Reflection for Tetzaveh
“A Perpetual Priesthood”
Philippians 4:10-20
excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections
Our Torah portion for this week, Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10), continues with a description of not only the materials, but also some of the specifics, of what the Lord required of the Israelites to worship Him. After the details of the Tabernacle and its accoutrements were completed, the need to bring pure beaten olive oil to light the menorah in the Tabernacle is recorded. In the opening verses of Tetzaveh, it is stated that these requirements for communing with the Almighty will be done continually (from evening to morning) throughout the generations of the Israelites:
“You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil which is before the covenant, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel” (Exodus 27:20-21, WMB).
The Lord required the people of Israel to continually bring olive oil to those who would minister by the light of the menorah—somewhat reminiscent of what Zechariah envisioned when he saw the lampstand in Heaven (Zechariah 4:1-5, 11-14)—but He also specifically chose those who were to carry out the tasks of the continual ministry. At this particular time in the desert sojourn, Aaron and his sons were chosen for this role. Further clarification comes as the parashah turns to describing the priesthood and priestly vestments. Readers see not only the consecration and ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests, but the need for the role of those in priestly service for perpetuity:
“You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram. Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood, and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot; and sprinkle the blood around on the altar. You shall take of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron, and on his garments, and on his sons, and on the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be made holy, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him. Also you shall take some of the ram’s fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the cover of the liver, the two kidneys, the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), and one loaf of bread, one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. You shall put all of this in Aaron’s hands, and in his sons’ hands, and shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. You shall take them from their hands, and burn them on the altar on the burnt offering, for a pleasant aroma before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire to the LORD. You shall take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD. It shall be your portion. You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is raised up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons. It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering. It shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to the LORD. The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him, to be anointed in them, and to be consecrated in them” (Exodus 29:19-29, WMB).
The need to continually offer up sacrifices before God, is also described in Tetzaveh, as Aaron and his sons were designated to minister as priests to Him:
“Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening; and with the one lamb a tenth part of an efah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering. The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you. There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory. I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister to me in the priest’s office. I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. They shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them: I am the LORD their God” (Exodus 29:38-46, WMB).
In the pre-resurrection era, the Levitical priesthood was specifically chosen to serve as the representative priests for Ancient Israel, maintaining the Tabernacle and Temple, offering the prescribed sacrifices, and making sure that the significant religious rituals of the people were honored. Yet, the Israelites themselves were called out to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests, before receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai:
“‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:5-6, WMB).
While the Levites had specific priestly duties to perform, all within Israel had a priestly service to accomplish, in representing God to the nations of the Earth.
The Haftarah reading for Tetzaveh, Ezekiel 43:10-27, anticipates something very special for the long term future. Prophesying about the future Millennial Temple, Ezekiel described how the sons of Zadok, who were connected to the priest loyal to King David (2 Samuel 15:24-29, 35; 17:15; 19:12) and King Solomon (1 Kings 1:8, 32), will be able to minister to the Lord:
“‘You shall give to the Levitical priests who are of the offspring of Zadok, who are near to me, to minister to me,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘a young bull for a sin offering’” (Ezekiel 43:19, WMB).
“‘But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. They shall stand before me to offer to me the fat and the blood,’ says the Lord GOD. ‘They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my instruction’” (Ezekiel 44:15-16, WMB).
By looking to the past Levitical priesthood guided by Aaron’s lineage, and then into this future priestly service with the sons of Zadok, one can understand that the priesthood of Israel is subject to some changes. This is buttressed by the fact that Israel itself is supposed to be a nation of priests. By extension, all those who acknowledge Israel’s God and Messiah are called into a kind of priestly service, in representing their faith to the world. Just as the menorah was to burn brightly in the Tabernacle and Temple, light is supposed to usher forth from Believers’ lives as they serve the interests of the good news. The Messiah Himself serves humanity at large in Heaven, performing a priestly service modeled after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews chs. 5-7). Whether a “priesthood” is likened to be Levitical, Melchizedekian, or is rather general—the themes of serving as priests are quite important to the message of the Scriptures.
