25 TZAV (give an order); Lev. 6:8-8:36, Luke 4-6

[Bruce Bertram]

The first thing addressed in this section is that the fire for the burnt offering is to be kept burning continually all night. Ashes are disposed of by a priest. We also find out that some of the sacrifices are consumed by the priests, some are burned up totally, and some are eaten by the sacrifice-er (like the peace offering). All atonement sacrifices (blood goes into the Tabernacle) are burned up completely. The guilt offering and the sin offering belong to the priests, and also the skin of anyone’s burnt offering. If a priest offers a grain offering it is burned up completely, but all the other grain offerings belong to the priest for eating.

The peace offering can be offered as a thanksgiving, if so then if must be eaten on the day of offering by the person doing the offering (except for the breast and thigh which is given to the priest as his portion 7:34). If the peace offering is offered as a freewill offering then the meat may be consumed as late as the second day but not left till the third day. It must be completely burned up. If the meat touches anything unclean it must be burned up, and if anyone eats the meat of the peace offering while unclean themselves they must be cut off from the people (executed).

21‘When anyone touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, or an unclean animal, or any unclean detestable thing, and eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which belong to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.’ ” (Leviticus 7:21 NASB95)

The Lord also tells His people not to eat fat from the offerings, and not to eat blood.

Chapter 8 has details for the anointing of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, as well as Aaron and his sons as priests. All the sacrifices are made, blood is put in the appropriate places, and Aaron and his sons stay at the entrance to the tent of meeting for seven days.

Chapter 4 of Luke begins by describing the trials of Jesus in the desert being tempted by the Satan. In all cases, Jesus responds to the temptations by the Word of God, even when the Satan misinterprets and misapplies the Word. The three phrases “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Deut. 8:3); “You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only” (Deut. 6:13 & 10:20); and “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deut. 6:16) serve as a good outline of how we should live as believers. They also point out the effectiveness of the whole of the Word as a defense against assault by the forces of evil.

After the desert experience Jesus goes to the Galilee area and starts to gain a reputation. He winds up in Nazareth, where He is invited to read part of the Scripture reading for that week. The section He reads is from Isaiah 61:1 & 2.

18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, 19To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19 NASB95)

He tells them this has been fulfilled in their presence. At first, the congregants are impressed, but when Jesus tells them that He can’t do anything there like He had done in Capernaum because of lack of faith (giving as examples Elijah and Elisha only ministering to Gentiles instead of Israelites) they get enraged and take Him to a cliff to try and throw Him off. He foils the attempt by ‘passing through the crowd.’

Jesus goes down to Capernaum and again goes to a synagogue on Sabbath, and there casts out a demon who attempts to identify Him as the ‘holy one of God.’ These people, in contrast to the people in Nazareth, are impressed with His authority and His teaching. Leaving the synagogue, Jesus goes to Simon’s home and heals Simon’s mom of a fever. Many other people bring the sick and demon-possessed to Him and He heals them all. He silences the demons by commanding them not to speak of who He is. Then He goes out to a place of solitude to pray and the people track Him down and beg Him to stay, but He says He has to go to other cities also. He goes over to the Lake of Gennasaret (sea of Galilee) and teaches, gives some fishing pointers to Simon Peter and James and John who were Peter’s partners, and they haul in so many fish the nets almost break. They recognize Him for someone special and leave their business to follow Jesus.

While Jesus was in another city in the area, a leper asks if He would be willing to make him clean. Jesus said He was, so the man was healed of his leprosy. Jesus instructs him to make the required offerings as written in the Law. Jesus tries to keep His reputation from spreading by telling the leper not to tell what happened, but the reputation keeps growing anyway. Later, Jesus was teaching in a crowded place with some of the religious leaders in attendance, and some people lowered a friend down through the roof so he could get to Jesus. Jesus starts the healing process by saying the man’s sins were forgiven, but the leaders secretly question that anyone but God can forgive sins. Jesus perceives their hearts, and asks, “Which is easier, to say ‘your sins or forgiven’ or ‘pick up your mat and walk?’” But to show that He had the authority to forgive sins, Jesus tells the man to pick up his mat and go home. The man does, and the people are astonished.

At a party later at Levi’s house, after Jesus called him to follow, some more religious leaders were grumbling about the fact that the disciples were eating and drinking with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus says that people who are sick are the ones that need a doctor’s help, not those who are well, and that He had not come to call righteous people to repentance but sinners. He goes on to illustrate this point by telling parables of a bridegroom, patching cloth, and wine in new wineskins. Next the disciples are walking through some fields on Sabbath and pick grain to eat. The religious leaders complain, saying they are violating the Sabbath. Jesus in turn explains that David was able to eat the showbread in the Temple and did not suffer harm because of it. In another instance a man with a withered hand was healed on the Sabbath, and at the same time Jesus asked if it was okay to do good on the Sabbath, to heal? Instead of rejoicing that the man was healed, the religious leaders are filled with rage.

