Blessed are You, 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.
וזה הדבר – ‘’this is the issue…’’ and without this issue (Heb ‘’davar’’)
the Tabernacle doesn’t work.
Exo 29:1 “And
this is the task (thing or word) you shall do to them to set them apart to
serve Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams, perfect ones, (Lev 9)
Exo 29:2 and unleavened bread,(‘’lechem’’) and
unleavened cakes (‘’challah’’) mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers(‘’rakik’’)
anointed with oil – make these of wheat flour.
Exo 29:3 “And you shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams.
These instructions were meant for the priesthood. YHVH required absolute obedience to the finest detail of His instructions – why? It was critical that the priesthood would hear (shemah) and obey, so, setting the example for the nation of Israel to walk in obedience to YHVH’s instructions. These instructions to the priests also give us valuable insight into the kind of dwelling space YHVH desires to occupy. All these instructions will one day be carefully observed and obeyed, when YHVH makes His permanent dwelling with man in a new heaven and a new earth.
Exo 29:4 “Then you shall bring Aharon and his sons to
the door of the Tent of Meeting, and wash them with water.
Exo 29:5 “And you shall take the garments, and shall
put on Aharon the long shirt,(ketonet) and the robe(meyil) of the shoulder
garment,(ephod) and the shoulder garment, and the breastplate,(choshen) and
shall gird him with the embroidered band(cheshev) of the shoulder garment,
Exo 29:6 and shall put the turban(mitznefet) on his
head, and shall put the set-apart sign of dedication (Heb -‘’nezer’’ – same
origin as ‘’Nazarene’’ Mat 2:23 נצרי)on the turban,
Exo 29:7 and shall take the anointing oil, and pour it
on his head and anoint (משׁח)
him.
Exo 29:8 “Then you shall bring his sons and put long
shirts(ketunot) on them,
Exo 29:9 and shall gird them with girdles (avnet)– Aharon and his sons – and put the turbans (migbâ‛âh) on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs for an everlasting law. So, you shall ordain (fill the hands) Aharon and his sons.
Those vestments which were common to all
priests, were:
• Michnasayim (breeches)—linen
pants reaching from the waist to the knees "to cover their nakedness"
(Exodus 28:42)
• Ketonet (tunic)—made of pure
linen, covering the entire body from the neck to the feet, with sleeves
reaching to the wrists. That of the High Priest was embroidered (Exodus 28:39);
those of the priests were plain (Exodus 28:40).
• Avnet (sash)—that of the
High Priest was of fine linen with "embroidered work" in blue and
purple and scarlet (Exodus 28:39, 39:29); those worn by the priests were of
white, twined linen.
• Mitznefet (turban)—that of
the High Priest was much larger than that of the priests and wound so that it
formed a broad, flat-topped turban; that for priests was wound so that it
formed a cone-shaped turban, called a migbahat. The tzitz, a golden plate
inscribed with the words: "Set Apart unto YHVH" was attached to the
mitznefet.
The vestments that
were unique to the High Priest were:
• Me'il ("Robe of the
Ephod")—a sleeveless, purple robe, the lower hem of which was fringed
with small golden bells alternating with pomegranate-shaped tassels in blue,
purple, and scarlet – tekhelet.
• Ephod—a richly embroidered
vest or apron with two onyx-stones on the shoulders, on which were engraved the
names of the tribes of Israel – see BDB robe of approach- bondservant.
• Choshen (Breastplate)—with
twelve gems, each engraved with the name of one of the tribes; a pouch in which
he probably carried the Urim and Thummim. It
was fastened to the Ephod (gematria 358)
• Tzitz (crown)—a gold plate
inscribed with the words "Set Apart
unto YHWH" which was attached to the front of the Mitznefet, so
that it rested on his forehead. Vs 9….. So, you shall ordain Aharon and his
sons.
The Hebrew
words for ordination are ‘’le maleh yadahim’’ or ‘’filling of the hands’’. The
offerings described as the ‘’ordination offerings’’ are referred to as the
‘’miluim’’ or filling offering’’ What does it mean ‘’to fill the hands’’? One
possible explanation would be found in the expression ‘’idle minds and idle
hands are the devil’s workshop’’ Levites were required to have learned to work
with their hands, they were also required to teach the Torah while performing
their priestly duties.
Exo 29:10 “And you shall bring near the bull before the
Tent of Meeting, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of
the bull. (usually a bull for sins of priests, rams for sins of people)
Exo 29:11 “And you shall slaughter the bull before יהוה, by the door of the Tent of
Meeting,
Exo
29:12 and take some of the blood of the
bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the
blood beside the base of the altar.
Exo
29:13 “And you shall take all the fat
that covers the entrails, and the appendage on the liver, and the two kidneys
and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar.
