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Believers agree that the Bible is the Word of our Heavenly Father and Yeshua/Jesus was and is the Word made flesh. This means the Word is alive, i.e. the Bible is a Living book. This explains why even when we read the scriptures daily and think we remember what it says, we can suddenly see/read something we never saw before. Fathers Holy Spirit opens our spiritual eyes and reveals a nugget of wisdom and a depth of understanding into a portion of His Word that enhances our faith and increases our knowledge of Who He is; and in turn adds to the development and intimacy of our loving relationship with Him.
If we are following the weekly Parashat in the annual reading through Torah, included below are some crusts, crumbs and nuggets we may have missed on our initial reading of these verses in Leviticus chapters 14 and 15. The Torah portion is called Metzora = cleansing of infected ones.
The theme of Leviticus is how sinful man draws near to a Holy God. We know of course that because Messiah came, He has made the Way for us to approach our Heavenly Holy Father; however it is helpful to know and see how the instructions given to the children of Israel were a foreshadowing of Messiah Himself. These instructions and Ways were known in detail to the Israelites and when Messiah came, those alive at the time saw these prophetic fore-shadowings fulfilled.
In Lev. 14:1-7, we read about the process.
The meaning of the cleansing process:
Two live birds = two birds represent Yeshua/Jesus and a sinner.
One bird is to be slaughtered = the bird that is killed represents Yeshua/Jesus Who died to set us free of the bondage of sin.
Earthen vessel = The earthen vessel is not a vessel of brass, shows that this is not a judgment against the sinner. (In the Bible brass represents judgment.)
Living water = living water represents His Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh Who would be given in more fullness after Messiah’s death. He shows us our need to be saved.
Live bird = The live bird having been set free after having the blood and living water applied, displays the freedom from the bondage of sin, through the blood of Yeshua/Jesus and the Taval/baptism (where His Holy Spirit descended). He died so that we can live.
Cedar Wood = Cedar wood is not affected by attacks of insects, they are repelled by it. The adversary cannot take us out of the protective hand of our Heavenly Father, he is repelled by His presence.
Hyssop = Hyssop was used to put the blood on the door posts and lintel at the first Passover. It was also used to give Messiah when He was on the tree/cross. Both of these events saved us from death. David says in Psalm 51:7 purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
Crimson thread = the crimson thread saved the physical lives of Rahab and her whole family, Joshua 2:18-19. This, points to the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Crimson thread was made using a dye from a worm. Psalm 22:6-8 But I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh Me to scorn they shoot out the lip they shake the head saying He trusted on Yahweh that He would deliver Him let Him deliver Him seeing He delighted in Him.
For more on the ‘worm’ – click link below.
Immerse his clothing shave off all his hair and immerse himself in water and become pure. = This act of removing hair from the body is an indication of the removing of pride and arrogance from our lives. Many have never had their heads shaved and some experience this when entering the military and it has a profound effect on individuals attitude. This was the practice against the Jews during the holocaust.
He must live outside his tent for seven days. This possibly indicates that the fullness of inclusion into the Kingdom of the Heavens is after the thousand-year reign when the new heavens and a new earth are established.
Why did they have to do this strange ritual? For us looking back, we see the meaning but for them it was a ‘chok’, beyond the range of human reason. Some of the sages speculated that the cedar represents pride, as it is one of the grandest of trees, (Cedars of Lebanaon). whereas the hyssop represents humility, as it is one of the most common and lowest lying of branches. The consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests at the Mishkan, which indicate the full restoration of the metzora back to the community. The scarlet thread represents Jesus/Yeshua because His blood holds everything together and makes atonement possible.
For more on ‘chok’- click link below.
In verse 5, and the priest shall command that one of the birds is to be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.
Running water = living water. Water that is not still and prone to become stagnant but a spring of water that continually flows fresh with life giving benefits. This is significant because Yeshua spoke of Himself as Living Water in John 4:7—10 She would have known the scriptures well, and understood that He was the long awaited Messiah and why she immediately rushed to tell everyone in her town that He had come.
The third stage of purification in Lev. 8:24,
instructs the applying of blood
to the right ear,
thumb of the right hand
he big toe of the right foot;
it is the same process as the inauguration of the priests.
This shows us that the one being cleansed is committing to
hear only wholesome talk,
perform and be occupied with only righteous deeds and
only go to places where our Heavenly Father, Yeshua/Jesus and His Holy Spirit are honored.