Jesus goes off to pray around this time, then picks the 12 disciples, including Judas the betrayer. Crowds are gathered around Him, as usual, and there is a lot of healing going on. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach some principles of godly living, including blessing enemies, giving more than is asked, and turning the other cheek. He also speaks of mercy, and that the measure we use on other people will be used on us. Jesus uses parables of good and bad fruit, the blind leading the blind, logs and splinters, and a pupil not being above his master to illustrate His points. Rounding off this series, He asks why people call Him ‘Lord’ but don’t do what He says? Then He uses the parable of a house built on a strong foundation to highlight what He means. The person who does what Jesus says builds on a strong foundation, but the person who just hears has a house on a poor foundation, that will not hold through a storm.

[Bruce Bertram]

In this weekly reading portion, God describes some more sacrifices, and Moses anoints Aaron and sons for the beginning of the Levitical priesthood. Apparently this ceremony was necessary to impart authority to Aaron to offer sacrifices for Israel, in particular the annual Atonement sacrifice. If he or his sons did not follow the regulations to the letter, both for themselves as well as for others, then the result would be atonement refused or even death.

A question occurred to me as I was reading about Aaron getting set up for office by Moses – who anointed Moses? Where did he get the authority to set up the Levitical priesthood? Authority has to flow from someone who has it to someone who doesn’t, in other words, from the greater to the lesser. The writer of Hebrews tells us something similar when speaking of Abraham and Melchizedek.

7But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. (Hebrews 7:7 NASB95)

Jesus also says something like this in our Luke passage.

40“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40 NASB95)

Melchizedek is a person who seems to carry authority without a ceremony (although we don’t quite know everything about Melchizedek that we would like to know about his background), because he accepts tithes from Abraham (Genesis 14:18 ) in a manner similar to the Levites and the people of Israel at this point in time. There is no ceremony I can get from the text for Moses, however.

What ceremony was used to confer authority to Moses? When did he go through something like what Aaron and sons went through? I reflected on Moses’ life, all the way back to his boat trip on the Nile River, and couldn’t think of a single place where we were told that blood was shed or that he had to wear special clothes or anything else. Jesus, as described in the early chapters of Luke, also did not seem to go through a ceremony like Aaron’s, and neither did John the Baptist. So here are four people who hold authority, yet did not get it assigned to them in the way Aaron did (as near as we can tell from the text). Where did it come from, and how was it conferred?

Of John the Baptist it is only said that “the Word of God came to John” (Luke 3:2) and that he preached a baptism of repentance. Can you imagine this? I’m reading into the text a little, but apparently God tells John to simply dunk people in the water out in the desert. He didn’t even go to where the people were – they came to him. And he didn’t do anything except preach and dunk. No healings, no raising the dead, and no walking on water for him. Speaking of walking on water, Jesus gets baptized by John, which could be a ceremony I suppose, because He is the only one of the baptizees to have the Spirit descend on Him in the form of a dove (3:22) accompanied by a voice from heaven expressing satisfaction. He did, however, go through a 40 day trial in the desert, fasting and being tested by the enemy. Perhaps this was a ceremony or part of a ceremony. Moses spent a multiple of 40 (years) in the desert too after killing the Egyptian overseer (but perhaps this was more like a jail sentence). John was also in the desert, so is time in the desert the way to get authority? Mmm, probably not, although it might be helpful as a testing or discipline process. No, there’s gotta be something more to getting authority than just a trip to the desert.

Jesus did not have authority as a Levitical priest, but Hebrews tells us that His authority was actually greater, because it is like the authority of Melchizedek.

14For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. 15And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, 16who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. 17For it is attested of Him, “YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.” 18For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness 19(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. (Hebrews 7:14-19 NASB95)

One key to the authority of Jesus is in verse 16 – “the power of an indestructible life.” This could be shared by John and Moses. But still, I could find no common ceremony between Moses, John, and Jesus (or Melchizedek).

Jesus had (and has) a lot of authority which was (and is) recognized by the people around Him.

31And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; 32and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. (Luke 4:31-32 NASB95)

36And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.” (Luke 4:36 NASB95)

We might be getting closer to some of the reason for the granting of authority to these three when reviewing what Jesus says in several places.

42Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. (John 8:42 NASB95)

49“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50“I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (John 12:49-50 NASB95)

Here is a commonality between Moses, John, and Jesus – God sent them. It is also apparent that He sent them with a particular task in mind and gave them the Words to deliver.

10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:10-15 NASB95)

Here’s what I have gathered so far. These three did not get their authority from men, but directly from God. They were picked (“He sent me”) prepared (gifts, power, discipled) and given the plan (the Word of God – “The words I say I do not speak on my own initiative”). Working these ideas back to Moses, we see that he was formally being given authority at the burning bush. There, he was picked, prepared, and given a plan. He went back, showed the elders of Israel the signs, and told them it was time to go. The plagues were part of the plan, but also served to validate the authority of Moses to implement the plan. If it had not been according to the plan of God, I doubt that Moses could’ve thrown his weight around as he did with Pharaoh. John and Jesus are similarly treated, in that they were picked, prepared, and given the plan directly by God instead of through an intermediary like the Aaronic priesthood.

