Shabbat Bible Study for 10Oct2020
©2020 Mark Pitrone & Fulfilling Torah Ministries
Vayikra (Lev.) 6:19-7:38 – Malachi 3:7-12 – Tehellim (Ps.) 74 – MattitYahu (Matt.) 23:1-39
Vayikra 6.19-23 – On the day Aharon was anointed (H4886 – mashach, the root word for Mashiyach) Kohen haGadol (High Priest), and every day thereafter, he would make an offering to Yehovah of 1/10th ephah of fine flour, ½ at the morning and ½ at the evening offering times – it was one offering made in 2 installments. 1/20th ephah of flour mixed with oil was to be baked in a pan (pancakes?) in the morning and another in the evening. It was to be offered whole on the altar of burnt offering as a sweet smelling savor unto Yehovah, as was EVERY meat (food, meal, grain – not flesh) offering made for the Kohen haGadol. It was NOT to be eaten by the Kohen haGadol, but completely burnt on the altar. This service is in addition to his service at the incense altar and at the menorah at the times of the morning and evening offerings. I think that this bread was offered before he did the other 2.
(Speculation Warning!) It occurs to me that this may have been a shadow-picture of the Mashiyach’s everlasting service as the Kohen haGadol of the MelchiZedek line. The flour and oil being baked in a pan and broken would represent his once for all substitutionary offering of his body on the tree. If this offering were eaten by the Kohen haGadol, it would picture Mashiyach eating His own flesh. Mashiyach’s flesh was not broken for any sin He committed, but for the sins WE committed.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (YeshaYahu 53.3-5)
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (I Corinthians 11:24)
If the Kohen haGadol had eaten any of the bread of HIS meat offering, it would signify his receiving back into himself the sin he had made the offering to be loosed from. The priest was to eat a portion of the bread offerings offered by everyman, but not his own. I think that shows Mashiyach ‘eating’, as it were, our punishment for the sins of the flesh, which the bread/meal/grain represents. But his flesh was offered completely unto Yehovah, having never committed a sin.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
The Kohen eating the meal offering of the man presenting it metaphorically pictures Mashiyach’s taking ownership of the presenter’s sins and taking the punishment for them on himself, like Daniel took ownership of chol Yehudah’s sins to repent of them and confess them for the nation, thereby breaking the curse. In Orthodox Jewish tradition, a tzadik can atone for another’s sins. Yeshua is the ultimate tzadik. Paul’s is the only reference to Mashiyach’s body being broken for us, and I think he was referring to this Kohen haGadol’s bread offering for himself every morning and evening. This is an offering Yeshua will never have to make for himself. (End of speculation)
Vv.24-30 – The priest could not eat of the sin offering he brought for himself, as we said before, but he must eat of the sin offerings others brought for their own sins, from those parts of the animal that were set apart unto Yehovah (slightly different for each different animal offered). This sin offering and the portion the priests ate was kodesh kadashim, most holy. Now, the priest offering the animal could not possibly eat ALL of Yehovah’s portion for every animal offered, so all the males of the Kohanim were allowed to partake of it. But the priest actually offering the animal MUST eat some of it, or the offering was not properly offered and presumably might not be accepted. I think the elder Kohen would have had his fill of flesh by the end of his course’s week.
The Kohen would kill the animal between the altar and the tent of meeting. When it says ‘holy place’ here [v.26] it isn’t speaking of the Sanctuary where the incense altar, the menorah and the table of showbread were, but in the place set-apart [holy] for the purpose of killing the burnt and sin offerings. This is where ZacharYah ben BarachYah was killed according to Yeshua in Mat.23.35 and Luke11.51, I think during Herod’s search for Yochanan the Immerser (ZacharYah’s son by Elisheva Lk.1), Herod mistakenly thinking Yochanan was Mashiyach. In that way, ZacharYah was a foreshadowing (in microcosm) of Mashiyach’s substitutionary death.
