1

RECOGNITIONTHE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECThttp://www.messianicbible.com

HEAR O ISRAEL www.hearoisrael.orgSHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKERwww.sheepfoldgleanings.com

MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCEhttp://www.messianicisrael.comAZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM GREENBAUMhttp://www.azamra.org 2

METZORA (The Leper)

TORAH: Lev. 14:1-15:33HAFTARAH: 2 Kings 7:3–20;

B’RIT CHADASHAH: Matthew 23:16–24:2, 3-31, 7:18–35, 9:20-26, Mark 5:24-34, Luke 8:42-48, Hebrews 13:4

All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted

REFRESHERLast week we saw how tzara’at was a physical manifestation of a spiritual fault. Once diagnosed by a priest, a metzora, or one who was affected by this skin disorder would be placed outside of the camp until he was declared to be healed. It is relevant that Adam and Eve were also placed outside of the camp as the result of an inward attitude that caused them to eat of the forbidden fruit. Every descendent of theirs has since been clothed with the problem of corruptible flesh which will eventually cause them to die and were it not for יהושע the Messiah, be unable to inherit the kingdom of יהוה.

And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood is unable to inherit the reign of Elohim, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. See, I

speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible has to put on

incorruption, and this mortal to put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:50-53 )

4

FALSE PERCEPTIONAre we all incorruptible now? The truth is we are not there yet. Most of us have probably been taught that the Almighty is only concerned with our soul. Yet, in Leviticus , we see a much broader interest. These are the four primary areas of concern:1. Individual2. Food3. Clothes4. Homes/dwellingsיהוה has determined what IS food (clean) for His people and what is NOT food (unclean). Now we are studying the effect of tzara’at on individuals, their clothing (works), and their houses. We can make sense of a skin disorder, but what does it mean to have the plague of tzara’at come upon our clothing or our home? Could the reason for it all can be summed up by this verse:‘Thus you shall separate the children of Yisra’ĕl from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My Dwelling Place which is in their midst. (Leviticus 15:31) 5

HOUSE OF יהוהOur connection with the Garden of Eden where יהוה walked with Adam and Eve is our sinful life. Their sin left them in a spiritual state of uncleanness (although uncleanness is not always the result of sin) which caused them to be evicted from the Garden. Later יהוה established the Tabernacle in the Wilderness as the place where He could once more dwell with man….at the time of Solomon He would dwell with His people in the Temple in Jerusalem. Hundreds of years later, He came to dwell with individual man. These were all prophetic pictures of the Almighty’s heavenly dwelling place with man….a return to the purity of Eden.who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Mosheh was warned when he was about to make the Tent. For He said, “See that you make all according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I shall give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim.” (Revelation 2:7 )

6

BACK TO THE GARDENThe march back to the Garden of Eden has not been without huge detours. We have not been faithful in following His directions. Repentance and mercy brings us back into the camp, but this continued attitude brought about the eventual exile of all of Israel. Once again יהוה stepped into this picture with יהושע. And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the

house of Yisra’ĕl.” (Matthew 15:24) did not lower the bar for holiness. When we accept Him as our יהושעAdonai, we receive His covering of holiness and cleanness. The Spirit then becomes our teacher and our strength in working out our holiness. But we must understand what יהוה requires of us if we expect Him to once more tabernacle among us as in the Garden:

as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts in your ignorance, instead, as the One who called you is set-apart, so you

also should become set-apart in all behaviour, (1 Peter 1:14-15)

7

TZADIKThe word tzara'at is an acronym for "he who emits evil" (motzi ra) a slanderer. The disease originates from the evil words that we speak of others (even if true).

When a tzadik suffers, this does not at all interfere with his faith in God. The suffering even enhances his faith, as he is happy with the knowledge that all that happens to him comes from God and is for his ultimate good. This is the origin of his ultimate healing.

