The spirit of Korach is alive and well on planet earth
– the greatest manifestation of this spirit is the almost
complete ignorance and denial or even consideration of
the eternal importance of the Levitical priesthood. Today Rabbi’s and pastors
have attempted to replace or even obliterate the relevance of the Levitical
priesthood.
Four times in this Torah portion when speaking of the
Levititcal priesthood and their responsibilities – it states that it is a law
forever… 18: vs 8,11,19,23
We often hear these words “things have changed”-
however the truth is that Yahshua did
not come to change the truth – He came
to establish the truth, the truth of every word that ever came out of the mouth
of YHVH – that also means every word YHVH spoke to Moshe – Yahshua came to say
– Amein to every word that YHVH spoke and continues to speak.
The Law or Torah was forever throughout all
generations ….not a law until Yahshua came or even returns – as long as there
is a heaven and an earth – this word is still as true as it is now as it was then
– Mat5:17-19
The very essence of most theology today – Christian or
Jewish is that things have changed. “We must adapt to the times.”
In the apostolic
scripture for this Torah portion every verb is written in the present tense.
Heb 5:1 For every priest(Cohen) taken from among men
is appointed on behalf of men in matters relating to Elohim, to offer both
gifts and offerings for sins,
Heb 5:2 being able to have a measure of feeling for
those not knowing and being led astray, since he himself is also surrounded by
weakness.
Heb 5:3 And on account of this he has to offer for
sins – as for the people, so also for himself.
This is why Yahshua could not be an Aaronic High Priest – Yahshua was
without sin.
Heb 5:4 And no one obtains this
esteem for himself, but he who is called by Elohim, even as Aharon also was.
Heb 5:5 So also the Messiah did not extol Himself to
become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him, “You are My Son, today I
have brought You forth.”1 Footnote: 1See 1:5, Ps. 2:7.
Heb 5:6 As He also says in another place, “You are a
priest forever according to the order of Malkitseḏeq,”1
Footnote: 1Ps. 110:4.
Melech Tzadic – king of righteousness. No Levite
could lay claim to such a title because YHVH appointed His sinless Son to have
all the authority in heaven and on earth(Mt 28:18). His son has power to give
and to withhold righteousness from men and woman. There was never another human
being who was worthy or able to have such a title and responsibility. There is
only one way to become righteous - Rom
10:1-4.
Rom 10:1 Truly brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer
to Elohim for Yisra’ĕl is for deliverance.
Rom 10:2 For I bear them witness that they have an
ardour for Elohim, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 10:3 For not knowing the righteousness of Elohim,
and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject
themselves to1 the righteousness of Elohim. Footnote: 1Or
did not obey.
Rom 10:4 For Messiah is the goal1 of the
‘Torah unto righteousness to everyone who believes. Footnote: 1Or
end purpose; not termination.
So then why the
Levitical priesthood?
The very essence and
nature of the calling and duties of the priests reveals the very essence of the
establishing of the righteousness of YHVH in Yahshua in our lives.
First of all we see that it is YHVH that chooses
and calls the priests. It’s YHVH that calls us to His Son to become the
righteous of YHVH in Yahshua.
Joh 6:44 “No one is able to come to Me unless the
Father who sent Me draws him. And I shall raise him up in the last day.
Secondly YHVH would
not permit a priesthood to approach Him through any effort of their own. The
chosen priests were not allowed to sweat in the presence of YHVH. So the very
heart of our salvation is His favour and not our works – Eph 2:8. Even Yahshua
did nothing on his own.
Joh 5:19 Therefore יהושע responded and
said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by
Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He
does, the Son also likewise does.
Eze 44:15 “But the priests, the Lĕwites, the sons of
Tsaḏoq, who guarded the
duty of My set-apart place when the children of Yisra’ĕl went astray from Me,
they shall draw near to Me to serve Me, and shall stand before Me to bring to
Me the fat and the blood,” declares the Master יהוה.
Eze 44:16 “They
shall enter My set-apart place, and they shall draw near to My table to serve
Me, and they shall guard My charge.
Eze 44:17 “And it
shall be, when they enter the gates of the inner courtyard, that they put on
linen garments, and no wool shall come upon them while they attend within the
gates of the inner courtyard or within the house.
Eze 44:18 “They
shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies,
they shall not gird themselves with sweat.
