Transcript RECOGNITION - Qodesh Ministries

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THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT
http://www.messianicbible.com
HEAR O ISRAEL
www.hearoisrael.org
SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER
www.sheepfoldgleanings.com
MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE
http://www.messianicisrael.com
AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM
GREENBAUM
http://www.azamra.org
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TORAH: Lev. 14:1-15:33
HAFTARAH: 2 Kings 7:3–20;
B’RIT CHADASHAH: Matthew 23:16–24:2, 3-31, 7:18–35, 9:20-26, Mark
5:24-34, Luke 8:42-48, Hebrews 13:4
All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted
Last week we saw how tzara’at was a physical manifestation of a
spiritual fault. Once diagnosed by a priest, a metzora, or one who was
affected by this skin disorder would be placed outside of the camp
until he was declared to be healed. It is relevant that Adam and Eve
were also placed outside of the camp as the result of an inward
attitude that caused them to eat of the forbidden fruit. Every
descendent of theirs has since been clothed with the problem of
corruptible flesh which will eventually cause them to die and were it
not for ‫ יהושע‬the Messiah, be unable to inherit the kingdom of ‫יהוה‬.
And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood is unable to inherit the
reign of Elohim, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. See, I
speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed. For this corruptible has to put on
incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality. (1 Corinthians
15:50-53 )
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Are we all incorruptible now? The truth is we are not there yet.
Most of us have probably been taught that the Almighty is only
concerned with our soul. Yet, in Leviticus , we see a much
broader interest. These are the four primary areas of concern:
1. Individual
2. Food
3. Clothes
4. Homes/dwellings
‫ יהוה‬has determined what IS food (clean) for His people and
what is NOT food (unclean). Now we are studying the effect of
tzara’at on individuals, their clothing (works), and their houses.
We can make sense of a skin disorder, but what does it mean to
have the plague of tzara’at come upon our clothing or our home?
Could the reason for it all can be summed up by this verse:
‘Thus you shall separate the children of Yisra’ĕl from their
uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile
My Dwelling Place which is in their midst. (Leviticus 15:31) 5
Our connection with the Garden of Eden where ‫ יהוה‬walked with
Adam and Eve is our sinful life. Their sin left them in a spiritual
state of uncleanness (although uncleanness is not always the
result of sin) which caused them to be evicted from the Garden.
Later ‫ יהוה‬established the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as the
place where He could once more dwell with man….at the time of
Solomon He would dwell with His people in the Temple in
Jerusalem. Hundreds of years later, He came to dwell with
individual man. These were all prophetic pictures of the
Almighty’s heavenly dwelling place with man….a return to the
purity of Eden.
who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Mosheh was
warned when he was about to make the Tent. For He said, “See
that you make all according to the pattern shown you on the
mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5)
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give to eat from the
tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim.” 6
(Revelation 2:7 )
The march back to the Garden of Eden has not been without huge
detours. We have not been faithful in following His directions.
Repentance and mercy brings us back into the camp, but this
continued attitude brought about the eventual exile of all of Israel.
Once again ‫ יהוה‬stepped into this picture with ‫יהושע‬.
And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the
house of Yisra’ĕl.” (Matthew 15:24)
‫ יהושע‬did not lower the bar for holiness. When we accept Him as our
Adonai, we receive His covering of holiness and cleanness. The Spirit
then becomes our teacher and our strength in working out our
holiness. But we must understand what ‫ יהוה‬requires of us if we
expect Him to once more tabernacle among us as in the Garden:
as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in
your ignorance, instead, as the One who called you is set-apart, so you
also should become set-apart in all behaviour, (1 Peter 1:14-15)
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The word tzara'at is an acronym for "he who emits evil" (motzi
ra) a slanderer. The disease originates from the evil words that
we speak of others (even if true).
When a tzadik suffers, this does not at all interfere with his faith
in God. The suffering even enhances his faith, as he is happy with
the knowledge that all that happens to him comes from God and
is for his ultimate good. This is the origin of his ultimate healing.
