Parasha "Achrei Mot" (after the death) LEV 16:1-18:30

THIS WEEK'S PARASHA: ACHREI MOT" (after the death of)

LEV 16:1-18:30.....................AMOS 9:7-15.............................HEB 9:11-28

Hoping that all of you have had a good Passover week, for those of you who celebrate it,  and many are hoping to eat regular bread again, Well, tomorrow, you can get out the hamburger and hot dog buns, donuts, etc

In this Parasha, we see the instructions of what we know as "Yom Kippur" , God spoke to Moshe to tell Aaron that "one can not come in anytime into the Holy place". How fortunate we are today that this is NOT the case, now we can come into the presence of God at ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, and speak with Him through prayer, praising, singing, bringing requests, interceding for other. We can come before him in the morning, put on our tallit and tefillim and read the Psalms, Speak to him when we arise, go to work, come home, thank Him for our meals, for our homes and families, even though we can't see him physically, He still hears us, and will respond to us in HIS PERFECT TIMING

Not so thousands of years ago, One, and only one, (the High Priest) "Ha Cohen Gadol" could only enter the "Kadosh Kadoshim" (The Holy of Holies) where the "Aron HaKodesh" (The Ark of the Covenant) was, once a year, this was on the 10th day of the 7th month, which usually corresponds to the Gregorian calendar as September, this is and was YOM KIPPUR (the day of coverings).

The high priest would take a bullock for himself and his family, sacrifice it and take the blood, and coals from the fire on the brazen altar, he would then take incense and place it on the coals in a censor, and bring it with him and go behind the veil where the Ark of the Covenant was. He would shake the censor as to create a cloud of incense around the Ark, remember that incense symbolizes of prayers that go up to YHVH. The rabbis of old taught that this was the time that the High Priest would pronounce the most holy name of God "Yod Hey Vav Hey" (YHVH) whatever the exact and perfect pronunciation was. He would sprinkle 7 times, the blood of the bullock on the mercy seat.

We look at Aaron, who was at this time, the high priest, as a "Messiah type" (Ha Mashiach) would be the "go-between" between the people and God. This was the job and ministry of the High Priests, to intercede before the people, This is exactly what Yeshua (Jesus) did, when he offered up his life as a ransom for us all. The high priests used bulls' blood, Yeshua used his "Own" blood. The priest would take two goats, and sacrifice one of them, and let the other go into the wilderness, never to return. On one goat, (the scape goat) he would place his hands and saying the following

"Ah YHVH, they (the Israelites) have committed iniquity, they have transgressed, they have sinned, thy people, the house of Israel, YHVH cover over (Kippur, atone for) I intreat thee, upon their iniquities, their transgressions, and their sins, which they have wickedly committed, transgressed, and sinned before thee, thy people, the house of Israel. As it is written in the Torah, thy servant, saying 'for on that day it shall be covered over for you to make you clean from all your sins before YHVH ye shall be cleaned" (The Temple, its ministry and service, pages 253,254)

all this time the people would lie prostrated and praising Adonai, and the high priest would face the crowd when he said "Ye shall be cleaned" This same prayer was said when the High Priest sacrificed the bullock for his own sins and for the sins of his family, then he would say "I and my house have committed iniquity...." When We see Yeshua hanging from the cross on Calvary, we hear his words, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" and finally, "It is finished" at this time, the curtains in the temple which existed then, was split down the middle, giving ALL PEOPLE free access to the Throne of Grace, ANYTIME. Back in the days of the tabernacle and temple, the blood of bulls, lambs, and goats could only COVER sins for a year, then the whole process would be repeated again, the difference at Calvary, was that OUR SINS WERE BLOTTED OUT FOR EVER, past, present, and future, the only thing that we would need do would be "repentance and turning from sin" confessing our sins to the Father.

The goat that was let go into the wilderness symbolized our "sins that were sent away from us"

the sacrificed goat symbolized our "sins that were paid for on Calvary by Messiah Yeshua" once and for ever. We get the message; "Our sins were dealt with once and for all time on Calvary's cross, never to return to condemn us"

Chapters 17 deal with eating meat, in those times, if a family wanted to have meat for dinner, the man had to take the animal to one of the officiating priests and he would sacrifice it, and a portion of the animal went to the priest for his family, and the rest would be taken home for the family to enjoy. I am sure this did not happen every day, as herds and cattle were precious commodities, and one calf would probably last a week or so depending on the size of the family. Today, we can eat meat, (in accordance to Lev 11) freely, and thank the LORD for it, roast it making sure it has no blood.

Chapter 18 deals with relationships, intimate relationships, between men and women, when we read this chapter, well, I would say it needs no explanation, common sense plays in. Sex should be between a husband and wife, and that is that. God reminds his people NOT to copy the perverse ways of the Egyptians and Canaanites, since they had perverse sexual practices, etc.. homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, (sex with animals) and so today, we are to avoid these practices. Homosexuality, lesbianism is ARE NOT alternate life styles, they are EVIL AND SINNFUL life styles, a slap in the face of God. However, as believers, we are to love homosexuals and pray for them, and not reject them as individuals, but to reject the sin, as God has already stated in His Word.
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AMOS 9:7-15

Adonai speaks through his prophet Amos to his people. The People have done evil and will reap what they have sown, many will die by the sword, and many will be scattered among the nations, That is where many of us come into being, Many of us have Jewish heritage from the nations, our ancestors thousands of years ago and were "sifted as corn in a sieve" and ended up in Spain, North Africa and the middle east (Sephardim) and others to Germany, and East Europe, Russia, Ukraine, etc (Ashkenazim) both Jewish cultures having different customs and lifestyles, way of dressing, speech, etc, yet all recognizing the ONE GOD (Echad) YHVH, and many are recognizing Yeshua as Messiah

But Messiah will gather again his people and will bring them back into the land of Israel, which has been happening now for many years, and will continue.
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HEBREWS 9:11-28

This message to the Messianic Jews, both in Israel and in other nations, explains Yeshua who is HIGH PRIEST, entered into the Holy Place (in Heaven) and placed his own blood in it, redeeming us once and for all from the curse of sin. Yeshua HaMashiach is the "mediator" of a better covenant, a "new" covenant, NOT based on animal blood, but based on his own blood. "Yeshua was once offered to bear the sins of many" vs 28, why does it say "many" and not "all?" because not ALL of mankind will accept the sacrifice of Yeshua, many will reject him, die in their sins, and perish for all eternity, without hope, but MANY will accept this free gift of Salvation (Yeshuah) if you have not already, will you do that now? if you haven't already, what are you waiting for?

Shabbat Shalom....................rabbi Ben Avraham