Today's Torah
Portion:
Love for Yahweh - first and Supreme
Leviticus 6:12-13 -
"And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar;
it shall never go out."
As we have already seen in the prior studies, in the Statutes, Yahweh used the Wilderness Sanctuary to represent the soul-temple of each saved person. The furniture and design of the Sanctuary display the process of Justification (in the Courtyard), Sanctification (in the Holy Place) and Glorification (in the Most Holy Place. Effective worship is demonstrated through the furniture of the Tabernacle. And from understanding how the furniture was physically placed and used, we can gain much spiritual insight into effective worship of Yahweh.
The animal sacrifices requiring a shedding
of blood pointed to our Saviour’s ultimate Sacrifice. The meal and drink
offerings pointed to our thankful response to His sacrifice. As the meal
offering was consumed, and the drink offering was poured out, so we are to be
totally surrendered to God. As Paul
said, present
your bodies a living sacrifice -Romans 12:1.
The Brazen Altar where the animals were
sacrificed also had meaning. It was
made
of acacia wood – which is flammable. In our mortal state, the Presence of Yahweh is a consuming Fire which we
could not endure.
The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar;
it shall never go out."
As we have already seen in the prior studies, in the Statutes, Yahweh used the Wilderness Sanctuary to represent the soul-temple of each saved person. The furniture and design of the Sanctuary display the process of Justification (in the Courtyard), Sanctification (in the Holy Place) and Glorification (in the Most Holy Place. Effective worship is demonstrated through the furniture of the Tabernacle. And from understanding how the furniture was physically placed and used, we can gain much spiritual insight into effective worship of Yahweh.
Every morning and evening
offerings were presented each
day in the sanctuary - specifically on the Altar of Burnt Sacrifice.
The Brazen Altar where the animals were
sacrificed also had meaning. It was
made
of acacia wood – which is flammable. In our mortal state, the Presence of Yahweh is a consuming Fire which we
could not endure.
The Altar is covered with brass, making
it no longer flammable. We must be hidden in Christ to become
inflammable.
The horns show the strength and power of
the sacrifice Yahshua made
for us.
The altar was elevated signifying that it
was approaching God.
The Fire
which lit the altar had fallen from Heaven – coming directly from God. This
is like the Lake of Fire in Revelation.
Either
we will have the sin burned out of us now, and be covered with the glorious
Robe of Yahshua, or
we will be burned with our sins later.
Keeping the Fire on the Altar alight is a spiritual lesson which involves keeping the Flame of love for Yahweh always burning. This involves some effort on our parts - we must tend the fire, in a spiritual way, as the priests tended the Altar fire long ago.
Leviticus 24:2-3-
"Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before Yahweh continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations."
In the Bible olive oil is mentioned several times as the oil used for lighting lamps (Leviticus 24:2; Exodus 27:20). Olive oil was also used for anointing oil (Exodus 30:23–25) and as part of the grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1–10). Kings were anointed with olive oil as a sign that they were chosen by God to rule (1 Samuel 16:1). As an important ingredient in the recipe for anointing oil, olive oil was used to sanctify priests (Exodus 29:7) and the tabernacle and all its furnishings (Exodus 40:9).
Olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (or possibly of faith) in Yahshua’s parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). The five wise virgins in the wedding party had made sure they had olive oil for their lamps as they waited for the bridegroom to come. The five foolish virgins did not think ahead and had brought no oil. As the bridegroom drew near, the five foolish virgins begged the wise ones for some of their oil. But the wise virgins could not spare any. While the foolish virgins were out buying more oil, the bridegroom came, and their chance to join the wedding celebration was gone forever.
Yahshua gave the point of the parable: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). At the end of the age, when Yahshua comes back, some will be ready for His Arrival (illustrated by the wise virgins who had olive oil); others will not be ready (symbolized by the foolish virgins who had no oil).
The Statute in Leviticus 24:2-3 is a reminder that the Olive Oil of the Holy Spirit is to be kept continually in our lives. This involves daily refreshing, asking again for the Spirit to in-dwell in each of us. As seek this daily, our lives are the oil-filled candlestick, which gives light to all - Matthew 5:14-16.
Numbers 10:2, 9-10-
Olive oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (or possibly of faith) in Yahshua’s parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). The five wise virgins in the wedding party had made sure they had olive oil for their lamps as they waited for the bridegroom to come. The five foolish virgins did not think ahead and had brought no oil. As the bridegroom drew near, the five foolish virgins begged the wise ones for some of their oil. But the wise virgins could not spare any. While the foolish virgins were out buying more oil, the bridegroom came, and their chance to join the wedding celebration was gone forever.
Yahshua gave the point of the parable: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13). At the end of the age, when Yahshua comes back, some will be ready for His Arrival (illustrated by the wise virgins who had olive oil); others will not be ready (symbolized by the foolish virgins who had no oil).
The Statute in Leviticus 24:2-3 is a reminder that the Olive Oil of the Holy Spirit is to be kept continually in our lives. This involves daily refreshing, asking again for the Spirit to in-dwell in each of us. As seek this daily, our lives are the oil-filled candlestick, which gives light to all - Matthew 5:14-16.