The sages teach that although tzara'at is the origin of all disease,
it no longer exists, as nobody today is at the level of
righteousness to merit such a terrible disease. Because of the
large amount of evil in people’s souls, they could not be tzadik,
but rather an intermediary person. In this case, he would not
suffer the same type of tribulations, as they would not be
relevant to his particular rectification
In the Hebrew language each 3-letter root has six possible
permutations. In all the Hebrew language there are only seven 3letter roots whose six permutations all have meaning.
The early master of Kabbalah, Rabbi Abraham Abulafia would
meditate on a Hebrew word by taking the root permutations and
contemplating on the cycle of images created by each
permutation. Notably, no matter what the root, at least one of
the six permutations will have a negative implication. However,
when the negative implication is meditated upon as part of the
entire cycle, the whole purifies and rectifies the negative
connotation. Furthermore, the negative implication is necessary
for the rectification of the whole. The very fact that negative is
required in order to complete the whole rectifies the negativity.
This principle of the Hebrew language applies to all phenomena
in life. It is beautifully illustrated by the teachings of our sages
that in order for our prayers to reach God, the full spectrum of
the Jewish People--from the most righteous to the least--must
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be included in our prayers.
The cycle of images created by the root of tzara'at--tzara (tzadik,
reish, ayin):
Root
Word Meaning
tzadik, reish, ayin
tzara leprosy
tzadik, ayin, reish
tza'ar hardship, pain
reish, ayin, tzadik
ra'atz to smash
reish, tzadik, ayin
ratza to inflict stripes (by whipping with
a strap)
ayin, tzadik, reish
atzar to halt or rule to prevent anarchic
expansion
ayin, reish, tzadik
aratz to respect (a tyrant) because of his
power
In the permutations, all the roots appear to be negative, and need to
be healed. In order to effect true healing, these permutations must be
experienced internally, within one's consciousness. To internally
experience this cycle one must have the ability to rearrange Hebrew
letters, spiritual building blocks, to create new permutations. The
capacity to create and experience each permutation hinges on
achieving the inner point of wisdom.
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The Talmud, and the majority of historic Jewish literature in
general, regards tzara’at as a punishment for sin:
1. an evil tongue (malicious gossip)
2. murder
3. a vain oath
4. illicit sexual intercourse
5. pride
6. theft
7. miserly behaviour
In particular, the Midrash Rabbah sees the different types of
tzara’at as increasing levels of punishment, which could be
curtailed (stopped) at any stage if repentance was made:
• First stage - the infection of homes, and if repentance came
here it only required removal of the affected stones for a cure.
• Second stage - the entire house must be torn down as the
tzaraath would not go away, and the infection came upon one's
clothes; if repentance came here it required only washing of
the clothes for a cure.
• Third stage - the clothes must be burnt, and the infection
enters the person's skin; if repentance occurs here then
purification could occur.
• Fourth stage - which only occurs when the person has
completely refused to repent, the person is forced to dwell
alone.
Every person has a spark of Mashiach within him, his own
Messianic potential that he must manifest, (Gal 2:20). A person's
Messianic potential is in proportion to his spiritual level. The
immense Messianic potential of the great tzadik remains
unfulfilled, as the world does not allow him to manifest his
potential, THIS LEADS TO FRUSTRATION which lead him to:
• Inadvertently express some negative words, blaming everybody
for his circumstances
As soon as he even unwittingly blames someone else, he has, at his
level, spoken evil speech, and is vulnerable to suffering and
tzara'at.
• The cure for this frustration and disease is the manifestation of
the Mashiach, who brought redemption to the entire world.
“And if, while seeking to be declared right by Messiah, we ourselves
also are found sinners, is Messiah then a servant of sin? Let it not be!
