Vayikra
Leviticus 1:1 - 5:20

  This week, we begin the book of Leviticus. Whereas in exoduys we learn all about the building of the Tabernacle, in Leviticus we learn all about the use of the Tabernacle. This week’s torah portion give instructions to the Israelites on what kind of sacrifices to bring for different purposes.  We can categorize the offerings in two ways. Chapters one through three describe offerings that are voluntary and are descried as having a pleasant aroma to the Lord. These are the burnt offering, grain offering and the peace offering.  Chapters four and five describe offerings that make atonement and provide forgiveness. These are the sin or purification offering and the guilt or trespass offering.  These last two are not voluntary offerings and they are not called “sweet savor offerings”.  This does not infer that God does not want them, but they are for the purpose of rectifying a sinner’s relationship with God.  The offerings were not something that God needed to be satisfied but they were the way that the offerer could draw near to God.  In fact the word “offering” in Hebrew is “corban” derived from the word “carab” meaning to “draw near”.  The offerer needed the sacrifice in order to maintain and repair their relationship with God.   Because we are sinful people, it is impossible to come before God without a means to draw near. We simply cannot draw near to God all by ourselves.   The Messiah is the offering for sin that God has provided as a permanent one time offering. It is in our identification with Him that we are able to draw near to God. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16); Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb. 7:25); let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Heb. 10:22); Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8).  Through Yeshua we are brought near - into the presence of the Lord.  Experientially, we draw near to God in our worship. In a real sense, our torah portion is about worship. When we offer our praises to God in both word and song and in prayer we are drawing near to Him in a way that we can feel it. God desires our praises because it mean that we are being blessed. Just as God does not “need” offerings but they are the way that people could draw near to God, so our praises and offerings of thanks are not “needed” by God but he delights in them because they come as a result of delighting ourselves in the Lord.  Hosea brings out the idea of our praises being an offering by the statement in 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Literally it says “oxen of our lips” (not very poetic in English!!)  Perhaps Hosea was thinking back to the first three offerings in Leviticus - the ones identified as a soothing aroma to the Lord.   Remember that God sees us from the “inside out”.  He is not pleased with an offering that is brought simply because it is the tradition.  It must be heart felt and come in obedience. God told the prophet Isaiah "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. (Isaiah 1:11). The reason for this is that the people were walking in rebellion. When we come together as a community on Shabbat, it matters what we have been doing on Friday and Thursday and all o the other days of the week. When we come together on Shabbat, we need to spiritually prepared to draw near to God. The more we are walking with the Lord during the week, the greater our worship experience will be. May our offerings to God today be a soothing aroma to him!

Shabbat Shalom!