On Lamps, Levites and Dixieland Music (Numbers Lesson 4)

 Wandering in the Wilderness: Reflections from the book of Numbers.  3500 years to Covid-19

Lesson Four (Chapters 8-10) 

To view this online as a video:  https://youtu.be/UJ1LhbvlfJc

A.                Introduction

1.     Greetings

Shalom to each of you here on the Zoom call and those who will watch this class lecture on YouTube later. Our usual program during these talks is to conduct an overview of the Bible section in the first 25 minutes and then let everyone on the call into a conversation about all the themes or ideas that I will bring up for the last 30 minutes or so. Further discussion happens even deeper in our D-Groups that happen over the next week or maybe some will conduct a D-Group on Shabbat. 

I’m going to recommend that you who are watching this on YouTube should read the next three Bible chapters before you listen/ watch the rest of this. They are chapters 8 through 10. Then press play on your machine and re-join us. Thanks.

2.     Overview

[For those online, see this book overview from The Bible Project (https://youtu.be/tp5MIrMZFqo)] We saw how this book breaks into three major geographic and chronological sections. The first is found in chapters 1 through 10. Geographically we were at Sinai at the time. That’s where we are in this our 4^th class today.

Some of you are new to our Zoom call and I especially welcome you, whether here in Australia or from overseas. You are muted at the beginning, but in a short while, our host will allow the usually lively conversations and questions.

3.     Three Theses

We will continue to remind ourselves about three major considerations that Moses addresses over and over in the book of Numbers. You will find them throughout our study. First, as Jewish people today still think, the goal of our wandering was a settled place, then titled ‘Canaan’ and today titled ‘Israel.’ Wildernesses are ok for trekkers or adventurers, but that’s not the long-ranged plan of God for us Jewish people. The second major thesis is the centrality of God, in location, in guidance, in physicality, in the structures he establishes from Tabernacle on. We are a community often on the march, but we are never to forget the centrality of the Almighty. The third major thought concerns authority. We have the One who gave us his law at Mt Sinai, and to whom we often have to return for further clarification and advice. 

Watch for those three theses each week, although some weeks they won’t be that visible, but usually they are front and centre.

B. Today’s study: Beha’alotecha

When I was a teenager, this parsha was one which I was assigned to read publicly at the synagogue, and I had not prepared well enough, so I feigned a throat problem about 2 minutes into my reading. Thus when I get to this section of Bible, I have a deep regret, a sense of shame, and a memory that causes me to reflect on guilt and embarrassment. Maybe you have such memories in your life. I’m here today to assure you, nothing is beyond the grace and power of God to forgive. There is no sin which can prevent the forgiveness of the Lord to reach us. On what do I base that? The Word of God! It starts here with lamps.

1.     Lamps are lit

As chapter 7 concluded, the issue and roles of authority are evident. God spoke with Moses and now as chapter 8 begins, the speaking is overheard if you will. What God said to Moses, Moses records for us that we might know three things:  1) God’s voice is to be obeyed, 2) Moses is only the spokesman and not the originator of these directions and 3) the compliance by the Levites or the priests or Aaron or even Moses himself—those are functions of obedience and both a template and a record of what Israel is to do and how we are to behave going forward.

First things first. Light the lampstand after you build it. Of course the menorah was already built in Exodus (instructions in Ex. 25, fulfilled in Ex. 37), and now the location of the lamp is in view. 

Most of your versions of the Bible read verse 2 something like “when you erect” the lamps. But the Hebrew says ‘beha’alotecha’, which means ‘when you cause the lamps to go up.’ I really like that. There is a sense of height that is missed in the English. And if there is height, there is increased capacity both for observation by others and for viewing which the lamps can reach. Does that make sense to you? God wants light to pervade the Mishkan and he wants that light to reach every corner, every crevice. And that includes reaching into your life here in 21^st century, lockdowns and COVID-oriented and virus fatigued Australia and wherever you live. Letting light shine is the goal and trimming lamps is the mechanism of doing this. Let me explain.

Matthew 25 opens with a parable of 10 virgins and lamps. It’s a parable about readiness and about awaiting the return of Messiah. Yeshua tells the story to focus the listener (or in our case, the reader) on eager anticipation of the coming of Messiah, and about living with such hope. 

