Chukkat
is a short parashah but full of Messianic overtones. There are
three elements to this portion: 1) The parah adumah, the red heifer
which the rabbis say speaks of a secret which can only be known
when the Messiah comes. 2) The story of Moses not entering the
Promised Land due to his sin of striking the rock instead of speaking
to it and 3) Once again, Israel's disobedience and rebellion causing
them to be bitten by snakes. God then tells Moses to craft a bronze
serpent and put it on a pole. Whoever would look up to this serpent
would be healed instantly. All three elements allude to Messiah
but the focus of my message today will be the parah adumah.
The
Talmud in Berachot 34b states that from Moses to the last prophet,
they speak of Messiah. Yohanan 5:39-47 says that Moses wrote about
the times of Messiah. Philippians 2: 6-11 clearly speaks about
a Messiah who would be humbled and lifted up alluding to the third
element of this portion, the bronze serpent. In Hebrew 9: 13 and
13:11, we see Yeshua having fulfilled element of the red heifer.
Our sages agree the red heifer is a "chok" (singular
for chukkat) which is a commandment or decree which cannot be understood
but obeyed by faith, without question; that we will only understand
it when Messiah comes. They say that there were 9 red heifers and
the 10th would be Messiah. The 1st was this one with Moses, the
2nd with Ezra, the next 2 by Shimon HaTzadik, then 2 by the High
Priest Yochanan, the 7th by the Prophet Elijah, and the 8th by
Chanamel the Egyptian and the 9th by Yismael, son of Piabi. The
10th will be burned by the Anointed King (Messiah) who will be
purifying all of the Jewish People that have become defiled by
their transgression (Bachya,Me'an Lo'ez)
Our
forefathers were always looking toward Messiah.
G-d
told the Israelites to bring to Him a pure, unblemished red heifer
which had never had a yoke put on it for sacrifice. To have a yoke
put on it meant that it had been under someone else's power and
control. G-d would have had to provide it for them to bring to
Him since a perfect red heifer was impossible to find. This heifer
had to be visible for the people of Israel to examine from 3-4
years according to the rabbis.
The
heifer had to be taken outside the camp to the "hill of anointing"
the Mount of Olives in the same place where Yeshua spent his last
days. The ashes of the pure heifer were taken outside the camp
since whoever prepared the water would become unclean. Yeshua,
crucified outside the camp was pure and became unclean as he took
upon himself all the sin of humanity so that we could be clean.
The elements used for purification were cedar wood, hyssop and
crimson wool. The cedars of Lebanon were a most majestic tree while
the hyssop was the lowest of all trees used as a broom in the Middle
East. It was also used as a spice, oregano to cover the putrid
smell of the burning flesh. The scarlet or crimson represented
the blood which is both an agent of purification and contamination
bringing both life and death.
Why
would G-d use a heifer which is a female cow? According to the
rabbis it is because of the sin of the golden cow which was fashioned
by Aaron at the time when Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive
the commandments. This was also why Aaron was not asked to prepare
the ashes but his son, Eleazar took his place.
Our
rabbis insist that we will only understand these things when Messiah
comes, but as Messianic Jews, it is clear to us because in every
detail, the Messiah Yeshua fulfills the requirements. In order
for Messiah to forgive our sins he needed to take our sins upon
him. Something so pure became defiled so that we could be clean.
The pain of separation from G-d that he suffered was far worse
than the actual physical pain. He became sin so that we can be
in the presence of G-d. This is something that we could never experience
without the Messiah.
We are living in a time when we need to get back to the true Messiah;
not according to man's understanding and inventions. G-d called
Israel to be a light to the nations; to be an example to the world,
not to become part of them but vice versa. Numbers 19:10 "For
the Israelites as for the resident alien, this will be a permanent
decree."
Today
we are looking at the remnant of God throughout the world returning
to Him both Jew and gentile (the ger). The Jewish remnant is responsible
to bring the ger to God. It is time to stop compromising with the
world; to stop trying to convert people. We are to be a light to
them and God's light will transform hearts. Yeshua took on talmidim
(disciples) and taught them. He did not force them to follow him;
they came to him because G-d transformed them. We cannot convince
anyone to believe in God and Messiah. If you have convinced someone
with fancy talking, he will be lost at the first challenge to his
new found "faith" but if God has transformed his heart,
the challenges will only make his faith stronger. It is God's job
to call his people; we only need to be there to receive them with
open arms.
May
God show our people His Messiah Yeshua now!
Rabbi
Percy Johnson
Netanel
ben Yochanan
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[b lantn
©
2008 Use by Permission
Kehilat
She’ar Yashuv
