PARASHA: “Shemini” (Eighth) Leviticus 9:1-11:47
We know that a week is seven days, We count starting Sunday, and seven days later, we come to “Yom Shabbat” the 7th day, a day to rest. So, what is the “eighth” day? It is another way of saying “Sunday” the number “8” symbolizes “a new beginning” the beginning of the week, the old week is gone, a new week is before us. So, we begin the week with “Shemini”. Now this word is interesting, within this word “Shemini” we find two words, “Shem’ (name) and “Shemen” (oil) what could these words convey to us as believers?
One could say that “HaShem” (The NAME) (Adonai) has just finished anointing Aaron and sons as high priests with oil, and now, they are ready to officiate the office of the priesthood, they are waiting for YHVH to come down and consume the animal offerings. It is a “New Beginning” because Adonai will come to live amongst them all.
When a believer is “born again” that believer has a “new beginning” a new life in Messiah Yeshua. We all hold the office of the “priesthood” representing Adonai on this earth.
Aaron and his sons had been preparing for the priesthood for seven days. So, we see a period of “7” days, that Aaron and his sons have been in the Mishkan, preparing, praying, being “ordained” by YHVH to take on the ministry of High Priest (Aaron) and “priests” Nadav, Abihu, Elazar, and Ithamar. Is it any surprise that we see the number “7” here, since it is God’s number of perfection? The Hebrew letter “Zayin” has the equivalent of the number “7” in gematria. “Zayin” symbolizes “weapon”. The Holiness of Yeshua is our “weapon” against HaSatan.
On the “Eighth” day, the sacrifices begin, the whole ministry begins, and YHVH himself will ignite the first fire on the brazen altar, saying, “I AM HERE, in your presence” Chapter nine tells of the animal sacrifices that the priests offered. They symbolize “Yeshua” who took our place and paid our sin debt. The brazen altar is the “Cross” upon which “Yeshua” was judged for our iniquities. Yet we can also recall that during the Feast of Tabernacles, there was an “eighth day” the day which is called “Shemini Atzeret”
A little more about the animal sacrifices, Yes, they are no longer because Yeshua, the sacrificial Lamb was the ultimate sacrifice, yet the animal sacrifices are meaningful in that they represent Yeshua in different ways. The bullock = the strength of Adonai, the ram; the atonement for Isaac, Isaac symbolizes us all, and the ram, which took the place of Isaac, Yeshua, who took our place. The lamb = Yeshua, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the goats on Yom Kippur = One was sacrificed, as Yeshua was sacrificed, the “scapegoat” which took upon itself all of our sins, and led away to the desert, never to return.
The Talmud tells that a Levite would take the scapegoat and take it far away, and push it over a cliff to die, and that way, never return. But if this did not happen, would the goat follow the Levite back to the camp? Perhaps it would. It is like our sin nature, the “Yetzer Hara” we need to take the goat of our sin nature and “push it over a cliff” so it will never follow us home, yet this is easier said than done, it always finds a way to grab hold and follow us home, especially the sin of evil or lustful thought. It is a constant battle of the mind vs “Yetzer Hara” the sin nature is part of our being; it is the goat that climbs back over the cliff to follow us home.
“7” symbolizes the ending of the week, the Sabbath, the “Perfect” Sabbath which Adonai had ordained for man since the beginning. The 7-day week symbolizes a complete unit, and the “eighth” day, is like “starting over at a new level” The Children of Israel have accomplished “leaving Egypt” via “Yad Elohim” (The Hand of G-d), “Receiving the Torah” (At Sinai) “Building the Mishkan” (Per instructions of Elohim via Moshe) and now, “The beginning of offerings” They will come “close” to G-d through the offerings, via the cohenim.
For us as believers, we get “Close” to G-d through Yeshua, who is the realization and culmination of ALL the Levitical offerings. Getting “close” to Adonai was what the animal offerings symbolized. But wait a minute, something is about to go wrong! Inauguration day is about to smudged. The football is about to be fumbled. The waiter carrying the wedding cake is about to slip and fall.