⁶ “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

The story has great conflict and drama and I encourage you to read it later after our class today. The wise virgins are those who long for the return of the Bridegroom and who maintain light on the subject. The foolish ones are those who let their lights dwindle by dawdling and misbehaving. The clarity is obvious and I bring it to this reading of Numbers today to highlight our need to keep our lamps trimmed and burning. The biblical folks didn’t have electricity as neither Tesla nor Edison had rolled onto the scene. Lights were not candles but oil and wicks, and to keep up continual light.

Ex. 27:20   “You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.

The purpose of the menorah was to fill the Tabernacle with light, not for a moment, but ongoing, morning and evening, which is a dramatic was of saying perpetually. 

Those olives were beaten to produce the oil and the wicks were cut and trimmed to make this happen. In other words there are sacrifices and cutting which produced the end result God required. So it will be in your life; God will ask of you diminutions and tough times, beating if you will, to produce a godly result. Don’t despise those trimmings. The end result is light, for others, and you will benefit as well.

Even in verse 4 of our text today (Num. 8.4) the menorah was made of hammered gold. You want the light to shine in the Mishkan? The oil and the menorah are both beaten. You want the light of God to shine in your life? The reality is that some significant loss has to happen so that real stuff shines.

In Revelation 18.23, we read. “the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

Those whose light stops shining are those who dwell at ease in Babylon, without stress or difficulty, with bounty and luxury. Let God have his way in you, this week, even today, amen?

2.     Levites cleansed

The children of Levi are now in view as the Mishkan is finished, the tent needs people to work there. It’s almost as if you are walking past a new business in your neighbourhood. The building site has been behind the construction site walls, and finally, the grand opening is announced. Then the walls come down and the new building is almost finished. You bring your family to see the new place. Looks really good. The announcement of the Opening Day is on the building, and a help wanted sign is seen in the distance. 

What good is the new business if no one works there. 

So it is with God who has the Tabernacle built and now he’s hiring. He has already numbered the people and now he hires the Levites to run the place. But not simply a Levite, rather a cleansed Levite. 

What are the rites associated with this readying? The end result is separation to duty (8.14). The guidelines from the Authority are these: 1) Clean water,  2) shaved hair,  3) cleansed garments, 4) presentation of animal and food offerings, 5) gathering at the Mishkan for presentation of the Levites to the people, 6) laying on of hands by the people of the Levites, 7) Aaron presents the Levites to the Lord as a wave offering and finally 8) the Levites make sacrifices to make atonement. 

Now that’s a lot of effort for people who are already chosen. Here’s what I mean. By right, the children of Levi were established by God to be the workers in the Mishkan.  (Num. 3.5-7) The announcement had already been made. Now they who are deserving have to be made ready. It was automatic but it wasn’t. The Levites were qualified by genealogy, but it had to be filled full and completed by these 8 actions. In the same way, my people, the Jewish people are all automatically deserving of a relationship with God, already in place by genealogy to be his, but there are actions we have to take to complete this choice. 

When I say I’m a completed Jew, it means I’ve been doubly chosen. I often think in sports analogies because I’m a keen sports watcher and sports player enthusiast. Some would say fanatic, but I prefer the kinder word, ‘fan.’ A sports personality like Diego Maradona who died yesterday in Buenos Aires was the most important player on his Argentinian side in the 1980s. In 1986, he hit two goals against England in the semi-finals which launched his home side to ultimate victory in the World Cup. He was nicknamed “El Dios” which means “the god” and is not a little sacrilegious. But think with me in this way. If Maradona had earned his salary in the beginning of the season and was the celebrity of every newscast, but then for whatever reason, he decided to sit out the match against England, the noise from the crowds would have been heard here in Sydney. 

Imagine if Maradona said, “I’m chosen. I’m the celebrity. I’m the winner.” But then didn’t play. The fans across his country would have been scandalized and horrified. Chosenness is about performance, not about status. 

In the same way, we Jews are chosen, not to sit idly by while the world is wasting away in Babylon. We are chosen to perform, to make the world a better place, to listen to the Authority of God and to enact his purposes. To bring his light to the darkness of the world. Amen?

So when the Levites are chosen to work, they can’t just rock up and say, “Yo, I’m here. Where’s my throne? Where’s my lounge room?” They have work to do to ready themselves and then to ready the business in which they will be working. 

Washing in water. Obviously. They’ve been in the heat of the wilderness for a year, and they and their clothes both need a cleansing. Shaving marks them out as distinct. Sacrificing animals and offering appropriate foods, but then they had to present themselves, orderly, humbly, to be anointed and have hands laid on them. They are now offered as an offering. How good is that? The Levites had to bow their heads and have a benediction said over them. That humility before their brothers. 