The next scriptures in Leviticus speak of the cleansing from Tzaraat and the need to call for a Temple Priest to come and examine the individual. The priest was to prescribe the remedy and also be the one to declare the person clean. Now, when we read in Luke 17:11-19; of the 10 men with Leprosy/tzaraat and Yeshua/Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priest. This had never happened before without the prescribed process. Verse 32. Only Messiah our High Priest, can cleanse this condition.
When the 10 men with Tzaraat went to the Temple after Messiah had cleansed them, it was a proclamation to the Priesthood that Messiah had come. Never before had 10 men with tzaraat been cleansed at one time. It is possible that no one had been cleansed before without the precise instructions being followed. This may also have been a sign that the uncleanness of the 10 tribes had been forgiven, and they were being called back to Messiah. We have known of the need to say thank you for what the Lord has done for us yet we sometimes miss another meaning from the Torah which Messiah came to complete.
One last point to ponder.
Lev. 15:19-28 speaks about a woman’s ‘niddah’, the time of separation each month. There is a related scripture and event described in Mark 5:21-43.
We have heard many sermons on these verses The woman was healed of the plague of an unending time of impurity having had this condition for 12 years; and it could point to what Messiah came to do for the 12 Tribes of Israel (His Bride). He came to end their time of separation (niddah) from the Father and bring healing for their relationship with their Creator. The little girl who was 12 years old, who was brought back to life; could point to the fact that the 12 tribes (bride), were separated from the Heavenly bridegroom Yahweh and had a judgment of death on them. Yeshua/Jesus death would allow them to be brought back under the renewed covenant as Paul talks about in Romans chapters 6 &7.
It was the prerogative of the Lord God of Yisrael to touch those afflicted with tzaraat and heal them based on their teshuvah/repentance; and in like manner Messiah came into the leper colony of humanity, to heal those who cried out to Him. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and His love reaches down to those who are afflicted and oppressed because of their uncleanness. If we call upon Him He will touch us and restore us to fellowship with our Heavenly Father. He is just waiting….
Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family
and cheverim/friends!
It’s all about Life and Relationship,
NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE?
YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen
Isaiah 5:18-19
Woe to those who draw out iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: 19 That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
Usually when we think of patience it’s a patience tinted with ‘tolerance’.
Sometimes it’s not so much that we are patient with others but that we are ‘tolerant’ with their behavior, or lack of behavior and so we wait.
However Godly patience is very different. Why? Because it proceeds from its’ origin based in faith and obedience out of a heart that loves Him and it is part of His refining process in our lives. We are to let patience bring us through this process.
Love, faith, and patience are the marks of the believer’s maturity and that which He is working in our lives is designed to bring us into our place of blessing.
When we ‘wait‘ on our Heavenly Father it is not because we are tolerating His delays, it is because we trust in His faithfulness. When our Father says ‘Wait’, we know that His timing is best, no matter how long-suffering it may seem at the time. It is often said our Heavenly Father has 3 answers to our every question or request:
Yes, No and Wait;
and most of us will bear witness to that in our lives.
The length of time we have to wait is easier to endure when we wait with Godly patience. When we apply the principles given in His Word and draw on our past personal experiences, we are able to prophetically see our Heavenly Father’s deliverance coming at an appropriate time in the future. It is this kind of patience that will empower us to stand strong against temptations and not give in to distractions as we stay focused on Him, His Word and His promises. With Godly patience formed through relationship with Him, we can be prophetically certain of our Heavenly Father’s plans even before He reveals them to us.
Sadly, many times we don’t exercise this kind of patience. We want it to speed up, because we want to see it and we need it to hurry up, now…. today…. yesterday! Sometimes we even tell the Creator of all things in the universe that He is taking too long…..!
We see that in verse 19.
When we choose to live our lives without humble obedience and faith in our Heavenly Father’s timing for our futures, we are playing with sin.
We need to be wise because having a prophetic understanding of things in the future, does not give us an excuse to rush ahead in our own way, strength and timing.
There is a caveat here to warn us that if we can’t wait patiently when our Heavenly Father, by His Holy Spirit says, ‘wait’; then how much more will we not pay attention and be obedient when He says, ‘no stop’ or, ‘yes go’? And these instructions may have very serious consequences in the future, if we are not in the habit of hearing and obeying His instructions.