When the priest’s garment was sprinkled with blood as the animal was offered, he needed to have it washed. The priests must have been lined up to make these offerings, because I find it hard to imagine that the priest would not get blood on his garments every time an animal was killed. He could not present the offering of a second animal until he had been thoroughly cleansed of the 1st animal’s blood, a change of clothes and a mikvah, at least. This is all about individuals bringing sin offerings for themselves. But if the blood was to be taken within the Sanctuary or the Mishkan, the animal was to be offered completely; all the blood, all the flesh and all the fat and skin were to be burnt on the altar. No animal whose blood was to be taken within the Sanctuary was to be eaten by the Kohanim. But a part of every animal that individuals offered was to be eaten by the priest officiating and Yehovah’s portion eaten by the whole house of Aharon. Q&C
7.1-7 – The blood of the sin offering, which is kodesh kadashim, was not thrown on the altar, as the trespass offering’s was. The priest would take the blood of the trespass offering and throw it on the northeast and the southwest corners of the altar, ensuring the blood got on both sides of the corner so the witness of the offering could be seen from every direction. The portion for the priests was the rump. All the rest of the trespass offering are considered the ‘bowels’, which represent the emotions of the man offering the animal and this, IM[not so]HO. is what is in mind in the phrase ‘bowels of mercy’.
Vv.8-10 – The meat offerings are of 2 types, ‘mingled w/oil’ and ‘dry’. The dry are those that are pan fried and unleavened, while those ‘mingled w/oil’ are leavened and baked in an oven. The leavened bread would not be burnt on the altar as the unleavened would. The unleavened bread represented the rededication of the presenter to Yehovah after his trespass, while the leavened bread would represent the fullness of the life to follow his acceptance.
V.11 – Peace offerings are a general category of free will offerings, which is then more closely defined as specific types of peace offerings. These are not offered to MAKE peace with Yehovah, but to thank him for the peace that exists between him and us. (read that sentence again)
Vv.12-14 speak of thanksgiving (todah) offerings. Notice the 4 types of bread, 3 unleavened and 1 leavened. The rabbis say that there were 10 loaves of each type offered by the presenter and that 1 of each type was given to the priest actually offering it and the rest went to the whole course on duty. They also say that ALL priests had to partake of EVERY offering, as they were Yehovah’s representatives and the offering was incomplete until all the priests partook of it in Yehovah’s stead. I don’t think that was necessarily true, but that meant that there could be no trading of portions going on amongst the priests. None of this went on: One rabbi says to another, “Moishe, you like Abe’s unleavened bread and I don’t; and I like Benny’s leavened bread and you don’t; so let’s trade.” Hey, maybe Yehovah preferred Benny’s leavened bread, too, but he accepted both on the equal basis of their heart attitude so the priests had to eat the bread in the same Spirit of equal acceptance based on the heart of the presenter, not his skill in the kitchen.
V.15 says that the flesh of the thanks offering was to be eaten before the morning sacrifice following the offering. I think any flesh left over would be added to the fire of the morning offering or burnt at the presenter’s home. The rabbis say this is because we have numerous things to be thankful for every day – even what seems bad, because Yehovah makes all things for our good. Sounds like Rom.8.28, doesn’t it?
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Elohim, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
Wow, I thought that Paul guy said Torah was abolished and that the traditions of the elders were useless – NOT! Vv.16-17 say that if the peace offering is for a vow or some other free will offering, the flesh could be eaten over 2 days and a night, which I think means it would be burnt at the time of the 2nd day’s evening offering. To allow the flesh to be eaten on the third day would make the offering unacceptable. V.18 says the soul that eats of the flesh of that offering on the 3rd day would bear his iniquity. This is not speaking of the priest eating the flesh of the offering, but the presenter and his family. Usually, when a freewill offering of whatever type was made, the presenter would plan a party for his family and friends and they would all partake of the flesh of the animal – a kind of ‘block party’. It was the presenter’s duty to ensure the burning of any leftover to the evening of the 2nd or 3rd day, depending on the type of offering. This is ‘like’ the Pesach offering that was to be totally consumed by the morning, either by ingestion or by burning at the morning offering.
