The closer we are to God, the closer God looks at us. We may come to God as we are, but we shouldn’t stay as we were. A key lesson of the Torah reading שמיני Shemini (“eighth”; Leviticus 9–11) is the more understanding God gives us, the more God expects of us (Luke 12:48). This is also why the sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus) was the only sacrifice that could take away our sins, transgressions and iniquities (Lev. 16:15, 18, 27; Heb. 9:13; 10:4).
No, this isn’t a case of duct-taping Bible passages together into a hodge-podge teaching. There is an important link between instructions to priests about keeping the Tabernacle altar fire burning, the command to destroy the memory of back-stabbing Amalek, the reluctance of later generations to carry that out fit, Queen Esther’s bold intervention for the Yehudim (Jews), the memory of deliverance from slavery at Peskah (Passover) and the freedom brought by Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ). Strap in your brain for a wild ride.
If we are honest with ourselves and with others, we want God to be unfair. We want Him to give us mercy. But if we don’t want Him to give others mercy, He will not give us mercy (Matt. 7:2; Mark 4:24; Luke 6:38). Neither atonement nor forgiveness are fair, yet we want it that way. Contrary to popular belief, not all offerings of the Tabernacle are equal or identical. When we confuse them and lump them all together, it’s too easy to dismiss them and throw them out as obsolete. וַיִּקְרָא Vayiqra (“he called out,” Leviticus 1–5), the beginning reading from the Torah book by the same name, teaches us that God has a purpose in mind for each of the offerings. We’ll learn what each are and more about what God is trying to teach us.
Amongst all the details of Israel’s Mishkan (Tabernacle), described yet again in the Torah section פקודי Pekudei (“countings,” Exodus 38:21–40:38), these elements help us see what the LORD is doing to move us from where we were to where we are and on into His presence. The same God Who commissioned the Mishkhan wants to live with us too. That is very good news. That’s the gospel of Yeshua the Mashiakh.
God doesn’t explain everything, largely because our search for the answers is key to God’s revealing them to us. As paradoxical as that sounds, it’s a key takeaway from the Torah reading ויקהל Vayaqhel (“and he assembled,” Exodus 35:1–38:20). It’s a repetition of the Tabernacle elements, but it does reveal what the LORD really has always wanted — our heartfelt connection.
There has always been only one way to God. Israel’s Heaven-patterned Tabernacle teaches that: It had one doorway into each of its three compartments of increasing exclusivity. Only one intercessor could enter its Most Holy Place, where the Ark of the Covenant and God’s presence were, and that was allowed only once a year.
This study of the Torah section כי תשא Ki Tisa (“when you take”; Exodus 30:11–34:35) will focus on the similarities in the missions of three different intercessors at critical moments of corruption: Noakh (Noah), Moshe (Moses) and Yeshua (Jesus). Each righteous intercessor went further than the one before — and at greater cost.
Why does it matter how Israel’s first high priest, Aaron, and his sons were dressed, as described in great detail in Torah section תצוה Tetzaveh (“you shall command,” Exodus 27:20–30:10)? Is it merely for drawing attention to the wearer? No. We are to remember as we study about the High Priest is that every description of the High Priest is a description of the Messiah. Everytime you see read about someone being anointed with oil, that is a picture of the Messiah.
As we’ll see in this study of Zechariah 14, Ezekiel 43 and Revelation 21, a repeating lesson is the Tabernacle/Temple altar is key to how we will live with the Mashiakh Yeshua (Christ Jesus), not only the “Lion of Judah” but also the “Lion of God.”