Vayikra
He called
“A Witness Who Keeps Silent”
Leviticus 1:1-5:26[6:7]
Isaiah 43:21-44:23
excerpted from TorahScope, Volume II
As we begin to examine the Book of Leviticus, the Torah student gets an opportunity to study the sacrificial system, which was instituted by the Lord to cover the transgressions of His people. In Exodus, the Ancient Israelites had just completed the construction of the Tabernacle, and witnessed God’s glory descend upon it. The weight (Heb. kavod) of His presence was so intense, that Moses was not able to enter the Tent of Meeting, in order to communicate directly with the Almighty (Exodus 40:34-35).
There is little doubt that at the close of the Book of Exodus, Moses’ credibility and reputation with the people of Israel was at its pinnacle. Moses revealed God’s instructions on how to build the Tabernacle and all of its accoutrements, and they were followed to precision. The result had to be an awesome sight to these former Egyptian slaves, who were privileged to participate in the construction projects. From a distance, they were all eyewitnesses to the pillars of fire and cloud, which were guiding them by night and day—but now the manifestation of God’s presence was preventing access to the awesome structure.
It is at this point that the Torah prescribed the sacrificial system, which Moses was given directly from God in the Tent of Meeting. Without any significant interruption in the text, it appears that the Lord, from His new location in the midst of Israel, began to address the need for the individual atonement of the sins of the people:
“The LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When anyone of you offers an offering to the LORD, you shall offer your offering of the livestock, from the herd and from the flock. If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without defect. He shall offer it at the door of the Tent of Meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bull before the LORD. Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall present the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the door of the Tent of Meeting”’” (Leviticus 1:1-5, WMB).
In these opening verses of Leviticus, we discover that the sacrifices for transgressions were intended to be quite personal. The one who was guilty of sin was instructed to place his hands on the head of the animal, which had been chosen from the herd, onto which the sin guilt would be transferred. The individual is told that “He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord” (Leviticus 1:5, NIV), and then Aaron and his sons were to take the blood and offer and sprinkle it in the appropriate places. Can you imagine the impact this ceremony would have on you if you were required to participate in this ritual? If you have ever slaughtered an animal—which the great majority of modern-day people have never done—you might have some understanding of the significance of what was mandatory. But can you visualize actually placing your hands on an innocent animal’s head, with the knowledge that your sin has required a blood atonement—in order for you to be restored to a right relationship with God? From an economic standpoint, what would happen if you had to slaughter your prize bull, in order to affect a degree of reconciliation with the Creator?
Many of these thoughts are difficult to fathom, but as you read through the Book of Leviticus, the variety of offerings and their significance, for the array of sins of commission and sins of omission, can be a bit overwhelming. It is understandable that many, especially in the nearly two millennia since the Second Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, have had a tendency to not really comprehend what was being communicated in passages such as these. Since Yeshua’s atoning work for sinful humanity at Golgotha (Calvary), the propensity for His followers to focus on His permanent sacrifice, has understandably outweighed the study of the Book of Leviticus in most Christian teaching. As a result, the ability, to personalize the gravity of sin and what was required to restore a right relationship with God, has been largely mitigated. Many Believers simply claim the “blood of Yeshua” when they transgress the Father’s will—if they are even aware of what it is—at too many times resulting in very little, if any, spiritual growth toward maturity. While none of us should ever be found degrading or downplaying the eternal salvation available in the Son of God (cf. Hebrews 10:29), how can we appreciate such salvation if we do not first appreciate the sacrificial system of Leviticus?
This is one of the primary reasons, why the Lord today has convicted many Believers to return to a consistent study of the Torah. By actually reading through this Torah portion, Vayikra, and meditating upon some or all of the sins which required atonement, one should be able to analyze areas of his or her life where some “fine tuning” would be appropriate. Who among us is not personally guilty of various sins of commission or omission at times? Even if we have experienced the transformative power of the good news, having received the Lord Yeshua into our hearts—are there not areas of our lives which need (significant) improvement? How frequently do we fail to really consider the gravity of the words of 1 John 1:8-10?
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10, WMB).
I trust that many of you reading this commentary have taken care of the bulk of the sinful habits and behaviors, which might have once been present in your life. But, among those areas you know do need to change, have you been completely honest with yourself? Does sin truly have no influence at all over you?
Interestingly, I have seen 1 John 1:8-10 described in the past as a “Christian confessional bar of soap,” as God is able to forgive us and cleanse us of all our sin and guilt if we ask Him. Our sin nature inherited in Adam, can still at times have a tendency to negatively influence us, our decisions, our thoughts and demeanor, and how we conduct ourselves in the workplace and in family life. The Apostle John described some of the significant benefits of a true salvation experience, as Believers are to have each become redeemed children of God, who are experiencing victory over sin and lawlessness:
“That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah. And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled. This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 3:1-10, WMB).
