- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Feb 25, 2023 19:07:21 GMT -8
Sorry this is late posting. Honestly, I forgot, then we had a LONG meeting today. After the meeting I stayed and talked, then the trip back ... and I was really late. o again, I apologize. Mea culpa, mea culpa; mea maxima culpa.
This Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Exodus 26:31-27:19
Haftara- Ezekiel 43:1-27
D’rash: Our text now goes to the courtyard of the Mishkan where sacrifices were made. There is an argument in scholastic circles and amongst many “believers” concerning whether the Mishkan was fictional. This would mean the sacrifices were allegorical. However the amount of detail in the description and lengths this goes to to “get it right” argues that these are instructions from YHVH Elohim, the Lord Your God (Gen 27:20) Himself. Our haftara goes into even more detail. The dimensions are different because in the parashah it is for a portable altar, while in the haftara it’s for a permanent altar in the Temple. The latter is the view I embrace: the Mishkan was real, and constructed in minute detail.
So then what about the sacrifices? They were to be offered in the courtyard where our parashah describes the altar being. Ezekiel 43:25-27 gives us the sacrifices to be offered at the consecration of the altar in the Temple, and then forever in perpetuity:
For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it [fill its hand]. And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.”
Today it is common to say that animal sacrifices were cruel, barbaric. In fact, having been in a predominantly ultra-liberal mountaineering group, very many of which were either vegetarian or vegan, I can say with some authority one of the main reasons for their eschewing meat was to be able to say they were better than God because He demands sacrifices. They of course are are kinder to animals, which they hold to be equal to or even above humans. Boreh Ketzot HaAretz, Creator of the Ends of the Earth (Is 40:28) of course made mankind the pinnacle of His creation: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:27-28. By the way, it was common to see them eat animal products when at altitude and their bodies craved protein and fats they couldn’t get from their regular plant based diet. The ‘Veggies’ can argue all they want with me they can get all they need from plants, but I was with some of the best, and they could not! Also they typically had jobs inside not requiring a lot of physical effort. Most of my jobs were outside in all weather and required a lot of effort- and I, like most people eat meat!
Many of the sacrifices were consumed by priests and at times those making them as well. Pagans, by way of contrast typically either burnt sacrifices or removed and destroyed them so the priests could say their gods ate them. Add to this the (almost) universal custom in ancient times of sacrificing children and the idea our God is cruel fades away. And many of these ‘better veggie people’ still worship those same gods, while sacrificing their unborn (and now even born live) children to abortion- murdered on the altar of convenience! It is also still practiced today as many Islamic children are encouraged by parents to sacrifice selves as suicide bombers. Their family is usually well taken care of while others starve, or eke by with just enough to sustain life.
Often the ‘sacrifice of Isaac’ is used to say God does require human sacrifice. However God stoped that from occuring: “He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”” Genesis 22:12. Avraham trusted his God: And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son “He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.” Genesis 22:7-8 — Romans 4:20-25 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Torah actually proscribes human sacrifice: “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name.” Leviticus 20:2-3
The sacrificial system is relevant to us as well! First in that our savior Yeshua HaMoshiach sacrificed Himself for us. Like a soldier falling on a grenade to save his comrades, or Eleazar the son of Saura who slew the opposing kings’ war elephant (the largest and fiercest) in battle, himself dyeing underneath it as it fell: “And he ran up to it boldly in the midst of the legion, killing on the right hand, and on the left, and they fell by him on this side and that side. And he went between the feet of the elephant, and put himself under it: and slew it, and it fell to the ground upon him, and he died there.” 1 Maccabees 6:45-46, Douay-Rheims Bible. For this there is no proscription. And the difference in what Eleazar and Yeshua did and what Islam does is there was no brainwashing to sacrifice themselves, and no coercion. They were not in desperate circumstances at home either to compel them to a desperate act of hatred. Eleazar was probably motivated by a sense of duty and love for his people, while Yeshua being God was motivated by His love for all mankind: Yochanan 3:16 For Hashem so had ahavah (agape, love) for the Olam Hazeh (the world He created) that Hashem gave the matanah (gift) [Isa 9:5 (6)] of Hashem’s Ben Yechid [Gn 22:12; Prov 30:4; 8:30] so that whosoever has emunah (faith, trust) in him may not be ne’evad (lost, perish, be ruined with destruction), but find Chayyei Olam (everlasting life) [Daniel 12:2]
We can see the connection throughout in both words and symbolism, as in our parashah where the sacrifice will later be ‘lifted up’ on the altar and its’ blood shed (Ex 43:27, above).