The sages teach that although tzara'at is the origin of all disease, it no longer exists, as nobody today is at the level of righteousness to merit such a terrible disease. Because of the large amount of evil in people’s souls, they could not be tzadik, but rather an intermediary person. In this case, he would not suffer the same type of tribulations, as they would not be relevant to his particular rectification

RECTIFYING THE NEGATIVEIn the Hebrew language each 3-letter root has six possible permutations. In all the Hebrew language there are only seven 3-letter roots whose six permutations all have meaning.The early master of Kabbalah, Rabbi Abraham Abulafia would meditate on a Hebrew word by taking the root permutations and contemplating on the cycle of images created by each permutation. Notably, no matter what the root, at least one of the six permutations will have a negative implication. However, when the negative implication is meditated upon as part of the entire cycle, the whole purifies and rectifies the negative connotation. Furthermore, the negative implication is necessary for the rectification of the whole. The very fact that negative is required in order to complete the whole rectifies the negativity. This principle of the Hebrew language applies to all phenomena in life. It is beautifully illustrated by the teachings of our sages that in order for our prayers to reach God, the full spectrum of the Jewish People--from the most righteous to the least--must be included in our prayers. 9

SIX PERMUTATIONS OF TZARAThe cycle of images created by the root of tzara'at--tzara (tzadik, reish, ayin): Root Word Meaning tzadik, reish, ayin tzara leprosytzadik, ayin, reish tza'ar hardship, painreish, ayin, tzadik ra'atz to smashreish, tzadik, ayin ratza to inflict stripes (by whipping with

a strap)ayin, tzadik, reish atzar to halt or rule to prevent anarchic

expansionayin, reish, tzadik aratz to respect (a tyrant) because of his

power

HEALING THE CYCLE OF TZARA'AT In the permutations, all the roots appear to be negative, and need to be healed. In order to effect true healing, these permutations must be experienced internally, within one's consciousness. To internally experience this cycle one must have the ability to rearrange Hebrew letters, spiritual building blocks, to create new permutations. The capacity to create and experience each permutation hinges on achieving the inner point of wisdom.

11

SEVEN CAUSES OF TZARAATHThe Talmud, and the majority of historic Jewish literature in general, regards tzara’at as a punishment for sin:1. an evil tongue (malicious gossip)2. murder3. a vain oath4. illicit sexual intercourse5. pride6. theft7. miserly behaviour

LEVELS OF PUNISHMENTIn particular, the Midrash Rabbah sees the different types of tzara’at as increasing levels of punishment, which could be curtailed (stopped) at any stage if repentance was made:• First stage - the infection of homes, and if repentance came here it only required removal of the affected stones for a cure.• Second stage - the entire house must be torn down as the tzaraath would not go away, and the infection came upon one's clothes; if repentance came here it required only washing of the clothes for a cure.• Third stage - the clothes must be burnt, and the infection enters the person's skin; if repentance occurs here then purification could occur.• Fourth stage - which only occurs when the person has completely refused to repent, the person is forced to dwell alone.

MESSIANIC RECTIFICATIONEvery person has a spark of Mashiach within him, his own Messianic potential that he must manifest, (Gal 2:20). A person's Messianic potential is in proportion to his spiritual level. The immense Messianic potential of the great tzadik remains unfulfilled, as the world does not allow him to manifest his potential, THIS LEADS TO FRUSTRATION which lead him to: • Inadvertently express some negative words, blaming everybody

for his circumstancesAs soon as he even unwittingly blames someone else, he has, at his level, spoken evil speech, and is vulnerable to suffering and tzara'at. • The cure for this frustration and disease is the manifestation of

the Mashiach, who brought redemption to the entire world.

THE TONQUE“And if, while seeking to be declared right by Messiah, we ourselves

also are found sinners, is Messiah then a servant of sin? Let it not be! (Galatians 2:17 )

We are sinners extraordinaire! We have gone out of our way to take what the Almighty has given us and re-make it as a potter does, but in our cases, instead of moulding ourselves into the image of Messiah we have re-made ourselves as sinners in opposition to what our Creator desires for us. The purpose of the skin diseases was, in many cases, a physical manifestation of a spiritual sin. The rabbis are of the opinion that this is usually connected with the sin of Lashon Hara or the Evil Tongue commonly called gossip or slander.

Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. (Psalms 34:13 )

THE SOURCE OF BLESSING/CURSING

And the tongue is a fire, the world of unrighteousness. Among our members the tongue is set, the one defiling the entire body, and setting on fire the wheel of life, and it is set on fire by Gehenna. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man is able to tame the tongue. It is unruly, evil, filled with deadly poison. With it we bless our Elohim and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of Elohim. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My

brothers, this should not be so. (James 3:6-10)We have been formed in the image of our first parent Adam, who was made in the image of our Creator. Yet, despite this we bless our Creator in one breath and curse our fellow man in another.

