A Kingdom Of Priests
‘Keep your lifestyle free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. For G-d Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” so that with confidence we say,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What will man do to me?”’ ~Hebrews 13:5-6
Hebrews 13:5-21 warns us against covetousness. These words urge us not to seek after or pursue what our pagan neighbors seek after and pursue. The text reminds us to focus on what The Holy One has called us to be and do. We are called to be a kingdom of Kohanim (priests) and a Holy Nation.
“And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that they may minister unto Me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.” ~Exodus 28:1
Aaron was called in the portion Tetzaveh, תצוה , to become an earthly representation of a Heavenly reality. Our true High Priest, the Kohen Gadol, is our Messiah Yeshua. Tetzaveh, Hebrew for “You shall command” or “You shall charge“, gives a clear picture of what our High Priest looks like and how his “office” is to appear. Tetzaveh comes from the root tzavah, צוה, (pronounced tzaw-vaw). Tzavah means command, to lay charge (upon), give charge (to), or order. A closer look at the Hebrew letters we can get an even deeper meaning. The tzade (צ) is a picture of a man bowing down in submission. The vav (ו) depicts a nail or peg, connecting or fastening one thing to another. The heh (ה) denotes a window or an opening where both light and air are admitted (a place of revelation or inspiration). When you add the prefix tav (ת), meaning covenant or sign of the covenant, to form the word tetzaveh we find that “you shall command” means way more than has been translated into our bibles. One simple word paints this picture:
A process or journey where as an outgrowth of an eternal covenant a man who bows in submission before the Holy One becomes permanently affixed or connected to a place of revelation and inspiration.
Yeshua tells us, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” -John 14:15. And “…for apart from Me, you can do nothing.”-John 15:5. If we are called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, it’s time to find out what exactly that entails. Tetzaveh details how we are to keep the “oil” of the menorah blazing and keep our vessels full. The portion gives specifics about the garments of the High Priest, the breastplate, ephod, tunic, cap headband (which reads “Holy to the L~rd), sash, linen breeches, and the Urim and the Tumim. You can also gain insight on the daily offerings and the incense that was offered twice daily.
If you think for a moment that none of this applies to you today, think again. There are very special meanings behind each of the specifications of the High Priest. Just as in Hebrews 13:5-21, if we lose focus on what the Holy One has called us to be and do, we risk becoming like our pagan neighbors. We will have to fit in with them, dress like them, eat like them, think like them, educate our children like them, adopt their dreams and values, in other words we will become like salt that has lost its savor.
Shalom, Happy Day!
Hallelujah Girl
Torah Portion Tetzaveh • Torah: Exodus 27:20-30:10 • Haftarah: Ezekiel 43:10-27 • Gospel: Mark 4:35-5:43