Eze 44:23 “And they are to teach My people the difference
between the set-apart and the profane, and make them know what is unclean and
clean.
Eze 44:24 “And they are to stand as judges in a
dispute, and judge it according to My right-rulings. And they are to guard My
Torot and My laws in all My appointed festivals, and set apart My Sabbaths.
It was the rod of Aaron that put forth buds and
fruit when it was placed to rest in the tabernacle. It is when a dead piece of
wood (an impaled life in Messiah –Gal 2:20) is placed in the presence of the
reality of all that Torah, the manna and the rod of Aaron represent (contents
of the tabernacle); only then can true spiritual life manifest itself; only
then can the true gifts and fruit of the Ruach Ha Kodesh (the Set Apart Spirit)
be manifested.
There is no other way; there is no other pattern
except the one given to us by the Levitical priesthood in the Torah to become
righteousness – that’s why when you trample the blood of the covenant underfoot
and treat the Levital priesthood and all that it represents as some light
matter – Heb10:29- that you destroy any hope you could ever have had of
becoming the righteousness of Elohim in Messiah.
2Co 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for
us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of Elohim. (Note the
emphasis on BECOMING)
Somehow we deceive ourselves in the worst possible
way imaginable – we think we are in right standing with YHVH – when we are not
– because it is not according to Torah – and we think we get away with this
contempt for Moshe and our responsibility towards an Aaronic and Levitical
priesthood. The earth does not open and swallow us up, but His silence is just
a delayed judgment. Many if not most will stand before Him one day and He will
say - Mat 7:23 “…I never knew you, depart from Me, you who
work lawlessness!” or Torahlessness- because we rejected the priesthood and the Torah
that brings us to Messiah.
It is true that we have little or no evidence of
such a priesthood in our day, but to deny its importance and existence is to
deny the very foundations of the righteousness of YHVH.
And so our times of ignorance He has overlooked,
but now in these days we are commanded to repent. – Acts 17:30
Act 3:19 “Repent therefore and turn back, for the blotting
out of your sins, in order that times of refreshing might come from the
presence of the Master,
Act 3:20 and that He sends יהושע Messiah,
pre-appointed for you,
Act 3:21 whom
heaven needs to receive until the times of restoration of all matters,
of which Elohim spoke through the mouth of all His set-apart prophets since of
old.
Act 3:22 “For
Mosheh truly said to the fathers, ‘יהוה your Elohim
shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear
according to all matters, whatever He says to you.
Act 3:23 ‘And it
shall be that every being who does not hear that Prophet1 shall be
utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Footnote: 1Deut. 18:18-20.
Act 3:24 “And
likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Shemu’ĕl and those following,
have also announced these days.
Act 3:25 “You are
sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which Elohim made with our fathers,
saying to Aḇraham, ‘And in your seed all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed.’
Story of Elazer
Luk 16:19 “But there was a certain rich man who used to
dress in purple and fine linen and lived luxuriously every day.
Luk 16:20 “And there was a certain beggar named Elʽazar, being covered
with sores, who was placed at his gate,
Luk 16:21
and longing to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s
table. Indeed, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luk 16:22
“And it came to be that the beggar died, and was carried by the
messengers to the bosom of Aḇraham. And the rich
man also died and was buried.
Luk 16:23
“And while suffering tortures in the grave, having lifted up his eyes,
he saw Aḇraham far away, and Elʽazar in his bosom.
Luk 16:24
“And crying out he said, ‘Father Aḇraham,
have compassion on me, and send Elʽazar
to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in
this flame.’
Luk 16:25
“But Aḇraham said, ‘Son,
remember that in your life you received your good, and likewise Elʽazar the evil, but now
he is comforted and you are suffering.
Luk 16:26
‘And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so
that those who wish to pass from here to you are unable, nor do those from
there pass to us.’
Luk 16:27
“And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you would send him to my
father’s house,
Luk 16:28
for I have five brothers, let him warn them, lest they also come to this
place of torture.’
Luk 16:29 “Aḇraham said to him,
‘They have Mosheh and the prophets, let them hear them.’
Luk 16:30
“And he said, ‘No, father Aḇraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they shall repent.’
