This week’s Parasha

Text Box: What does it mean to be called to serve the L-rd? What are the rites of passage? In this week’s Parasha, Chapter 8 of Leviticus deals directly with these questions. Aaron and His sons did not ask for the priesthood. Think about that. Nowhere in scripture does it show Aaron asking Moses for himself to be the High Priest. Nowhere do his sons ask for this to be passed onto them and their descendents. This is significant in that when G-d calls for someone to serve Him in leadership within His chosen people it is not necessarily what the person wanted to do. G-d puts it into our hearts what he wants us to do when we are walking in His ways. Most leaders of synagogues, churches, and congregations I speak with quickly tell how what they are doing is not what they had chosen to do with their lives. It was something where G-d took control of their lives and created such circumstances that they felt they could not deny the calling. The investiture of the priests is something to consider as it is described. They are washed with water. Water has always be symbolic of the Spirit of G-d, the Shekinah. You must first be washed in the Spirit. They are then dressed in the appropriate attire. I do think G-d cares about what we wear when we are serving him. Every one of them were to have their heads covered with headdresses showing their position of leadership and submission to the L-rd at all times. They then are to recognize the sacrifice made on their behalf for sin by laying their hands upon the sacrifice. Then they have the blood of the sacrifice put upon them. (They are cleansed with the blood of the sacrifice) They are then to eat of the sacrifice at the front of the tent of meeting for seven days. The investiture required seven days to complete. Just as the world was made in seven days, the time of passage to serving the L-rd as a priest takes seven days to complete. It is not a process that can be hurried along. During those seven days they are to observe the rituals of the L-rd. The rituals of the L-rd obviously have something to teach to those who are to observe them for seven days before they are fully priests of the most high G-d. These rituals, these actions required by G-d, these things that so often get labeled as religion are very important. People who love to say “I don’t have religion, I have relationship”, seem to be missing that the very word of G-d demands ritual and actions we are called to perform even if we don’t fully understand them. It is the doing of that which makes no sense to us that frequently allows us to see the character of G-d more fully. When Abraham was to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to the L-rd even after the L-rd had told Abraham that he would have many descendents through Isaac, Abraham did not say “I refuse.” He submitted to the L-rd in something that didn’t make sense to him and it is recorded that he acted in faith and it was attributed to him as righteousness. If we are to be righteous before the L-rd we must act in faith to do as he requires, especially when it doesn’t make sense. His priests observed the rituals for seven days to gather deeper understanding of G-d before they were fully invested. It appears, once again, that we are to do and then understand. We are to step out in faith and obedience in order to understand G-d. Selah

Standing Strong

A Messianic Jewish Congregation with an outreach to Believers in Israel

Mar 31, — Command

Lev 6:1– 8:36

Jer 7:21-8, 9:22-23

Matt 5:21-30

Heb 9:1-15