But why a sacrifice at all? As we see above, it looked forward as prophecy to the work of Yeshua on the tree. After, when Rav Shaul and others participated in animal sacrifices at the Temple until its destruction, it looked back to this work as it will at end times and Olam Haba (the world to come). We know they resume in end times because the Abomination of Desolation will cause them to stop in the middle of Daniel’s week: “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week [or seven]” Daniel 9:27a. When the Millennium begins they'll resume, and will continue through the Millineal Reign, as in Ezekiel’s vision: “you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord God, a bull from the herd for a sin offering. … And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; … When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.” Ezekiel 43:19,21a,23-24
Note they were to offer animals “without blemish,” the best they had. These were animals which would be highly prized as breeding stock. But this is what was required for a sacrifice. Like Avraham, the ones making their sacrifices had to step out in faith, giving of their best on the altar.
There are several biblical terms for sacrifice, ranging from זֶבַח tzebach, a general name for all sacrifices eaten at feasts, to קָרבָּן qorban. The latter stems from the root קָרוֹב qarev, meaning to draw near. Giving of our best helps us to draw near to our God. Pagans sacrifice to their gods so the deity will come near to them enough to hear their pleas. Our God wants us to draw near to Him; near enough we can understand His heart.
Of relevance today is we make many sacrifices to provide and raise our families right. This in itself is godly. We also should be giving not only tithes and monetary offerings, but of our time and efforts to the works of God. And He doesn’t just want whatever we have left over; He wants our best! “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; JPS Study TNK; D Prager; Brown-Driver-Briggs; my father and others
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Ex 27:20-28:43
Haftara- Hos 14:4-9
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
This Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Exodus 26:31-27:19
Haftara- Ezekiel 43:1-27
D’rash: Our text now goes to the courtyard of the Mishkan where sacrifices were made. There is an argument in scholastic circles and amongst many “believers” concerning whether the Mishkan was fictional. This would mean the sacrifices were allegorical. However the amount of detail in the description and lengths this goes to to “get it right” argues that these are instructions from YHVH Elohim, the Lord Your God (Gen 27:20) Himself. Our haftara goes into even more detail. The dimensions are different because in the parashah it is for a portable altar, while in the haftara it’s for a permanent altar in the Temple. The latter is the view I embrace: the Mishkan was real, and constructed in minute detail.
So then what about the sacrifices? They were to be offered in the courtyard where our parashah describes the altar being. Ezekiel 43:25-27 gives us the sacrifices to be offered at the consecration of the altar in the Temple, and then forever in perpetuity:
For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it [fill its hand]. And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.”
Today it is common to say that animal sacrifices were cruel, barbaric. In fact, having been in a predominantly ultra-liberal mountaineering group, very many of which were either vegetarian or vegan, I can say with some authority one of the main reasons for their eschewing meat was to be able to say they were better than God because He demands sacrifices. They of course are are kinder to animals, which they hold to be equal to or even above humans. Boreh Ketzot HaAretz, Creator of the Ends of the Earth (Is 40:28) of course made mankind the pinnacle of His creation: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” Genesis 1:27-28. By the way, it was common to see them eat animal products when at altitude and their bodies craved protein and fats they couldn’t get from their regular plant based diet. The ‘Veggies’ can argue all they want with me they can get all they need from plants, but I was with some of the best, and they could not! Also they typically had jobs inside not requiring a lot of physical effort. Most of my jobs were outside in all weather and required a lot of effort- and I, like most people eat meat!