(Galatians 2:17 )
We are sinners extraordinaire! We have gone out of our way to
take what the Almighty has given us and re-make it as a potter
does, but in our cases, instead of moulding ourselves into the
image of Messiah we have re-made ourselves as sinners in
opposition to what our Creator desires for us. The purpose of the
skin diseases was, in many cases, a physical manifestation of a
spiritual sin. The rabbis are of the opinion that this is usually
connected with the sin of Lashon Hara or the Evil Tongue
commonly called gossip or slander.
Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
(Psalms 34:13 )
And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness. Among our
members the tongue is set, the one defiling the entire body, and setting
on fire the wheel of life, and it is set on fire by Gehenna. For every kind
of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has
been tamed by mankind. But no man is able to tame the tongue. It is
unruly, evil, filled with deadly poison. With it we bless our Elohim and
Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness
of Elohim. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My
brothers, this should not be so. (James 3:6-10)
We have been formed in the image of our first parent Adam, who was
made in the image of our Creator. Yet, despite this we bless our
Creator in one breath and curse our fellow man in another.
To be declared clean is emotionally draining and expensive once he
had recovered (by repenting) from the disorder of his flesh. One who
sinned brought an offering, or paid restitution, but he did not spend
weeks outside of the safety and the fellowship of the camp. He was
not required to change his appearance in a way that caused
humiliation. This should emphasize to us the importance the Father
places on the attitude of the heart. The following verses reflect this:
These six matters ‫ יהוה‬hates, And seven are an abomination to Him: A
proud look, A lying tongue, And hands shedding innocent blood, A
heart devising wicked schemes, Feet quick to run to evil, A false witness
breathing out lies, And one who causes strife among brothers.
(Proverbs 6:16-19 )
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‫ יהושע‬had this to say about the heart:
“But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and these
defile the man. “For out of the heart come forth wicked reasonings,
murders, adulteries, whorings, thefts, false witnessings, slanders.
(Matthew 15:18-19)
Talmudic story about the power of gossip:
A certain man came to his priest, asking how he could rectify his
having made evil statements about another person. The priest told the
man to go home and bring his pillow, which he did. Then the priest
told him to go up to the top of a mountain, rip it open, and shake all
the feathers to the wind, which he did. Then the priest instructed him
to go and gather all the feathers back. The man claimed that this was
impossible. The priest said that such was the situation with the evil
words he had spoken.
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And all of us have become as one unclean, and all our
righteousnesses are as soiled rags. And all of us fade like a leaf,
and our crookednesses, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Isaiah 64:6)
The prophet wants us to know that all human attempts at our
own righteousness will make us like an unclean thing….like a
metzora. Many rabbi’s teach that acts of tzedaka (righteousness)
will somehow atone for your sins. But the prophet Isaiah tells the
truth of the matter. There’s nothing we can do to bring about our
own righteousness. And Vayikra tells us the rest of the story. It is
the innocent blood of the lamb that atones for the sin and
shadows the future Lamb that will actually take away all sin:
“But if he is poor and is unable to afford it, then he shall take one
male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement
for him, and one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as
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a grain offering, and a log of oil, (Leviticus 14:21)
A leper was publically recognized as having a skin affliction…an
outward showing of sins of the heart. Humiliating! Embarrassing!
You are unclean! Now everyone in the camp of Israel will know
that you have a heart problem of sin! To confirm this you use
your hand covering your lip as you cry out, “unclean, unclean!”
You are traumatized, but you decide to fast and pray. You have at
least seven days to examine your heart.
Search me, O Ěl, and know my heart; Try me, and know my
thoughts; And see if an idolatrous way is in me, And lead me in
the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24 )
You remember those times when you participated in “harmless”
gossip. Convicted and broken, you fall to your knees:
For You do not desire slaughtering, or I would give it; You do not
delight in burnt offering. The slaughterings of Elohim are a
broken spirit, A heart broken and crushed, O Elohim, These You
do not despise. (Psalms 51:16-17)
Humble yourselves, then, under the mighty hand of Elohim, so
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that He exalts you in due time, (1 Peter 5:6)
A few days later you begin to examine your skin and see that the
healing has begun. You fall to your knees once more in thanksgiving:
At midnight I rise to give thanks to You, For Your righteous right-rulings.