The Hebrew term for patience is
savlanut- סבלנות.
Linguistically it shares a root with ‘
sevel‘ which means:
suffering
and
‘sabal’
which means:
a porter, someone who carries something for another.
The root, s-v-l (ס-ב-ל), literally means:
‘to bear’ or ‘to suffer.’
Patience has been defined as:
“the ability to tolerate the pain of someone or something going against our will.”
So we understand that there is a kind of suffering in patience. If we are to be patient in traffic hold-ups, patient with a member of our families, or a friend who rejects and dismisses us; or patient with a health care professional who is not taking enough time with us. In a way we could say, ‘we are suffering,’ but we stop ourselves from lashing out at them and impatiently pushing against the situation.
However, patience does not mean being totally passive and just doing nothing.
We still need to make a concerted effort to maintain a forward motion and direction in our lives, but we don’t need to react to every delay or detour as if it were a denial; and that could mean a denial of ourselves or a denial by our Father. We live in the moment of the here and the now when we manage to be patient, because we aren’t straining against the reality of the current situation. This is not compromise but rather walking on a middle pathway, because we’re not leaning to the extreme of being inactive and just giving in to ‘fate’. If we do that, we deny the power of free will choice we have been given, and neither are we to change to the opposite direction, where impatience rules.
The essence of patience is to live in the present, the here and now, this moment. We are impatient because we want to be somewhere in the future faster than reality will get us there. The simple truth is that we will more than likely be in exactly the same place and situation whether we are patient or impatient; for this reason, it makes sense to choose to be patient. The times we see someone who is impatient, is an opportunity for us to learn patience because being impatient often appears quite silly. We wonder sometimes why a person is so impatient just because something is taking a few seconds longer than they want it to in our instant microwave world. When we see how impatience can look so ridiculous, hopefully it will increase our desire to make patience part of who we are, character-wise.
The Hebrew Scriptures have many words for patience, corresponding to the varied meanings of this complex virtue;
e.g., ‘erek af’ equal to our expression of ‘long-suffering’
which is the patience exhibited in:
the restraining of immediate action.
It has been said that:
Patience/Savlanut towards our Heavenly Father is Faith/emunah,
Patience towards ourselves is Hope/sabar,
and Patience towards others is Love/ahava.
Strong’s Hebrew: 7663. שָׂבַר sabar — hope … ‘}; a primitive root; to scrutinize; by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience)- hope, tarry, view, wait.
sabar: To hope, to wait, to expect
Original Word: שָׂבַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: sabar
Pronunciation: sah-bar’
Phonetic Spelling: saw-bar’
KJV: hope, tarry, view, wait
Word Origin: [a primitive root]
1. to scrutinize
2. (by implication, of watching) to expect (with hope and patience)
Patience has another word in Hebrew which is also biblical:
E•rech Ru•ach – literally, ‘long breath’. This is sometimes what we will do before answering a situation, we take a long breath and hold it before speaking something we may later regret.
It appears once in the Bible as an important gift of the Fathers’ Holy Spirit to us.
When we learn Godly patience, we learn the ‘ways’ of of our Heavenly Father. Like the children in the wilderness recorded in Psalm 103:7, they knew His acts, His miracles, but not His ways.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Knowing someones ways takes relationship and relationship is only achieved by spending time with someone and getting to know them.…
This is the very nature of being prophetic … when we truly know Him, we learn to take our Heavenly Father at His every Word and because Yeshua/Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. Revelation 19:10 tells us the testimony of Yeshua/Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, it is His prophetic messages to His people, given through His prophetic Word, which offers spiritual insight and guides His disciples today.
Through prophetic patience, we put our trust and faith into action as we submit to His present will for our lives. If we can only be patient, He will always, without fail, and at the perfect time, bring us to exactly where He wants us to be.
Right now tell Father that you trust in His timing because He has never fallen short or arrived too late. Thank Him for His leading and for letting you hear His voice, and for giving you boldness to stand on His promises. Tell Him that you believe He is Who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do.. Praise Him and tell Him that your only desire is to see Him glorified because His plans will certainly all come to pass.
Shalom shalom
‘Mishpachah’
‘Family/Tribe’
משפחה
Mish-pa-KHa,
friends, visitors and every reader…
Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His
and are truly born again from above.
Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is
your Redeemer, Savior, Lord
and soon returning King
and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.
I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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