Exo 29:14 “But the flesh of the bull, and its skin and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering. (we see later that vs 14 is connected to Parashat 39 ‘’Chukat’’– Num 19:1-22:1)
The sages say that the commandment of the Red Heifer (‘’para aduma’’ – Parashat 39) is “beyond human understanding” The “chukat” or “statutes” of this portion begin to make sense when we view them in the light of Messianic redemption. These “chukat” unravel some of the deepest mysteries of our Messiah’s deep love and desire to be united with his bride. The meaning of the word “chukat” comes from the Hebrew verb “chukak” and means to cut upon, engrave or inscribe. These are instructions we obey even if we don’t understand them. In modern Hebrew a “chukah” is a constitution. “The phrase in B’Midbar 19:2 “zot chuckat ha torah” this is the chukat of the Torah” appears only twice in the Torah (see also 31:21) This could be interpreted to mean “ this is the whole essence of the Torah”
Even
though there is no temple we still have access to an altar – (Ps 84:3 in Hebrew
- מזבחותיך)
Heb 13:10 We have a slaughter-place
(יש־לנו מזבח)from which those serving
the Tent(המשכן) have no authority to eat. Heb
13:11 For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the
Set-apart Place by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Heb
13:12 And so יהושע also suffered outside the gate, to set
apart the people with His own blood. Heb 13:13 Let us, then, go to
Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. (‘’red heifer offering’’)
Exo
29:15 “And take one ram, and Aharon and
his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,
Exo
29:16 and you shall slaughter the ram,
and you shall take its blood and sprinkle it all around on the altar.
Exo
29:17 “And cut the ram in pieces, and
wash its entrails and its legs, and place them upon its pieces and on its head.
Exo
29:18 “And you shall burn the entire ram
on the altar. It is a burnt offering to יהוה,
it is a sweet fragrance, an offering made by fire to יהוה.
Exo
29:19 “And you shall take the second
ram, and Aharon and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram,
Exo
29:20 and you shall slaughter the ram,
and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aharon and
on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and
on the big toe of their right foot,(to ‘’shemah’’ or hear, ‘’asah’’ or do and
walk – ‘’halachah’’- the Torah) and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar.
Exo
29:21 “And you shall take some of the
blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on
Aharon and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with
him. And he and his garments shall be set-apart, and his sons and the garments
of his sons with him.
Exo
29:22 “And you shall take the fat of the
ram, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage
on the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh – it
is for a ram of ordination
Exo
29:23 and one loaf of bread, and one
cake made with oil, and one thin cake from the basket of the unleavened bread
that is before יהוה.
Exo
29:24 “And you shall put all these in
the hands of Aharon and in the hands of his sons, and you shall wave them – a
wave offering before יהוה.
Exo
29:25 “Then you shall take them from
their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet
fragrance before יהוה. It
is an offering made by fire to יהוה.
Exo
29:26 “And you shall take the breast of
the ram of Aharon’s ordination (ha miluim) and wave it – a wave offering before
יהוה, and it shall be your portion.
Exo
29:27 “And from the ram of ordination
you shall set apart the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the
thigh of the contribution which is raised, of that which is for Aharon and of
that which is for his sons.
Exo
29:28 “And it shall be from the children
of Yisra’ĕl for Aharon and his sons by a law forever, for it is a contribution.
And it is a contribution from the children of Yisra’ĕl from their peace offerings
– their contribution to יהוה.
Exo
29:29 “And the set-apart garments of Aharon
are for his sons after him, to be anointed in them and to be ordained in them.
Exo 29:30 “The priest from his sons in his place, puts them on for seven days, when he enters the Tent of Meeting to attend in the set-apart place.
This
seven-day ‘’dedication’’ period was the pattern in the scriptures used for the
dedication of the altar and priesthood in Israel. Fire from Heaven consumed this offering on the 8th
day.
2Ch
7:1 And
when Shelomoh had ended praying, fire came down from the heavens and consumed
the ascending offering and the slaughterings. And the esteem of יהוה
filled the House. 2Ch 7:2 And the priests were unable to enter the
House of יהוה, because the esteem of יהוה had filled the House of יהוה. 2Ch
7:3 And all the children of Yisra’ěl saw how the fire came down, and the
esteem of יהוה on the House, and they bowed their faces to the ground on the
pavement, and did obeisance and gave thanks to יהוה, saying, “For He is good, for His
loving-commitment is everlasting.”
The
Dedication of the Temple
2Ch
7:4 And the sovereign and all the people slaughtered slaughterings before
יהוה. 2Ch
7:5 And Sovereign Shelomoh slaughtered a slaughtering of twenty-two thousand
bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Thus the sovereign and all the
people dedicated the House of Elohim. 2Ch 7:6 And the priests were
standing over their duties, and the Lěwites with instruments of the song to יהוה,
which Sovereign Dawiḏ had made to give thanks to יהוה, saying, “For His loving-commitment is
everlasting,” whenever Dawiḏ praised by their hand. And the priests were
blowing trumpets before them, and all Yisra’ěl were standing. 2Ch
7:7 And Shelomoh set apart the middle of the courtyard that was in front
of the House of יהוה, for there he made ascending offerings and the fat of the peace
offerings, because the bronze slaughter-place which Shelomoh had made was not
able to contain the ascending offerings and the grain offerings and the
fat. 2Ch 7:8 And Shelomoh at that time observed the Festival
seven days, and all Yisra’ěl with him, a very great assembly from the
entrance of Ḥamath to the wadi of Mitsrayim.
