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Light
from the Sidra |
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How wonderfully
the LORD God provides for
his sinful children so that they may approach him! In the early
chapters of Leviticus God ordained all that was necessary for them to
approach him in worship. Without such provision the sinner could only
approach God fearfully thinking, “What if this is not God’s way? Will
God be angry with me?” The punishment of Nadab and Abihu, who
approached God with “alien fire” (Tanakh;
New JPS Translation) shows that such fears would have been fully
justified. Did you notice
that the sin-offering (chattaht)
was not the first in the list of offerings? Did that strike you as
strange? Would you not expect that sin must first be atoned for and
only then would it be possible to offer the other sacrifices such as
the peace-offering? There is something to learn here. Israel was God’s
covenant community whose sins were covered by the Passover lamb and by
the offerings presented every year at Yom Kippur. The Passover lamb and
the Scapegoat which was offered on the Day of Atonement were not
freewill offerings like the ones in the Sidrot Vayikra; they were
obligatory and Israel was accepted because of them. The freewill
offerings were a way for the grateful and believing Israelites to
express their trust in God. When you think of
approaching God, are you conscious of being
accepted or are you trying to be accepted? That
is the difference between a son and a slave. The offerings of Vayikra
were for sons, those who knew they were accepted by the Almighty. The first two
sacrifices, the burnt-offering (olah)
and the meal-offering (minchah) were ways of expressing devotion to God. The olah was an animal
offered to the LORD and nothing of
it was to remain for man or priest (except the skin); it is described
as “a sweet smell to God”. The meal-offering consisted of that which
man had laboured to produce and had given to the LORD. The first
offering was an expression of the devotion of one’s self; the second
the consecration of one’s labour. Both are pleasing to the LORD! Are your life
and labours devoted to God in such a way? The
Peace-offering (sh’lamim) was really a meal with God. It
was the expression of a relationship between the LORD and His
worshipper. Special meals should be joyful occasions, just like the
Passover Seder. Through the peace-offering the LORD was saying,
“Come and enjoy fellowship with me”. The worshipper, in response, said,
“Yes, O LORD, you are my
delight”. Who does not want such fellowship? Do you enjoy it yet? But God’s people
sin; and so fellowship and devotion are marred. The LORD is well aware of
this, and so he provides a way for the one who has sinned to come in
repentance with an offering to atone. The sin-offering (chattaht) and the guilt-offering (asham) are provided for just that
purpose. As the worshipper came in repentance with one of these
offerings, the LORD promised
forgiveness and restoration to a right relationship with him. God left no stone
unturned in providing the means for his people to come to him. Strange
then that so many Jewish people feel he is so far away. So few seem to
speak as if he is a person they know, most seem to talk of him as a
remote being, unknowable, almost a force. How can we bring him near?
Some hope the familiar prayers and rituals will provide an awareness,
but how soon their feelings fade. More and more Jewish people are
trying mystical techniques. But do these methods bring the Most High
any nearer to them? The religious efforts of many people remind me of a
story of a little boy who wanted to go to the moon. He was sure that
one day he would be big enough to jump up to it. His parents looked at
him and smiled. They knew how impossible such a childish idea was.
Equally impossible is the idea that we may be able to “jump up” to God.
If we are to know him he must come down to us. That is the whole
emphasis of the Torah, especially the revelation given at Sinai. But there are
those of Israel for whom God has “come down”, and they know him. They
are the believers in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah. He is their
Passover lamb, and now they devote themselves to the LORD, know his daily
forgiveness, and experience his peace. God calls you to join them. |
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