The messengers have authority only as long as they stay within the boundaries God gives them. If they stay in His Word, they have authority. If they were to stray outside of that (as Moses will do soon in our reading schedule by striking the rock instead of speaking to it) then consequences result.

So how does this apply to the average believer? Where do we get our authority, since we do not have formal ceremonies such as the Levitical priests? Do we follow the same path as Moses, John and Jesus? I think we do. We are also picked (“from now on you will be catching men” Luke 5:10 and other places such as John 10:26-29) prepared (given tools such as the Holy Spirit) and given the plan, which is the Word of God. Our task is to spread the Word and make disciples as Jesus says below in the Matthew reference. Moses, John, and Jesus got their commissions and authority directly from God. In a similar fashion, believers may not have been anointed in such a fashion as Aaron, but we have been given authority also.

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB95) See also Mark 16:15.

God sets up authorities (Romans 13:1-7) yet each are only given what it is due. All authority is only obeyed if it stays within the plan set out for it by God. If an authority strays, even if it claims to be an “angel of light,” it does not have title to unquestioning obedience from anyone.

12But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the matter about which they are boasting. 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. (2 Corinthians 11:12-15 NASB95)

The apostles, for instance, were told not to speak in the name of Jesus, but did anyway because it was outside of the authority of the Sanhedrin to prohibit them from doing so.

18And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18-20 NASB95)

As long as we stick with God’s plan (the Word of God) and use our authority only within the Word, we maintain this authority and are an effective kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6, 5:10) after the order of Melchizedek in our own right, apart from Aaron. In the authority that is given to us, we can feel free to preach Jesus (and the whole of the Word) in spite of warnings to the contrary.

1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4 NASB95)

Shalom

[Bruce Bertram]

Leviticus 6:1(8) - 8:36; Malachi 3:4-24; Jeremiah 7:21 - 8:3; 9:22-23; Luke 4 through 6; Mark 12:28-34; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:14-23; Hebrews 8:1-6

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:8–12, ESV)

To test or not to test, that is the question. There are two kinds of tests for God. One is to test Him with disobedience, which brings curses. The other is to test Him with obedience and see if He doesn’t pour forth the blessings He promised.

There are also two kinds of testing for people. One is for when we disobey, to bring us back to Him. The other comes within a walk of faith, to expose weakness or prove strength. All four forms of testing are on display with Jesus in the desert in Luke 4.

His testing as a human exposed no weakness, though His flesh was in a weakened condition. He proved His strength, which is trust and obedience to God. On the flip side, Satan could have taken and passed the test of obedience, but opted for testing God through his disobedience. Hammering a guy when he’s down is the epitome of Satan’s kingdom. It is the hallmark of his drive to pull down anything connected with God’s goodness and set himself up as the ruler of the cosmos. Jesus stayed true to God in the testing, using obedience to the Word as a positive defense against the wiles of the deceiver.

One of the responses from Jesus seems to contradict our passage in Malachi. Jesus says not to test God (Luke 4:12, a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16). Literally, Jesus says, “Don’t test God with a test.” The passage from which this quote comes refers to the testing of God by Israel at Massah (the ‘no water’ incident – see also Meribah). Yet Malachi relates to us that God wants to be tested. The resolution of the apparent conflict is that God desires to be tested through obedience, not by disobedience.

“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. (Deuteronomy 6:16–19, ESV)

There are all sorts of blessings associated with following His Word, His Law. There are also assorted curses that come with disobedience. See the lists in Deuteronomy 27, 28 for instance. These blessings and curses are not limited to Israel.

It is not with you alone that I am making this sworn covenant, but with whoever is standing here with us today before the LORD our God, and with whoever is not here with us today. (Deuteronomy 29:14–15, ESV)

Israel is all those who follow God. All believers are grafted into this body which has been around since the beginning. Paul links us together also when he speaks of Christ being in the wilderness with Israel.

We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. (1 Corinthians 10:9–10, ESV)

Obedience is a universal concept. Someday everyone will obey, voluntarily (believers with God in the holy city) or not (unbelievers in the lake of fire). Believers keep His charge (His Law, His Word) and unbelievers do not see any profit in it.

“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ” (Malachi 3:13–15, ESV)

Believers speak to one another in the Word, reminding and encouraging others to follow and stay strong in their devotional love towards God and His Son. God tests us in this, and He is recording the results. Whether people are for Him or against Him, He keeps track of the test results and will reward those whose hearts are completely His (2 Chronicles 16:9).

Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. (Malachi 3:16–18, ESV)

Shalom
Bruce