COSTS OF DELARED CLEANTo be declared clean is emotionally draining and expensive once he had recovered (by repenting) from the disorder of his flesh. One who sinned brought an offering, or paid restitution, but he did not spend weeks outside of the safety and the fellowship of the camp. He was not required to change his appearance in a way that caused humiliation. This should emphasize to us the importance the Father places on the attitude of the heart. The following verses reflect this:These six matters יהוה hates, And seven are an abomination to Him: A

proud look, A lying tongue, And hands shedding innocent blood, A heart devising wicked schemes, Feet quick to run to evil, A false witness

breathing out lies, And one who causes strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19 )

17

THE HEART :had this to say about the heart יהושע

“But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and these defile the man. “For out of the heart come forth wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, whorings, thefts, false witnessings, slanders.

(Matthew 15:18-19)Talmudic story about the power of gossip:A certain man came to his priest, asking how he could rectify his having made evil statements about another person. The priest told the man to go home and bring his pillow, which he did. Then the priest told him to go up to the top of a mountain, rip it open, and shake all the feathers to the wind, which he did. Then the priest instructed him to go and gather all the feathers back. The man claimed that this was impossible. The priest said that such was the situation with the evil words he had spoken.

18

ISAIAHAnd all of us have become as one unclean, and all our

righteousnesses are as soiled rags. And all of us fade like a leaf, and our crookednesses, like the wind, have taken us away.

(Isaiah 64:6)The prophet wants us to know that all human attempts at our own righteousness will make us like an unclean thing….like a metzora. Many rabbi’s teach that acts of tzedaka (righteousness) will somehow atone for your sins. But the prophet Isaiah tells the truth of the matter. There’s nothing we can do to bring about our own righteousness. And Vayikra tells us the rest of the story. It is the innocent blood of the lamb that atones for the sin and shadows the future Lamb that will actually take away all sin: “But if he is poor and is unable to afford it, then he shall take one

male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil as

a grain offering, and a log of oil, (Leviticus 14:21)19

PROCESS OF HEALINGA leper was publically recognized as having a skin affliction…an outward showing of sins of the heart. Humiliating! Embarrassing! You are unclean! Now everyone in the camp of Israel will know that you have a heart problem of sin! To confirm this you use your hand covering your lip as you cry out, “unclean, unclean!” You are traumatized, but you decide to fast and pray. You have at least seven days to examine your heart.Search me, O Ěl, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if an idolatrous way is in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalms 139:23-24 )You remember those times when you participated in “harmless” gossip. Convicted and broken, you fall to your knees:For You do not desire slaughtering, or I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The slaughterings of Elohim are a broken spirit, A heart broken and crushed, O Elohim, These You do not despise. (Psalms 51:16-17)Humble yourselves, then, under the mighty hand of Elohim, so that He exalts you in due time, (1 Peter 5:6) 20

PROCESS OF HEALING CON’T

A few days later you begin to examine your skin and see that the healing has begun. You fall to your knees once more in thanksgiving:At midnight I rise to give thanks to You, For Your righteous right-rulings.

(Psalms 119:62)He heals the broken-hearted And binds up their wounds.

(Psalms 147:3)On the 7th day the priest comes to examine your now healed up leg. With love, this servant of Elohim looks into your eyes and declares you to be free of the tzara’at! But before you re-enter the camp, there is a ritual that must be performed.

21

ATONEMENTAnd יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, “This shall be the Torah of the leper

for the day of his cleansing: .. if the leprosy is healed in the leper, then the priest shall command, and he shall take for him who is to be cleansed two

live and clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. “And the priest shall command, and he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen

vessel over running water. “Let him take the live bird and the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them and the live bird in the

blood of the bird that was killed over the running water. “And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the leprosy, and

shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird loose in the open field. (Leviticus 14:1-7)

The killing of the bird is not a sacrifice since it is being performed outside of the camp. Also, only those who are clean are able to offer blood sacrifices. This is the same thing that you do when do personal repentance, receive counselling etc. It is done outside of the sanctuary so that when you come to ABBA you are clean.

CEDARThe “cedar” or “erez” in Hebrew (aleph-reish-zayin) is the perfect tree. That why it is referred to as the “upright one”. Its roots are among the firmest and deepest in the ground, it’s among the tallest and longest living of trees; and, its wood is without knots (perfect as יהושע is perfect). His blood and our “teshuva” make us as cedars. The numeric value of “erez” is 208, equals:• “v‟ee qabats” or “and He gathered”;• “ha ger” or “the stranger who sojourns”

and • “b‟ debar” or “through the word”.

