7/05/2014

Parashat 28 – Metzora - Portion 85 Vayikra/Lev 14:1-57 Haftarah: 2 Kings 7:1-20 Second Writings: Luke 17:11-19


Metzora means “the one who has tzaraat”

                                                                                    Blessing of Torah.
Hebrew: Baruch atah YHVH eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah. V'ha'arev na YHVH eloheinu et divrei toratecha befinu uvfi amecha beit Yisrael. V'niyeh anachnu v'tze'etze'einu v'tze'etza'ei amecha beit Yisrael kullanu yodei sh'mecha v'lomdei toratecha lishmah. Baruch atah YHVH hamelamed Torah le'amo Yisrael. Baruch atah YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim venatan lanu et torato. Baruch atah YHVH, notein haTorah.

English translation: Blessed art Thou, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.

One of the greatest challenges coming out of “Christianity” is forming a sound redemptive framework that accommodates all of scripture. Sadly Christians see the “Old Testament” as an “old” way of salvation and the “New Testament” as a new way of salvation.

The truth is that Yahshua HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE and no man will or can ever come to YHVH without Yahshua. This is the teaching of both the “Old Testament and New Testament”

We only need to look in “Yisrael’s Song Book” – the book of Psalms to see how well developed this Messianic understanding was. Yahshua taught us this in the Apostolic scriptures (or Second Writings/NT):

Luk 24:44  And He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all have to be filled that were written in the Torah of Mosheh and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
Luk 24:45  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

David had a deep understanding of the Messiah and his redemptive work.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest He be enraged, And you perish in the way, For soon His wrath is to be kindled. Blessed are all those taking refuge in Him.

Psa 8:4  What is man that You remember him? And the son of man that You visit him?

Psa 16:10  For You do not leave my being in the grave, Neither let Your Kind One see corruption.

Psa 18:21  For I have guarded the ways of יהוה, And have not acted wrongly against my Elohim.
Psa 18:22  For all His right-rulings are before me, And I did not turn from His laws.
Psa 18:23  And I am perfect before Him,

Psa 22:1  My Ěl, My Ěl, why have You forsaken Me – Far from saving Me, far from the words of My groaning?
Psa 22:9  For You are the One who took Me out of the womb; Causing Me to trust while on My mother’s breasts.
Psa 22:10  I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s belly You have been My Ěl.
Psa 22:11  Do not be far from Me, For distress is near; For there is none to help.
Psa 22:16  For dogs have surrounded Me; A crowd of evil ones have encircled Me, Piercing My hands and My feet;
Psa 22:17  I count all My bones. They look, they stare at Me.
Psa 22:18  They divide My garments among them, And for My raiment they cast lots.

Psa 40:7  Then I said, “See, I have come; In the scroll of the Book it is prescribed for me.
Psa 40:8  I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O my Elohim, And Your Torah is within my heart1.” Footnote: 1Ps. 37:31, Ps. 119:11, Isa. 51:7, Heb. 10:7-9.

 Psa 45:7  You have loved righteousness and hated wrongness1; Therefore Elohim, Your Elohim, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. Footnote: 1Heb. 1:8-9.

Psa 110:1  יהוה said to my Master, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
Psa 110:2  יהוה sends Your mighty sceptre out of Tsiyon. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Psa 110:4  יהוה has sworn and does not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Malkitseḏeq.”

The book of Hebrews acknowledges an offering system and a service of the Temple, it does not say that it has been done away with. It would serve us well to make a careful study of the book of Hebrews from a Hebraic perspective.

Heb 10:1  For the Torah, having a shadow of the good matters to come, and not the image itself of the matters, was never able to make perfect those who draw near with the same slaughter offerings which they offer continually year by year.
Heb 10:2  Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? Because those who served, once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
Heb 10:3  But in those offerings is a reminder of sins year by year.
Heb 10:4  For it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.


Heb 9:11  But Messiah, having become a High Priest of the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation,
Heb 9:12  entered into the Most Set-apart Place once for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having obtained everlasting redemption.
Heb 9:13  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the flesh,
Heb 9:14  how much more shall the blood of the Messiah, who through the everlasting Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Elohim, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?
Heb 9:15  And because of this He is the Mediator of a renewed covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance.

We live in a world that is paying a very heavy price for ignoring the Torah of YHVH. Within the Torah is the framework of our redemption. There can be no more important pursuit in this life that embracing and growing into a deeper understanding and appreciation of our redemption in Messiah.

