Torah Commentary Archives

Tzav (Give an Order)

Leviticus 6:1-8:36

Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-23

Mark 12:28-34

Romans 12:1-2

1Corinthians 10:14-23

Fire of Passion

This week we continue to learn more regarding the offerings. Sadly, the tendency is to begin to get glassy eyed in all of the detail causing us to scan through the portion just a bit. Do I believe that we understand the offerings in total? The answer is no. These are a protocol Yah set in place before the foundation of the earth was laid, before the creation of man and before his fall. This thought in and of itself should leave us in awe. So again, why the offerings and the sacrifices? They are a lesson of redemption and about fellowship with Him so don't get glassy eyed as you read!

In previous chapters we read of the building of the altar and how the plans were followed in great detail. The Tabernacle was an incredible massive tent with intricately made furniture. However, it was empty, lifeless. Until…Yah's Fire came down from heaven and filled the tent with His Presence and lit the fire on the altar. The Fire of His Presence made it alive and active. Remember that until that event it was just a very nice, expensive tent. The beautiful, empty tent became His dwelling place when the fire came.

As we read this week there are instructions for the priests concerning taking the ashes outside the camp to make room for the present fire. Too much ash would choke out the fire. For a healthy fire the altar had to be cleaned out daily and new wood added. The altar would not function on yesterday's fire! Let's consider this fire a bit more this week.

Imagine what it was like to enter the Tabernacle gate with your offering. You could go through with great detail and precision regarding the act of slaughtering the animal. The priest would then take your offering and with the greatest of respect place it upon the altar. But what would happen if someone let the fire go out? What if the day before the person in charge of seeing the wood was chopped and delivered to the altar, took the day off? What if you were that person? What would happen to the sacrifice if the fire was allowed to go out? Maybe our first answer is that nothing would have happened, but that answer is not right.

The answer could not be, “Nothing would happen”. Meat placed on a cold altar without fire will begin to decompose quickly. In a very short time flies would be seen on the offering. Soon the meat would be of no use to anyone. The meat could cause serious illness or death if eaten. So what does this have to do with us? I am so glad you asked.

Fire is what consumes the offering. The fire is about a passion which takes the offering and turns it into a sweet smelling savor unto Yah and to others who have approached the Tabernacle to receive its message. Without the fire of passion, what is offered will only rot and become deadly if consumed. Let's take this a step further into our lives.

The Hebrew Roots, Messianic walk is known for many things today. Some of those details will go without mention. In fact, I use the word “it” and not “we”, for I am normally speaking to people who are not part of the perceived norm, but fighting that norm. It may be known for many things, but passion is, if on the list, is very low.

Let me pull this together. Let's say we increase in great knowledge of Scripture. How about we learn great truths from scholars of old and teachers of now? We are able to spout off and impress with our facts, figures, paleo word meanings and placements of Alephs and Tavs. But what if that knowledge and even understanding is not presented with passion? Does it become a sweet smelling savor unto the Almighty and to others or does it just become something lying in front of us rotting, becoming unable to be consumed?

Ladies and Gentlemen it is important to bring our sacrifices and offerings unto Him. But let us understand, unless we have done the work to keep the fires of passion within the altar we are laying them on, they will do no one any good and in fact can even cause harm.

Whose job is it to keep the fire of passion burning? It is our job personally. You and I must take upon ourselves the responsibility to not only keep our fire of passion going for the Almighty, but to make sure the fire has come from Yah. What if we lay our offering on a passion for our self interests or self service? Is the offering placed upon our need for self worth? The list could go on. In fact, it might be a good time before Passover to do a check of that list. The passion of the fire and intensity of the flame are what bring a sweet smelling aroma unto Him and others who are standing close by. It may inspire them to evaluate the meaning behind their own sacrifice.

Please allow me to illustrate this principle in an interesting way from our time here in Israel. One night a number of our ladies were in a t-shirt/dress shop on Ben Yehuda Street. They entered into what we could refer to as the “spirit” of shopping for skirts. As their husbands stood outside in dismay, the mood in the shop became more and more excited. The excitement became contagious to the point that others coming into the shop became caught up in it. Our ladies happily began helping other customers in purchases. The owner and his father were standing watching the event with bewildered looks. At the end of the night the owner's father grasped my hand with both of his and smiled the biggest smile I have ever seen from him. His words to me were “God bless you sir.”

Of course you are probably thinking that his smile and exuberance were from the sales he made. That would only be partially true though. His exuberance was more from watching their passionate joy, but what was the motivation of their passion? You might say, “ladies, shopping and skirts”. Not this time though. Keep reading and I will explain.

Earlier in the day we had ascended the Temple Mount. We stood in awe of the message before us of Yah's Kingdom being restored in the midst of what may seem at times impossible. We walked through the Temple Institute to see the beauty of implements being prepared for a day to come. We felt and entered into the passion of a people desiring to build a house for HaShem to dwell in. Yah met us on our altars and lit us with a fire of passion. I believe it was that passion which later manifested through these ladies turning shopping for skirts into an experience of connecting with Israel, her land, her people and even her God! May we be inspired by His Scripture, His Land, His people, our Redeemer, our inheritance to keep the passionate flame burning strong!