Newsletter 4

         

The Readings for this week are Tazria/Metzora; Leviticus 12:1 – 15:33, 2 Kings 7:3-20. They are very difficult reading and very difficult to comment on.  They deal with Clean and Unclean. This is a hard to understand concept for us. I think most people think of it as Sinless and Sinful, and that is incorrect. The Hebrew words are Tahor and tam’ei and are best explained as Ritually Clean and Ritually Unclean. That is totally different than Sinless and Sinful.

Ritually Unclean meant that you could not take part in services at the Temple. You could not go into the presence of God. You could not go into the Holy Place. Now, when we look at this, it seems pretty tough. Kind of “Old Testament” harsh God, as opposed to “New Testament” graceful God. But this is not the case. First off, grace has ALWAYS been a part of God. God didn’t really change between the Tanach (what we call the Old Testament) and the Apostolic Scriptures (what we call the New Testament). God told us from early on in the Bible that he is the same today, tomorrow and forever. We HAVE to take him at his word. Abraham was deemed “righteous” by FAITH, NOT by WORKS. Grace was present!

Looking at the things in these Chapters that make one Ritually Unclean, I have to agree with a comment from “First Fruits of Zion” that all these items are related to disease, death and sin. The fact that childbirth is there, relates to the blood of birth and the fact that a woman bears her child in pain, a curse resulting from the original sin.

It paints a good picture of the separation of this world and the world to come, or Heaven. These items, disease, death and sin are of “this” world. They CANNOT come in contact with God’s representation of The Heavenly (The Temple). You cannot be of this world and God’s world. More accurately put….

Matthew 6:24  ”No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

There are two sides; you are either on one or the other. One of the many things that finally allowed me to open my eyes to Jesus and allow him to come into my life, was a quote from C.S. Lewis. He said ”Jesus was either what He said He was, The Son of God, or else he was a liar and a madman.” There is no in between. You cannot say that Jesus was only a good Preacher, or a Prophet, or a Great Sage. He said he was the Son of God. You either accept that He was "The Son of God", or you don’t. This week’s readings are similar. You are either of “this world” or of God’s world. There can be no mingling.

Fortunately for us, Hallelujah, there is an answer in these teachings also! If you follow through the chapters, one of the major ingredients for the cleansing of these “worldly” diseases, is water, Living Water! Jesus Christ, Yeshua, IS THE PROVIDER OF THAT LIVING WATER! Jesus told us that everyone that drinks of HIS water shall never thirst again! Revelation 7:17 tells us…. “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Living Fountains of waters, Living Water, in Hebrew “Mayim Hayim”. That is exactly what is prescribed for cleansing, along with blood….Living Water and Blood…..Blood and Water…..

John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water”

 

Blessings in the Name of The One That Washes Us Clean,

Tony and Robin