Vs 10, “Then Nadab and Abihu, “B'nei Aaron” (sons of Aaron) each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane (Tamei) fire before YHVH which He had not commanded them. So, fire went out from YHVH and devoured them, and they died before YHVH”
Many Bible students look for a meaning in all of this. What was the “Esh Tamei” (profane fire)? The Torah is not crystal clear on that, so we can only assume, or come to an educated guess taking into account “clues” Perhaps, Nadab and Abihu were not asked or commanded to offer incense PERIOD! Or at least at that time, perhaps they thought, “Yo bro, this might be a good idea! Let’s try this!” well, they got fried! Many believe that they can come to God “their own way” or might think; “there are many ways to get to God” YHVH has set the record straight, the ONLY way is through YESHUA, through simple FAITH. Yeshua said; “I AM the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE, NO ONE comes to the Father but by ME, (John 14:6)
Another thought is that perhaps Nadav and Abihu had too much to drink, that they might have been drunk when they offered the incense, that they were not in their right minds, with clouded reason, so the “incense offering became “profane” their “holiness” was marred, so, being a God of Holiness, HE could not accept the sacrifice, and so, HE burned THEM up! We can understand this concept by God's words:
” By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people, I must be glorified.” We see that the LORD speaks and says; “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you when you go into the tabernacle of Meeting, lest you DIE”. This might be the most logical explanation.
The other thought is that they made their own “fire” instead of taking the fire from the brazen Altar and placing the incense on IT. This also could be “profane fire” that would symbolize that entrance to the Holiness of YHVH could be from OTHER sources, other than the Brazen Altar, remember, it symbolizes the cross and Yeshua was crucified on it to pay our sin debt. By making their own fire, they were in a way saying, “We can come to God by OUR OWN WAY. Not the “Yeshua” way. This answers the question; Can one come to God in any manner? NO, only through faith in Yeshua. Yet there was already fire on the brazen altar, why look for another source?
If this is indeed the meaning, perhaps they erred in their reasoning because they were not in their right mind, because of “strong drink?” so we are back to the “strong drink prohibition” Well, it makes sense, when ministers serve in the pulpit, behind the Bema, and they are teaching Torah, they need to be in their right mind, clear thinking and not have their reasoning clouded because of alcohol or other drugs. It isn’t that alcoholic beverages are prohibited to believers, they are prohibited when we are “Ministering” before the LORD and others. Wine helps the digestion of food; did you know that? But many are of the opinion that it is better to abstain at all times, so as “not to fall” into temptation of “overdoing it” by taking “one cup too many.”
We know that a week is seven days, We count starting Sunday, and seven days later, we come to “Yom Shabbat” the 7th day, a day to rest. So, what is the “eighth” day? It is another way of saying “Sunday” the number “8” symbolizes “a new beginning” the beginning of the week, the old week is gone, a new week is before us. So, we begin the week with “Shemini”. Now this word is interesting, within this word “Shemini” we find two words, “Shem’ (name) and “Shemen” (oil) what could these words convey to us as believers?
One could say that “HaShem” (The NAME) (Adonai) has just finished anointing Aaron and sons as high priests with oil, and now, they are ready to officiate the office of the priesthood, they are waiting for YHVH to come down and consume the animal offerings. It is a “New Beginning” because Adonai will come to live amongst them all.
When a believer is “born again” that believer has a “new beginning” a new life in Messiah Yeshua. We all hold the office of the “priesthood” representing Adonai on this earth.
Aaron and his sons had been preparing for the priesthood for seven days. So, we see a period of “7” days, that Aaron and his sons have been in the Mishkan, preparing, praying, being “ordained” by YHVH to take on the ministry of High Priest (Aaron) and “priests” Nadav, Abihu, Elazar, and Ithamar. Is it any surprise that we see the number “7” here, since it is God’s number of perfection? The Hebrew letter “Zayin” has the equivalent of the number “7” in gematria. “Zayin” symbolizes “weapon”. The Holiness of Yeshua is our “weapon” against HaSatan.
On the “Eighth” day, the sacrifices begin, the whole ministry begins, and YHVH himself will ignite the first fire on the brazen altar, saying, “I AM HERE, in your presence” Chapter nine tells of the animal sacrifices that the priests offered. They symbolize “Yeshua” who took our place and paid our sin debt. The brazen altar is the “Cross” upon which “Yeshua” was judged for our iniquities. Yet we can also recall that during the Feast of Tabernacles, there was an “eighth day” the day which is called “Shemini Atzeret”
A little more about the animal sacrifices, Yes, they are no longer because Yeshua, the sacrificial Lamb was the ultimate sacrifice, yet the animal sacrifices are meaningful in that they represent Yeshua in different ways. The bullock = the strength of Adonai, the ram; the atonement for Isaac, Isaac symbolizes us all, and the ram, which took the place of Isaac, Yeshua, who took our place. The lamb = Yeshua, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the goats on Yom Kippur = One was sacrificed, as Yeshua was sacrificed, the “scapegoat” which took upon itself all of our sins, and led away to the desert, never to return.
