SHEMINI (Eighth) by Raphael ben Levi
Lev.9:1–11:47; Num.19:1-22; 2 Sam.6:1–7:17; Mk.9:1–13
We recently celebrated Purim when we celebrated God’s deliverance of the Jewish people against Satan’s best efforts to annihilate them – a grim reality that has continued to dog the Jewish people throughout history no more apparent than what what we are seeing happening today. The reason is simple. If Satan succeeds in destroying the Jewish people, then he will succeed in destroying God’s eternal plan of redemption that is clearly stated throughout Scripture.
And it’s also interesting that this book almost didn’t make it into the biblical canon of Scripture due to the protests of several ecclesiastic authorities who asserted that the name of God isn’t mentioned in any form in the English translation. However, they failed to recognise how God’s fingerprints runs through almost every detail of the story from beginning to end and it powerfully illustrates how God is behind the scenes in our lives even we may least see it. And in this respect, although there is no direct mention of Purim in the NT the hidden message that God is always in full control of every situation is very clear!
Purim contains a formula that’s embedded within every feast in the Hebrew calendar: The Gentiles hate the Jews and want to kill them! God gives them deliverance, they have victory over those who hate them – so let’s celebrate and eat! Chag Sameach!
The feast of Purim marks the beginning of a period when messianic believers focus upon the miracle of God’s redemption through the death and resurrection of Yeshua. He is our Redeemer, the King of the Jews hidden in plain sight in Scripture.
Matt.27:37 reveals an important detail easily overlooked during His crucifixion that over His head they placed a placard above His head probably intended to mock Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
“Pilate also had a notice written and posted on the stake; it read, YESHUA FROM NATZERET THE KING OF THE JEWS Many of the Judeans read this notice, because the place where Yeshua was put on the stake was close to the city; and it had been written in Hebrew, in Latin and in Greek. The Judeans’ head cohanim therefore said to Pilate, “Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but ‘He said, “I am King of the Jews.”’ Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” (Jn.19: 19-22). Let’s look at this notice posted in Greek, Latin and Hebrew more closely.
The original Greek of Pilate’s inscription in the Gospel of John is, ‘Iesous Ő Nazar-aios Ő Basil’eus Ton Iou-daion.’ (Yeshua of Nazareth, King of the Jews’). (Matt.19:19)
The Latin inscription placed on the cross of Yeshua: Iesous Nazar-enus Rex Iudae-orum (Yeshua the Nazarene, King of the Jews) was shortened using the acronym INRI that was commonly employed in early Christian artwork
To understand the significance of this, one needs to focus upon the Hebrew that reads: Yeshua HaNatzri, VeMelech HaYehudim (YHVH—Yeshua the Nazarene and King of the Jews). The Hebrew language reads from right to left, but when we speak out the phrase it reveals an understanding of the hidden meaning. As the four letters of the Latin acronym were INRI, so the four letters of the Hebrew acronym are ‘Yud’ ‘Hey’ ‘Vav’ ‘Heh’ (YHVH) representing the four letters for the name of God.
Furthermore is reinforced within the name of YHVH the attributed name for Yeshua revealed within the ancient Hebrew alphabet (known as pictograms, similar to Egyptian hieroglyphics).
‘Yud’ ‘Heh’ and ‘Vav,’ represent the letters constituting the name of YHVH:
‘Yud’ is represented in the Hebrew as a picture of a hand.
‘Heh’ is represented in the Hebrew as a window, ‘to reveal or behold’, and
‘Vav’ is represented in the Hebrew as a picture of a nail.
So the complete meaning of the ancient Hebrew letters representing the word YHVH is: ‘Behold the nailed hand’ that cannot be any clearer a portrayal of Yeshua.
In this season within the Hebrew calendar, messianic believers throughout the world prepare to celebrate the most pivotal event that has ever occurred in history – the crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua where we “behold the nailed hand” and celebrate the One who is the King of the Jews, something so many people claiming to be Christians fail to recognise. Scripture makes it clear that without the physical resurrection of Yeshua our faith is meaningless: In 1Cor.15, Paul writes that, “… if Messiah has not been raised, then our proclaiming is meaningless and your faith also is meaningless. …And if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is futile—you are still in your sins. … If we have hoped in Messiah in this life alone, we are to be pitied more than all people.”
But here is the reality proclaimed in 1Pet. 3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah! In His great mercy He caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua from the dead. An incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance has been reserved in heaven for you.”
The resurrection of Yeshua should not be a problem we have to explain, (despite the fact that there is overwhelming scientific supportive evidence) but rather a reality running centrally throughout Scripture. The resurrection puts the seal upon the claims and teaching of Yeshua.