Numbers 10:2, 9-10-
"Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.." 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 Yahweh your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies. Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I Am Yahweh your God."
Bible
trumpets were made in different ways. For example, in Numbers 10:2, Yahweh told
His people to make two long silver trumpets. These trumpets were blown by the
priests to announce approaching festivals and in giving signals of war.
On
the Feast of Trumpets, two
silver trumpets were to be blown, representing justice and mercy.
In Scripture, the sound of the trumpet is associated with shouting. Notice the connection between the blast of trumpets and shouting in 2 Samuel 6:15, Job 39:24-25 and in Amos 2:2.
What
was the meaning of the silver trumpets? To
understand this, we need to look at the Biblical meaning of silver. It actually
has several meanings – all of which apply in the silver trumpets.
The first
meaning of silver is that it represents the PURE WORD of Yahweh - Psalm 12:6
Silver
also represents wisdom and knowledge, so
the blast of the trumpet is a call to seek the wisdom of Yah - Proverbs 2:2-5
Silver represents righteous speech - Proverbs 10:19-20
Finally, in Scripture, silver
represents the price of Redemption - Zechariah 11:12. All of these spiritual lessons in silver and trumpets play out in this Statute. They are the Message and Meaning behind the clarion blasts of the two silver trumpets, which are to be blown in Yahweh's worship services - at the specified times.
This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 121-140)
The Torah studies are provided in two formats for your convenience. The first option (below) is the blank worksheets for this week, which will allow you to print out the worksheets and hand-write the studies yourself. If you have less time, you may wish to read/print my completed Statute studies. The completed worksheets are the second option (below):
This week we will be studying Statutes 121-140, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 121-123 Summary:
(#121) We are to keep the first day of Unleavened Bread as a rehearsal. (#122) We are to hold a holy convocation on it. (#123) We are not to do any servile work on the first day (Sabbath) of Unleavened Bread.
Numbers 28:17-18 “And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein.”
Statute 124 Summary:
Unleavened Bread is a feast of Judgment. We find this because if the leaven of sin (leaven is an agent, good or bad, so powerful that it leavens the whole lump of dough) is not removed from our lives and homes, we will be cut off from the Abrahamic Covenant. The true “Spring Cleaning” is (#124) removing all spiritual and physical leaven from our lives and homes in preparation for this special week. This is what we are commanded to do.
Exodus 12:15 “Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”
Statute 125-128 Summary:
(#125) During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we are commanded to eat unleavened bread every day for the full seven days. (#126) There is to be no leaven seen in all in any part of our property or possessions. (#127) Children are to be taught that the reason we keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to commemorate deliverance from physical Egypt and continue the work of deliverance from spiritual Egypt. (#128) Keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread is part of the sign that we are preparing for the Sealing of Yahweh. (Rev. 7:3 and Rev. 14:9)
Exodus 13:6-9 “Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Yahweh. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which Yahweh did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that Yahweh's Law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath Yahweh brought thee out of Egypt.”
Statute 129-131 Summary:
(#129) The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a Day of rest (Sabbath) and a holy Convocation day. (#130) The last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a Day of rest (Sabbath) and a holy Convocation day. (#131) On these two days of Unleavened Bread, no work is to be done, with one exception: cooking and preparing food is allowed.
Exodus 12:16 “And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.”
Statute 132-134 Summary:
(#132) On the feast of First Fruits, which is the Sunday (morrow after the Sabbath) during Unleavened Bread, Yahweh’s people are to present the first fruits of the harvest unto Yahweh. The grain of first fruits represents Yahshua (1 Corinthians 15:20) and the 144,000 – first fruits of the final grain harvest (Revelation 14:4). The sheaf of firstfruits is a measurement of grain, representing judgment. (#133) We are to be prepared for first fruits judgment through the Blood of the Lamb and having been made an acceptable living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). (#134) During the day of First Fruits, we are to wait to eat food, until after we have brought the sacrifice.
Leviticus 23:10-14 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto Yahweh. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”
Statute 135-140 Summary:
(#135) To calculate the timing for the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), count from First Fruits. (#136) Count seven Seventh-day Sabbaths. (#137) The day after the seventh Sabbath (Sunday) is fifty days, numbered from First Fruits. (#138) This day is holy convocation day, a Sabbath. It is the Feast of Weeks. (#139) On this day, we are to claim the Blood of Yahshua by claiming His Sacrifice for our sins. (#140) We are also to wave to leavened loaves (we get unleavened with the sin of the world during these 50 days, and re-leavened with the Kingdom) representing the two candlesticks (churches) of Philadelphia (144,000) and Smyrna (end-time martyrs), both of which are filled with the Holy Spirit at the final Pentecost.
Leviticus 23:15-21 “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto Yahweh. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto Yahweh. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto Yahweh, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto Yahweh. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before Yahweh with the two lambs: they shall be holy to Yahweh for the priest. And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”
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