What else is there? The sprinkling. It’s in the infinitive, thus not a command to Moses to perform (over 200,000 Levites) but a requirement, however the Levites did this. Then also in verse 7, the phrase is ‘purifying water.’ But the Hebrew is ‘water of sin’ which really means the water to remove sin, or better water which accompanies the cleansing from sin. The water alone doesn’t wash our sin. 

Peter the apostle said something similar about baptism. 

“baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 3.21. The water of baptism isn’t salvific, it’s the appeal to God for a new heart, a cleansed heart, through Yeshua’s life and death and resurrection. 

Now the Levites are cleansed and we learn more about their qualifications. 

They are to serve the Aaronides (the priests) and make atonement for the people of Israel. They apprentice from 25-30 years old and then they serve among their brothers for 20 years until they are 50. (.23-25) After that, they became trusted advisors to the newer Levites and priests.

Chapter 9 is next in our text, but we have already covered that in our First Lesson as it takes place at the beginning of the chronology of this book.

So we skip to Chapter 10.

3.     The Dixieland Band

God tells Moses to line up some trumpeters. Think New Orleans and Dizzy Gillespie or the Aussie James Morrison rather than the shofar blowers of Rosh Hashanah. But you might argue, isn’t the trumpet always a shofar? Nope, in this case they were silver trumpets and were used for various purposes. 

Again, they were made of beaten work (10.2) to remind me of the purpose of suffering, to make fantastic music and to sound purposeful signals to the community. You remember the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow cantillation, “one if by land and two if by sea” in “Paul Revere’s Ride” (1860 poem by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that commemorates the actions of American patriot Paul Revere on April 18, 1775) 

            Similarly, here the sounding of certain sounds in sequence or in rhythm or in pairs would tell the people one thing or another. Notice it’s the priests, not the Levites who are trumpeting their signal. I find this significant. Music is a high calling and as such is for the highest-ranking Israelites.

            If you heard the teruah that’s a battle cry, or ‘alarm’ in many versions. If you heard a single blast it meant to call the princes of the tribes to gather. Two clarion sounds of the silver trumpets and that meant all the nations should gather. 

            Look at verse 9. When we hear the trumpets, when the priests blow and we listen, then we are in a way praying, so that God remembers us, and ‘you shall be saved from your enemies.’

            The final use is in verse 10 where we read, ‘Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

            God wants us to rejoice in him with sounds of gladness. He wants us to mark festivals with such celebrations and silver trumpets. Our offerings and our new moons. In other words, let everyone know that it’s a holiday or a festival. Don’t leave any Israelite out in their seeking for God’s life and news about God.     

            I really believe that this is significant. Today is Friday in Sydney, but it’s still very much Thursday in the USA, and this is Thanksgiving there. The holiday that’s the most travelled (usually when not Covid time) of all the US holidays. There are reasons to be thankful today. And those reasons do not include 260,000 dead people from the virus. That does not include the millions including Lil and Robin, Glenn and so many that I know, who have contracted the virus. Our thankfulness involves eternal matters and God’s provision. God has given us reasons to celebrate all his love and his attention to us. And we are glad. If you are glad and don’t say ‘thank you’ to the Lord, you are missing out. 

            Gratitude is one of the most wonderful gifts God can give you. Be thankful for all his supply. I’m grateful for my family who loves each other. My wife and kids and grandsons. Awesome. I’m grateful for my first cousins and the life of Janet who passed last week. I’m glad we had some delightful times together. I’m glad for my Aunt Sarah, the last uncle or aunt in my life, who passed away the other night, and our times of fellowship in the Lord and her joyful spirit even to the end. I’m grateful for technology which allows us to share on Zoom and the Bibles we all have in abundance, enough to share. I’m grateful for the donors who supply needed funds to keep our work going here in Sydney. I’m grateful for the Jewish men and women who are seeking God, considering his life and plan and purpose. Even this morning here into our shop came South African Tom who had his first visit with us, and it won’t be the last. 

            I’m grateful that Yeshua died for my sins and extended eternity to me by his spirit so I could enter eternal life almost 50 years ago in May, 1971, by faith in the blood of Jesus. What an awesome God we have.