23

SCARLETThe “scarlet” or “shawniy” (shin-nun-yud) is the color that represents our sin. The numeric value of “shawniy” is 360 and equals• “n‟ishi” or “my bride” (plural) and •“b‟ mashiach” or “in Messiah”.

The rabbis teach that this was wool dyed with a pigment made from a lowly creature (either an insect or a snail, Ibid)

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says יהוה. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like

crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18 )

HYSSOPLeviticus 14:1–6 The “hyssop” or “eyzowb” (aleph-zayin-vav-bet) is a plant of cleansing. It has the following biblical uses: • To place the blood of the Pesach (Passover lamb) on the

doorposts and lintels of the homes in Egypt;• Used to cleanse the Temple mount with the ashes of the

Red Heifer; and • to deliver sour wine to יהושע’s lips.The numeric value of the letters in “eyzowb” is 16, which equals “a‟yadeh” or “I will praise”. Linking the Mashiach as our cleansing made by Abba יהוה. Hyssop is also antibacterial, anticapillary fragility, antiinflamatory, etc., and can help with about 81 different medical conditions including cancer, bronchitis, insomnia, edema, colds, etc

TWO BIRDSThe bird that must die represents the death of the fleshly attitude of the leper. The earthen vessel represents the human body (2 Corinthians 4:7) and the fact that יהושע’s blood was shed in an earthen vessel. The scarlet yarn was used to tie the hyssop (symbol from the Passover and יהושע’s crucifixion) on to the cedar (tree/cross). The living bird was dipped in the blood of the 1st bird over the running water. The living bird, covered with blood is let loose in the open field. This is a picture of the leper having died to himself and walking in newness of life. Points to note:• The root word for “running” H2416 is “alive” or “living”, thus

the bird is killed and the washed in living water. • The bird is killed differently for the sacrificial offering;• Link to יהושע - However, one of the soldiers stabbed his side

with a spear, and at once blood and water flowed out. (John 19:34 CJB)

TWO COMINGSThe two birds represent the two comings of יהושע. First He came and walked among “clay vessels” into whom He poured out His Word (living water). Then His “blood” was shed to make a way for His second coming as King. The second bird is bloodied, but not injured….a picture of the resurrected יהושע who still bears the scars that Thomas put his fingers into. His garments will be covered with blood when He returns to judge the earth:Why is there red on Your raiment, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? (Isaiah 63:2)And I saw the heaven opened, and there was a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Trustworthy and True, and in righteousness He judges and fights. And His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns, having a Name that had been written, which no one had perceived except Himself and having been dressed in a robe dipped in blood – and His Name is called: The Word of יהוה. And the armies in the heaven, dressed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-14 ). 27

SIGNIFICANCE• יהושע was crucified on? “The Elohim of our fathers raised up יהושע

whom you laid hands on, hanging Him on a timber. (Acts 5:30)• What did יהושע’s blood do for our sins? And I said to him,

“Master, you know.” And he said to me, “These are those coming out of the great distress, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)

• Hyssop represents healing, what is the significance? Cleanse me with hyssop, and I am clean; Wash me, and I am whiter than snow. (Psalms 51:7)

SIGNIFICANCE• The metzora is sprinkled with the water and blood mixture, he

bathes and his clothes are washed. What is this a picture of in the redeemed believer’s life? And Kĕpha said to them, “Repent, and let each one of you be immersed in the Name of יהושע Messiah for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

• Three yearling lambs are offered for a trespass, sin and burnt offering, why? but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, (1 Peter 1:19)(John 1:29,36; Rev 13:8)

• What does the live bird flying away represents? “But you killed the Leader of life, whom Elohim raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. (Acts 3:15) (Acts 4:10; 1 Pet 1:3.)

SIGNIFICANCE• How does the clay pot point to יהושע? And we have this treasure

in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power might be of Elohim, and not of us – being hard pressed on every side,1 but not crushed; being perplexed, but not in despair; Footnote: 1See 1:8. being persecuted, but not forsaken; being thrown down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Master might also be manifested in our body. (2 יהושע that the life of ,יהושעCorinthians 4:7-10) (Gen 2:7; 2 Cor 5:1.)

• What does the running or living water in verse 5 represent? in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, (Ephesians 5:26)

• Who is the sources of that living water? but whoever drinks of the water I give him shall certainly never thirst. And the water that I give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14) (John 7:37–39.)

