Darash Chai Experiment

In ancient cultures sacrifice was a way of influencing one god or another. A sacrifice would appease their anger or entice a favorable response. But sacrifice in the Biblical system is based on a completely different set of ideals. Biblical sacrifice was for the purpose of relationship and each sacrifice accomplished that goal of relationship between God and man in some way. As we close the topic of sacrifice we see the text revisit each of the previous sacrifices once more. And in the description of each we catch sight of the keys of relationship with the God of Israel.

The Festival of Sukkot is perhaps the most involved of all of the Festivals that are recounted in Leviticus 23. It is longer than a week, it requires living in temporary shelters and is the final festival of the calendar cycle of Leviticus. But what is this holiday all about? What does it symbolize and signify, and what in the world does an etrog have to do with this festival?

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is recognized world wide as a day of affliction. Why? Because that is what the text says. On Yom Kippur we are to “afflict our souls.” But there is another chapter of scripture that casts the Day of Yom Kippur in a slightly different light. Yes, a day of affliction for the people of God, but what are we to do besides this. Is that the limit? Just fast, pray, and sit back and contemplate God? Or is there something grander in scope that is to be accomplished on this day?

Yom Teruah is one of the most mysterious of the festivals that is recorded in Leviticus 23. There are no clear instructions, or even any meaning ascribed to the day. It is simply a day of blasts or shouts. That is all. But this day is spoken of throughout scripture in may ways, though seldom by name. When we look to the history of the day in extra Biblical sources we discover that it was the day of coronation. They day when the king ascended to the throne. There are many passages that explore this topic of enthronement, but none is perhaps as profound as the Gospel of Mark.

Just after reading about the sin sacrifice in Leviticus 4, we then read about the guilt sacrifice. A sacrifice that is in many ways related to the sin sacrifice and yet not. It is its own thing. How are they different? What do they reveal about us as humans? Sin brings guilt… doesn’t it? If sin causes a person to be guilty then why two separate sacrifices? Is there perhaps something we are missing from the way that we usually conceptualize the ideas of sin and guilt?

Of the various types of sacrifices that are described in the book of Leviticus, the sin sacrifice is perhaps the most misunderstood. As Hebrews says, it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin! If this is the case. If the sin sacrifice never did take away sin, then what was its purpose? What role did it serve in the worship of Israel, and what can we learn from this sacrifice today?

As we continue to read of sacrifice in the book of Leviticus, it is so easy to just move on and assume that there is nothing there for a modern audience. But it was the book of Leviticus that contained the necessary elements that allowed entry into the tabernacle and the was the foundation for the worship practices of Israel. If the tabernacle was a shadow of the heavenly as the author of Hebrews states, then we need to discover the shadows of sacrifice that will allow us to enter in before a holy God.

When a modern person comes to the book of Leviticus, we first encounter the topic of sacrifice, and well, most of us don’t last long. Sacrifice is a topic that is difficult for a modern people to engage with. We can’t and shouldn’t sacrifice today, Jesus is our perfect sacrifice, so why even bother? Well, when we combine everything that is said about the various sacrifices together, we discover a picture that goes much deeper than the ritual. Something that touches on the attitudes of the human heart.

As the book of Exodus draws to a close we see a LOT of repetition. Nearly the entirety of the end of Exodus is a repeat in one way or another. A lackluster ending to a book that was so full of excitement before. And while this book seems disjointed, there is a common theme that runs throughout. This theme is foundational and it can be found in nearly every part of Exodus.

The tabernacle as a structure reveals some pretty amazing things about our relationship with God and His relationship with us. The author of Hebrews says that the Tabernacle is a shadow and a copy of a reality in the heavens, and that our Messiah has now entered into this heavenly equivalent. With this key we can see that the tabernacle reveals the Messiah’s ministry. Who He is as what He accomplished are present in the tabernacle when we see the symbols for what they are.