Luk 16:31
“But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Mosheh and the prophets,
neither would they be persuaded even if one should rise from the dead.’ ”
Even though the
Levites are not operating and there is no temple – YHVH still has a prophetic
Levitical voice – maybe that’s why Yahshua spoke of the greatness of Yohachanan - a Levite – Cohen.
Mat 11:9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet?
Yea, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
Mat 11:10 “For this is he of whom it was written, ‘See,
I send My messenger before Your face, who shall prepare Your way before You.’
Mat 11:11 “Truly, I say to you, among those born of
women there has not risen one greater than Yoḥanan the Immerser, yet
the least one in the reign of the heavens is greater than he.
Why are there no one greater than Yochanan? Because
now we have been placed to rest in the presence of the finished work of Messiah.
Aliyah
Chamishi 17:1-9
Num 17:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num
17:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl,
and take from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according
to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. Write each one’s name on his rod,
Num
17:3 and write Aharon’s name on the rod
of Lĕwi, for there is one rod for the head of each father’s house.
Num
17:4 “You shall then place them in the
Tent of Meeting before the Witness, where I meet with you.
וְהִנַּחְתָּם, בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
(Hiphil) yânach- to cause to rest, give rest to, make quiet
Num
17:5 “And it shall be that the rod of
the man whom I choose buds, and I shall rid Myself of the grumblings of the
children of Yisra’ĕl, which they grumble against you.”
Num
17:6 And Mosheh spoke to the children of
Yisra’ĕl, and all their leaders gave him a rod each, for each leader according
to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. And the rod of Aharon was among their
rods.
Num
17:7 So Mosheh placed the rods before יהוה in the Tent of the Witness.
וַיַּנַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת-הַמַּטֹּת, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה, בְּאֹהֶל, הָעֵדֻת
Lit.
- Moses caused the rods to rest before the Face of YHVH in the Tent of Witness.
Num
17:8 And it came to be on the next day
that Mosheh went into the Tent of the Witness and saw that the rod of Aharon,
of the house of Lĕwi, had budded, and brought forth buds, and blossomed and
bore ripe almonds.
Num
17:9 And Mosheh brought out all the rods
from before יהוה to all the children of Yisra’ĕl. And they
looked, and each man took his rod.
All
self- appointed spiritual leadership will be exposed. True anointed Levitical
leadership will awaken revelation of truth to those who submit to such
leadership. The Hebrew word for “almond”- “shaked’ is also the word used for
one who does not sleep so as to be on guard. The “rod” of set apart leadership
will always bring life in correction and true spiritual guidance.
Aliyah
Shishi 17:10-18:20
Num
17:10 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Bring Aharon’s rod back
before the Witness, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, so that you put an
end to their grumblings against Me, lest they die.”
Num
17:11 And Mosheh did as יהוה had commanded him, so he did.
Num
17:12 And the children of Yisra’ĕl spoke
to Mosheh, saying, “See, we shall die, we shall perish, we shall all perish!
When
the revelation of the set apartness of the true priesthood of YHVH becomes
evident again in the last days – YHVH’s people will understand that rejection
of this Levitical priesthood will be physical and spiritual death.
Num
17:13 “Anyone who comes near the
Dwelling Place of יהוה dies. Shall we be consumed – to die?”
Num 18:1 And יהוה said to Aharon, “You and your sons and
your father’s house with you are to bear the crookedness against the set-apart
place, and you and your sons with you are to bear the crookedness against your
priesthood.
When
there are problems amongst YHVH’s people – He will first come knocking at the
door of the Levites. If the Levites are out of line with YHVH – the nation is
out of line with YHVH.
Mal 3:2 “And who is able to bear the day of His
coming, and who is able to stand when He appears? For He is like the fire of a
refiner, and like the soap of a launderer.
Mal 3:3 “And He shall sit as a refiner and a cleanser
of silver. And He shall cleanse the sons
of Lĕwi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall belong to יהוה, bringing near
an offering in righteousness.
Mal 3:4 “Then
shall the offering of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim be pleasant to יהוה, as in the days of old, as in former
years.
Num
18:2 “But bring with you your brothers
of the tribe of Lĕwi too, the tribe of your father to join you and serve you
while you and your sons are with you before the Tent of the Witness.
Num
18:3 “And they shall guard your charge,
and the duty of all the Tent, but they do not come near the furnishings of the
set-apart place and the altar, lest they die, both they and you.
