SceptersAndOfferings

      This Sabbath occurs right before the holiday of Purim and Palm Sunday. The title of this Sabbath reading portion comes from Leviticus 1:1, and is Va-yikra, meaning "and he called": "Now the LORD called (qara - call, cried, weeping, named, bidden, preach, read aloud, invited, utter a loud sound, cry out, to summon, to be called or chosen, to encounter, meet, to call by name) to Moses, and spoke to him from the midst of the tabernacle of meeting, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of the livestock - of the herd and of the flock." Va-yikra is also the Hebrew title of the third Book of the Bible which we call "Leviticus". In general, this Book is about the various types of offerings to be brought to the LORD and the instructions or commands to the priests who minister these offerings on behalf of the people. This Sabbath reading includes Leviticus Chapters 2 through 5. At the end of the Book of Exodus, we read that the LORD filled the tabernacle with the cloud of His glory, and this same glory lead the Israelites through the wilderness. Now we read that the LORD is calling out in a loud voice for Moses. The call dealt with the necessity for offerings to be made by the people. We will look at the topic of offerings later.

      Because this Sabbath reading portion comes before Purim, it is also designated as Zachor which means "Remember". Purim from the Book of Esther commemorates the victory over an enemy named Haman who plotted to wipe out all of the Jews of Persia (Iran/Iraq). The Bride of the King, Esther, who had hidden the fact that she was Jewish, was placed by God in a position to intercede with the King to prevent the execution of this wicked plan. Esther was also "called" by God in a special way. Esther said to her uncle, Mordecai, when he asked her to intercede with the King in his inner (penimi/panim/pana - inner, inward/presence, face, sight, countenance, person/turn to look, prepare, respect, behold, turn oneself ) court (haser/hasar - court, enclosure/sound of a trumpet), that the king had not qara called her into his presence for thirty (Hebrew letter lamed - shepherd's staff representing kingly authority, leadership, rulership: see Gen. 41:46, 2 Sam. 5:4, Lk. 3:23) days. If she entered the inner court without the king's qara call, she would be put to death unless the king held out (yasat - stretch out, extend) his golden (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega in Greek, ref. Jesus Christ: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) scepter towards her, representing his kingly favor, permission and pardon (Esther 4:10-11). Her uncle, Mordecai, reminded her that her qara call or purpose from the heavenly King, God, was not to be ignored: "Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent (haras - deaf and dumb, show deafness, speechless, to plow in iniquity and to reap calamity) at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14). Esther told Mordecai to gather the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Jews in a three day fast for her: "And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish (abad - a lost and wandering sheep, to be ready to perish, put to death [of divine judgment]), I perish!". (v. 15-16). Esther approached the inner court of the king: "So it was, when the king saw (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near (qarab - draw near, bring near, approach, enter into, cause to draw near, join, make ready, receive) and touched the top of the scepter." (Est. 5:2). The meaning of scepter (sarbit/sebet) in Hebrew is: "scepter, dart, spear, rod of empire, rod, staff, branch, offshoot, shepherd's hook, mark of authority, mark of a tribe, rod used for beating or to give support, measuring rod."

     As I read this account in Esther, I can see the king tilting his scepter forward towards Esther granting her permission to draw near. The definition of scepter, and the aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega designation written in front of the word "scepter" in Hebrew, brought a picture to my mind of Jesus on the cross, with his upper body and head tilted forward towards us in death, a detail which I found to be confirmed by the findings regarding the image on the Shroud of Turin. This to me is a poignant picture of God tilting His royal Scepter, in the Person of His offered Son, forward towards us to indicate His favor, invitation and pardon to enter His inner court and draw near to Him. It is written in the Book of Hebrews: "But to the Son He (God) says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter/rod of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore, God, Your God, has anointed (Hebrew:masakh/Greek:Chrio) You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." (Heb. 1:8, Ps. 45:6-7). And: "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 4:16). We also read in Genesis, as Jacob prophesied over his sons, he said in part over his son, Judah (the tribe of David, the Messiah, Jesus): "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (referring to the Messiah/Christ) comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people." (Gen. 49:10). Balaam, who was hired to bring a curse against Israel, delivered instead a prophecy of the Scepter that will rise out of Israel, referring to the Messiah/Christ, to judge the people (Num. 24:17). In numerous places in scripture, the Messiah/Christ is referred to as a branch (Jer. 33:15-18, Jer. 23:5, Zech. 3:8, Zech. 6:12-13) and as a shoot (Isa. 11:1-5), both of which are mentioned in the meaning of "scepter", above. When Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday in the week of His crucifixion, He entered as a King (basileus/basis - prince, commander, lord of the land, king/foundation of power, sole of the foot) (Lk. 19:37-38). The rod of rulership (scepter) over the nations, as Jacob prophesied, is with Christ (and us) on His return (see Rev. 2:26-27).