V.19 says that any flesh touching any unclean thing was not to be eaten, but a clean individual could eat the uncontaminated flesh. Therefore, it must have been OK to excise the common flesh and burn it in fire, but leave that which was yet clean to be eaten. This is reminiscent of discipline in the assembly, which is clean. But when sin is found in it, it must be either cleansed (repented of and confessed) or excised (cutting off the sinner from fellowship). Shades of Acts.10 and 1Cor.5, eh? There’s that Paul guy upholding the dreaded “LAW” again, church.
Vv.20-21 say that any man in an unclean (common) situation who partakes of the freewill offering unto Yehovah shall be excised from fellowship – excommunicated. He KNOWS his condition and partook anyway – despising the Word of Yehovah; from such turn away
THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of Elohim; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2Tim3.1-5).
Vv.22-26 speak of the fat of the offering set apart unto Yehovah. No fat of any kind of animal that is clean to offer to Yehovah may be eaten; regardless any attempt to make it OK. The fat and the blood are reserved to Yehovah. So, you CAN eat your steaks rare (bloody) and the fat with them, but you are commanded NOT to. You MAY not. You may as well be eating pork and lobster. If you do, the congregation is commanded to excise you from fellowship until you repent and confess. The fat of clean beasts that just die or are killed can be used as lubricants or preservative, but they MAY NOT BE EATEN.
And if you didn’t hear it before, just to be sure Yehovah tells us once again not to eat the blood of any animal, whatsoever. I don’t know about you, but I have a natural aversion to consuming blood of any kind. The appearance of anything made of blood is offensive to me. I went to a luau once where the pig’s blood had been made into ‘blood pudding’, and I have to tell you that just the look of it made me want to vomit. It was truly disgusting to me, though I ate freely of the pig, not knowing the prohibition of either eating pig or blood applied to me. I think the natural aversion we have to consumption of blood is one we ought to heed. How do you know you have a natural aversion? Usually, if your belly feels like it’s twisting itself in knots just thinking about or looking at something, that’s a good indicator that you ought not go there. Some other things I have a natural aversion to are beheading and abortion. I don’t often subscribe to my feelings, but that gut-twisting is one I heed.
Vv.29-38 – The sons of Aharon were to receive the breast that was offered as a wave offering and the right shoulder that was given for a heave offering as their due from every peace offering, whether a todah or a vow or a guilt offering. The Aharonic priest had no personal inheritance in Israel among the 12 tribes. They were given precincts within 48 cities, 6 of which were cities of refuge, but the cities were still a part of the inheritance of the tribe in which they were located. So, there were little privileges that Yehovah gave them, like these parts of every sacrificial animal. It was theirs as a portion of their anointing from Yehovah.
I think that vv.37-38 mark the end of all the new commandments and offerings that were given as a result of the transgression in the golden calf incident – the end of “the law that was added” according to Paul in Gal.3.19.