Num
18:4 “And they shall be joined with you and
guard the duty to the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent, but a
stranger does not come near you.
Num
18:5 “And you shall guard the duty of
the set-apart place and the duty of the altar, so that there be no more wrath
on the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Num
18:6 “And see, I Myself have taken your
brothers the Lĕwites from the midst of the children of Yisra’ĕl – a gift to
you, given by יהוה, to do the service of the Tent of Meeting.
Num
18:7 “But you and your sons with you are
to guard your priesthood for all matters at the altar and behind the veil, and
you shall serve. I have given you the priesthood as a gift for service, but the
stranger who comes near is put to death.”
Num
18:8 And יהוה spoke to Aharon, “And see, I Myself have
also given you the charge of My contributions, all the set-apart gifts of the
children of Yisra’ĕl. I have given them to you for the anointing, and to your
sons, as a law forever.
Mal 3:7 “From the days of your fathers you have
turned aside from My laws and did not guard them. Turn back to Me, and I shall
turn back to you,” said יהוה of hosts. “But
you said, ‘In what shall we turn back?’
Mal 3:8 “Would a
man rob Elohim? Yet you are robbing Me! But you said, ‘In what have we robbed
You?’ In the tithe and the offering!
Mal 3:9 “You have
cursed Me with a curse, for you are robbing Me, this nation, all of it!
Mal 3:10 “Bring
all the tithes into the storehouse, and let there be food in My house. And
please prove Me in this,” said יהוה of hosts,
“whether I do not open for you the windows of the heavens, and shall pour out
for you boundless blessing!
Mal 3:11 “And I
shall rebuke the devourer for you, so that it does not destroy the fruit of
your ground, nor does the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” said יהוה of hosts.
Mal 3:12 “And all
nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a land of delight,” said יהוה of hosts.
How
do we curse YHVH?
By
making it impossible for Him to bless us, because of our disobedience and non -
support of a Levitical priesthood.
You
may say “there are no Levites we know of.” But then are we entitled to take
that which belongs to someone else for ourselves?
It’s
not wrong to support ministers and rabbi’s– “you shall not muzzle and ox while
is threshing the grain” Dev 25:4- but then can we take what belongs to the
Levites and give it to them if they are not Levites?
What’s
the solution? I am not sure.
Maybe
only when the Levitical priesthood is restored and they receive their allotted
portion of the tithe will fortune and favour be restored to us, but then again,
this is what Shaul had to say in I Cor 9 to us who are awaiting the final
restoration of the Temple when Yahshua comes back to rule and reign for a
Thousand years. I am quoting the commentary in brackets of a Torah teacher
Messianic Rabbi G Hunt. He made use of another Scripture Version but the quote
is given as is:
I Cor 9:7 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his
own expense? (no one!) Who plants a vineyard and does not eat
the fruit of it? (no one) Or who tends a
flock and does not use the milk of the flock? (no
one) 8 I am not speaking these
things according to human judgment, am I? (He is
speaking them according to HaShem’s judgment as found in the Torah. Since that is the case, that makes not
supporting the local congregation and its leadership financially a sin.) Or
does not the Law also say these things? (Yes it
does.) 9 For it is written in the
Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” (See Dt 25:4) God is not concerned about oxen, is
He? (Yes He
is, but that is not the primary focus of the passage. The primary focus of the passage is to teach
us how to love HaShem and love our neighbor as Yeshua teaches us. Therefore, Paul is interpreting the passage
accordingly and he argues that is the primary meaning of the passage.) 10
Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, (“our sake” means for the sake of the spiritual
leadership, those who preach, teach, etc.) because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and
the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it
too much if we reap material things from you? (No)
12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? (Paul
is addressing the fact that others may share things with you, but we are the
primary ones sent to you. He is not
negating the support of the local “pastor” or “rabbi” but is saying that they
as the ones who are over them are also worthy of income for their direct
ministry work that they do and in proportion to the ministry work they do for
them.) Nevertheless, we did not
use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to
the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know
that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those
who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? (Yes they
do. Paul is saying that the
service and the partaking of the sacrifices as found in the Torah as it regards
the tabernacle and the temple with the levitical priesthood is to teach us how
local spiritual leadership, even outside the land of Israel (note that Corinth
is outside of Israel), are to be cared for.
