Weekly passages: Leviticus 16:1–18:30; Ezekiel 22:1-19; Hebrews 9:11-28.
This week's Torah portion - Acharei mot ('after the death') - deals with the distinction between the holy and the profane, between the sacred and the secular, and is often linked with the next portion, Q'doshim ('the holy ones').
It begins with a reminder of how Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu both disobeyed God's instructions about taking fire only from the altar of sacrifice to light the incense on the Golden Altar in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.
Both the Menorah and the Altar of Incense were to be lit only with fire from the altar of sacrifice, which itself came from heaven (Num 16:46; Lev 9:24). Aaron's sons offered unauthorised fire for the Altar in the Holy Place ('strange' fire, from another place). And "fire came out from the Presence of the Lord, and consumed them" (Lev 10:1-3). This may have seemed harsh, but it emphasised the need to recognise the awesome sanctity of the Holy One of Israel.
Moses tells Aaron that even the High Priest was not to enter the Holy of Holies just when he chose, but only at the Lord's prescribed times, and in His prescribed ways. God had told them: "Among those who approach me, I will show Myself holy" (Lev 10:3). Aaron wisely remained silent. In His covenant love, it seems that God was trying to prevent further 'accidental' deaths due to the Israelites (even priests) coming into His Presence casually, not understanding His holy nature. The veil in the Tabernacle was thus to demonstrate His holiness. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews also reminds us that we too are to "worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:28-29).
God is the Holy One, the Holy One of Israel
There is in many groups today a great superficiality in our awareness of God's holiness. Entering God's Presence in church as a social gathering, or focusing on opportunities for 'church business' does not recognise that we are in the Holy of Holies, and distractions (chatting or music) often compete with prayer or the reading of His word.
Yes, He is our Father. In Jesus, He is an intimate Father whom we may call Abba, the Aramaic term for Dad or Papa. There is a place for both, but we do not have the right to approach God casually. He is not a buddy, or a white-haired old gentleman. God's nature is q'dosh, Holy, which means 'separate from' and, at a deeper level, 'totally other than'.
The seraphim ('burning ones') around His throne constantly proclaim God's supreme nature - q'dosh, q'dosh, q'dosh - Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa 6:3). They correspond to the living creatures in Revelation 4:8 who also proclaim this three-fold appellation of God's infinite holiness.
In straying from our Jewish roots, we have largely lost the sense of the transcendent nature of God. He is the Holy One of Israel. He is a being that we sinful humans cannot approach without the given protection of His prescription. Under the first covenant this was through a High Priestly mediator, and only once a year; and by the renewed covenant in Jesus' Blood, it is through the second veil that once separated us from this holy God, but which was "torn in two from top [Greek anothen] to bottom" (Matt 27:51; anothen means something that comes from above - from God), inviting us boldly "to enter the Most Holy Place" (Heb 9:3; 10:19).
The veil in the Tabernacle and the Temple had cherubim skilfully woven into it. Cherubim traditionally act as guards, as in the Garden of Eden, "to guard the way to the Tree of Life" (Gen 3:24), and in the Tabernacle they reflected God's protection, by guarding the way to His Holy Presence. At Jesus' death, God removed them allowing access even to His very Presence - but only through His Son.
So How Can We Approach Such a Holy God?
Jesus, Yeshua, told us: "I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Although we pray to 'Our Father' in the prayer that Jesus taught us, in knowing Jesus we know the Father, for Jesus is "the exact representation of His being" (Heb 1:3), and the Son reveals the Father to whom He chooses (Luke 10:22). He tells His disciples: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Indeed, His Father and He together will come and make their home in those who love Him and obey His teachings (John 14:23).
But for this we need to know the Holy One. Jesus is our High Priest, and it is only by His shed Blood, offered to God as an atoning sacrifice for sin, that we may enter the Presence of a holy God. This is the only way, a new and living way, consecrated for us through His flesh, that is His Body. It is His shed Blood on the Cross alone that gives us access to the Father, and it is His way to new life. But we must draw near the Holy One in the right manner, in humble worship, our hearts and bodies washed, and come by faith in the finished work of the Son of God (Heb 10:19-22).
The Call to be Holy
Under the first covenant, God's desire to dwell with His people was expressed through a sacrifice on Yom Kippur that was an atonement for sin. Two kids of the goats were chosen by lot, one to be offered to the Lord as the sacrifice for sin and the other to be a scapegoat, where the High Priest symbolically transferred the sin of the congregation to the goat by laying his hands on its head, and the animal was then banished into the wilderness, carrying Israel's sins away (Lev 16:8-10).