Many of the sacrifices were consumed by priests and at times those making them as well. Pagans, by way of contrast typically either burnt sacrifices or removed and destroyed them so the priests could say their gods ate them. Add to this the (almost) universal custom in ancient times of sacrificing children and the idea our God is cruel fades away. And many of these ‘better veggie people’ still worship those same gods, while sacrificing their unborn (and now even born live) children to abortion- murdered on the altar of convenience! It is also still practiced today as many Islamic children are encouraged by parents to sacrifice selves as suicide bombers. Their family is usually well taken care of while others starve, or eke by with just enough to sustain life.
Often the ‘sacrifice of Isaac’ is used to say God does require human sacrifice. However God stoped that from occuring: “He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”” Genesis 22:12. Avraham trusted his God: And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son “He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.” Genesis 22:7-8 — Romans 4:20-25 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Torah actually proscribes human sacrifice: “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name.” Leviticus 20:2-3
The sacrificial system is relevant to us as well! First in that our savior Yeshua HaMoshiach sacrificed Himself for us. Like a soldier falling on a grenade to save his comrades, or Eleazar the son of Saura who slew the opposing kings’ war elephant (the largest and fiercest) in battle, himself dyeing underneath it as it fell: “And he ran up to it boldly in the midst of the legion, killing on the right hand, and on the left, and they fell by him on this side and that side. And he went between the feet of the elephant, and put himself under it: and slew it, and it fell to the ground upon him, and he died there.” 1 Maccabees 6:45-46, Douay-Rheims Bible. For this there is no proscription. And the difference in what Eleazar and Yeshua did and what Islam does is there was no brainwashing to sacrifice themselves, and no coercion. They were not in desperate circumstances at home either to compel them to a desperate act of hatred. Eleazar was probably motivated by a sense of duty and love for his people, while Yeshua being God was motivated by His love for all mankind: Yochanan 3:16 For Hashem so had ahavah (agape, love) for the Olam Hazeh (the world He created) that Hashem gave the matanah (gift) [Isa 9:5 (6)] of Hashem’s Ben Yechid [Gn 22:12; Prov 30:4; 8:30] so that whosoever has emunah (faith, trust) in him may not be ne’evad (lost, perish, be ruined with destruction), but find Chayyei Olam (everlasting life) [Daniel 12:2]
We can see the connection throughout in both words and symbolism, as in our parashah where the sacrifice will later be ‘lifted up’ on the altar and its’ blood shed (Ex 43:27, above).
But why a sacrifice at all? As we see above, it looked forward as prophecy to the work of Yeshua on the tree. After, when Rav Shaul and others participated in animal sacrifices at the Temple until its destruction, it looked back to this work as it will at end times and Olam Haba (the world to come). We know they resume in end times because the Abomination of Desolation will cause them to stop in the middle of Daniel’s week: “And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week [or seven]” Daniel 9:27a. When the Millennium begins they'll resume, and will continue through the Millineal Reign, as in Ezekiel’s vision: “you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord God, a bull from the herd for a sin offering. … And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; … When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.” Ezekiel 43:19,21a,23-24
Note they were to offer animals “without blemish,” the best they had. These were animals which would be highly prized as breeding stock. But this is what was required for a sacrifice. Like Avraham, the ones making their sacrifices had to step out in faith, giving of their best on the altar.
There are several biblical terms for sacrifice, ranging from זֶבַח tzebach, a general name for all sacrifices eaten at feasts, to קָרבָּן qorban. The latter stems from the root קָרוֹב qarev, meaning to draw near. Giving of our best helps us to draw near to our God. Pagans sacrifice to their gods so the deity will come near to them enough to hear their pleas. Our God wants us to draw near to Him; near enough we can understand His heart.
Of relevance today is we make many sacrifices to provide and raise our families right. This in itself is godly. We also should be giving not only tithes and monetary offerings, but of our time and efforts to the works of God. And He doesn’t just want whatever we have left over; He wants our best! “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Mekorot: All scripture from the ESV unless otherwise specified; JPS Study TNK; D Prager; Brown-Driver-Briggs; my father and others
Next Week’s Readings:
Parashah- Ex 27:20-28:43
Haftara- Hos 14:4-9
* Apostolic references will be given in the darashot