So bearing these thoughts in mind, let’s apply some of them to our Torah portion that focuses upon the eighth day following 7 days of careful preparation when the construction of the Tabernacle. Had been completed. Priests were appointed and trained and “…on the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.” (Lev9:1)
Earlier on in the Book of Exodus, with all the highs and lows experienced by the Israelites, all the assembled people witnessed the Glory of God as it filled the entire Tabernacle in full view of everyone. God’s Shekinah glory dwelt in their midst as a visible sign of His abiding covenant. It presents to us a type and shadow – a future reality of the Holy Spirit’s covenant seal upon every true believer in Yeshua.
And yet the sacrificial system introduced at this point provided a flawed humanity with only a temporary solution for sin. Heb.10:1-10: explains it well:
“Even with its steady stream of sacrifices offered year after year, there still was nothing that could make (the peoples) hearts perfect before God. For if animal sacrifices could once and for all eliminate sin, they would have ceased to be offered and the worshipers would have clean consciences. Instead, once was not enough so by the repetitive sacrifices year after year, the worshipers were continually reminded of their sins, with their hearts still impure. For what power does the blood of bulls and goats have to remove sin’s guilt?
… And then (Yeshua) said, “God, I will be the One to go and do your will.” So by being the sacrifice that removes sin, he abolishes animal sacrifices and replaces that entire system with a newer covenant. By God’s will we have been purified and made holy once and for all through the sacrifice of the body of Yeshua, the Messiah!”
God understood the inadequacy of the Law due to the inherent sinfulness of man – the impossibility of observing it perfectly – and provided humanity with a permanent solution in the fullness of time in the person of Yeshua, the perfect Lamb of God. Death could not hold Him and He rose from the dead on the 3rd day following His crucifixion, on the 1st day of the week on the 8th day. This is what we are focusing upon as we approach ever closer to Pesach.
But, I would like to briefly switch directions and spend a few closing thoughts reflecting upon the nature of leadership from our parasha with reference to Moses and Aaron, two great men of God who like each one of us held strengths and weaknesses. Our weaknesses do not disqualify us from the Kingdom of God but is something which God desires to transform from weakness to strength to illustrate that “…His grace is always sufficient for us for His strength is made perfect in weakness.”
A principle running through Scripture is that people do not become great leaders due to natural talent but to the extent to which they submit their lives totally to Him and as they allow God to work within them something uniquely transformational occurs.
Most people consider themselves inadequate for the task. Moses did. So did Aaron yet they were willing to trust God amid their weaknesses and failings even when faced with impossible challenges.
The people who can sway crowds with their charisma and oratory are rarely among the greatest in God’s sight because he never chooses people who speak with their own voice, telling the crowds what they want to hear. He chooses those who are fully aware of their inadequacies, who stammer literally or metaphorically, as with Moses. He told people what they didn’t want to hear, but what they had to hear. What Moses thought was his greatest weakness was in fact one of his greatest strengths.
Moses was not a natural leader. Aaron was not a natural priest. Moses’ most important qualification was his humility rather than any inherent natural talent. Aaron had to understand that his own experience of sin and failure in the incident with the golden calf was a catalyst that transformed him into the representative of a people conscious of their own sin and failure.
Feelings of inadequacy can be bad news or good news depending on what you do with it. But, here is something we all need to be encouraged with – God’s faith in Aaron never wavered even when Aaron lacked faith in himself because God is never limited to the present and always sees the finished product rather than the work in progress.
When I was a young believer I would sometimes question why God would allow me to experience the fullness of my own inadequacy? I hated that feeling yet now I can look back with a sense of deep gratitude knowing that God permitted it to happen in order to protect me from myself.
God never intended for us to be anything less than what He created us to be. Our individuality is a gift and hallmark of our uniqueness which we surrender at our peril. Yet, it only resonates with true greatness when we allow it to be crafted by God rather than by the world.
There is a story of a person was strolling in the gardens on a visit to a mental institution when he met a young man who was reading a philosophy book. His apparent normal behaviour and good health made him stand out from all the other inmates so, intrigued, he sat down beside him and began a conversation asking him why he had been sent to this place?
The inmate looked at the person, surprised. However, since he was not one of the doctors, he replied:
‘It’s very simple. My father, a brilliant lawyer, wanted me to be like him. My uncle, who owns a large emporium, hoped I would follow his example. My mother wanted me to be the image of her beloved father. My sister always set her husband before me as an example of the successful man. My brother tried to train me up to be a fine athlete like himself. The same thing happened at school, with the piano teacher and the English teacher—they were all convinced and determined that they were the best possible example to follow. None of them looked at me as one should look at a man, but as if they were looking in a mirror. So I decided to enter this asylum. At least here I can be myself.’”
Many people believe that we are living in a crazy world. But the good news is that amid all the challenges we face in these end times, God has never called us to be anything less than who we are in Him. He simply invites us to allow Him to transform our lives even as He did with Moses and Aaron, no different for each one of us.