Here, we see that John clarified the concept of sin, and the fact that when Believers are in Him and abiding in Him they do not sin. But the problem is that in our spiritual journey, the sanctification process takes time, and a knowledge of just what sin is—and what righteousness is—is mandatory in order for us to mature. Take this one example from Vayikra as a starter in your personal appraisal:
“If anyone sins, in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, he being a witness, whether he has seen or known, if he doesn’t report it, then he shall bear his iniquity” (Leviticus 5:1, WMB).
Have you ever been in a predicament, when you were a primary eyewitness to some sinful circumstances being investigated or adjudicated by some authority? This could be a civil or criminal offense, from a minor misdemeanor to a felony. Perhaps you did not want to be involved in the investigation or prosecution, because of your relationship to the offender. Or perhaps you were concerned about your potential loss of time. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons, you might have justified your decision to act ignorant to the circumstances. By doing so, did you know that you were not only disobeying secular law, but also God’s Law?
Perhaps by thinking and meditating on many of the different implications from this single commandment, you can hopefully become a better corporate citizen to the community where you live. If you do not come forward, then the Torah of Moses says that you will bear the guilt of the offender! I urge you to consider this, and recall some instances in your life when you should have stood up to say something.
What if you are an employee at a company, and you witness some people stealing some of the company pens and paper for their own personal use? What if the owner of the company asks all the employees to report any known offenders? Are you going to come to the employer and report what you have witnessed? Or are you going to remain silent and bear the guilt of the offender? At least consider the possibility that if you do not come forward and say something, that all employees could be penalized if the situation remains unresolved. Do you really want to lose pay, vacation time, or be laid off because of someone else’s transgression?
On a spiritual level, when we witness our brothers or sisters in sin, there is an admonition which allows us to deal with them in love. In his final statement in his epistle, James gave a strong encouragement to go to fellow members of the faith community, in order to save them:
“Brothers, if any among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20, WMB).
This is a strong parallel passage which echoed the words of Yeshua, when He was instructing His Disciples about how to deal with issues of sin in the community:
“If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained back your brother. But if he doesn’t listen, take one or two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established [Deuteronomy 19:15]. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you as a Gentile or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17, WMB).
The problem we face on all of these levels throughout the world, is that most people do not know the ramifications of a Torah commandment like Leviticus 5:1. If we understood the guilt of our lack of performance to testify, when we have personal knowledge of some offense, then perhaps we would follow the instructions. In so doing, our culture may improve as offenders are duly prosecuted. Companies would avoid the loss of assets from internal theft. Our assemblies and congregations would function more righteously as the “sin in the camp” is properly handled. Most importantly, those who refuse to confront flagrant sin they have personal knowledge about, would not be burdened with the guilt which should rest upon the offender, rather than the one who keeps silent.
If you take the time to reflect upon all of the different offerings in this portion, I am confident that you will be able to identify with some of the different sins of commission or omission, and perhaps let the indwelling Spirit convict you of where you need to confess, repent, and be restored to His grace. The following is an appropriate summary I would ask you to reflect upon before our Heavenly Father:
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘If anyone commits a trespass, and sins unwittingly regarding the LORD’s holy things, then he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD: a ram without defect from the flock, according to your estimation in silver by shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering. He shall make restitution for that which he has done wrong regarding the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part to it, and give it to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and he will be forgiven. If anyone sins, doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, though he didn’t know it, he is still guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. He shall bring a ram without defect from of the flock, according to your estimation, for a trespass offering, to the priest; and the priest shall make atonement for him concerning the thing in which he sinned and didn’t know it, and he will be forgiven. It is a trespass offering. He is certainly guilty before the LORD’” (Leviticus 5:14-19, WMB).
Comprehending the sacrificial system of Leviticus more fully, is a blessing to those who take the time to meditate on the ramifications of intentional or unintentional disobedience. By doing so, it gives the revelatory power of the indwelling Spirit the opportunity to expose areas of your life which need to be dealt with through confession and repentance. As a result, those who are seeking the truth, while being led and taught by the Holy Spirit, have an opportunity to develop a deeper and more profound walk with the Lord, as they work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:11-13). And, unlike the Ancient Israelites who would have to offer various animal sacrifices over and over again—we can walk in the assurance that with the arrival of Yeshua the Messiah and His permanent sacrifice—that an everlasting solution to the guilt incurred by sin, is available to all those who place their trust in Him!
