PARASHAH ACHAREI MOT
(Leviticus 16:1-18:30) Week 29
ACHAREI MOT: After the death
“Adonai spoke with Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons…”
AZ’AZEL: A name for Satan (The fallen Angel) ‘The spirit haunting the desert’ ~ The Accusing Angel.
Some rabbis interpreted Azazel as Azaz (rugged) ~ El (of God) referring to a rugged mountain cliff where the scape goat fell over.
SHEKINAH: The Divine Presence of YHVH
SHACHAN: The Shekinah ~ The Divine Presence which dwelt over the Kapporet or Mercy Seat
KORBANOT: Holy Sacrifices unto the Lord
YOM KIPPUR: The Day of National Atonement ~ The holiest day of the year in Judaism.
Its central themes are National atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with an approximate 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in the synagogue.
PROFANE: Common to Man; ~ The opposite of Divine Presence, set apart from the common as Holy (Common = Profane)
SANCTIFICATION: To be made separate. (Dedicated, Pure, Consecrated for HOLY Service or AVODAH) In being set apart and separated from sin, we are separated unto God.
Being consecrated is to be set apart for God’s use in acceptable service or AVODAH.
Like a bride is set apart for her bridegroom, she waits for the Covenant Relationship to be consummated, keeping herself devoted to Him and no other, and He to her.
They are ‘set apart’ for one another in UNITY fulfilling the Covenant of Marriage, becoming ONE.
The sacrament of Marriage is the BLUEPRINT for MESSIAH YESHUA and His bride, the Church!
STRANGE FIRE. Esh Zarah or alien fire These words are mentioned in connection with the fatal sin committed by the two eldest sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu.
They who “offered strange fire before Adonai,” on the occasion of the formal consecration of the Aaronic priesthood (Leviticus 10:1,2 CJB).
Be spiritually and mentally alert, on the heels of a great Spiritual ascent! The enemy lurks to trip us into a FALL from GRACE!
Never abandon UTTER OBEDIENCE for the exuberance of the moment!
Barukh shem kevod malkhuto l’olam va’ed.
‘Blessed be the name of the Lord whose glorious kingdom endures forever.’
This is the blessing recited during Yom Kippur services which prompted Jewish law to make the Name of the Lord an ETERNAL PRAISE.
This is why we hear Baruch Hashem ~ Praise be His Name, as the answer to many simple Hebrew greetings.
The name of Judah, from which the term “JEW” is rooted, means PRAISE!
Tishri 10: 10th day of the 7th Hebrew Month: Yom Kippur… a day of “Solemn Rest”.
The Place of Sacrifice! According to the laws for Yom Kippur…Jews could ONLY bring their sacrificial offerings or Korban, to the entry of the Tent of Meeting!
They could NOT offer them in an open field, like the idol worshipers of Egypt and of all the Nations Adonai expulsed OUT of the land of Isra’el
EVERY DETAIL CONCERNING THE NATON’S RELATIONSHIP WITH ADONAI WAS COMMANDED TO BE SET APART FROM ALL COMMON
IDOL PRACTICE, FOR HE ALONE IS SET APART, HOLY, ETERNAL, AND WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!
40 YEARS BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE; AT THE CRUXIFIXION OF YESHUA; THERE WERE 4 RECORDED MIRACLES AT THE TEMPLE:
- The “lot” for Azazel came up 40 times, for the last 40 years before the temple was destroyed, beginning with the Crucifixion of Yeshua.
- The Crimson strap cut and hung on the Temple door and remained BLOOD RED
- The western-most light did not shine, in order to be used as the Servant Candle (‘Ner ma’aravi’).
- The TEMPLE doors opened at twilight by themselves! (No priest or key was necessary)
THE VEIL WAS TORN: THE WAY WAS OPENED FOR ALL WHO WOULD COME!
KARET: Life-Cut-Short…The Punishment by Adonai to the one “cut off from the community by a lifestyle of sin and disobedience”.
LIFE FOR LIFE PRINCIPLE: Jews are forbidden to eat the blood of an animal, or to eat an animal killed by violence or dead by disease.
The life is in the blood by God’s DESIGN FOR LIFE.
There are boundaries around ‘LIFE’ which circumvent hunger, inconvenience, desires, or life comforts.
The honoring of LIFE is the command!
ADONAI is LIFE, LIGHT and UNITY
Consider the deep lessons in this Parashah for the Priesthood. This story is about leading others into HIS GLORIOUS LIGHT, according to HIS WAYS.
How can we, in our limited human bodies and minds do this consistently at a level that is pleasing unto the Lord?
There is only ONE WAY: To be continually immersed in HIS LIVING WATER to be drawn NEARER to HIS PRESENCE!
When we are in alignment with HIS Spirit, we can lead others into His Holy Presence. Baruch Hashem!
HAFTARAH (Old Covenant) READING: Ez. 22:1-22:19
“I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
The historical “Diaspora” was the consequence for Israel’s deep disrespect and disobedience to the Torah of ADONAI.
The command to be Holy as Adonai was Holy was not honored. Israel fell away!
Please Consider:
“And I will consume your un-cleanness out of you.” The Diaspora was a by-product of HIS MERCY for Israel’s redemption; ultimately bringing cleansing and restoration.
Adonai will gather all the dead bones of Israel back together and bring life back into those dry bones when the time for RESTORATION is in its FULLNESS. May we pray for the culmination of this prophetic truth for the Nation of Israel as she dwells in the Land today according to God’s word, as prophesied. EZ. 37 1-14!
BRIT CHADASHAH (New Testament) READING: Heb 9:11-28
“And he entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting people free forever. For if sprinkling ceremonially unclean persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer restores their outward purity; then how much more the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself to God as a sacrifice without blemish, will purify our conscience from works that lead to death, so that we can serve the living God.”
Our High Priest is Yeshua (Kohen HaGadol ~ Great High Priest) who offered everlasting atonement for sin by offering his own blood in the Holy of Holies!
Yeshua is the High Priest of our confessions now.
It is to Yeshua that we TURN (SHUV) in repentance (TESHUVA) to be forgiven of sin and restored unto life in Him.
In the Sinaitic Covenant, innocent sacrificial animals were killed in order for the people to benefit from their death in obedience to the instructions of ADONAI.
This was simply a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice of Yeshua Ha Massiache! Jesus offered his own body to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
Jesus is the ETERNAL SACRIFICE and the fulfillment of the LIFE FOR LIFE PRINCIPLE!
Adonai has established LIFE, and He teaches that the LIFE is in the BLOOD!
Baruch Hashem! Praise His Name!