"But He was Pierced for our Transgressions" by CMY

"But He was Pierced for our Transgressions" by CMY
Parashat Hashavua Vayikra / And he called; Year 5763;
By Messianic Jewish Rabbi Jack (Yacob) Farber
http://www.cmy.on.ca/toraportions200...ra/vayikra.htm (Online version)
Congregation Melech Yisrael, Toronto, Canada
Shabbat 5 Nisan 5764, March 27, 2004
http://www.cmy.on.ca / cmy@ca.inter.net

This week's Reading list:
* Vayikra / Leviticus 1.1-5.26
* Yeshayahu / Isaiah 43:21- 44:23
* Messianic Jews / Hebrews 10:1-18

Having completed the Book of Shemot (Exodus) we now enter a new chapter in the teachings of HaShem, the Book of Vayikra. The name we use for this Book of Torah is not its original name; originally it was called Torat Kohanim (Teachings for the Priests). The name we use today, Vayikra, is derived from the first words of the Book which are Vayikra (and He called).

Vayikra {1:1} HaSHEM called to Moshe, and spoke to him out of the Tent of Meeting, saying, {1:2} "Speak to the Bnei Yisrael (Children of Israel), and tell them, 'When anyone of you offers a korban (draw near) to HaSHEM, you shall offer your offering of the cattle, of the herd and of the flock.

It is very easy to read this Book of Torah and come away from it in disgust. I am sure many an animal rights activist is aghast by the Biblical practice of killing innocent animals to supposedly appease an angry G-d. However, although the pagan practice of killing animals, and in the case of the Canaanites, babies, was to appease angry gods, this was not the Biblical purpose. A scholarly study of the Scriptures will reveal that the sacrificial system was instituted as a substitute for the death of human beings. Thus its basis was HaShem’s grace, I will explain.

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) {18.4} Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

The over all theme of the Book of Vayikra and for that matter all of Scripture is the holiness of HaShem. Our G-d, our Creator, and the Creator of the entire universe is holy. So although Yechezkel here speaks specifically of the ‘soul that sins,’ it is through the body that the actions of the soul are manifest. Therefore sin is not only the probable cause of physical death but it is the actual cause of spiritual death. This equates to an immortal soul being eternally separated from a holy G-d, better know as ‘going to hell’.

Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) {7.20} For there is not a just man upon earth, that does good, and sins not.

Herein lays the problem. If every soul that sins dies and there is not a just man on the face of the earth that does not sin, then what does that mean for us? Well it would mean that every one of us is going to die physically, which we do, but worse than that it would mean that our immortal souls, which represent our minds and consciousnesses, would all be doomed to spend eternity in Gahanna (hell).

By the way, the word Gahanna, which is associated with hell, is derived from a Biblical place called the Valley of Hinnom. This place was the garbage dump for the city of Yerushalyim (Jerusalem). The city’s waste was burned there and the smouldering stench of it became a symbol of hell, the place of eternal punishment. It was also in the Valley of Hinnom where pagan Baal worshippers sacrificed children. The Valley of Hinnom was also known as Tophet. Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) the navi (prophet), said that HaShem would burry the wicked of Yerushalyim in Tophet until there was no more room to burry (Yirmeyahu 9.1-13). This prophecy was of course fulfilled by the Romans upon their siege and subsequent capture of the city after Jewish revolt.

So how is a holy G-d able to accept and be in a fellowship relationship with an unholy people? Enter the sacrificial system of Vayikra. Through it, the sentence of death HaShem decreed against man, as a sinner, was atoned for when an innocent yearling, animal died in man's place. Now to those who are animal activists I say, ‘I would much prefer an animal die for my sin instead of me having to die for them"; plus I am sure there is not an animal activist alive, not then or now, that would have volunteered to take one of these animal's place on the mizbeach (altar of sacrifice). However there is someone that did!

We know that the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the wilderness, where these offerings were made, was a copy, a duplicate of the Mishkan which is in heaven.

Ivrim (Hebrews) {9:11} But Messiah being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect Mishkan, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; {9:12} Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Yeshua is the G-d of the Torah (Yeshayahu 9:6). He is G-d manifest in human form for the purpose of paying for the sins of man (Yeshayahu 63:5). As discussed earlier, the decree by HaShem is that sinners must die for their sin. This decree is against man. Animals sacrifice were therefore not to take away the sins of man but rather to point man to the Mashiach to whom the entire Mishkan also pointed. (Hebrews 10). For that reason the sacrificial system of Vayikra was constantly being repeated, day after day year after year. In order that man be declared totally free from the bondage of sin, a man had to die for the sins of man, not an animal. But not any ordinary man could accomplish this because every ordinary man, as we know, is a sinner. A sinner could die for his own sin but not for another’s sin. It is for this reason that G-d manifested Himself as a human, Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah), G-d in the flesh. He was sinless (observed Torah flawlessly, something that ordinary man cannot do), thus qualifying Himself to die for the sins of man once and for all, a man, all be it G-d died for the sins of man. Thus the just G-d became the justifier, in other words G-d satisfied His own law. By becoming a man, He Himself paid the death penalty for all mankind for all time (see the Biblical explanation in Yeshayahu 52:7-53:12).

You too can become a recipient of this divine grace! Simply by acknowledging that you are a sinner, that you cannot save yourself through works, neither of the flesh nor by Torah observance, and believing that Yeshua HaMashiach died and paid the price of death for you. I trust you understand. If you do not, please do not hesitate to contact us for further discussion and explanation.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Jack (Yaacov) Farber
Haleluya L'Adoneinu Moreinu V'Rabeinu Yeshua Melech HaMashiach L'Olam Vaed
Hallelujah for our Lord, our Teacher, our Rabbi, "YESHUA" King Messiah for ever and ever!!!
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Shalom Shalom....

[jedidia]

It`s so interesting that the patterns set forth by God are becoming so clear to us in this age. The death of all those animls just to show we nead a redeemer. The tabernacle and the temple to show God`s need of a place to dwell on earth ( now in His people) The institute of marraige to show the relationship between God and His people.Priests thro-out the century to show what One will do.All are patterns of what He has in mind for Himself, He as the Husband, We as the Bride. We all have it ingrained in us the marraige format and we all need to daily attend to that; as the helper of a just and loving God,who expects us to be there for Him everyday, paying attention to His needs and not to wander after evil. The just shall live by faith, Jehovah will lead.