            Can you make a gratitude list today? You don’t have to wait until the 4^th Thursday in November where you live. You can have your own Thanksgiving anytime. With a turkey and cranberry sauce or simply with a list of thanks. It’s worth doing. Blow a trumpet if you have one. Dixie land music includes trombones, too. Or just look up to heaven and smile, lift your hands and say, ‘thanks.’ 

Conclusion

Stay with us during these weeks and learn with the others how you can stay on track in 2020 and beyond. And in the D-Groups, you will work this out with others, as a community on the march. If you have not yet joined a weekly Discipleship Group, please re-consider that and join us as we dig deeper.

I hope to see you next Friday 10 am Sydney time, as we study chapters 11 and 12, and learn about our marching to Zion together and our first anniversary or what I might title Kvetching 102”. Hope to see you then, and until then, please keep your lamps trimmed and burning, bless those around you and shout Hallelujah to the Lord of life for all he has done for us all. Shabbat shalom!

 

The three theses:

1)     The goal of our wandering was another place: Israel

2)     God is to be central to our marching and in our living

3)     Authority of the Lord and his anointed is not to be missed

 

 

Bibliography

Budd, Philip, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 5. Numbers. Word, Waco, 1984.

Hertz, Rabbi Dr JH, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Soncino, London, 1978. 

Pakula, Martin, Numbers: Homeward Bound, Aquilla Press, Sydney, 2006.

Weirsbe, Warren. Be Counted. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs,1999.

-------------------

D-Groups for this week

1)              Tuesday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse

2)              Monday 10 am Sydney time, led by Rebekah Bronn

3)              Thursday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White

(Contact our office for zoom details)

If you’d like to host a D-Group either online or in person, please contact bob@jewsforjesus.org.au for further details. It’s time to step up. Ponder this—who will be in your D-Group?

 

Actual text:

Num. 8:1   Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.’” ³ Aaron therefore did so; he ¹mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. ⁴ Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold; from its base to its flowers it was hammered work; according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Num. 8:5   Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ⁶ “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. ⁷ “Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean. ⁸ “Then let them take a ¹bull with ^aits grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull you shall take for a sin offering. ⁹ So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, ¹⁰ and present the Levites before the LORD; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites. ¹¹ “Aaron then shall present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may qualify to perform the service of the LORD. ¹² “Now the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. ¹³ “You shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to the LORD.

Num. 8:14   “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. ¹⁵“Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering; ¹⁶ for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel. ¹⁷ “For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. ¹⁸ “But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. ¹⁹ I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”

Num. 8:20   Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them. ²¹ The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the LORD. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them. ²² Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. 

Num. 8:23   Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁴ “This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work anymore. ²⁶ “They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.”

Num. 10:1   The LORD spoke further to Moses, saying, ² “Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. ³ “When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. ⁴“Yet if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. ⁵ “But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched on the east side shall set out. ⁶ “When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. ⁷ “When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. ⁸ “The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. ⁹ “When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the LORD your God and be saved from your enemies. ¹⁰ “Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the LORD your God.”

Yeshua Cohen (A priest too?)

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A priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek

A sermon given at Congregation Beth Messiah

Houston Texas

28 March 2015

By Bob Mendelsohn

Shabbat shalom to each of you here at CBM, and to those reading this online on my blog or on Facebook, also a hearty greeting.

Introduction: Tsav

Today is the Saturday before Passover and it is customary throughout Jewry to honor this day as the Great Sabbath, or Shabbat HaGadol. This commemorates the great miracle that happened in Egypt on this day, heralding the Exodus from Egypt five days later. Shabbat HaGadol customs include reading a portion of the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Exodus; it is also customary that the rabbi of the community teaches on the laws of Passover, in preparation for the festival. A survey was taken in Israel some years ago now, in which they found that less than 50% of the Jews believed in a personal God, but almost 90% observe Passover. That may put this in perspective a little.

Now, our parasha today entitled Tsav, means commandment and inside the 3^rd book of Torah, Vayikra, this makes sense. After all the majority of the 613 laws in Torah are found in Leviticus.  And like the book’s title in Latin tells us, Leviticus is the book of the Levites, or the priestly book.

Chapter 8 of Leviticus teaches us of the ordination of the priests and a bit of their duties. It shows Moses killing animals and sprinkling blood in appropriate places, and behaving like a priest, although he wasn’t officially one.