One of the most significant and influential figures in the Bible is the Apostle Paul, who was specifically called by the Lord for a unique ministry service (cf. Acts 9:15-20). After his Damascus Road experience, Paul’s unique background as a Pharisee and Roman citizen, enabled him to have a special position, as one who could minister to broad groups of First Century people. Reading through the Book of Acts, we see how Paul was not only used mightily to help proclaim the good news to his fellow Jews and those from the nations, but he was also able to help mentor many of the early congregations and fellowships of Messiah followers in the Mediterranean. Even though Paul had once tried to destroy the Messianic movement, he became one of the leading spokespersons for it. Paul’s letters were able to help guide the First Century ekklēsia, and they remain at the forefront for anyone who hopes to really understand the trajectory of the Scriptures and God’s plan for His people.
The suggested Apostolic Scriptures verses, to read along with Tetzaveh, come from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul was very thankful for the Philippians’ financial support of his ministry efforts, as he certainly did have to fulfill a priestly-type of calling in the service of the Messiah Yeshua. Paul dedicated his time and his life to furthering the work of the Kingdom, declaring Yeshua to be the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. As you consider Philippians 4:10-20, you may see a few parallels between the prescriptions regarding Aaron and the Levitical priesthood, or the role of the prophesied role of the Zadokites. Paul was totally dedicated to his role as a servant and minister of the Lord, without any complaining about his priestly-type duties, in spite of the challenges and suffering he endured:
“But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Messiah who strengthens me. However you did well that you shared in my affliction. You yourselves also know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the Good News, when I departed from Macedonia, no assembly shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent once and again to my need. Not that I seek for the gift, but I seek for the fruit that increases to your account. But I have all things and abound. I am filled, having received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice to God. My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Messiah Yeshua. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever! Amen” (Philippians 4:10-20, WMB).
The Apostle Paul, as a fully dedicated servant of Yeshua, learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself. He understood that through his faith and confidence in Yeshua, he could do all things, as he would be strengthened during the challenges of life. Paul was thankful for the heartfelt gifts he received, recognizing that his Philippian friends who had contributed to his ministerial work, had sacrificed in order to support his efforts. He commended them for their generosity, comparing their gifts to being like a well-pleasing sacrifice offered to God. They enabled Paul to be the significant light which he was, even while in Roman imprisonment.
In Exodus 27:20-21, Ancient Israel was commanded to continually bring forth the beaten oil, so that the menorah could continue to shine light. This depicts how the people themselves were to serve as God’s light to the world at large. We know that not only is Yeshua the Messiah the light of the world (Luke 2:32), but that even Paul associated himself as being light (Acts 13:42)—as both had the Prophet Isaiah’s descriptions of the or goyim applied to them:
“This is what the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts, says: ‘I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. Who is like me? Who will call, and will declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? Let them declare the things that are coming, and that will happen’” (Isaiah 42:6-7, WMB).
“Indeed, he says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.’ The LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: ‘Kings shall see and rise up, princes, and they shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you’” (Isaiah 49:6-7, WMB).
In the case of Paul, whether it was his ability to proclaim the good news to Jews, Greeks, and Romans—or write rhetorically packed epistles to diverse assemblies of Believers—he served as a light of God to the world. He continued in the kind of calling which the Levites originally had, and which Ancient Israel was commissioned by God to be. Countless others throughout history have laid down their lives and their personal goals and ambitions, to spread the gospel to the world, or simply minister as beacons of God’s goodness via acts of human service.
Today, we see that the need for God’s people to serve in a priestly capacity continues—just like in the days of Aaron or Paul, or as it will be in the future with the Zadokites. While there are some who are specially called into the full time service of the Lord in ministry, all of us as Messiah followers are to function in some kind of priestly capacity. This is true whether we are prosperous, or have humble means. The need to shine God’s light to the world at large—on whatever level—will always be the role of the priesthood of Believers.
It should be our prayer that everyone will serve in their priestly calling to the best of their abilities. In so doing, the Kingdom will come, and His will shall be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. To Him be all the glory!
