumbled. In anger the L-rd struck him and he died by the ark of G-d. What do you think David did wrong in this whole process of bringing the ark back to Jerusalem? David had the ark of G-d put on a cart instead of having the Levites carry it.
In II Samuel 6:6-7 one of Abinadab’s sons reached out to steady the ark when the oxen stumbled. Why did he die? He was not a Levite and therefore was not allowed to touch the ark.
The next time David goes for the ark what does he do? I Chronicles 15:1-2 says he sends Levites to carry it. I Chronicles 15:12-15 describes what happened, “He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. 13 It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the L-rd our G-d broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” 14 So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the L-rd, the G-d of Israel. 15 And the Levites carried the ark of G-d with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the L-rd.
Doesn’t seem like a big difference but what do we learn from these scriptures? G-d has a way and a plan. He expects us to live our lives in harmony with His plans. We do not have to do this but when we chose not to we suffer the consequences.
What is the prevailing view of the world and even sometimes of Christians? The end justifies the means, or G-d isn’t really interested in the details of what we do from day to day. He loves us and will overlook things we do.
David and Uzzah found out that really isn’t the way G-d works. G-d has a plan for each of us, a way to do things and living by those plans is what is important for each of us – not just doing what we want. When David did it right, he got to Jerusalem and G-d made an everlasting covenant with him – the ultimate fulfillment being in Yeshua the Messiah – a perfect and never ending kingdom.
Yeshua calls us to be separate and distinct from the practices, morals and concerns of our modern world so that we might focus on carrying out His mission; it is His priority. “You are the salt of the earth,” He said; “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-14). Are you being salty enough?
3.Moses and Aaron came out of the Tent of Meeting and blessed the people. The glory of the L-rd appeared and the fire of G-d consumed the sacrifice. Where in the Messianic scripture do we see the fire of G-d? Fire can bring joy and fire can bring judgement. Can you find both of these situations in scripture.
In this Torah section, Leviticus 9:1-11:47 we see played out the plan G-d gave to Moses in Exodus 28-29. Here we see Moses and Aaron doing things exactly as G-d told them in Exodus. What was the result? The fire of G-d fell and consumed the sacrifice – the people fell on their faces and shouted (9:24)
Where in the Messianic scripture do we see the fire of G-d falling? Acts 2:1-4. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a]as the Spirit enabled them.
So the fire of G-d can bring joy and salvation but it can also bring judgment. Leviticus 9:24 was a time of joy. But in Leviticus 10:1-3 we see judgement.
Where is the other incident of G-d’s fire falling to bring judgment? It is in the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal when fire fell and consumed the offering.
Finally, did you notice in Leviticus 10:3 it says Aaron remained silent. Have you ever considered how he was able to do that when he just witnessed two of his son’s death? To most of us such silence is unimaginable. To remain silent and accept unbelievable sudden loss require inner fortitude – or Emunah.
Emunah is usually translated as faith. It is more than that. Emunah is an action or practice. It helps you to stand in the midst of crisis or loss. We do not see Aaron blame G-d or ask why is this happening to me!
We cannot always understand why certain things happen. Sometimes only G-d knows why. Emunah is like a staircase. Intellectually you may know that the stairs go up to the next level but until you climb them you won’t actually experience that next level. Believing or knowing that the staircase is there is not enough. You have to climb them.
We all have a desire to understand when difficult things happen. Sometimes we have an urge to blame. Sometimes there are just things beyond our understanding. This is where you call on your reserve of Emunah. We need to maintain a personal Emunah account and make regular deposits in it. It’s a spiritual insurance policy, ensuring you will have the means to carry on.