SHEMINI (Eighth) Lev 9:1–11:47; Num 19:1-22; 2 Sam 6:1–7:17; Mark 9:1–13
This evening will mark the 8th day following Peach as we find ourselves already in the period of the Counting of the Omer leading to Shavuot (Pentecost). Although our Torah portions are currently from the book of Leviticus, this Shabbat is the Shabbat of Passover, so in the synagogues the readings are special for the holiday.
However, today I would like to instead jump ahead and dive into next week’s parasha from Lev. 9:1 where in the opening verse we read, “On the eighth day Moses summoned Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel.” Why did Moses choose the 8th day instead of some other length of time? The number 8 holds great significance biblically and it is this that I want to connect with.
The gematria 8 biblically represents covenant and new beginnings. Here began a new phase for the Israelites as connected to the sacrificial system. If anyone should now sin against God, they could be restored, yet it was still flawed as explained in Hebrews 10:1-10: “10 The old system of living under the law presented us with only a faint shadow, a crude outline of the reality of the wonderful blessings to come. Even with its steady stream of sacrifices offered year after year, there still was nothing that could make our hearts perfect before God. 2–3 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. 4 For what power does the blood of bulls and goats have to remove sin’s guilt?
5 So when Yeshua the Messiah came into the world he said,
“Since your ultimate desire was not another animal sacrifice, you have clothed me with a body that I might offer myself instead!
6 Multiple burnt offerings and sin-offerings cannot satisfy your justice.
7 So I said to you, ‘God—
I will be the One to go and do your will, to fulfill all that is written of me in your Word!’ ”
8 First he said, “Multiple burnt-offerings and sin-offerings cannot satisfy your justice” (even though the law required them to be offered).
9 And then he 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. 10 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!
Yeshua has provided a better way through His sacrifice on the Cross. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God but are made righteous through His blood shed for us. This is what we preach at Pesach which the NT Scriptures emphasise drawing comparisons from the Pesach story we recently celebrated.
Yeshua conquered death and rose from the dead on the 3rd day following His crucifixion, on the 1st day of the week being the 8th day. There are 8 individual resurrections recorded in the Bible apart from those connected to Yeshua or the righteous saints of God:
- 3 in the OT
- 3 in the Gospels
- 2 in Acts 9 and 20
It is interesting that the 3 in the OT correspond to the 3 raised by Yeshua:
- The son of a widow (1Kings 17:17-25) and the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-18)
- The son of the woman of Shunam ( 2Kings 4:32-37) and the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:35)
- An adult In Elisha’s tomb (2Kings 13:20,21) and Lazarus (John 11)
The miracles Elijah performed were 8 in number and the miracles of Elisha were 16 because he received a double portion of anointing from Elijah.
The Greek name for Yeshua ‘Ihsous’ has a gematria of 888! Many believers are bound by condemnation and past failures but God provides us with second chances and new beginnings. What are the type of sacrifice acceptable to God when we sin against Him? Scripture tells us in Ps.51 that “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart, He will not despise.” (v.17)
The 7 names of Yeshua in Greek are all stamped with the number 8:
Christos, Christ (1480 = 8×185)
Kurios, Lord (800 = 8×100)
Kurios Hemon, Our Lord (1768 = 8×221)
Soter, Saviour, Saviour (1408 = 8sq x 32)
Emmanuel, (25600 = 8sq x 50)
Messias, Messiah, (656 = 8×82)
Huios, Son (880 = 8×80)
There are 8 commands in Scripture to keep Shabbat holy – 7 by God and 1 from Moses.
In Lev.11:44, we are again reminded about the importance of holiness: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy….” When we consecrate ourselves fully to the Lord, He reveals His glory for which the world has no answer. “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” (Lev.9:6) Blessed are the pure in heart…
Here on the 8th day following a week of purification, God’s glory descended upon Aaron and his four sons after they made sacrifices to Him- the sin offering – burnt offering – and the fellowship offerings. When they came out of the Tabernacle, Aaron blessed the Israelites; and the Shekinah Glory appeared to the entire population. The fire of God consumed the burnt offering and the fat parts on the altar. And the people screamed in alarm and fell on their faces because of His manifest and holy presence.
The Bible then shares something of great sadness as a warning to us all. “Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered strange fire [zarah – carries the connotation of being foreign or another kind.] before the LORD, contrary to His command.” So fire came from the presence of the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord.” (Lev10:2)
The fire of God cleanses us from sin and brings us into His holy presence. But for any person who claims to be a committed believer yet chooses to rebel against Him and reject Him, the fire of God will ultimately consume that person in judgement. The higher the ranking a person has in the Kingdom of God, the greater is their accountability, and Nadav and Avihu are a sad example of this.
No-one knows for sure what it was Nadav and Avihu offered that made it ‘unauthorised.’ Some people think it was connected with drunkenness, since in Lev. 10 we read, “Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, 9 “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the Tent of Meeting, so that you will not die—it is a permanent statute throughout your generations.” But to treat lightly God’s holiness is a dangerous thing to do.
There are some who call themselves believers who do everything right outwardly yet lead a double life. They have a form of godliness yet have exchanged their relationship with God for the allurements of the world. Even though they may have experienced the glory of God at some stage it has deteriorated into a faint memory as the substance has been systematically trampled underfoot.
Some people boast about it publicly and others attempt to conceal it but ultimately without repentance they will ultimately face the same consequences as Nadav and Avihu. At the Great White Throne Judgement every thought and action from the time of birth to the moment of death will be exposed. And Scripture does not paint a pretty picture of the consequences for those who scorn the message of the Cross.
Scripture teaches us to be ‘alert and sober’ at all times so that we do not fall prey to Satan by succumbing to the limits and boundaries that God has set for us in His Word. The shocking truth is that what happened to Nadav and Abihu could theoretically happen to anyone even the best of us. (If anyone thinks he stands…)
Every spiritual leader has a sacred duty to be a godly role model, and should this ever be consciously violated, it sets a precedent and a negative ripple effect creating many casualties as we have seen many times before.
The closer a person grows to God, the greater the blessings but also the accountability. One of the saddest moments in Scripture is contained here in this passage when Aaron heard the news about his eldest two sons: ‘Aharon kept silent.’ He was not allowed to grieve, or make any excuses for his sons, nor show any emotion, or even question the Divine judgment of God.
The easiest and most natural thing for parents is to make excuses for their children no matter how deeply they may have become entrenched in sin. But no-one can stand in their place on that day when they must give an account of their lives before God.
And at the same time, no matter who we are or what great things we may have accomplished fo the glory of God we must always remember that it is only by the shed blood of Yeshua that will be sufficient to save us from an eternity in hell and it is only by His grace that we are preserved. Let’s contend for the fallen and the lost with those things in mind as we cry out to God for their souls.
Who dares choose to walk in the pathways of God in accordance to His revealed will? It is all of Him and none of us, but what we do have is free will which we can exert and it is this that will determine our destiny. For those who choose well, remains the promise in Scripture of a crown of glory bestowed to us by God Himself that will bear testimony to us as overcomers before all creation throughout eternity.
Raphael ben Levi
