Tzav (Command) Leviticus 6:8-8:36
1.Understanding the sacrifices listed in our Torah portion can help us understand verses like Romans 12:1-2. What sacrifice might Paul have been talking about here in Romans and what are your reasons for choosing that sacrifice?
Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of G-d’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to G-d—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what G-d’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
First of all there is no correct answer, only opinions. Here is ours.
Paul was asking us to offer ourselves as an olah offering or burnt offering.
Why an Olah offering?
It was left on the altar until it was wholly consumed
It went up as a sweet aroma to the Father.
We are to give ourselves totally and completely to the Father with nothing held back
I Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from G-d? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor G-d with your bodies.”
Our bodies represent the Temple of G-d..
The burnt offering is a picture of our old life being burned away
We are renewed in the power of the Messiah.
Old impulses and inclinations do not go away without a fight.
The Burnt offering stayed on the altar until only ashes remained. It represented the person bringing the offering. It was symbolic of the dedication of that person to G-d.
It meant the person was dedicating themselves completely to G-d with nothing held back.
Daily cleansing of our self before G-d keeps the fire of our new life burning.
This is why G-d said to clean away the ashes each day.
What happens when you let the ashes build up in your fireplace?
It becomes harder and harder to keep the fire burning.
The priest had to clean away the ashes each day in the early morning,
No other person did this job
The priest himself had to do it.
We need to take the time to keep our altar clean
We must daily seek G-d’s help in living out His will for our lives.
2.Leviticus 6:12 says, “The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out.” This seem redundant. If they keep it burning of course it will not go out. But this double emphasis means it is important. What visual is this giving the people and where else do we see something similar in scripture? What is our message here?
This law, once the fire begins, is to never go out. It was a visual expression of G-d’s presence. The rituals they were beginning here would last as long as there was a Mishkan or Temple. It was a reminder that G-d had laid out a new order and structure for their lives.
It was not temporary.
He gave them a way to come close to Him.
The fire was to always be there never consumed.
The fire was similar to the burning bush in Exodus
Moses encountered a burning bush that was never consumed and it changed his life.
The message to us is to never stop giving off the light of the Messiah. His light in us is eternal. We are to be the light of the Messiah, a reflection of the holiness of G-d.
3.Compare Vayikra (Leviticus) 6:27 and II Corinthians 4:7-10 to see if you can see any connection between the two and any spiritual implications for us today.
Leviticus 6:27, “Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area.”
The blood of the sacrifice could transmit its holiness to anyone who touched it.
So holiness was transferrable. If a clay bowl or utensil was touched by the blood, it retained its holiness. Why was this true? A clay bowl can absorb some of what is placed in the bowl.
So now with this background look at II Corinthians 4:7-10.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from G-d and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of the Messiah, so that the life of the Messiah may also be revealed in our body.”
II Corinthians 4:7-10 compares us to earthen vessels (Clay pot). We are carrying around the treasure of the Messiah in our bodies. We have been made holy by the sacrifice of the Messiah.
In the Mishkan the clay pot used to hold the sacrifice was no longer just a clay pot. it was connected to the sin offering.
Paul is saying we are like those pots. They absorb and are made holy because of what they contain. We contain in this earthen vessel the presence of the Messiah.This consecrates us forever. We have become holy because of the treasure within us. We are no longer a simple clay pot.
G-d gave us a way to rise above being an ordinary clay pot. We may be pressed on every side but we need not break. If we can only to grasp what we carry inside us we can rise above the trials of this world. We can be what the Father created us to be.
How do we do this? How do we stand and not crumble?
Refer back to the second question – our fire must never go out.
4.I would like the last question to be from a few beautiful verses of the Haftorah. Jeremiah 9:23-24 “This is what the L–rd says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the L–rd, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the L–rd.” What do these verses say to you?
Jeremiah told them that relying on their own powers would never prove sufficient. They could never be wise enough, strong enough, or rich enough for what was coming. Neither will we be wise enough, strong enough or rich enough for what is coming.
The most needful thing we can have is to know the L-rd.
The L-rd is above our wisdom, strength and wealth.
When difficulties come we can rely on G-d’s kindness, justice and righteousness.
What does Jeremiah say we can boast in?
“let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know Me.”
We can boast in- we know the L-rd! What a wonderful assurance for the times we live in.
The people in Jeremiah’s day had to decide what they thought could deliver, What or Who could save them.
We have the same choice. The question for each of us is what do we rely on?
We can’t have both. We can’t rely on our own wisdom in hard times and hope that G-d comes through if that doesn’t work.
You aren’t putting yourself in the hands of a promise keeping G-d if you believe that, when push comes to shove, it is really your savings account that takes care of you. You are putting your trust somewhere; where is your trust placed?