This type or pattern was fulfilled in Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross at Passover, when the Lord laid upon Him the iniquity of us all - our sin and all its evil consequences (Isa 53:6). "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:21), and thus be welcomed into the Father's Presence through the shedding of Jesus' Blood. This is the Father's invitation to intimate relationship with Him. But it is clear that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins, and where these have been forgiven" through Jesus' sacrifice, "there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" (Heb 9:22; 10:18) - neither prayer, nor repentance, nor good deeds. The Cross was Jesus' finished work, perfectly perfect, completely complete (Greek tetelestai).
There are also in this passage warnings against the consumption of blood (for blood represents life) and against a range of unlawful sexual practices, which defile both man and the land. For both Israel and the Canaanites before them, this defilement led to the violent removal of the people from the land. God requires morality and holiness in Gentile nations today also, as this rebellion is a desecration of God's holiness and of His Name (chillul hashem).1 Later, Ezekiel was shown practices by people in Jerusalem which were abominations to the Lord, and received God's confirmation that He would "consume them with My fiery anger" (Ezek 22:21).
Hallowed Be His Name
This Friday at sunset is the start of Pesach (Passover), when the first Passover is remembered in Seder meals, by many Jewish people who celebrate God's redemption and freedom from slavery in Egypt, and by believers in Yeshua who celebrate their salvation and freedom from slavery to sin. Let us at this time renew our calling to be holy; to be consecrated and sanctified for the Lord, when we draw near to Him in prayer and worship. But let it be in awe and reverence for His q'dosh.
Jesus taught us in coming to our Father in prayer, to say, "Hallowed be Your Name". This means, may people understand that You are the Holy One, 'totally other than'. May people see Your holy nature through what we do and say, in the way we live. May our lives reflect Your holy Name and character, because You are holy.
Rabbinic wisdom calls this kiddush hashem,2 a way of blessing God through righteous living in a way that distinguishes between the holy and the profane, a way that is characterised by honesty, integrity and holiness, and a way that brings glory to God among those who do not yet know Him.3 We must proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick (as Jesus did). Both words and deeds are needed to bring God glory, and to sanctify His Holy Name.
God's Summary
This is an essential aspect of our relationship with Him, through the veil. He encourages us to understand His awesome holiness, by saying to all Israel, and to us (Lev 19:2):
"Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy."
Author: Greg Stevenson
References
1 Telushkin, J. A Code of Jewish Ethics 1, pp456-475, 'You shall be holy'.
2 Ibid
3 Tverberg, L. Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, p87.
This week's Torah portion - Acharei mot ('after the death') - deals with the distinction between the holy and the profane, between the sacred and the secular, and is often linked with the next portion, Q'doshim ('the holy ones').
It begins with a reminder of how Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu both disobeyed God's instructions about taking fire only from the altar of sacrifice to light the incense on the Golden Altar in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle.
Both the Menorah and the Altar of Incense were to be lit only with fire from the altar of sacrifice, which itself came from heaven (Num 16:46; Lev 9:24). Aaron's sons offered unauthorised fire for the Altar in the Holy Place ('strange' fire, from another place). And "fire came out from the Presence of the Lord, and consumed them" (Lev 10:1-3). This may have seemed harsh, but it emphasised the need to recognise the awesome sanctity of the Holy One of Israel.
Moses tells Aaron that even the High Priest was not to enter the Holy of Holies just when he chose, but only at the Lord's prescribed times, and in His prescribed ways. God had told them: "Among those who approach me, I will show Myself holy" (Lev 10:3). Aaron wisely remained silent. In His covenant love, it seems that God was trying to prevent further 'accidental' deaths due to the Israelites (even priests) coming into His Presence casually, not understanding His holy nature. The veil in the Tabernacle was thus to demonstrate His holiness. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews also reminds us that we too are to "worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:28-29).
God is the Holy One, the Holy One of Israel
There is in many groups today a great superficiality in our awareness of God's holiness. Entering God's Presence in church as a social gathering, or focusing on opportunities for 'church business' does not recognise that we are in the Holy of Holies, and distractions (chatting or music) often compete with prayer or the reading of His word.
Yes, He is our Father. In Jesus, He is an intimate Father whom we may call Abba, the Aramaic term for Dad or Papa. There is a place for both, but we do not have the right to approach God casually. He is not a buddy, or a white-haired old gentleman. God's nature is q'dosh, Holy, which means 'separate from' and, at a deeper level, 'totally other than'.
The seraphim ('burning ones') around His throne constantly proclaim God's supreme nature - q'dosh, q'dosh, q'dosh - Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa 6:3). They correspond to the living creatures in Revelation 4:8 who also proclaim this three-fold appellation of God's infinite holiness.
