Haftarah Tetzaveh
“God’s Glory”
Ezekiel 43:10-27
excerpted from TorahScope Haftarah Exhortations
Contemplating the glory of the Lord from the pages of the Holy Scripture, does not necessarily do justice to what the presence of His glory actually entails. Reading details about the candelabra, olive oil, sacred garments and accoutrements for priests, or even the elaborate instructions about anointing the priests and consecrating the altar—still can leave a person somewhat empty, without something more tangible to draw upon. No doubt, when we ponder the work to bring clear beaten olive oil into the sanctuary of God, for a continually burning lamp of testimony, the visual image and symbolic illustration is stunning:
“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).
In this same section of Exodus, after considering the various aspects of the priesthood, the description of the continual morning and evening sacrifices is given. It is punctuated by the statement that God would not only consecrate the place of meeting, but most importantly, consecrate the priests who would be ministering unto Him. The admonition was to continually maintain the burning lamp and provide a burnt offering. It was to ascend to the Lord in Heaven, as He dwelt among them:
“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 29:39-46, WMB).
When the Sages looked to the Tanakh for a complementary passage to this week’s parashah (Exodus 27:20-30:10), invoking similar thoughts and images of God’s glory in the midst His people, the Prophet Ezekiel’s visions of a future Temple indwelt by the Holy One of Israel, were chosen. In Ezekiel 43:10-27, he described the anticipated Temple which will extend the holiness of the glory of God (Ezekiel 43:12) to the entire mountaintop. Chosen Zadokites will minister unto Him (Ezekiel 43:19).[1] While the details of the future Temple expand upon the original instructions given to Moses regarding the Holy Place, and are not exactly the same, it is hard to avoid the connections present between the two passages. Both include a consecration requiring seven days of sacrifices to the Lord:
“You shall do so to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. You shall consecrate them seven days. Every day you shall offer the bull of sin offering for atonement. You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it. You shall anoint it, to sanctify it. Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall be holy. 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” (Exodus 29:35-42, WMB).
“‘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. You shall take of its blood and put it on its four horns, and on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around. You shall cleanse it and make atonement for it that way. You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place of the house, outside of the sanctuary. On the second day you shall offer a male goat without defect for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without defect and a ram out of the flock without defect. You shall bring them near to the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt on them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering to the LORD. Seven days you shall prepare every day a goat for a sin offering. They shall also prepare a young bull and a ram out of the flock, without defect. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and purify it. So shall they consecrate it. When they have accomplished the days, it shall be that on the eighth day and onward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings on the altar and your peace offerings. Then I will accept you,’ says the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 43:19-27, WMB).
In the Ezekiel passage, in addition to the sacrifice of cattle and sheep, there is also the sacrifice of goats. Perceiving this as an “alteration” of commandments originally given to Moses, there was some consternation among the Sages, to the point of almost disregarding the Book of Ezekiel from the Tanakh.[2] However, after much debate, the Sages eventually concluded that Ezekiel’s Temple was actually going to be a third Temple, to be built after the restoration of all Israel in the Messianic Age.
As we contemplate Tetzaveh this week, in conjunction with Ezekiel 43:10-27, the elements of consecrating the altar at the Holy Place where God’s glory resides, with a continually burning light and sacrifice being offered, is a motivating image. Imagining the procedures conducted in the courtyard of the Tabernacle during the wilderness sojourn, on the Temple Mount in either the First or Second Temples, or in the future Temple prophesied by Ezekiel, allows us to fathom God’s eternal holiness. Meditating upon these actions also reveals what He requires for His followers, to properly appreciate their relationship with Him. God requires us to consider blood sacrifices, which remind us that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). The continual sacrifices of animals, over and over again, shows us that it is only the single sacrifice of Yeshua to which we can turn for a permanent covering of our sins:
“For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:26-27, WMB).
How thankful are those of us who live today must be—recognizing the blood sacrifice of the Messiah Yeshua, which accomplished atonement for our sin once and for all (Galatians 3:13)! Once again, we can picture this sacrifice—yet beyond this merciful act, we can also imagine the blessed resurrection which followed (Acts 1:22). We can even envision the Messiah seated at the right hand of the Father (Romans 8:34), interceding for us in Heaven.
While Yeshua the Messiah has accomplished a permanent atonement for human sin, during His Millennial reign as seen in Ezekiel, there will be some kind of animal sacrifices. In all likelihood, these animal sacrifices will serve as a memorial of His final sacrifice for us, being a reminder to those who will be born during this time of relative peace of what the Messiah endured. If you are confused, do note how He will be there to explain these sacrifices. Of course, when the New Heavens and New Earth finally do manifest (Revelation 21:1), there will be no future need for any kind of sacrifices. A new form of existence will be present.
What can the offering of animal sacrifices teach us? The Apostle Paul said some things about what someone can do, beyond simply imagining or picturing various sacrifices. He exhorted the Romans to present themselves to God as a living sacrifice. Individuals of high quality—just like animals offered before God—were to compose a “sacrifice” of service to God. Here, the concept of continually being a light to the world, and offering one’s body as an acceptable sacrifice, was encouraged:
“Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2, WMB).
In order to be a good sacrifice, we need to guard ourselves against the evil world system, and instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This can take place through prayer, worship, and a diligent and consistent study of the Scriptures—which will allow the good and acceptable will of our Father to be accomplished. If you are able to do this, then the glory of God will be evident in your life. Your sensitivity to His will for your life will be sought and followed. When you get to the point of sifting your thoughts through His Word and His thoughts, then you will be far more apt to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as opposed to your flesh. This is a wonderful place in which to find yourself, because your actions will allow the Holy One to accomplish all the things He has created to be done through you!
God’s glory will be evident, and in the end your life will be a pleasing sacrificial aroma to Him. What a wonderful result to contemplate for choices made and actions taken!
NOTES
[1] The priests from the line of Zadok are noted because they were the priests who aligned themselves with King David and his chosen heir King Solomon, rather than Absalom or Adonijah, when the succession struggles occurred (2 Samuel 15:24-29, 35; 17:15; 19:12, 1 Kings 1:8, 32).
[2] Cf. Nahum M. Sarna, “Haftarah for T’tzavveh,” in David L. Lieber, Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary (New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2001), 522.