THREE WITNESSES“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of Dawid and for the inhabitants of Yerushalayim, for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1 ) It is not just the blood that testifies of our forgiveness of sin but living water that flowed from יהושע‘s side. The problem is we cannot hold the living water as our cisterns are cracked: “For My people have done two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain

of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns, which do not hold water. (Jeremiah 2:13)

This water in conjunction with the blood and the spirit testifies to the crucifixion and our salvation This is the One that came by water and blood: יהושע Messiah, not only by

water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the Truth. Because there are three who bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood. And the three are in agreement.

(1 John 5:6-8 ) 31

SHAVING HAIR.. and shall shave off all his hair and wash himself in water, and shall be clean. Then after that he comes into the camp, but shall stay outside his tent seven days. (Leviticus 14:8 )You can go back inside the camp, but you can’t go home to your own tent yet. You will be very obvious in the community with your body entirely shaved. This is the same look as one who had completed a Nazarite vow (Num 6:19). The Nazarite has been completely devoted to the Almighty during the time of his vow. The metzora has had to learn devotion the hard way. Two ways of being drawn near …a reverent choice, or by discipline. Shaving the hair symbolizes the repentant sinner making a clean break from his past demeaning and animalistic behaviour and changing his way of living and dealing with others via the use of his mouth. Three areas of facial hair to be shaved: 1. Head Pride, Haughtiness2. Eyes Jealousy3. Mouth Gossip, Slander

CLEAN AND HOLY “And on the seventh day it shall be that he shaves all the hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shaves off.

And he shall wash his garments and wash his body in water, and shall be clean. (Leviticus 14:9 )

A week later you repeat the process and prepare for the 8th day when you will be allowed back into the tabernacle where you will make your offerings. Finally you will be clean and holy! All this had to be done for what may have been the sin of gossip, or a bitter spirit, or a little lie.You have repented and been healed by the Master’s touch, when we connect this with what יהושע did. He entered the leper colony of humanity and healed with a touch those who called out to Him in repentance.

“Repent therefore and turn back, for the blotting out of your sins, in order that times of refreshing might come from the presence of the

Master, (Acts 3:19) 33

SANCTIFIED AS A PRIESTLeviticus 14:10 On the eighth day.

Once again refers to new beginning.

Leviticus 14:14,17 Right ear … thumb of the right hand … toe of his right foot.

The same procedure was done with the anointing oil when sanctifying the priests for their service in the Tabernacle. Indicating that person is now ready to go into the presence of This clearly shows the gravity of gossip and slander, the .יהוהneed to repent of it, the need to be atoned for it and the need to mend our ways in the future.

FROM TENT TO HOUSE And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying, “When you come into the land of Kenaʽan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I put a

plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession, then shall the one who owns the house come and inform the priest, saying, ‘It seems to

me that there is some plague in the house.’ (Leviticus 14:33-35)This instruction pertains to a house that they shall take possession of when they get to Canaan. We must note that it is יהוה who puts the plague of tzara’at on the house. Living in a house after being a tent-dweller would be quite a change! Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are all mentioned in the faith chapter of Hebrews 11 as “living in tents”:

By belief, he sojourned in the land of promise as a stranger, dwelling in tents with Yitshaq and Yaʽaqob, the heirs with him of the same promise,

(Hebrews 11:9)It is much more difficult to accumulate possessions in a tent! Tent living is community living, whereas in a house the temptation for evil behind closed doors is easier.

DEVINE JUDGEMENT“And he shall look at the plague and see, if the plague is on the walls of the house with sunken places, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the wall, then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days. “And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look and see, if the plague has spread on the walls of the house, then the priest shall command, and they shall remove the stones with the plague in them, and they shall throw them outside the city, into an unclean place, (Leviticus 14:37-40)What happened to people’s skin because of selfishness, gossip, slander, pride and jealousy also happened to their houses, divine judgment. And just like the tzara’at the remedy is for the priest to take away the stones and cast them into an unclean place outside the city. In 1 Peter 2:5 we are referred to as the “living stones” . It is a sobering thought that we could be some of the stones bringing tzara’at to that spiritual house. you also, as living stones, are being built up, a spiritual house, a set-apart priesthood, to offer up spiritual slaughter offerings acceptable to Elohim through יהושע Messiah. (1 Peter 2:5)

