Tetzaveh - February 27, 2021

Torah Portion:
Tetzaveh - February 27, 2021
Torah: Exodus 27:20-30:10
Haftarah: Ezekiel 43:10-43:27

Portion Summary:
—Rules for the lamp oil are given.
—Priestly vestments are described: ephod, breastplate, robe, frontlet, tunic, headdress, sash, and breeches.
—The process of anointing the priest for service, and process of priestly succession.
—Offerings for the altar.
—Incense altar construction, placement, and use.

Devotional by Rabbi Aybars Uckun:

"You, son of man, describe the House to the house of Israel, so they will be ashamed of their iniquities. Let them measure accurately. If they are ashamed of all they have done, sketch out the House for them, its layout, its exits and its entrances, its complete design, with all its ordinances and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so they may observe its complete design and all its ordinances and do them. This is the Torah of the House: the whole territory around it on top of the mountain will be most holy. Behold, this is the Torah of the House." Ezekiel 43:10-12 (TLV)

This week I’d like to share from the haftarah portion. The haftarah is a selection from one of the books of the Prophets that is read after the Torah reading. An example of this is when Yeshua read from the haftarah portion Ki Tavo in Luke 4:17-19. This week’s Torah portion is Tetzaveh (Ex. 27:20-30:10); I encourage all of you to go back and read it. It goes into great detail about the building of the altar and its consecration, as well as the calling of Aaron and his sons to bring offerings before Adonai. This week’s haftarah portion shows us a time when the temple has been destroyed and the Jews have been exiled by Adonai because of their continued unfaithfulness to Him. Ezekiel is shown a vision where he hears God’s powerful voice and sees the presence of God move into the temple courts through the Eastern Gate. The prophet is told that not only is God’s presence back in the temple courts, but that He would be there forever among His people if they turned from their sin.  

In the verses above, Ezekiel is being instructed (upon the people’s repentance) to show them His plans for a temple. It would be holy, along with the whole mountaintop surrounding it. In this place, “the Prince” would rule over His people AND function as the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) by making burnt offerings to atone for sin! This news would have brought great joy and hope to Ezekiel’s audience even though they were exiles in a faraway land. This revelation of a future temple where the Messiah would reign over a restored kingdom was, simply put, very good news.

Friends, we have the ability to take hold of the same hope. Yeshua desires to show us that we can have His presence inside of us, and that He will be with us forever. He wants to fill us with what 1 Peter 1:3 calls a “living hope” that isn’t based on mere optimism; this hope comes from God’s resurrection power that raised Yeshua from the dead! We all need access to this kind of hope; the good news is that when we call upon the name of Yeshua, we can not only experience it but be filled by it every single day!

Abba,
In need You in my life. Help me to turn from my sin and towards You so that I can experience the “living hope” that can only be found in Yeshua.
In Yeshua’s name, amen.