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (Galatians 3:19)
In the millennial kingdom, these offerings will still be performed by and for those who have not trusted Yeshua’s finished work of atonement and reconciliation to Avinu. It is these people who will be taught Torah by those who rule and reign with Mashiyach. Q&C
Malachi 3.7-12 – I’ll start in v.6 to give the context. Yehovah told Yehudah that the only reason that they still exist is because He is Yehovah and He does not change. He’d made a promise to Avraham that He will never forsake. He may drive them into exile among the Edomite nations of the world, but He will never utterly forsake Yisrael. He sent Yeshua to gather 10-Yisrael back to Him out of the nations into which He’d driven them. He will send Yeshua a second time to gather Yehudah (2-Israel) back to Him out of the nations into which He’s driven them. They are both, for the most part, STILL wandering out of His Way, Ephraim and Yehudah. 2-Israel/Yehudim hold to some of Torah, as long as it goes along with the traditions of Talmud, Mishnah, Zohar and etc. 10-Israel/Ephraim holds to some of Torah, as long as it goes along with the traditions of their Xian denominations. Neither truly recognizes that the other is his brother for various reasons we won’t go into. Each is the betrothed bride of Yehovah, the one (Ephraim/10-Israel) was divorced for her infidelity in Jer.3.8 (but reconciliation provided under the conditions of Deut.24.1-4 as Rav Sha’ul explains in Rom.7.1-4), while the other (Yehudah/2-Israel) also went after another lover (but was never divorced, or Yeshua would have been a mamzer, a bastard, and not eligible to be our redeemer) and is wandering to this day. But the reconciliation is awaiting them both. The time that is upon us, or will be soon, will make them both forsake their own ways and call for Yehovah’s Salvation – “Hoshienu!” Yehovah will answer as Yeshua haMashiyach coming with clouds of witnesses:
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man [i.e.; Mashiyach] came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. (Daniel 7:13)
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
Are those ‘tribes’ the 12 tribes?
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.(Mark 13:26)
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes as a flame of fire, and on his head many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of Elohim. 14 And the armies in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of El Shaddai. 16 And he hath on vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND MASTER OF MASTERS. (Rev.19.11-16)
Those armies/clouds do not fight. I think they are an army of angels and an army of resurrected men (1Thes.4.17) who come as witnesses to the ‘battle’. 1 army + 1 army = armies. These truly are Tzavaoth haGanah L’Yisrael, the Hosts of the Defense of Yisrael. The true Defense of Yisrael IS Mashiyach ben David. The Hosts shall be extraneous in the Day of Battle, except as faithful and true witnesses to the action.
V.7 has Yehovah pleading with the priests to make teshuvah – to return to His ways and to forsake their own. But the priests do not see that they NEED to return, don’t recognize their own idolatry. They sincerely ask, “Wherein shall I return?” Yehovah says in v.8 that they have robbed Him, about which they ask, “How have we robbed you?” Yehovah says in tithes and offerings. Reminds me of Matt.25.41-46: the ‘goat’ nations.
The peddlers of the Word of Yehovah, both Xian and Jew, have made this one of their catch-phrases. But they misapply it, failing to see that it is THEY who are robbing Yehovah. They use it as a jumping off point for ‘guilting’ their followers out of their property so that they (the peddlers) can live sumptuously (splendidly and lavishly). The great prophets of scripture seldom lived in the style of the modern Word-peddlers, like Ernest Angely or Kenneth Copeland, and never at the required expense of the people to whom they ministered. In v.9, Yehovah says the priests are cursed with a curse because they are not bringing the people’s tithes to the storehouse. The storehouse was where the Levites brought the widow and orphan tithe to be distributed by the Levites. The Levites took more than their due from these tithes and left many of the widows and orphans starving in the cold. THIS was how they robbed Yehovah. ALL the tithe was not going where it was supposed to go. The Levite portion of these tithes was to provide the Levites enough food to eat, not enough wealth so they could ride to the meeting house in the back of a stretch chariot or fly in a personal B-757 to ‘minister’ to the poor. Here is what FAITHFUL priests and Levites did in ChizkiYahu’s days;
8 And when ChizkiYahu and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed Yehovah, and His people Israel. 9 Then ChizkiYahu [Hezekiah] questioned with the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps. 10 And AzarYahu the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since began to bring the offerings into the house of Yehovah, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for Yehovah hath blessed His people; and that which is left this great store. 11 Then ChizkiYahu commanded to prepare chambers in the house of Yehovah; and they prepared, 12 And brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated faithfully: over which ChananYahu the Levite was ruler, and Shimei his brother was the next. (2Chron.31.8-12)
Yehovah told the Levites of Malachi’s time that if they would do what ChizkiYahu’s priests had done, the same outcome would apply – they wouldn’t be able to find room to store all that Israel would bring, if they would be humble servants rather than proud rulers. Not only would He provide abundantly for the people, but Israel would receive all the blessings of Deut.28.1-14. May teachers today apply this to ourselves. Q&C
Tehellim 74 – Asaph appears to have been the leader of David’s choir and very skilled in music. He wrote Psalms 50 and 73-83. This MAY have been written by a scribe in ChizkiYahu’s reign by this name. When Asaph wrote this psalm, Israel had fallen so deeply into idolatry that it was as if Elohim had forsaken them, which may have been the general feeling in Hezekiah’s Jerusalem.