Just because there is no tabernacle and there is no temple and the
leadership are not Levites (Paul was Jew of the tribe of Benjamin) they are to
be partakers in the offerings and tithes and the congregation that benefits or
partakes of the services of the local congregation are to provide those
offerings and tithes.) 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim
the gospel to get their living from the gospel.
15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these
things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to
die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing
to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the
gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily,
I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. (Paul is saying that it is their responsibility to
provide for him and that it is his choice not to take the salary but rather to
apply it elsewhere. Just because of his
choice, it does not abdicate or alter their responsibility to provide a tithe
and offering.) 18 What then is my
reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge,
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (The Torah is to
be taught without charge but it is not to be accepted without payment. In other words it is not your local
leadership’s job to hound you to provide for the needs of the congregation or
himself, it is your responsibility to be providing over and above what those
needs are.) End of quote
Num
18:9 “This is yours of the most
set-apart gifts, from the fire: all their offerings, all their grain
offerings and all their sin offerings and all their guilt offerings which they
render to Me, are most set-apart for you and your sons.
Num
18:10 “Eat it in the most set-apart
place – every male eats it. It is set-apart to you.
Num
18:11 “This also is yours: the
contribution of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of
Yisra’ĕl. I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as a law forever. Everyone who is
clean in your house eats it.
Num
18:12 “All the best of the oil, and all
the best of the new wine and the grain – their first-fruits which they give to יהוה – I have given them to you.
Num
18:13 “The first-fruits of all that is
in their land, which they bring to יהוה, are yours.
Everyone who is clean in your house eats it.
Num
18:14 “All that is dedicated in Yisra’ĕl
is yours.
Num
18:15 “Everyone opening a womb of all
flesh, which they bring to יהוה, whether man or beast, is yours. But the
first-born of man you shall certainly ransom, and the first-born of the unclean
beast you ransom.
Num
18:16 “And ransom their ransomed ones
when one month old, according to your valuation, five sheqels of silver,
according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, which is twenty gĕrahs.
Num
18:17 “But the first-born of a cow, or
the first-born of a sheep, or the first-born of a goat you do not ransom, they
are set-apart. Sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an
offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Num
18:18 “And their flesh is yours, as the
wave breast and as the right thigh, it is yours.
Num
18:19 “All the contributions of the
set-apart gifts, which the children of Yisra’ĕl present to יהוה, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as a
law forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before יהוה with you and
your seed with you.”
Num
18:20 And יהוה said to
Aharon, “You are not to have an inheritance in their land, nor have any portion
in their midst. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of
Yisra’ĕl.
Aliyah
Sheviee 18:21-32
Num 18:21
“And see, I have given the children of Lĕwi all the tithes in Yisra’ĕl
as an inheritance in return for the service which they are serving, the service
of the Tent of Meeting.
Num 18:22
“And let the children of Yisra’ĕl no more come near the Tent of Meeting,
lest they bear sin and die,
Num
18:23 because the Lĕwites shall do the
service of the Tent of Meeting, so they themselves bear their crookedness. A
law forever, throughout your generations: that among the children of Yisra’ĕl
they are to have no inheritance,
Num
18:24 but the tithes of the children of
Yisra’ĕl, which they present as a contribution to יהוה, I have given to the Lĕwites as an
inheritance. That is why I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Yisra’ĕl
they have no inheritance.’ ”
Num
18:25 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Num
18:26 “Speak to the Lĕwites and say to
them, ‘When you take from the children of Yisra’ĕl the tithes which I have given
you from them as your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution of it
to יהוה, a tenth of the tithe.
Num
18:27 ‘And your contribution shall be
reckoned to you as grain from the threshing-floor and as filling from the
winepress.
Num
18:28 ‘Thus you also present a
contribution unto יהוה from all your tithes which you receive
from the children of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall give from it the contribution to יהוה to Aharon the priest.
Num
18:29 ‘From all your gifts you present
every contribution due to יהוה, from all the best of them, the set-apart
part of them.’
Num
18:30 “And you shall say to them, ‘When
you have presented the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the
Lĕwites as the yield of the threshing-floor and as the yield of the winepress.
Num
18:31 ‘And you shall eat it in any
place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your service in the
Tent of Meeting,
Num
18:32 and bear no sin because of it,
when you have presented the best of it, and do not profane the set-apart gifts
of the children of Yisra’ĕl, lest you die.’ ”