The Talmud tells that a Levite would take the scapegoat and take it far away, and push it over a cliff to die, and that way, never return. But if this did not happen, would the goat follow the Levite back to the camp? Perhaps it would. It is like our sin nature, the “Yetzer Hara” we need to take the goat of our sin nature and “push it over a cliff” so it will never follow us home, yet this is easier said than done, it always finds a way to grab hold and follow us home, especially the sin of evil or lustful thought. It is a constant battle of the mind vs “Yetzer Hara” the sin nature is part of our being; it is the goat that climbs back over the cliff to follow us home.
“7” symbolizes the ending of the week, the Sabbath, the “Perfect” Sabbath which Adonai had ordained for man since the beginning. The 7-day week symbolizes a complete unit, and the “eighth” day, is like “starting over at a new level” The Children of Israel have accomplished “leaving Egypt” via “Yad Elohim” (The Hand of G-d), “Receiving the Torah” (At Sinai) “Building the Mishkan” (Per instructions of Elohim via Moshe) and now, “The beginning of offerings” They will come “close” to G-d through the offerings, via the cohenim.
For us as believers, we get “Close” to G-d through Yeshua, who is the realization and culmination of ALL the Levitical offerings. Getting “close” to Adonai was what the animal offerings symbolized. But wait a minute, something is about to go wrong! Inauguration day is about to smudged. The football is about to be fumbled. The waiter carrying the wedding cake is about to slip and fall.
Vs 10, “Then Nadab and Abihu, “B'nei Aaron” (sons of Aaron) each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane (Tamei) fire before YHVH which He had not commanded them. So, fire went out from YHVH and devoured them, and they died before YHVH”
Many Bible students look for a meaning in all of this. What was the “Esh Tamei” (profane fire)? The Torah is not crystal clear on that, so we can only assume, or come to an educated guess taking into account “clues” Perhaps, Nadab and Abihu were not asked or commanded to offer incense PERIOD! Or at least at that time, perhaps they thought, “Yo bro, this might be a good idea! Let’s try this!” well, they got fried! Many believe that they can come to God “their own way” or might think; “there are many ways to get to God” YHVH has set the record straight, the ONLY way is through YESHUA, through simple FAITH. Yeshua said; “I AM the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE, NO ONE comes to the Father but by ME, (John 14:6)
Another thought is that perhaps Nadav and Abihu had too much to drink, that they might have been drunk when they offered the incense, that they were not in their right minds, with clouded reason, so the “incense offering became “profane” their “holiness” was marred, so, being a God of Holiness, HE could not accept the sacrifice, and so, HE burned THEM up! We can understand this concept by God's words:
” By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people, I must be glorified.” We see that the LORD speaks and says; “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, nor your sons with you when you go into the tabernacle of Meeting, lest you DIE”. This might be the most logical explanation.
The other thought is that they made their own “fire” instead of taking the fire from the brazen Altar and placing the incense on IT. This also could be “profane fire” that would symbolize that entrance to the Holiness of YHVH could be from OTHER sources, other than the Brazen Altar, remember, it symbolizes the cross and Yeshua was crucified on it to pay our sin debt. By making their own fire, they were in a way saying, “We can come to God by OUR OWN WAY. Not the “Yeshua” way. This answers the question; Can one come to God in any manner? NO, only through faith in Yeshua. Yet there was already fire on the brazen altar, why look for another source?
If this is indeed the meaning, perhaps they erred in their reasoning because they were not in their right mind, because of “strong drink?” so we are back to the “strong drink prohibition” Well, it makes sense, when ministers serve in the pulpit, behind the Bema, and they are teaching Torah, they need to be in their right mind, clear thinking and not have their reasoning clouded because of alcohol or other drugs. It isn’t that alcoholic beverages are prohibited to believers, they are prohibited when we are “Ministering” before the LORD and others. Wine helps the digestion of food; did you know that? But many are of the opinion that it is better to abstain at all times, so as “not to fall” into temptation of “overdoing it” by taking “one cup too many.”