The entire chapter filled with ritual and blood and drama is an ordination ceremony that begins the work of ministry for Aaron and his four sons. Numbers chapter 8 highlights when the priests’ duties are fulfilled and they are told to retire, but that’s for another sermon, although I hear you are experiencing some of that at CBM just now.  May God lead you well in this time of transition.

Our role: The role of the priests

So I’m thinking about priests and about transitions and of course Passover, and I am led to teach you about a couple major things. First is the role of each of you, as a believer, if you are a believer in Yeshua as Messiah. He calls us to be a royal priesthood, according to the shaliach Shimon, Yeshua’s right hand man in the day. (“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2.9). Shimon would certainly have known all about this, as Yeshua actually ordained him to such a status as is recorded in Matthew chapter 16. You can read that later, but the reference will be important for you to write down. (And Yeshua said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My congregation; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16.17-19)

Yeshua ordains Peter to Gospel ministry, and that means one thing to those men that day. Peter is becoming a Cohen, a priest. Wow, who can do that anyway? Who can make someone who is not a Cohen to be a Cohen?

The only one who can really honestly do that is the Almighty himself. And Yeshua is saying of himself, that that is exactly who he is! What a claim!

He who is questionably a priest anyway, isn’t he? Remember a priest had to come from the line of Aaron, who was a Levite, Levi being the 3^rd son of Jacob. Yeshua according to the genealogies was a great, great, great…. Grandson of Judah, the 4^th son of Jacob. The writer of Hebrews will make a very clear and very important case for the priesthood of Yeshua, and I’ll explain that just now.

Yeshua: The great High Priest of our confession

Melchizedek is a character from the time of Abraham our father. He is also mentioned one time in the Psalms (110.4). And of course, he is mentioned several times in the book of Hebrews in the Newer Testament portion of the Bible. Who is he? And why is he so important?

According to the story (found in Genesis 14), he was a priest of another people, but geographically near Abraham. When Abraham had been successful in battle in retrieving his nephew Lot from his captors, Abraham wanted to demonstrate thankfulness to God right away. He went to Melchizedek, the King of Salem (and by the way his name means “King of Righteousness.”), who promised to stand with Abraham, Melchizedek brought out what we would recognize as Kiddush, that is, bread and wine, and served some of the military leaders in Abraham’s entourage. He also said a blessing over Abraham, which was powerful.

What Abraham did was surprising however. He gave a tithe to Melchizedek and honoured him above himself. In fact, the Bible makes clear that the greater blesses the lesser. So let’s read a bit from Hebrews 7 and unpack it as we go.

“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,  to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” (This doesn’t mean Melchizedek was without parentage, but rather that in the record of Scripture, he just pops onto the scene. He did have beginnings and he did die, but the Bible doesn’t make mention of those events)

“Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.” (The key word in the book of Hebrews is ‘better’ and Yeshua is better than angels, better than Moshe, better than… And here we see Melchizedek is better than Abraham because of the tithing)

“In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.  And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.” (In other words since Levi was in Abraham, and all the current priests were also there, then the priesthood of today (the Aaronides) is less than the priesthood of Yeshua (Melchizedek) because of the tithing!

“Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.  For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.” (Yeshua came from Judah and was as such disqualified from being our high priest in heaven, but cleverly the writer of Hebrews gets another order of priests to make this work)

 “For it is attested of Him,

                  “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER

                  ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” (Psalm 110.4)

“For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath(for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him,” (Levites were such not because they swore to uphold anything, but it was simply biological)

                  “THE LORD HAS SWORN

                  AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND,

                  ‘YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER’”);

so much the more also Yeshua has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Yeshua, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.” (Hebrews chapter 7)

So what do we learn?

Yeshua is our Great High Priest, not because he came from Judah, but because He came from Melchizedek’s order. He is a forever priest. He is the one who hears us and who cares for us. He lives to make intercession for us. He saves to the uttermost. Glory to His name! Baruch hashem!

And what about you?

The topic in Tsav seems so remote to us as 21^st century people, doesn’t it? Priests and tabernacles, oils and ephods, 7-day ordination separation duties, and old old Old Jews. But if you have been listening, you learned like I did that The Almighty who made Yeshua a priest forever according to another order, other than Levi, is also making you into a priest, in a way.

There are a few parallel words in Exodus chapter 28.

“Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me — Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons. You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skilful persons whom I have endowed with the spirit of wisdom, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister as priest to Me. These are the garments which they shall make: a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister as priest to Me.” (Exodus 28.1-4)

Three times in those four verses you hear that same phrase, “That he may minister as a priest to me.”