     In another reading portion from this zachor Sabbath before Purim, and also Palm Sunday this year, the prophet Isaiah wrote the Word given to him from the LORD for His people: "But now, thus says the LORD who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called (qara - see above) you by name; you are Mine...Everyone who is called (qara - see above) by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." (Isa. 43:1, 7). Leviticus Chapters 2 through 5 that are included in this Sabbath's reading deals with different kinds of offerings to bring to the LORD for sins, trespasses and guilt. This chapter from Isaiah shows the grief of the LORD that His special people, whom He has qara called by His name, do not call upon Him, and do not bring Him sweet offerings (ola and minha - burnt offering, what is laid on the altar, ascend, go up, go up in smoke, be taken up/gift, offering, sacrifice, tribute) even though He has the power to pardon them: "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." (v. 22-25).  What is in our hearts regarding offerings to be made to the LORD? Is He grieved with us also as He was with Israel? The LORD holds the scepter for either judgment or favor and pardon.

     If the LORD is looking for an offering, then what offering did Esther bring when, against the law of the kingdom, she presented herself before the king uninvited? She was obedient to the word that Mordecai brought to her although she had been hesitant at first. She participated in a prayerful fast sacrificially to break the yoke of the enemy (see Isa. 58:1-6), and she offered herself, saying: "...if I perish, I perish." What are we who are qara called by His name willing to offer Him during this Purim/Palm Sunday/Resurrection Sunday season? We saw above that the meaning of the Hebrew word for offering, ola, a burnt offering, is "that which is laid on the altar, to ascend, to go up as smoke goes up". This acceptable offering, following the pattern of the tabernacle, is dead flesh, but it is transformed into another form by the holy fire (our God is a consuming fire [Deut. 4:23-24; Heb. 12:28-29; see also 1 Kings 18:37-39]; the Holy Spirit as tongues of fire [Acts 2:1-4]; the Word of God as fire in our hearts and bones [Jer. 20:9]) of the consecrated altar, into a sweet-smelling odor ascending before the LORD. The odor of death has become the odor of ascent. We also know that these offerings for sin under the Law of Moses are a shadow and type of the Offering of the Son of God, Jesus, that was made for all of our sins. We have scriptures that speak of the odor of this type of holy offering: "Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Eph. 5:1-2).  Paul also wrote: "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us, diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing...For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity (eilikrineia/eilikrines - purity, cleanness/found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun's light, tasted as genuine), but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ." (2 Cor. 2:14-15, 17). Paul also wrote: "I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:18-19). In Rom. 12:1-2, Paul wrote about offering ourselves as a holy, living sacrifice acceptable to God. Then he speaks of being "transformed". In another place, Paul wrote of being transformed in a moment from corruptible to incorruptible, in what is called in churches "The Rapture" (1 Cor. 15:51-54).

     The nature of the offering in God's eyes as we can see above is the qara calling by which He has called us, but also the oneness of character with Him, with His Spirit, and with His Son, the Word.  In another reading from this Sabbath, we find out about making offerings and sacrifices that are unacceptable to God because they had nothing to do with sacrificial service to God, which is a reflection of His character. King Saul of Israel was commanded by the Word of the LORD from the prophet and judge Samuel, to destroy all of the people and animals of the wicked Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:1-3). However, although Saul's army defeated the Amalekites, he decided to spare their King Agag's life and the best of the enemy's livestock because both he and the Israelites "were unwilling to utterly destroy them." (v. 8-9). They only destroyed what they considered to be "despised and worthless". Saul explained to Samuel: "...for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed." (v. 15). Saul acted like he was doing an honor to God in his actions. Saul finally admitted that he was motivated to disobey the Word of the LORD because he "feared the people and obeyed their voice" instead (v. 24). However, Saul's disobedience could not be pardoned. Then Word of the LORD to Saul (v. 26, 28) was that the LORD had rejected Saul as king. Samuel revealed to Saul the power of the true offering: "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." (v. 22). Do we think that an offering to the LORD is only about the money that we choose to give? It is the sacrifice of obedience to the LORD rather than the implementation of our own ideas and choices that is at the heart of the true offering that transforms the corruptible flesh into the smoke and pleasing fragrance that ascends to the throne of God. Contrast Saul's relationship with God to the relationship that Jesus had with His heavenly Father. The pleasing fragrance of Christ's sacrifice is that He did the will of His Father in heaven, saying: "...nevertheless not My will, but Yours be done." (see Lk. 22:41-43, also Jn. 6:38-40, and regarding our obedience: Mt. 7:21-27). What kind of offering are we bringing to God during this Purim, Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday season? Is it an offering of transformation?

     If you would like to know more about offering a holy living sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God, you can join in my prayer: "Heavenly Father, in this season that represents Your defeat of the enemy of Your people, and the defeat of the greatest enemies, sin and death, by Your Son, the King, who rose from the dead for all of us. You tipped Your Scepter, Your Son, towards us on the cross to grant us pardon and favor. I ask that You find my offerings to be acceptable in Your sight, and a pleasing fragrance in Your nostrils. Let me join with My Savior in saying "not my will, but Yours be done" in and through me always. Cleanse my heart and purify me so that I can bring my offerings before You with sincerity and truth. Fill me with the holy fire of Your Word and Your Holy Spirit so that I may offer myself in obedience, in my giving, in service and works, done not in my own name and will, but in Your great name. I ask for this transformation in my life from the corruptible to the incorruptible in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

 Recommended reading:

"The Shroud of Turin: The Perfect Summary"

"Will You Heed the Celestial Warning?"