Asaph understands why Yehovah is chastening Israel, but reminds him of his past mercies and deliverances in hope that Yehovah will relent in his judgment against them. It certainly seems, in the early verses anyway, that Yehovah had left the building. When Asaph tells Elohim to ‘Lift up thy feet’, he is saying “Come swiftly to our aid”. ‘Perpetual desolations’ speaks of the destruction that Assyria had already inflicted on Yehudah both as he passed through to Egypt and now on his way back home to Nineveh. The sanctuary of v.4 could be the actual sanctuary of the Temple or the set apart land of Israel. In v.4, the word translated as ‘congregations’ in the KJV is from H4150, mo-ayd, which properly means appointment or set time. Edom has always looked for the best day to come up against Israel before he attacked her. Egypt and Syria, with a coalition of lesser Arab/Moslem forces, came against Israel in 1973 and after initial surprise brought some Moslemist gains, Israel soundly defeated the Moslem coalition and sent them running home to mama, licking their wounds. The Moslems attacked on Yom Kippur, when the cowards knew Israel’s Defense Force would be in a condition more or less of stand-down. The IDF no longer goes into a stand-down like condition, and all leaves are subject to immediate cancellation. Yom Kippur is the holiest of all the Moedim in Israel’s thinking. Had the Egyptians pressed their advantage early, had Syria been able to continue out of the Golan, things might be very different now. In v.4, Asaph told Yehovah what he already knew, that Yehovah’s enemies were oppressing Israel. Of course, it was Yehovah who had brought his enemies against Israel in the 1st place with the expectation that the nation would do what Asaph was doing in this Psalm, taking ownership of their sins, repenting of and confessing them. If this was the ‘ChizkiYahu Asaph’, the king himself did this and, as can be seen in the 2 Chron. quote above, the people also generally revived for a time. This is the purpose of Yehovah’s chastisement. When we are being chastised, we need to see where our idolatry lay, repent of it and trust Yehovah.
Vv.5-8is talking about phallic pagan images being made by a Hebrew artisan and Israelites making offerings to Yehovah before them. The Assyrians are coming in and knocking the Yisraelite idols down and burning them. The Assyrians were getting rid of what they considered pagan gods [which they were], while actually doing Yehovah’s work for him. Had the priests kept the people honest or the prophets been able to get through to the Yehudim, there would have been no need for Edomite Assyria to conquer 2-Israel and Yerushalayim. In v.8, the word translated ‘synagogues’ is again H4150 – moayd. It seems that Yehudah was worshipping Yehovah through these images and in the groves at the appointed times for Yehovah’s Feasts. Syncretism had reared its ugly head, as Yehovah had warned chol Yisrael about in Dt.12.2-4
2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: 3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. 4 Ye shall not do so unto the Y’hovah Elohechem.
I don’t remember where He changed his mind. We just saw that He held the later Israelites accountable for their idolatry, but He didn’t utterly destroy them for Avraham’s sake. He had Assyria do what Yehudah would not. If this is Chizky’s Asaph, the revival came shortly after this was written.