(Psalms 119:62)
He heals the broken-hearted And binds up their wounds.
(Psalms 147:3)
On the 7th day the priest comes to examine your now healed up leg.
With love, this servant of Elohim looks into your eyes and declares you
to be free of the tzara’at! But before you re-enter the camp, there is a
ritual that must be performed.
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And ‫ יהוה‬spoke to Mosheh, saying, “This shall be the Torah of the leper
for the day of his cleansing: .. if the leprosy is healed in the leper, then the
priest shall command, and he shall take for him who is to be cleansed two
live and clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. “And the
priest shall command, and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen
vessel over running water. “Let him take the live bird and the cedar wood
and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the
blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. “And he shall
sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and
shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird loose in the open
field. (Leviticus 14:1-7)
The killing of the bird is not a sacrifice since it is being performed outside
of the camp. Also, only those who are clean are able to offer blood
sacrifices.
This is the same thing that you do when do personal repentance, receive
counselling etc. It is done outside of the sanctuary so that when you
come to ABBA you are clean.
The “cedar” or “erez” in Hebrew (alephreish-zayin) is the perfect tree. That why it
is referred to as the “upright one”. Its roots
are among the firmest and deepest in the
ground, it’s among the tallest and longest
living of trees; and, its wood is without
knots (perfect as ‫ יהושע‬is perfect). His
blood and our “teshuva” make us as
cedars. The numeric value of “erez” is 208,
equals:
• “v‟ee qabats” or “and He gathered”;
• “ha ger” or “the stranger who sojourns”
and
• “b‟ debar” or “through the word”.
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The “scarlet” or “shawniy” (shin-nun-yud) is the color that
represents our sin. The numeric value of “shawniy” is 360 and
equals
• “n‟ishi” or “my bride” (plural) and
•“b‟ mashiach” or “in Messiah”.
The rabbis teach that this was wool dyed with a pigment made
from a lowly creature (either an insect or a snail, Ibid)
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says ‫יהוה‬. “Though your sins
are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like
crimson, they shall be as wool.
(Isaiah 1:18 )
Leviticus 14:1–6 The “hyssop” or “eyzowb” (aleph-zayin-vavbet) is a plant of cleansing. It has the following biblical uses:
• To place the blood of the Pesach (Passover lamb) on the
doorposts and lintels of the homes in Egypt;
• Used to cleanse the Temple mount with the ashes of the
Red Heifer; and
• to deliver sour wine to ‫’יהושע‬s lips.
The numeric value of the letters in “eyzowb” is 16, which
equals “a‟yadeh” or “I will praise”. Linking the Mashiach as
our cleansing made by Abba ‫יהוה‬.
Hyssop is also antibacterial, anticapillary fragility,
antiinflamatory, etc., and can help with about 81 different
medical conditions including cancer, bronchitis, insomnia,
edema, colds, etc
The bird that must die represents the death of the fleshly attitude of
the leper. The earthen vessel represents the human body (2
Corinthians 4:7) and the fact that ‫’יהושע‬s blood was shed in an earthen
vessel. The scarlet yarn was used to tie the hyssop (symbol from the
Passover and ‫’יהושע‬s crucifixion) on to the cedar (tree/cross).
The living bird was dipped in the blood of the 1st bird over the running
water. The living bird, covered with blood is let loose in the open field.
This is a picture of the leper having died to himself and walking in
newness of life.
Points to note:
• The root word for “running” H2416 is “alive” or “living”, thus
the bird is killed and the washed in living water.
