SUMMARY 3: Leviticus (Uyiqara)
CONTEXT
The KEY for deciphering Leviticus today in the 21st Century (and not end up a freaky robed, bearded, tsited, religious weirdo) is to understand that most of the specific Instructions given to Moses on the Mt were for a specific group of people, living in a very unique wilderness circumstance, having just been delivered from a massive pagan idolatrous society of wickedness. 3 million (mixed-raced) people were now crammed into confined living spaces, `tenting it up' at Sinai, and Yahusha had to re-teach them even the most basic of hygiene, food and common sense living . . . as well as how to approach Him and behave appropriately . . . because this nation was all new, with no idea what to do or how to behave.
So the KEY for us today is to see that the Instructions given to Moses are all inspired truth, even if alot of the practicalities don't apply to our living situations (and shouldn't be forced too) . . .
This is the KEY and common thread throughout Leviticus:
EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD (OUTSIDE NATIONS) ARE DOING THIS . . . I WANT YOU TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS . . . AND BE SET-APART.
EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD THINKS THIS IS ACCEPTABLE (A GOOD AND FINE WAY TO LIVE) . . . I DO NOT!!! SO BEHAVE LIKE THIS . . . AND BE SET-APART AS I AM.
If we are not reading Scripture in the correct context of what kind of behaviour pleases and angers Yahusha then we will be led up the garden path into all sorts of foolish man-made traditions and religious mindsets to make us look riduculous and make a mockery of Yahusha's Living Words through our misrepresentation of them.
YAHUSHA GAVE US THIS AMAZING REALISATION ABOUT WHAT THE CLEAN LIP IS
Leviticus literally continues straight on from Exodus, where we saw the Eternal Blood-Covenant raised up and renewed through Moses (the mediator) and Instructions for the Tabernacle, Furnishings and Priesthood laid out so that Yahusha could dwell amongst His people once again. This was of course the whole purpose of their deliverance from slavery, to fulfill the promise given to Abram generations before and bring Yahusha’s chosen people (the 12Tribes + a mixed multitude) into Marriage Covenant and the promised Marriage Home (CANAAN).
Now in Leviticus the Instructions for clean-living continue, with a huge focus on Yahusha’s people being SET-APART from the nations by TEACHING THEM WHAT IS CLEAN AND UNCLEAN BEHAVIOUR (customs, diet, sexuality etc) so that they can stay in close Blood-Covenant relationship with Him. Yahusha cannot be anywhere near anything evil, for the LIGHT of His perfect presence annihilates all darkness and filth, so for this reason, a constant emphasis is placed on Yisharal behaving (worshipping) rightly in His sight.
Yahusha’s Instructions and Principles do NOT change or become obsolete, BUT THEY DO TRANSFORM as He fulfills and breathes life into them. The outward physical appearances and behaviours often change, however the underlying spiritual structure and requirements remain the same. SUBSTITUTION is no different. Yahusha’s physical, atoning death occurred about 2000 years ago, however, from His perspective, His atoning death has no beginning or end, because His spiritual existence is NOT bound by time and space. So we are not relying on something old or in the past, for the blood from His atoning death IS ONGOING & PRESENT because the underlying spiritual requirements of the Levitical Sacrificial System STILL REMAIN!
Yahusha did NOT do away with the Sacrificial System, He transformed it, declaring what behaviours are acceptable and unacceptable and He doesn’t tolerate disobedience, cutting off and excluding anyone from His chosen set-apart people who willfully go against His Instructions for clean living.
So to understand this book of Leviticus and the acceptable system of approach and sacrificing, is to fully grasp the depth of Yahusha’s plan of deliverance for you, through His own sacrifice, carried out on that bloodied torture stake.
How can Yahusha, a pure (perfectly good in every way), creative cosmic energy of LIGHT, Who formed the universe and everything in it (just from the Word of His mouth) ever dwell in the midst of a fallen, evil mankind and not cause them to be annihilated just from the mighty LIGHT of His essence and existence? We learnt about the SUBSTITUTE SACRIFICE and how IT ALLOWS YAHUSHA TO DRAW CLOSE TO ANYTHING THAT IS COVERED WITH THE BLOOD OF AN INNOCENT ANIMAL, releasing them from the certificate of debt because of their evil behaviour (which is instant death).
This is the essence and heart of Leviticus, to explain very simply how Yahusha’s people are to behave cleanly and remain set-apart from the other nations and their wickedness. It’s all about remaining SET-APART and Yahusha uses everything in Yisharal’s natural everyday lives to illustrate their fallen spiritual condition before Him and their need for deliverance and everyday relationship with Him. Perfection was needed in order to connect with the Creator therefore perfect animals were required for sacrifices, taking on them the evil behaviour instead of man, and allowing a connection to occur.
So through Leviticus we see Yahusha speaking in very simply `day to day' terms to explain to His people HOW TO STAY CLEAN through the food they eat, the clothes they wear, health and safety, proper sexual relationships, management of infectious diseases, mould and viruses, and much more. Yahusha is a pure, perfect LIGHT trying to draw close to a darknened world without destroying it.
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