What do we learn from this? Atonement functions on two levels: one related to the earthly tabernacle or Temple (we may designate as “temporal atonement”) and one related to one’s eternal standing of righteousness before YHVH (we may designate this as “eternal atonement”)

We are also reminded that Yahshua is priest of a heavenly tabernacle and his priesthood is a superior priesthood to the Aaronic priesthood. Our redemption includes both an Aaronic priesthood as well as a Melchizidek or Messianic priesthood. This is the method that YHVH has chosen and may not be altered by men. We have been given instructions and appointments in the Torah to remind of us of how YHVH will bring us into perfection. Nowhere ever in the book of Hebrews does it say these offerings are to be ignored. We know from Yahshua’s own words that while heaven and earth are still here every word in the Torah is to be embraced and obeyed if we desire to enter into the New Yerushalayim for all eternity.

Heb 8:1  Now the summary of what we are saying is: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Greatness in the heavens,
Heb 8:2  and who serves in the set-apart place and of the true Tent, which יהוה set up, and not man.
Heb 8:3  For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and slaughters. So it was also necessary for this One to have somewhat to offer.
Heb 8:4  For if indeed He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the Torah,
Heb 8:5  who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Mosheh was warned when he was about to make the Tent. For He said, “See that you make all according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Torah Readings:
 
  1. 14:1-12
  2. 14:13-20
  3. 14:21-32
  4. 14:33-53
  5. 14:54 – 15:15
  6. 15:16-28
  7. 15:29-30
  8. Maftir: 15:31-33

Lev 14:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 14:2  “This shall be the Torah of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest,

Note once again the use of the future tense verb in vs two (zot tiyiye torat hametzorah) As far as we know, there is not a single case of tzaraat in the history of Israel before Yahshua came, that could fulfill this command of showing oneself to the priest and presenting the offering required after having been healed. The only exception is Miryam, Moshe’s sister. She was struck with this affliction and most likely fulfilled this command, see Numbers 12. The Syrian servant, Na’aman, was cleansed from tzaraat when he dipped in the Yarden at the command of the prophet Elisha, but since he was not an Israelite, this command about going to the priest to bring an offering does not apply. Why then, has the Torah given these instructions, if they were not needed in the long history of Israel? As an answer to that question, the thought has been presented that it meant that when the Messiah would come, he would, among other things, cleanse those who have tzaraat. This is one of the signs that identify the true Messiah. That is why it is written in Luke 7:18-23,
 
“The talmidim of Yochanan told him about all these things. Yochanan, calling to himself two of his talmidim, sent them to Yahshua saying, ‘Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘Yochanan the immerser has sent us to you, saying, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”’ In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight. Yahshua answered them, ‘Go and tell Yochanan the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is he who is not offended by me.’”(HNV)
 
The expression, “one who is coming” or “the one who comes”, is a Messianic expression. The Messiah is “the one who comes”, in Hebrew “ha-bah”. The answer that Yahshua gave to Yochanan’s disciples teaches us that “lepers” being cleansed is one of the signs that the people were waiting for in order to identify the true Messiah.
 
In Matthew 8:3-4, it is written,
 
“Yahshua stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, ‘I want to. Be made clean.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Yahshua said to him, ‘See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moshe commanded, as a testimony to them.’”(HNV revised)
 
What was the testimony that the priests needed? The testimony that the Messiah had come. Because of this miracle, all the priests in the temple knew that the Messiah was already present. This was probably one of the reasons why so many of the priests later came to faith in Yeshua, as it is written in Acts 6:7,
 
“The word of Eloha increased and the number of the talmidim multiplied in Yerushalayim exceedingly. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”(HNV revised)

Lev 14:3  and the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look and see, if the leprosy is healed in the leper,

Here we see the evidence of “temporal atonement.”  The condition appeared because there was a need for coming into harmony with Torah and those around us. Once the situation was properly addresses and dealt with healing and cleansing would once again be restored.

Lev 14:4  Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
Lev 14:5  And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
Lev 14:6  As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
Lev 14:7  And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
Lev 14:8  And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

The rabbis admit that they do not know the depth of the reason why these things were used to cleanse a metzora (the one who has tzaraat).
One of the birds comes to die, and the other to be released. This can symbolize two things. The first thing that they symbolize is the person who has tzaraat and was as good as dead, without fellowship with anyone, and expelled from the camp of Israel. The bird that must die represents the death of the leper. The living bird that is released, symbolizes the leper who now is released from the terminal plague that bound him.  
        On the other hand, and foremost of all, the two birds symbolize the Messiah; especially his death and resurrection. The bird that dies, speaks prophetically about the death of the Messiah, and the bird that is released speaks prophetically about the resurrection of the Messiah. The whole process of cleansing from tzaraat is connected with the Messiah. That is why we can also find, in this context, a piece of wood, which speaks of the death of the Messiah that had to be on a tree. It is very interesting to note that hyssop also comes into the Scriptural arena once again in connection with the death of Yahshua as we read in Yochanan/John 19:29 “A bowl of sour wine stood there, and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and held it to His mouth. Verse 30  So when יהושע took the sour wine He said, “It has been accomplished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit”. This also teaches us that the death of the Messiah has to do with the cleansing ceremony for tzaraat. The scarlet wool yarn symbolizes the blood and the priestly ministry. The wool yarn came from sheep. It was dyed red. It also speaks of the death of the Messiah. The Messiah is symbolized by the “red thread” that runs throughout all of Scripture, see Joshua 2:18, 21.
           The living bird (that is put together with the cedar tree) symbolizes the Messiah, who was hung on a tree in order to thus cleanse man from the leprosy of sin. The living bird was dipped in the blood of the dead bird. That symbolizes the Messiah’s moment of death. The living bird is not left in the blood in the water, until it dies, but is taken up from it. That symbolizes the resurrection of the Messiah.