• The bird is killed differently for the sacrificial offering;
• Link to ‫ יהושע‬- However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side
with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out. (John
19:34 CJB)
The two birds represent the two comings of ‫יהושע‬. First He came
and walked among “clay vessels” into whom He poured out His
Word (living water). Then His “blood” was shed to make a way
for His second coming as King. The second bird is bloodied, but
not injured….a picture of the resurrected ‫ יהושע‬who still bears
the scars that Thomas put his fingers into. His garments will be
covered with blood when He returns to judge the earth:
Why is there red on Your raiment, and Your garments like one
who treads in the winepress? (Isaiah 63:2)
And I saw the heaven opened, and there was a white horse. And
He who sat on him was called Trustworthy and True, and in
righteousness He judges and fights. And His eyes were as a flame
of fire, and on His head were many crowns, having a Name that
had been written, which no one had perceived except Himself
and having been dressed in a robe dipped in blood – and His
Name is called: The Word of ‫יהוה‬. And the armies in the heaven,
dressed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white 27
horses. (Revelation 19:11-14 )
• ‫ יהושע‬was crucified on? “The Elohim of our fathers raised up ‫יהושע‬
whom you laid hands on, hanging Him on a timber. (Acts 5:30)
• What did ‫’יהושע‬s blood do for our sins? And I said to him, “Master,
you know.” And he said to me, “These are those coming out of the
great distress, having washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)
• Hyssop represents healing, what is the significance? Cleanse me
with hyssop, and I am clean; Wash me, and I am whiter than snow.
(Psalms 51:7)
• The metzora is sprinkled with the water and blood mixture, he
bathes and his clothes are washed. What is this a picture of in
the redeemed believer’s life? And Kĕpha said to them, “Repent,
and let each one of you be immersed in the Name of ‫ יהושע‬Messiah
for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Setapart Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
• Three yearling lambs are offered for a trespass, sin and burnt
offering, why? but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb
unblemished and spotless, (1 Peter 1:19)(John 1:29,36; Rev 13:8)
• What does the live bird flying away represents? “But you killed
the Leader of life, whom Elohim raised from the dead, of which we
are witnesses. (Acts 3:15) (Acts 4:10; 1 Pet 1:3.)
• How does the clay pot point to ‫ ?יהושע‬And we have this treasure
in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power might be of
Elohim, and not of us – being hard pressed on every side,1 but not
crushed; being perplexed, but not in despair; Footnote: 1See 1:8.
being persecuted, but not forsaken; being thrown down, but not
destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Master
‫יהושע‬, that the life of ‫ יהושע‬might also be manifested in our body. (2
Corinthians 4:7-10) (Gen 2:7; 2 Cor 5:1.)
• What does the running or living water in verse 5 represent? in
order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
Word, (Ephesians 5:26)
• Who is the sources of that living water? but whoever drinks of the
water I give him shall certainly never thirst. And the water that I give
him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into
everlasting life.” (John 4:14) (John 7:37–39.)
“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of Dawiḏ
and for the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, for sin and for
uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1 )
It is not just the blood that testifies of our forgiveness of sin but
living water that flowed from ‫‘יהושע‬s side. The problem is we
cannot hold the living water as our cisterns are cracked:
“For My people have done two evils: they have forsaken Me, the
fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns,
cracked cisterns, which do not hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13)
This water in conjunction with the blood and the spirit testifies
to the crucifixion and our salvation
This is the One that came by water and blood: ‫ יהושע‬Messiah,
not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit
who bears witness, because the Spirit is the Truth. Because there
are three who bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the
blood. And the three are in agreement. (1 John 5:6-8 )
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.. and shall shave off all his hair and wash himself in water, and
shall be clean. Then after that he comes into the camp, but shall
stay outside his tent seven days. (Leviticus 14:8 )
You can go back inside the camp, but you can’t go home to your
own tent yet. You will be very obvious in the community with
your body entirely shaved. This is the same look as one who had
completed a Nazarite vow (Num 6:19). The Nazarite has been
completely devoted to the Almighty during the time of his vow.
The metzora has had to learn devotion the hard way. Two ways
of being drawn near …a reverent choice, or by discipline.
Shaving the hair symbolizes the repentant sinner making a clean
break from his past demeaning and animalistic behaviour and
changing his way of living and dealing with others via the use of
his mouth.
