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The name of this week’s parasha is Tetzaveh, which means “you shall command” and covers Exodus 27:20 – 30:10. The Jewish people were commanded to bring clear oil from pressed, unripened olives, to the Tent of Meeting so that Aaron and his sons could keep the lamps there burning. This command is repeated in Leviticus 24.
The priestly garments worn by Aaron are described in chapter 28, and included a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban and a sash. In chapter 29 God commanded Israel that these garments were to be passed down to Aaron’s priestly descendants. Adonai’s instructions for making the ephod included taking two onyx stones and engraving six names of the Jewish tribes chronologically on one stone, and engraving the names of the remaining six Jewish tribes chronologically on the other stone. These stones were set on the ephod’s shoulder portions so that Aaron would present their names as a memorial to the Lord.
The twelve tribes were also represented by twelve precious stones in four rows of three on the breastplate of judgement, which remained over Aaron’s heart whenever he entered the Holy Place. The breastplate included the Urim, which meant “lights” (or possibly “curses”) and the Thummim, which meant “perfections”. These lots were cast to discern Adonai’s will on important decisions. Maybe the author of Proverbs was thinking of the Urim and Thummim when he wrote “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
When the robe of the ephod was made, it included gold bells attached to the hem of the robe. These bells were used to let the Israelis know that the High Priest was still alive as he moved about in the Holy Place. A gold plate with the engraving “Holy to the Lord” was attached to the turban by a blue cord, and was worn on Aaron’s forehead to take away the iniquity of the consecrated things presented by the Jewish people, so that Adonai would accept these things.
After Aaron and his sons received the clothes Adonai designated for them, Moses anointed and ordained them as priests. They were also given garments to wear beneath their robes so that they would not be guilty of indecent exposure and die. Even though God is more concerned with our heart than our clothes, it doesn’t have to be about only one or the other. The focus here is on both inward and outward holiness.
The elaborate procedures for consecrating the priests to serve Adonai are described in chapter 29. These procedures took 7 days and included the sacrifice of a bull as a sin offering, a ram as a burnt offering, another ram as a wave offering of ordination, the use of matza, and two cakes of bread, one mixed with oil as a wave offering.
The parasha ends with the instructions for building the altar used for burning incense, along with instructions for the use of this altar, in chapter 30.
Parasha Tetzaveh teaches us the importance of worshipping Adonai on His terms, not our own. God’s holiness and majesty were to be respected by obeying His specific instructions on how He was to be worshipped. These commandments were clear and specific, and any deviation from them or disobedience to Adonai’s commandments would result in the death of the transgressor.
Throughout the centuries, the Aaronic priesthood was used by God to teach and guide the Israelis on the proper way to worship Him. As we see throughout the parasha, this was a high privilege and responsibility – not something to be taken lightly. The High Priest had constant reminders of his responsibilities woven even into his very garments. The priests were called to worship God in reverence and holiness, but we have to remember that they weren’t perfect. Before attempting to make atonement for the sins of the people, the High Priest had to first offer sacrifices for his own sins. Contrast that with Messiah Yeshua, our Great High Priest, who needed no sacrifice for Himself, since He had no sin.
We see that animals were sacrificed to make atonement for sin under the Sinai covenant, because according to Leviticus 17 there was no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. But these sacrifices weren’t permanent. They offered only a temporary remission of sin, and had to be repeated again and again across the centuries.
But at the proper time, Adonai sent Yeshua, who became for us the perfect and eternal High Priest, whose sacrifice for sin was flawless, and whose atonement complete and everlasting for those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior! Yeshua’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins was a once-for-all-time event. Though we still occasionally sin and fall short of God’s righteous standards, that sacrifice was sufficient for all sin across all time. Our faith in Yeshua makes us secure and gives us confidence in His promise never to leave or forsake us.
What Yeshua’s sacrifice does NOT do, is give us permission to live any way we want. On the contrary, we are called to live in obedience to His commandments. So let’s follow Him loyally as Lord and Savior, and do what He says, making every effort to live our lives as an act of worship to Him!