Acharei Mot “After the Death”
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Name and Readings-
Acharei Mot is the Hebrew title for “after the death of” and is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Book of Leviticus starting in chapter 16 verse 1 and going through chapter 18 verse 30.
Prophets and New Testament-
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah readings come from the book of Ezekiel in chapter 22 verse 1 through verse 16.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Matthew in chapter 15 with verses 10 through 20.
Torah Portion Overview-
Leviticus 16 explains to us the laws for the Day of Atonement. The priests were not allowed to enter the Most Holy Place, lest they see Yahweh and die (Leviticus 16:2). Instead, only the High Priest could come once a year on the Day of Atonement. The High Priest had to offer a bull for a purging offering to cleanse from any unintentional sins (Hebrews 9:7, although there is debate among scholars if intentional or unintentional for the High Priest) that he has committed (compare to Leviticus 4:3-12), and a ram for a burnt offering (compare to Leviticus 1:10-13). He shall dress in under garments and wash his body, sacrifice the bull and bring the two goats and set them before the Lord. He then casts lots to determine which one is the sacrifice and which one is sent into the wilderness for Azazel (meaning the goat that goes away). He then sacrifices the bull and takes a censer of coals from the altar and sweet incense and goes inside the veil and burns the incense. This would cover the lid of the ark, thus covering Yahweh so that He would not be seen (and the High Priest would live). He would sprinkle the blood of the bull seven times on on the lid of the ark. Then he sacrifices the goat of the sin offering (purging offering) and does the same thing. This cleanses the Holy Place and the tabernacle (16:16). He then cleanses the altar by putting the blood of the bull and goat on its horns and sprinkles it seven times as well. Then they take the live goat, and confess all of Israel’s sins over it and send it out to the wilderness to Azazel (most likely a goat demon). Think of this as sending the impurities, the contamination, outside of the realm of Yahweh, to the wilderness, the place of His enemies. Remember that the wilderness was chaos and death and was not part of sacred space. The bull and purging offering goat are then carried outside the camp and burned with fire. The priest who handles them is unclean and must wash his clothes and body.
All this was done to protect sacred space, to keep it clean. The Most Holy Place was not a place where the High Priest could go except once a year, while performing these rituals. Yet we see in Hebrews that the veil separating the Most Holy Place and Holy Place was torn.
Hebrews 10:20 (ESV) by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
This symbolized that the way into the Holy Place was opened up to us!
Hebrews 10:19 (ESV) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
However, since the veil was torn, when we enter the Holy Place we are also entering the Most Holy Place. This is why when the Heavenly Temple doors are opened you can see the ark (Revelation 11:19). We don’t look to the priestly tabernacle or sacrifices above Messiah, because Christ is our sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12) and is our High Priest (Hebrews 10:21)! We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16, 1 Peter 2:5)! Thus, we are His sacred space. We don’t have to wait for a High Priest to enter into God’s presence on our behalf! We can enter into His presence ourself! We are to live our lives as sacrifices (Romans 12:1, 1 Peter 2:5). We enter in through prayer. We are able to come to the Father with faith and rest in Him. therefore let us rejoice in who He is and what He has done for us, that although the earthly temple was destroyed, He planned a way for us to enter into the Heavenly Temple in Him!
Hebrews 9:8-9 (ESV) By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age)
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Leviticus 16:1 The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 17:1 Restrictions on sacrifice
Leviticus 17:10 Eating blood forbidden and meat torn by wild beasts
Leviticus 18:1 Unlawful sexual relations
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Ezekiel 22:1-16 Jerusalem’s idolatry and lawlessness
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Matthew 15:10-20 Food does not make unclean but sin does
The Book of Leviticus “Vayikra” which means “He called Out.”
The Old Testament is commonly referred to as the Torah. It is considered the most sacred of all of Israel’s Scriptures. Most of our modern Bibles include the Old Testament “Torah” as the first five books in the Bible. The name for the third book of the Bible, Leviticus, is called Vayikra in the Hebrew. The name “Vayikra” comes from the opening phrases in the book of Leviticus which means “He Called Out.”
Leviticus flows directly out of the stories in the previous book of Exodus and continues the story of their gathering by God to enter into a covenant relationship with the Hebrew God known as Adonai, Yahweh, Hashem, and many other titles. The book gives an telling of instructions and testimonies of how the Hebrew people wrestled to become bond servants while shaking off the slave mentality.
As Christians, we find the book of Leviticus and the stories therein, as a historical account of how we as believers are grafted into the covenants and promises of God with our forefathers and how we can learn to walk and learn from their actions as God establishes His people and nation by teaching them how to be bond servants not slaves.
To Watch an overview of this week’s Torah Portion CLICK HERE