So priests have a job, to mediate between the people and God and between God and the people.

That’s why we celebrate that we have Yeshua now who is the only mediator between God and men.  No man needs to do it for us any longer. No man can do this any longer.

But listen to this text from a very obscure text in Rav Shaul’s letter to the Roman believers. After he tells the Romans:

“For I say that Messiah has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,

                  “THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,

                  AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.”

Again he says,

                  “REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.” And again…“ (Romans 15.8-10)   He says this odd phrase, but is an exact parallel to our text in Exodus and Leviticus today:

“I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Messiah Yeshua to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15.15-16)

I say it’s odd because this is the only time in the Newer Testament that the word priest is used in verb form, just like we see in Torah today. And what we are as the Body of Messiah, here at CBM, and at Faith Lutheran last night in Sugar Land and at Second Baptist and at… you name it, wherever the Gospel of Messiah is proclaimed, we are to function as priests, if you will all of us together, reaching a lost world, bringing them to God and bringing God to them. We together are a witness and a holy one at that, of the Holy God.

We in the messianic community have a responsibility to serve as that royal priesthood, that holy nation, to our own people. And if you are Jewish and here today (or reading or listening online) I urge you to hear these words, to consider Yeshua, our Great High Priest, who alone went into the Heavenly Tabernacle, made without hands, and secured our eternal kipporah, our eternal forgiveness and atonement. Consider and receive Him as Savior and Lord; He is our Messiah and the One who lives to intercede, and to cry out on our behalf. Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Then when you also join Him, and believe Yeshua died for your sins and rose from the dead for us all, then you can join us and make a clear proclamation to the world of God’s eternal message of hope and joy, of forgiveness and salvation.

That’s why I’m here today. To help you all see the priesthood of all believers, that is, that we all together, are a priesthood to the world, and to ask you to continue to pray for our work in Sydney, Australia and around the world. Quick story:  Last week one of our women was sharing at a church in Idaho, like I am out in Texas. Melissa met Ruth, whose Christian neighbour brought to hear another Jew speak about Messiah.  Long story short, Ruth prayed with Melissa that morning to believe and confess Yeshua as Messiah and Lord. Melissa called her dad on the phone, who also is a believer, and said, “I have someone here who wants to tell you something.” That’s in house buzz words for “I just prayed with a person, and they are going to tell you about it.” Sure enough Stewart answered the phone, and heard Ruth tell him that she had just accepted Yeshua as Messiah. How great is that? It’s even better… Stewart is also a Jews for Jesus missionary and was actually on the pulpit at the time of the phone call. And Ruth shared using the speakerphone with the entire congregation that she had just gotten saved. Spontaneous applause broke out as you can imagine. I love that story. I have many others I want to tell you, but I’ll let the newsletter do that. Would you please fill out the white card you received on entry, the one with my picture on it, tear the stub off, and begin to fill out the larger card. I won’t think it rude for you to write while I finish speaking. Please fill out the card completely, especially your email, so we can tell you stories quickly and you can pass them on via forward to many like this one.

If you are giving financially to Jews for Jesus today, please put the amount on the front of the card when you fill it out so we can receipt and thank you. I really appreciate that.

I have a resource table as usual up the back, and really want you to get the book entitled, “What the rabbis know about the Messiah” by Rachmiel Frydland, of blessed memory, The cover is on the screen just now. We ran out of them on this trip, but if you want one, just pay for it up the back, along with any other book, like my testimony, or the calendar, music you want, and without shipping charge, we will get it to you right away. I loved Rachmiel, a holocaust survivor, a Yeshiva bachur, and a holy messianic mensch. He died in 1984 in Ohio. His book is a classic and you have to have it in your library, for sure.

By the way I also have a credit card machine now, so you can use your card, a check, or cash to pay for things.

Rabbi Richard, thank you for your friendship in Messiah for over 30 years. Patsy, keep looking after the man; he turned 69 on Wednesday, which is also my wife’s birthday but she is much younger. He is a golden friend and a holy representative of Messiah’s body in Houston to a world that so desperately needs to see Yeshua.

Rabbi Ron and all the rest of the staff, all the volunteers who make this place such a good place I thank you as well.  To everyone, be His priests to the world that so needs to know Him. Keep doing what makes Yeshua happy; have a blessed Pesach next week, remembering the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and have a Shabbat shalom as well today.