2Ch
7:9 And on
the eighth day they held an assembly, for they performed the dedication of the slaughter-place
seven days, and the festival seven days. 2 Pet 3:102Ch 7:10 And on the twenty-third day of
the seventh new moon he sent the people away to their tents, rejoicing
and glad of heart for the goodness that יהוה had
done for Dawiḏ, and for Shelomoh, and for His people Yisra’ěl.
Lev 9:23 And Mosheh and Aharon went into the Tent of Appointment, and came out and blessed the people. And the esteem of יהוה appeared to all the people, Lev 9:24 and fire came out from before יהוה and consumed the ascending offering and the fat on the slaughter-place. And all the people saw and cried aloud and fell on their faces.
Exo
29:31 “And take the ram of ordination
and cook its flesh in a set-apart place.
Exo
29:32 “And Aharon and his sons shall eat
the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the
Tent of Meeting, Exo 29:33 and they
shall eat those offerings with which the atonement was made, to ordain
them, to set them apart. But let a stranger not eat them, because they are
set-apart.
Exo
29:34 “And if any of the flesh of the
ordination (ha milium)offerings, or of the bread, be left over until the
morning, then you shall burn up what is left over. It is not eaten, because it
is set-apart.
Exo 29:35 “And so you shall do to Aharon and his sons, according to all I have commanded you. Seven days you shall ordain them,
‘’Consecration of Aaron and his Sons through the anointing of their persons and the offering of sacrifices, the directions for which form the subject of vv. 1-35 can be more fully understood in connection with the sacrificial laws contained in Lev 1-9.’’
Exo
29:36 and prepare a bull each day as a
sin offering for atonement. And you shall cleanse the altar when you make
atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to set it apart.
Exo
29:37 “For seven days you shall make
atonement for the altar, and set it apart. And the altar shall be most
set-apart – whatever touches the altar is to be set-apart.
Exo
29:38 “And this is what you prepare on
the altar: two lambs, a year old, daily, continually.
Exo
29:39 “Prepare the one lamb in the
morning, and the other lamb you prepare between the evenings,
Exo
29:40 and one-tenth of an ĕphah of flour
mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine
as a drink offering, with the one lamb.
Exo
29:41 “And prepare the other lamb
between the evenings. And with it prepare the grain offering and the drink
offering, as in the morning, for a sweet fragrance, an offering made by fire to
יהוה –
Exo
29:42 a continual burnt offering for
your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before יהוה, where I shall meet with you
to speak with you.
Exo
29:43 “And there I shall meet with the
children of Yisra’ĕl, and it shall be set apart by My esteem.
Exo
29:44 “And I shall set apart the Tent of
Meeting and the altar. And Aharon and his sons I set apart to serve as priests
to Me.
Exo
29:45 “And I shall dwell in the midst of
the children of Yisra’ĕl and shall be their Elohim.
Exo 29:46 “And they shall know that I am יהוה their Elohim, who brought them up out of the land of Mitsrayim, to dwell in their midst. I am יהוה their Elohim.
Until we
physically stand in YHVH’s Presence, His Set Apart Spirit will seek a dwelling
place in the hearts of His people. The instruction of the Tabernacle teaches us
that YHVH will only enter a dwelling place that meets His requirements. YHVH’s
Spirit may visit us from time to time, however, YHVH does not only want to
‘’visit’’ us He wants to indwell us- 1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are a Dwelling Place of Elohim
and that the Spirit of Elohim dwells in you? (Gk – making a home in you) His ‘’indwelling’’
us also depends on an ‘’intercessory priesthood’’ After all He is the same
yesterday today and forever - Mal 3:6
“For I am יהוה, I shall not change,[a] and you, O
sons of Ya‛aqoḇ, shall not come to an end. Footnote: a Jas_1:17. To this end YHVH has appointed men
to instruct us in these matters- Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave
some as emissaries, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as
shepherds and teachers Eph 4:12 for the perfecting of the set-apart
ones, to the work of service to a building up of the body of the Messiah….Sadly, today, very few of these
men are equipped or willing to return to the ancient paths (Torah)– Jer 6:16 –
and most of these men consider the teachings of the Torah ‘’strange’’ – Hosea
8:12.
In our days there are no ‘’sacrifices’’ because there is no Temple, however, if we look at Ezekiel 40-48 we see a future millennial temple; the presence of Messiah partaking in a restored temple service – Ezek 46 and teaching the Torah to all nations – Is 2:2-4
Finally
at the end of the millennium YHVH will ‘’tabernacle’’ and physically dwell with
His people.
Rev
21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth(Heb ‘’mishkan’’ or Tabernacle) of Elohim is with men, and He
shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall
be with them and be their Elohim. Rev
22:14 “Blessed are those doing His commands,(Torah) so that the authority shall be theirs unto
the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.
Rev 22:20 He that bears witness of these matters says, “Yes, I am coming speedily.” Aměn. Yes, come, Master יהושע! Rev 22:21 The favour of our Master יהושע Messiah be with the set-apart ones. Aměn.
Blessed are you YHVH, 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 – Amein.