Tzav
Give an order
“Holy Unto Him”
Leviticus 6:1[8]-8:36
Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-23
excerpted from TorahScope, Volume I
In Tzav, our Torah readings shift from being general instructions for the people of Israel, to more specific directions for the priests of Israel. Leviticus chs. 6-7 are particularly concerned with the details for sacrificial offerings and the instructions for various procedures. The Hebrew term torah appears in Leviticus 6:2, 7, 18; 7:1, 7, 11, 37—and so in essence, “instruction” becomes one of the themes of this parashah. Not only were the priests of Israel commanded to perform these regulations, but God had also given specific instructions on how they should be performed. Tzav begins with the word,
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Command Aaron and his sons, saying, “This is the law of the burnt offering: the burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it”’” (Leviticus 6:8-9, WMB).
After this, our selection turns to detailing specific instructions on how Aaron as high priest, and his sons, were to be anointed in their Levitical service. We may see how the anointing oil used represents the Ruach (Spirit), and how blood symbolic of the required atonement for human sin—were both used to separate out these priests for their sacred ministry to the Lord:
“Moses took some of the anointing oil, and some of the blood which was on the altar, and sprinkled it on Aaron, on his garments, and on his sons, and on his sons’ garments with him, and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him” (Leviticus 8:30, WMB).
A Continual Fire or a Living Sacrifice?
As you read and contemplate the statutes listed in Tzav this week, you might be wondering about the symbolism of the various sacrifices, or how a continual burnt offering, would represent something important to those in the camp of Ancient Israel. You might get the impression that after a while these activities and requirements may become somewhat mundane and routine, for those chosen or privileged to perform them. After all, the text states how these sacrifices were to burn continually:
“The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning. He shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out” (Leviticus 6:12-13, WMB).
In some ways, the service of the Levitical priests always offering burnt sacrifices, is not too dissimilar from a bar-b-que pitmaster today. Animal meat has to be continually tended to. Someone needs to be there watching that the fire does not go out. Specific procedures have to be followed to make sure that the directions are complied with.
What might happen if some of the priests were just not fully committed to their mission? Could the work of laying fires and sacrificing animals get a little boring or redundant? Could a priest get so accustomed to the procedures involved, that the spiritual component of what the animal sacrifices represented to the people be overlooked?
When reflecting on Leviticus’ requirement for the priests to offer up a perpetual sacrifice, the concept of being a living sacrifice, as described by the Apostle Paul to the Romans, came to my mind:
“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. For I say through the grace that was given me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Messiah, and individually members of one another, having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us: if prophecy, let’s prophesy according to the proportion of our faith; or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching; or he who exhorts, to his exhorting; he who gives, let him do it with generosity; he who rules, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer, contributing to the needs of the holy ones, and given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits” (Romans 12:1-16, WMB).
Here, in this often quoted passage from the Apostolic Scriptures, Paul exhorted the Romans to offer themselves up as a living sacrifice, which would serve as evidence that they were accomplishing the Lord’s calling for them. This was not just individuals’ service as a living sacrifice, but the Body of Messiah itself functioning together as a living sacrifice. Paul’s words should remind all of us today how we are each uniquely created with different measures of faith, different offices, different gifts, unique talents, and diverse abilities. And yet, as Believers in the Kingdom of God—we are each going to be responsible for conducting ourselves in a manner which is acceptable to our Creator. Each one of the different skills we possess as individuals, is to be used for the purposes of a united Body of Messiah (Romans 12:4). All of us have a responsibility, in some way or another, to be constantly ministering—just like the original Levitical priests who were called to perform various duties as anointed servants of the Most High.
Reading this assessment from the Apostle Paul, I noted how he reminded his audience of one of the major problems which seems to frequently arise with those called to be God’s representatives on Earth. He says, “Be not wise in your own conceits” (Romans 12:16, KJV). For some reason, there can be a tendency for God’s people to think that they have become wise, because of their presumed position before Him. When we do this, we often run the risk of not accomplishing His purposes, because we have lost focus on what it means to live as a “sacrifice.”
Glory in This
Thinking through the proclivity to sacrifice as a mundane routine, but one devoid of any true meaning, I was reminded of how the Prophet Jeremiah addressed some of this problem in our Haftarah reading. After describing the way how the Levitical priests of his day were abusing their roles, he lambasted them with very vivid language:
“‘Yet they didn’t listen to me or incline their ear, but made their neck stiff. They did worse than their fathers. You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you. You shall tell them, “This is the nation that has not listened to the LORD their God’s voice, nor received instruction. Truth has perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” Cut off your hair, and throw it away, and take up a lamentation on the bare heights; for the LORD has rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. For the children of Judah have done that which is evil in my sight,’ says the LORD. ‘They have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it. They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I didn’t command, nor did it come into my mind. Therefore behold, the days come’, says the LORD, ‘that it will no more be called “Topheth” or “The valley of the son of Hinnom”, but “The valley of Slaughter”; for they will bury in Topheth until there is no place to bury. The dead bodies of this people will be food for the birds of the sky, and for the animals of the earth. No one will frighten them away’” (Jeremiah 7:26-33, WMB).
Here, we find that the priests had followed some of the vile practices of the neighboring pagan nations, including child and human sacrifice as the most wicked. Punishment for this sinful behavior was declared by Jeremiah as God’s Prophet. But what is most interesting, is that as the Haftarah selection concludes—in the tradition of not departing a teaching on a negative note—two verses from Jeremiah 9 are considered:
“The LORD says, ‘Don’t let the wise man glory in his wisdom. Don’t let the mighty man glory in his might. Don’t let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he has understanding, and knows me, that I am the LORD who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for I delight in these things,’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:23-24, WMB).
Just as Paul had warned the Romans about being wise in their own estimation, Jeremiah declared earlier how a wise person should not boast out of human achievement or possession. What delights the Lord is that people exercise the virtues of lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness. Doing these things constitute not only holiness, but will always draw His people back to what it means to serve the Lord in some kind of priestly capacity—either in what the Levites were originally called to do, or in what His people as intermediaries between Him and the world at large have been called to do.
Whether the Levitical priests were required to offer up the morning and evening sacrifices on the altar, or whether they were to minister to the poor, afflicted, down hearted, and imprisoned of their day—they were to perform their function faithfully unto Him. God’s people today are to still perform the acts of good service which testify of His love and mercy to all! Such a “priestly” service is even more imperative in this post-resurrection era, where permanent atonement has been offered. Yet as today’s born again Believers accomplish this priestly service, we must have the indwelling power of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to guide us, so the actions we perform for Him do not become mundane or lose their importance.
Are you fulfilling God’s call upon your life to be a part of the Body of Messiah, as a living sacrifice?