HOUSE OF ABBAIn Hebrew thought, a house consists of one who takes a bride. This concept develops itself all the way throughout Scripture until its grand finale at the end of Revelation. Other verses show us who His chosen house is, and what is now placed in the hearts of those who are His house:

“See, the days are coming,” declares יהוה, “when I shall make a new covenant with the house of Yisra’ĕl and with the house of

Yehudah . ..“For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Yisra’ĕl after those days, declares יהוה: I shall put My Torah in their

inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה, to the House of the Elohim of Yaʽaqob, and let Him

teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths, for out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah, and the Word of יהוה from Yerushalayim.”(Isaiah 2:3 )

37

A HOLY HOUSE”!s death on the cross, but ultimately the sinner will pay the price for un repented of sin, like gossip, slander, haughtiness, jealousy and selfishness with his own life resulting in eternal damnation.What a humbling process before the eyes of the community! It would be like placing a sign on one’s front door, “Here lives a gossip and a selfish person’יהושע s sin sacrifice will perish in the Lake of Fire. We experience more grace now than the ancient Israelites did, thanks to’יהושע has never been soft on sin. Those who refuse to accept יהוהis in the process of restoring His holy house, His bride. There will be no uncleanness found there, not one spot of tzara’at. For this you know, that no one who whores, nor unclean one, nor one greedy of gain, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the reign of Messiah and Elohim.(Ephesians 5:5)The Messiah is the cornerstone of the house:Because it is contained in the Scripture, “See, I lay in Tsiyon a chief corner-stone, chosen, precious, and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6 ) יהוה 38

FAMILY PURITY LAWSLeviticus 15 Holiness and purity is very important to יהוה in all situations. Men, at the very least, are to refrain from all physical relations with their wives during her monthly flow. Any man who has a problem with this needs to repent of selfishness, uncontrolled passions and contributing to his wife’s increased chances of getting cervical cancer. The laws of niddah apply to a women in her menstrual cycle. This is an area that many take for granted, but not יהוה in his Torah. A woman’s body produces life or death depending on whether an egg has been fertilized or not during the monthly cycle. There are many spiritual ramifications to this, and יהוה does not treat this matter lightly. While her egg is passing from her body she is in a state of impurity since, in a sense, death is occurring (an unfertilized egg is passing out). It is a time of grieving and emotional turmoil for the woman.

FOCUL POINTChapter 15 is arranged in a chiastic structure (parallel statements, inverted order) with marital relations as its centre. In a chiastic structure, the centre is always the focal point.Introduction: discharge is unclean (V. 1-2)

Abnormal male discharge (V. 3-15)Normal male discharge (V. 16-17)

Marital relations (V. 18)Normal female discharge (V. 19-24)

Abnormal female discharge (V. 25-30)Conclusion: keep separate from uncleanness (V. 31-33)In the case of a metzora, the sinner’s uncleanness and repentance is public knowledge. In these` cases of chapter 15, the process back to purity is much more private.

40

MARITAL RELATIONS‘And when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they both shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. (Leviticus 15:18)In Chapters 13 & 14 we saw how יהוה cares a great deal about what is in the heart of His people. All tzara’at is for the purpose of the restoration of the entire house (House of Israel), i.e. His Bride. The earthly picture of marital union, however, only goes so far. Because man is mortal, there is still uncleanness in their physical union. But Leviticus 15:18 points to a spiritual union that is clean and holy. We can get more incite into this in the following verse: .. the Messiah is head of the assembly, and He is Saviour of the body. .. Messiah also did love the assembly and gave Himself for it, in order to set it apart and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, in order to present it to Himself a splendid assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any of this sort, but that it might be set-apart and blameless. .. This secret is great, but I speak concerning Messiah and the assembly. ..(Ephesians 5:22-33)41

MESSIAH AND THE ASSEMBLY Leviticus 15:8 says that we will be unclean till evening. What evening could that prophetically be referring to? And יהוה shall go forth, and He shall fight against those gentiles, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, which faces Yerushalayim on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. .. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziyah sovereign of Yehudah. And יהוה my Elohim shall come – all the set-apart ones with You. And in that day it shall be: there is no light, it is dark. And it shall be one day which is known to יהוה, neither

day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. And in that day it shall be that living waters flow from Yerushalayim, half of them

toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea, in summer as well as in winter. And יהוה shall be Sovereign over all the

earth. In that day there shall be one יהוה, and His Name one. (Zechariah 14:3-9)

There is day coming that Jerusalem will be cleansed with water 42