In straying from our Jewish roots, we have largely lost the sense of the transcendent nature of God. He is the Holy One of Israel. He is a being that we sinful humans cannot approach without the given protection of His prescription. Under the first covenant this was through a High Priestly mediator, and only once a year; and by the renewed covenant in Jesus' Blood, it is through the second veil that once separated us from this holy God, but which was "torn in two from top [Greek anothen] to bottom" (Matt 27:51; anothen means something that comes from above - from God), inviting us boldly "to enter the Most Holy Place" (Heb 9:3; 10:19).
The veil in the Tabernacle and the Temple had cherubim skilfully woven into it. Cherubim traditionally act as guards, as in the Garden of Eden, "to guard the way to the Tree of Life" (Gen 3:24), and in the Tabernacle they reflected God's protection, by guarding the way to His Holy Presence. At Jesus' death, God removed them allowing access even to His very Presence - but only through His Son.
So How Can We Approach Such a Holy God?
Jesus, Yeshua, told us: "I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Although we pray to 'Our Father' in the prayer that Jesus taught us, in knowing Jesus we know the Father, for Jesus is "the exact representation of His being" (Heb 1:3), and the Son reveals the Father to whom He chooses (Luke 10:22). He tells His disciples: "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). Indeed, His Father and He together will come and make their home in those who love Him and obey His teachings (John 14:23).
But for this we need to know the Holy One. Jesus is our High Priest, and it is only by His shed Blood, offered to God as an atoning sacrifice for sin, that we may enter the Presence of a holy God. This is the only way, a new and living way, consecrated for us through His flesh, that is His Body. It is His shed Blood on the Cross alone that gives us access to the Father, and it is His way to new life. But we must draw near the Holy One in the right manner, in humble worship, our hearts and bodies washed, and come by faith in the finished work of the Son of God (Heb 10:19-22).
The Call to be Holy
Under the first covenant, God's desire to dwell with His people was expressed through a sacrifice on Yom Kippur that was an atonement for sin. Two kids of the goats were chosen by lot, one to be offered to the Lord as the sacrifice for sin and the other to be a scapegoat, where the High Priest symbolically transferred the sin of the congregation to the goat by laying his hands on its head, and the animal was then banished into the wilderness, carrying Israel's sins away (Lev 16:8-10).
This type or pattern was fulfilled in Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross at Passover, when the Lord laid upon Him the iniquity of us all - our sin and all its evil consequences (Isa 53:6). "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor 5:21), and thus be welcomed into the Father's Presence through the shedding of Jesus' Blood. This is the Father's invitation to intimate relationship with Him. But it is clear that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins, and where these have been forgiven" through Jesus' sacrifice, "there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" (Heb 9:22; 10:18) - neither prayer, nor repentance, nor good deeds. The Cross was Jesus' finished work, perfectly perfect, completely complete (Greek tetelestai).
There are also in this passage warnings against the consumption of blood (for blood represents life) and against a range of unlawful sexual practices, which defile both man and the land. For both Israel and the Canaanites before them, this defilement led to the violent removal of the people from the land. God requires morality and holiness in Gentile nations today also, as this rebellion is a desecration of God's holiness and of His Name (chillul hashem).1 Later, Ezekiel was shown practices by people in Jerusalem which were abominations to the Lord, and received God's confirmation that He would "consume them with My fiery anger" (Ezek 22:21).
Hallowed Be His Name
This Friday at sunset is the start of Pesach (Passover), when the first Passover is remembered in Seder meals, by many Jewish people who celebrate God's redemption and freedom from slavery in Egypt, and by believers in Yeshua who celebrate their salvation and freedom from slavery to sin. Let us at this time renew our calling to be holy; to be consecrated and sanctified for the Lord, when we draw near to Him in prayer and worship. But let it be in awe and reverence for His q'dosh.
Jesus taught us in coming to our Father in prayer, to say, "Hallowed be Your Name". This means, may people understand that You are the Holy One, 'totally other than'. May people see Your holy nature through what we do and say, in the way we live. May our lives reflect Your holy Name and character, because You are holy.
Rabbinic wisdom calls this kiddush hashem,2 a way of blessing God through righteous living in a way that distinguishes between the holy and the profane, a way that is characterised by honesty, integrity and holiness, and a way that brings glory to God among those who do not yet know Him.3 We must proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick (as Jesus did). Both words and deeds are needed to bring God glory, and to sanctify His Holy Name.
God's Summary
This is an essential aspect of our relationship with Him, through the veil. He encourages us to understand His awesome holiness, by saying to all Israel, and to us (Lev 19:2):
"Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy."
Author: Greg Stevenson
References
1 Telushkin, J. A Code of Jewish Ethics 1, pp456-475, 'You shall be holy'.
2 Ibid
3 Tverberg, L. Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, p87.
Weekly passages: Leviticus 16:1–18:30; Ezekiel 22:1-19; Hebrews 9:11-28.