Vv.9-11– It would seem that Issachar has no representatives in Israel, for they were wise in discerning the times
And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. (I Chronicles 12:32)
Asaph was among those who had forgotten the Torah of Yehovah. Remember that the book of Torah was not found until ChizkiYahu’s grandson YoshiYahu’s day. Asaph wants to know why all these calamities are happening to the nation. “The Assyrians are tearing down our high places, our images and groves that are dedicated to Yehovah, and we can’t understand why” seems to be what he’s saying. Why had Torah been lost in the 1st place? I think because they stopped referring to it, no king except possibly David had made his own copy of it, as Yehovah had commanded, and it had fallen into such disuse that it ended up on a high shelf in some storeroom in the Temple basement, gathering dust. But he does call on Yehovah’s Right Hand to come to their aid. He’s calling on Yehovah’s Salvation – Yeshua.
Vv.12-22 – In v.12 he started to rehearse a brief history of Yehovah’s deliverance from Egypt; dividing the sea for Israel, taking down leviathan and the dragon that attacked Israel. Notice that leviathan has ‘heads’ – a multi-headed sea monster. This reminds me of Rev.12 and 17. In v.16 he rehearsed what he knew of Creation, how Yehovah had made all there is from nothing. Then he called on Yehovah’s power to deliver Israel once again for His name’s sake (v.18). Turtledove is a reference to the offerings of the poor, who could not afford to offer a lamb or a goat to reclaim their cleanness from defilement. The dark places of the earth are those nations into which 10-Israel had been exiled from her own land. Asaph calls on Yehovah to remember Israel’s poor and oppressed. When Yehovah remembers Israel, He does something good for them.
And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before Y’hovah Elohechem, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. (Numbers 10:9)
When a believer tells Elohim to not forget an enemy, he is asking Yehovah to bring judgment against that enemy. Q&C
Mattityahu 23.1-12 – Yeshua tells his disciples that when the S&P expound on Moshe’s Words to do what they say, but that they should not walk in the S&P’s ways, because they were hypocrites – giving proper counsel from Torah, but not doing according to those words themselves. They walked contrary to what they professed to be Yehovah’s way. Yochanan had somewhat to say about this in his 1st epistle:
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua haMashiyach haTzadik: 2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. 6 He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked. (1John 2.1-6)
In v.4 He tells them that they set up impossible requirements from their traditions on others but only do them to be seen of other men – men-pleasers. They love the adulation and the respect they get due to their positions – approbation lust was their downfall, as it is for modern day peddlers of the Word, like EA and KC. They love their titles, but have less care for their charges, the people they were anointed to serve. Yeshua warns US to not be called “My Great One” or ‘My Master’ – rabbi. We are called to serve, not to be served or made rich financially. It is Yehovah who will provide the needs of those who teach. And He will do it in His way and not ours. What we need to do is wait for His provision and not try to help Him provide it. We need to trust Him to provide as He has promised to do. He will probably take us to the very brink before providing, but He SHALL provide. And I am preaching to myself, for I have been guilty of NOT trusting Him, of walking according to MY sight and not according to my faith and trust in HIS faithfulness to HIS promises.
