Worthy of a King
- Posted on ApramWed, 13 Apr 2016 00:44:06 -05002016-04-13T00:44:06-05:0012 17, 2016
- in Bible, God, Hebrew, Messiah, metzora, Study, Torah, Yeshua
- by Hallelujah Girl
The time is drawing close to Pesach, or Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and the Counting of the Omer. If you are unfamiliar with these, don’t fear, just open your Bible and read the Word of the Holy One! As we approach these Holy Days we are going to actually spend some time in Leviticus 14 and 15. Two chapters that make up the 28th parsha of Torah, Metzora. Our English Bibles translate metzora as leper.
The Hebrew word metzora has no definite translation and it is not what we know today as Hansen’s Disease. Those who grasp the idea of what is happening here, is the Holy One is going to show His People how to be Holy as He is Holy. Torah tells us what it takes and our Messiah, He set the perfect example. Metzora is going to help us to recognize, isolate, and rid our lives of that which makes us unfit for His service. Or as your Bible might say uncleanness or leprosy. Let us not hinder or delay any longer what will accomplish our Destiny with Holiness.
This shall be the torah (law) hametzora in the yom (day) of his tohorah (cleansing): he shall be brought unto the kohen (priest); ~Vayikra (Leviticus) 14:2
Hametzora comes from the root word tsara, צרע, (tsaw-raw) meaning to be struck with leprosy, to be leperous, or a leper. The first we find tsara in the scripture is in Exodus 4:6 when Moses is talking to Pharaoh, “And the Holy One said to him again, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, and see, his hand was leprous, like snow.” We can see that this leprosy is obviously some kind of skin disease known as tzara’at. Tzara’at also comes from the same root word tsara.
Tsara consists of three Hebrew leters; tsade, reysh, ayin. Tsade is a picture of a fish hook, to pull toward, something inescapable, desire, trouble, a harvest, righteous, or to hunt. The reysh represents the head, what is highest, most important, chief. The ayin is a picture of an eye, to look, appearance, to see, experience, to be seen.
On the day of the persons cleansing or purification, tahorah, he is brought before the kohen (priest). Tahorah comes from the word taher, טהר, (pronounced taw-hare) meaning to be clean or pure, pronounced clean, or purge. According to scripture, after the metzora has spent is required amount of time outside the camp, he now no longer contaminates an entire building just by being under the roof. However, he is still tamei (unclean, or unfit for Temple service). Now it’s time to offer us some chirping birds (see the gossip connection), sprinkle the blood (atonement connection) of one of the birds, and set the other free. There is some cedar involved. Cedar grows tall, imposing, and wide and here represents hautiness. The thread used in the ceremony of purification is crimson in color. Dyed from a lowly, snail like creature whose identity is unclear. Many connections to our Bridegroom-King, Our Messiah. “when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he went to Bathsheba. Behold, I was born in iniquity and in sin when my mother conceived me. Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O G-d, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence— take not Your Ruach ha-Kodesh from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. For You would not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it, nor be pleased by burnt offerings. The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart, O G-d, You will not despise. In Your favor do good to Zion. Build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will be offered on Your altar. ~Psalms 51:2, 7, 9, 12-14, 18-21 “‘Thus said the Master, the Holy One , “On the day that I cleanse you from all your crookednesses, I shall cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruined places shall be rebuilt,” ~Ezekiel 36:33
If you have been keeping up we are still being instructed on what it means for the bride to be sanctified. It is still the eight day! Kedusha (sanctity) is the common thread the readings of the portions Tazria (last week) through Bechukotei. This is why they are read between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost). Pesach is referred to as the time of betrothal between the Holy One and israel. “And I shall take you as a bride unto Me forever, and take you as a bride unto Me in righteousness, and in right-ruling, and kindness and compassion. “And I shall take you as a bride unto Me in trustworthiness, and you shall know the Holy One. ~Hosea 2:19-20. This is the Betrothal that Hosea is speaking of, the one that is being made right here in Leviticus on the eighth day! Sounds a little bit like, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city—the New Jerusalem—coming down out of heaven from G-d, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God.” ~The Revelation 21:1-3
The Festival Shavuot is said to be the time of Israel’s marriage to the Holy One. On Shavuot the Children of Israel receive the Torah. This requires preparation. If we call ourselves His Chosen, the bride, then we are to be united in union with the Bridegroom-King. To be worthy of this honor we must aquire His attributes. Immersing in the study of Torah, walking out His Commandments, letting the essence of the Messiah mold and change us is what draws us close.
For when, according to Torah, every command had been spoken by Mosheh to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which the Holy One commanded you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with blood both the Tent and all the vessels of the service. And, according to the Torah, almost all is cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary, then, that the copies of the heavenly ones should be cleansed with these, but the heavenly ones themselves with better slaughter offerings than these. For Messiah has not entered into a Set-apart Place made by hand – figures of the true – but into the heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of the Holy One on our behalf, not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters into the Set-apart Place year by year with blood not his own. For if so, He would have had to suffer often, since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the offering of Himself. And as it awaits men to die once, and after this the judgment, so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to those waiting for Him, unto deliverance. ~Hebrews 9:19-28
Happy day, Shalom,
~Hallelujah Girl
Tags: #ReadYourBible #ItsAllAboutYeshua #TorahIsTruth, metzora