Three areas of facial hair to be shaved:
1. Head
Pride, Haughtiness
2. Eyes
Jealousy
3. Mouth
Gossip, Slander
“And on the seventh day it shall be that he shaves all the hair off
his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he
shaves off. And he shall wash his garments and wash his body in
water, and shall be clean. (Leviticus 14:9 )
A week later you repeat the process and prepare for the 8th day
when you will be allowed back into the tabernacle where you
will make your offerings. Finally you will be clean and holy! All
this had to be done for what may have been the sin of gossip, or
a bitter spirit, or a little lie.
You have repented and been healed by the Master’s touch, when
we connect this with what ‫ יהושע‬did. He entered the leper
colony of humanity and healed with a touch those who called
out to Him in repentance.
“Repent therefore and turn back, for the blotting out of your sins,
in order that times of refreshing might come from the presence
of the Master, (Acts 3:19)
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Leviticus 14:10 On the eighth day.
Once again refers to new beginning.
Leviticus 14:14,17 Right ear … thumb of the right hand … toe of
his right foot.
The same procedure was done with the anointing oil when
sanctifying the priests for their service in the Tabernacle.
Indicating that person is now ready to go into the presence of
‫יהוה‬. This clearly shows the gravity of gossip and slander, the
need to repent of it, the need to be atoned for it and the need to
mend our ways in the future.
And ‫ יהוה‬spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, “When you come into
the land of Kenaʽan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a
plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession, then shall the
one who owns the house come and inform the priest, saying, ‘It seems to
me that there is some plague in the house.’ (Leviticus 14:33-35)
This instruction pertains to a house that they shall take possession of
when they get to Canaan. We must note that it is ‫ יהוה‬who puts the
plague of tzara’at on the house.
Living in a house after being a tent-dweller would be quite a change!
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all mentioned in the faith chapter of
Hebrews 11 as “living in tents”:
By belief, he sojourned in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in
tents with Yitsḥaq and Yaʽaqoḇ, the heirs with him of the same promise,
(Hebrews 11:9)
It is much more difficult to accumulate possessions in a tent! Tent living
is community living, whereas in a house the temptation for evil behind
closed doors is easier.
“And he shall look at the plague and see, if the plague is on the
walls of the house with sunken places, greenish or reddish, which
appear to be deep in the wall, then the priest shall go out of the
house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven
days. “And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and
look and see, if the plague has spread on the walls of the house,
then the priest shall command, and they shall remove the stones
with the plague in them, and they shall throw them outside the
city, into an unclean place, (Leviticus 14:37-40)
What happened to people’s skin because of selfishness, gossip,
slander, pride and jealousy also happened to their houses, divine
judgment. And just like the tzara’at the remedy is for the priest
to take away the stones and cast them into an unclean place
outside the city. In 1 Peter 2:5 we are referred to as the “living
stones” . It is a sobering thought that we could be some of the
stones bringing tzara’at to that spiritual house.
you also, as living stones, are being built up, a spiritual house, a
set-apart priesthood, to offer up spiritual slaughter offerings
acceptable to Elohim through ‫ יהושע‬Messiah. (1 Peter 2:5)
In Hebrew thought, a house consists of one who takes a bride. This
concept develops itself all the way throughout Scripture until its grand
finale at the end of Revelation. Other verses show us who His chosen
house is, and what is now placed in the hearts of those who are His
house:
“See, the days are coming,” declares ‫יהוה‬, “when I shall make a new
covenant with the house of Yisra’ĕl and with the house of Yehuḏah .
..“For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after
those days, declares ‫יהוה‬: I shall put My Torah in their inward parts,
and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall
be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the
mountain of ‫יהוה‬, to the House of the Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ, and let Him
teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths, for out of Tsiyon comes
forth the Torah, and the Word of ‫ יהוה‬from Yerushalayim.”(Isaiah 2:3 37
)
‫ יהוה‬is in the process of restoring His holy house, His bride. There
will be no uncleanness found there, not one spot of tzara’at.