Lev 14:9  “And on the seventh day it shall be that he shaves all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shaves off. And he shall wash his garments and wash his body in water, and shall be clean.
Lev 14:10  “And on the eighth day he takes two male lambs, perfect ones, and one ewe lamb a year old, a perfect one, and three-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.
Lev 14:11  “And the priest who is cleansing shall present the man who is to be cleansed, with these offerings, before יהוה, at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
Lev 14:12  “And the priest shall take one male lamb and bring it as a guilt offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before יהוה.
Lev 14:13  “And he shall slaughter the lamb in the place where he slaughters the sin offering and the burnt offering, in a set-apart place. For the guilt offering, like the sin offering, belongs to the priest. It is most set-apart.
Lev 14:14  “And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.

– It is possible that these verses says that the one who is being cleansed needed blood to be applied to the three places that represent the sin that brought tzaraat. If he allowed his ears to listen to lashon ha-rah, allowed his hand to do what it should not have, or if he let his foot go where it should not, then he would be struck with tzaraat. Therefore he had to be cleansed in these three places of his body.

Lev 14:15  “And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.
Lev 14:16  “And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before יהוה.
Lev 14:17  “And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest puts some on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering.
Lev 14:18  “And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of him who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall make atonement for him before יהוה.
Lev 14:19  “And the priest shall make the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterwards he slaughters the burnt offering.
Lev 14:20  “And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
Lev 14:21  “But if he is poor and is unable to afford it, then he shall take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of oil,
Lev 14:22  and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford, and one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
Lev 14:23  “And he shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before יהוה.
Lev 14:24  “And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before יהוה.
Lev 14:25  “And he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
Lev 14:26  “Then the priest pours some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.
Lev 14:27  “And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before יהוה.
Lev 14:28  “And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt offering.
Lev 14:29  “And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before יהוה.
Lev 14:30  “And he shall prepare one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he is able to afford,
Lev 14:31  that which he is able to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, with the grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before יהוה.
Lev 14:32  “This is the Torah for one who had an infection of leprosy, who is unable to afford for his cleansing.”
Lev 14:33  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying,
Lev 14:34  “When you come into the land of Kenaʽan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession,
Lev 14:35  then shall the one who owns the house come and inform the priest, saying, ‘It seems to me that there is some plague in the house.’
Lev 14:36  “And the priest shall command, and they shall empty the house, before the priest goes in to look at the plague, so that all that is in the house is not made unclean. And after that the priest goes in to look at the house.
Lev 14:37  “And he shall look at the plague and see, if the plague is on the walls of the house with sunken places, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall,
Lev 14:38  then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days.
Lev 14:39  “And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look and see, if the plague has spread on the walls of the house,
Lev 14:40  then the priest shall command, and they shall remove the stones with the plague in them, and they shall throw them outside the city, into an unclean place,
Lev 14:41  while he lets the house be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city.
Lev 14:42  “And they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and take other mortar and plaster the house.
Lev 14:43  “And if the plague comes back and breaks out in the house, after he has removed the stones, after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered,
Lev 14:44  then the priest shall come and look and see, if the plague has spread in the house, it is an active leprosy in the house, it is unclean.
Lev 14:45  “And he shall break down the house, its stones, and its timber, and all the plaster of the house, and he shall bring them outside the city to an unclean place.
Lev 14:46  “And he who goes into the house, all the days while it is shut up, becomes unclean until evening.
Lev 14:47  “And he who lies down in the house has to wash his garments, and he who eats in the house has to wash his garments.
Lev 14:48  “However, if the priest indeed comes in and looks at it and sees that the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
Lev 14:49  “And to cleanse the house, he shall take two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
Lev 14:50  “And he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water,
Lev 14:51  and he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the live bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and shall sprinkle the house seven times.
Lev 14:52  “He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the live bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet,
Lev 14:53  and he shall let the live bird loose outside the city in the open field, and shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.
Lev 14:54  “This is the Torah for any infection of leprosy, and eruption,
Lev 14:55  and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
Lev 14:56  and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot,
Lev 14:57  to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the Torah of leprosy.”

Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you Yahveh, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn

Please note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are in no way a final authority on any subject.