Tzav-Shemini – “Command-The Eighth”

This week’s parasha is a double-portion, entitled Tzav and Shemini, covering Leviticus 6:8 through 11:47. Tzav means “command” because Adonai commanded Moses how various offerings were to be carried out. And in turn, Moses commanded Aaron and his sons how to carry out their priestly duties.

Shemini, means “the eighth,” referring to the eighth day of the inauguration of the Tabernacle, which was actually its first real functioning day, after seven days of special dedicatory rituals and sacrifices performed by Moses, Aaron, and the other priests.

In chapters 6 and 7, Adonai outlines the laws of the grain offering, sin offering and peace offerings, the prohibition against eating fat or blood, the portion that Aaron and his sons will receive, and finally how Aaron and his sons are to be consecrated.

All the offerings listed here were completely voluntary, and meant to bring the people closer to the living God, because where our heart is, so too will our giving be. Leading by example, God demonstrated His love for fallen humanity so much that He gave, not just anything, but His one and only Son. Likewise, if we love the Lord and are thankful for His salvation, we should be willing to give Him all that He asks. For the people of Moses’ time it was bulls, goats and rams. Today, He asks for our obedience, and that we follow His Son, Messiah Yeshua.

The offerings described in Tzav foreshadow Messiah’s character and work. The Burnt Offerings show us His provision of atonement and His dedication. The requirement that the animals be flawless foreshadowed Messiah’s sinless nature. The Grain Offerings remind us of the perfection of Messiah’s life and work, and that we was wholly devoted to the Father’s purpose. The Peace Offerings, which characterized reconciliation and fellowship with God show that Messiah was one with the Father, and enabled us to be at peace with Him too. The Sin and Trespass Offerings, which were provisions of appeasement, symbolized the future substitution that Messiah Himself would provide, at such great cost to Himself, in order to bring us redemption.

Chapter 7, verses 28 through 37 cover the priests’ portion of the offerings.  From the peace offerings the Lord was to receive the blood and the fat, while the priests received the breast and the right thigh, and the worshiper kept the rest himself.

The wave offerings discussed in verses 30-32 were symbolic acts indicating that the offering was for the Lord. Wave offerings could include bread, meat, oil or grain. Even gold might be given as a wave offering (Exodus 38:24).

To consecrate something means to set it apart solely for divine purposes. In chapter 8, Aaron and his sons are consecrated to be the first in a long line of Israel’s priests. Centuries earlier, the Patriarchs offered sacrifices to God themselves. But with the ordination of Aaron and his sons, Israel’s worship became formalized with a fully prescribed priestly service. This consecration not only set Aaron apart from the rest of the congregation to be a priest to God, but also distinguished him from the other priests, to be the Cohen HaGadol – the High Priest. This ceremony would eventually be repeated each time a new priest was installed into office.

They were consecrated first by washing, which signifies being cleansed of sin. This reminds us that Messianic Jews and Christians are to be immersed in water when we become committed followers of Messiah. Moses, acting on God’s behalf, then clothed Aaron in his High Priestly garments – a foreshadowing of the glories of Messiah. He was then anointed, the oil being poured on his head. This separated him from his sons in a special way, as in their case the anointing oil from the altar would be sprinkled on them.

On the inaugural day, Moses commanded Aaron and the people to bring sacrifices to the Tabernacle, “for today God will appear to you,” which was, after all, the very purpose of the Tabernacle. Aaron and his sons prepared the animal sacrifices as commanded; and, as it was hoped, “…the glory of God appeared to the entire nation. And a fire went out from before God and consumed the burnt offering and the fats which were on the altar, and the entire nation saw, and celebrated, and fell on their faces.” This moment was what all of the preparation, work and ritual, was all about: God’s manifest presence experienced by the entire people. The feeling one gets when reading this section is “It worked! They did it! All that effort paid off, and the people really encountered God!”

But then tragically, Aaron’s sons Nadav and Avihu offered what the Bible calls strange fire which the Lord had not commanded. As a result, they were consumed and killed by a fire sent by the Lord. For centuries, scholars have contemplated the meaning of this story. What exactly was the sin of Nadav and Avihu? What was the ‘strange fire’ which they offered, and why did they die because of it?

There were, of course, other instances in the Bible where people faced physical death due to their rebellion against God. There was the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, who rose up in the wilderness against the authority of Moses and Aaron. God opened up the Earth and swallowed Korah and his followers. In the New Testament there was Annanias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Spirit and faced death as a result.

It is a serious matter to tamper with the holy things of a holy God. As we look more closely at this passage, Aaron’s sons showed a reckless and careless attitude about spiritual things, which provoked a harsh and immediate response from God. First of all, it wasn’t their job to offer incense to the Lord. Only the High priest, Aaron, was to perform that function. Next, they used their own censers rather than the God-appointed censer of the High Priest. All the vessels of the Tabernacle had been anointed with oil – a symbol of the Holy Spirit of God and His work. They had no anointing; therefore what they were doing was of the flesh and not of the Ruach Ha-Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. Finally, in violation of Leviticus 16:12, where the High Priest was commanded to burn incense on coals taken from the Bronze Altar, Nadav and Avihu supplied their own fire. It was clearly rejected by the Holy and Mighty God. The expression “strange fire” (aish zarah) means fire unauthorized by God Himself.

It was only on the yearly Day of Atonement that the High Priest could take incense into the Holy of Holies. Even then there were specific rituals he was to follow.

We don’t know what Nadav and Avihu were thinking, but it appears they were undermined by sinful pride. They wanted to do things on their own terms. I submit that these two men symbolize religion on man’s terms as opposed to the power of the Holy Spirit. If God did that today, there would probably be many in the church that would be consumed.

Finally, chapter 11 outlines God’s dietary laws for Israel. I love how the things Adonai commands are both beneficial to us and bring Him glory at the same time. These laws are good in that if you follow them, you will tend to be healthier. As Moses and Israel observed and obeyed the laws of kashrut, they were first beneficial to the people, and at the same time honoring to God.

The prohibition against eating fat and blood was beneficial, first because it is unhealthy to consume fat or blood. In addition, these were the choicest parts of the sacrifice, because in the blood there is life, and without blood or fat, a person cannot sustain life; therefore, these were reserved for Adonai, the Author of Life.

Our God has a certain way that He wants us to approach Him in Worship and in relationship. We must always take special care to ensure we aren’t just “doing religion” on our own terms. We must remember to treat a Holy God as just that, Holy. We also need to ensure that we are giving God His due portion or the fat from our income and blessings that He provides us with. To come to God on our own terms is like offering strange fire, and you see the kind of results that yields.

In the Covenant with Israel, the principal role of a priest was to mediate between the people and God, offering sacrifices and, on that basis, extending forgiveness and blessing to the people. Yeshua, who is our ultimate High Priest, offered Himself as a sacrifice, once for all time, and God the Father accepted Him, thus paving the way for all who transfer their loyalty to Him to be reconciled to the Father, and to be blessed with the awesome gift of eternal salvation.

May Adonai bless you all this Shabbat!