For this you know, that no one who whores, nor unclean one, nor
one greedy of gain, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the
reign of Messiah and Elohim.(Ephesians 5:5)
The Messiah is the cornerstone of the house:
Because it is contained in the Scripture, “See, I lay in Tsiyon a
chief corner-stone, chosen, precious, and he who believes on Him
shall by no means be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6 )
‫ יהוה‬has never been soft on sin. Those who refuse to accept
‫’יהושע‬s sin sacrifice will perish in the Lake of Fire. We experience
more grace now than the ancient Israelites did, thanks to ‫’יהושע‬s
death on the cross, but ultimately the sinner will pay the price
for un repented of sin, like gossip, slander, haughtiness, jealousy
and selfishness with his own life resulting in eternal damnation.
What a humbling process before the eyes of the community! It
would be like placing a sign on one’s front door,
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“Here lives a gossip and a selfish person!”
Leviticus 15 Holiness and purity is very important to ‫ יהוה‬in all
situations. Men, at the very least, are to refrain from all physical
relations with their wives during her monthly flow. Any man who has a
problem with this needs to repent of selfishness, uncontrolled
passions and contributing to his wife’s increased chances of getting
cervical cancer.
The laws of niddah apply to a women in her menstrual cycle. This is an
area that many take for granted, but not ‫ יהוה‬in his Torah. A woman’s
body produces life or death depending on whether an egg has been
fertilized or not during the monthly cycle. There are many spiritual
ramifications to this, and ‫ יהוה‬does not treat this matter lightly. While
her egg is passing from her body she is in a state of impurity since, in a
sense, death is occurring (an unfertilized egg is passing out). It is a time
of grieving and emotional turmoil for the woman.
Chapter 15 is arranged in a chiastic structure (parallel statements,
inverted order) with marital relations as its centre. In a chiastic
structure, the centre is always the focal point.
Introduction: discharge is unclean (V. 1-2)
Abnormal male discharge (V. 3-15)
Normal male discharge (V. 16-17)
Marital relations (V. 18)
Normal female discharge (V. 19-24)
Abnormal female discharge (V. 25-30)
Conclusion: keep separate from uncleanness (V. 31-33)
In the case of a metzora, the sinner’s uncleanness and repentance is
public knowledge. In these` cases of chapter 15, the process back to
purity is much more private.
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‘And when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of
semen, they both shall bathe in water, and be unclean until
evening. (Leviticus 15:18)
In Chapters 13 & 14 we saw how ‫ יהוה‬cares a great deal about
what is in the heart of His people. All tzara’at is for the purpose
of the restoration of the entire house (House of Israel), i.e. His
Bride. The earthly picture of marital union, however, only goes
so far. Because man is mortal, there is still uncleanness in their
physical union. But Leviticus 15:18 points to a spiritual union that
is clean and holy. We can get more incite into this in the
following verse:
.. the Messiah is head of the assembly, and He is Saviour of the
body. .. Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for
it, in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the Word, in order to present it to Himself a splendid
assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any of this sort, but that
it might be set-apart and blameless. .. This secret is great, but I
speak concerning Messiah and the assembly. ..(Ephesians 5:22-41
33)
Leviticus 15:8 says that we will be unclean till evening. What evening
could that prophetically be referring to?
And ‫ יהוה‬shall go forth, and He shall fight against those gentiles, as He
fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet shall stand upon the
Mount of Olives, which faces Yerushalayim on the east. And the Mount
of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, a very great valley,
and half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it
toward the south. .. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake
in the days of Uzziyah sovereign of Yehuḏah. And ‫ יהוה‬my Elohim shall
come – all the set-apart ones with You. And in that day it shall be: there
is no light, it is dark. And it shall be one day which is known to ‫יהוה‬,
neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. And in
that day it shall be that living waters flow from Yerushalayim, half of
them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea,
in summer as well as in winter. And ‫ יהוה‬shall be Sovereign over all the
earth. In that day there shall be one ‫יהוה‬, and His Name one.
(Zechariah 14:3-9)
There is day coming that Jerusalem will be cleansed with water 42