Vv.13-22 – Yeshua starts pronouncing a series of ‘Woes’ on the S&P. The first woe is more or less general, shutting up the kingdom of heaven against men who are seeking it (gentiles discouraged from Torah observance) neither going in themselves. The Woes that follow get very specific. One enters the kingdom by trusting Yehovah, which is shown in keeping his commandments – by living in Torah. V.14 ties this passage to our Haftarah and our Psalm. Oppressing widows and orphans is something Yehovah truly hates, or He wouldn’t bring it up so often. In v.15, when the S&P DO make a proselyte, the convert is made even more zealous for the traditions than their teachers, as can be seen in those Messianics who have ridden the pendulum from the replacement theology extreme of Xianity to complete distrust of anything after Malachi [2Chron, in TNK]. Man, do we see this in the Hebrew Roots believers today! If I don’t call the Saviour YaHuShuWaH or Avinu YaHuWaH, or some other made up name that someone has convinced you is THE correct way to pronounce the Name of Yehovah, I am lost and going to burn. And haSatan sits back and laughs us to scorn. Meanwhile, Yeshua will come back and show us we were ALL wrong and rebuke us for our pride and arrogance. You want to say YaHuShuWah, go for it. I am not justified by saying His Name properly, but by trusting what He did for me. I am not progressively sanctified by pronouncing his Name properly, but by obeying his Commandments. I will not be any more glorified in the resurrection than you because I pronounce his Name properly. And neither will you. If you are THAT sold out to your tradition, please just leave this room. I would rather that we love each other THROUGH our differences [as long as we both trust the same Yehovah who Created the Universe], and you will sooner or later create division over a very minor theological point. It isn’t worth it. If you want to hang around here, learn that not everyone can be as perfect as you or me, but we are all children of our King Yeshua haMashiyach, who is Yehovah in the flesh. DON’T BE PHARISEES, PLEASE! Q&C
We have 4 verses/4 Woes, so far. Vv.16-22 has the S&P as the blind trying to lead other blind men to the truth. If you swear by the Temple, so what; but if you swear by the GOLD in the Temple, well THAT’S something else again. This is another tie to our haftarah, isn’t it? In the offerings, the altar makes the offering holy, not the other way round. In the same way, it isn’t the gold that imparts holiness, but the presence of Yehovah in the Temple. This is what the Freeflow Dollars, the Kenny CaintCopes, the Ernie Angles and the Henny Binns need to learn. All that treasure is nothing compared to our service to Yehovah.
In vv.23-24 Yeshua makes the point that the tithe is important, but not as important as righteous weights, measures and judgment. The S&P were making their personal tithes more important than how they treated Yehovah’s people. Yeshua said they were blind to the truth of Yehovah’s Word.
Vv.25-26 Yeshua condemns their men-pleasing at the expense of their personal holiness. They keyed on what they LOOKED like to the hoi polloi, and less on what Yehovah alone could see in them. If they concentrated on their personal holiness, the outward expression would take care of itself. In vv.27-28 he pressed the point with the beautiful exterior of the casket that is full of dead men’s bones (sin) and uncleanness (that which makes the clean common).
Vv.28-33 Yeshua addresses the Pharisee’s attitude of self-righteousness at the excesses of the fathers by pointing out their fathers’ flaws, but not applying the lessons to themselves. The S&P don’t recognize the generational curses that are on them from the fathers to whom they say they are superior. We are often guilty of exactly the same thing – well, I am anyway. I often read of the patriarchs in scripture and wonder how they could be so obtuse, without realizing THAT I HAVE KNOWINGLY DONE THE SAME THING. And I think that this is a common human condition, because it’s always easier to see the speck in our brother’s eye than the log in our own. Let us determine NOW that we will break this cycle in our own lives, that we will take ownership of our generational curses and repent, confess and renounce them for ourselves and our families.
Yeshua then issues the warning and the possible curse in vv.34-39. He is WARNING the S&P that He will be doing this. He says “I” am going to send you prophets, scribes and wise men to teach you where you are missing the boat, and you are going to imprison, persecute and kill them. I think He had Rav Sha’ul specifically in mind here, because this describes what they did to him almost to a ‘T’. He says that they are going to do these things so that He can require all the righteous blood shed from Abel all the way to ZacharYah ben BarachYah, the father of Yochanan the Immerser, as we spoke of earlier and as we come full circle. Vv.37-38 is a curse put on Yerushalayim and her ‘house’ – Yehudah. It’s not for Yehovah’s not calling and drawing them, but for their attitude of superiority and refusal to accept correction; OR to receive gentiles who want to follow Yehovah and His Torah. Q&C
End of Shabbat Bible Study
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