Lesson date: 5/17/5856AA

Verse 1 – The first verse begins “And it came to pass” and then it says “Ha shemini”. Ha simply equals “the” and shemini equals 8^th and the word “day” is implied. We have a feast and now we arrive at the 8^th day of the feast. When we see an 8^th day we should immediately think, “A New Beginning”.

• Way. 12:2-3 – A male child is circumcised or begins a covenant relationship
• Way. 14: 8-10 – A leper is cleansed for 7 days and “restored” on the 8^th day
• Way. 15: 13-14 – One who had an issue is cleansed for 7 days and restored on the 8^th day
• Way. 15: 28-29 – A woman is cleansed from her monthly separation and restored on 8^th day
• Way. 22:27 – A bullock, lamb or goat is acceptable for an offering after the 8^th day

These are just a few of the examples where individuals are separated for seven days and then on the eighth day they begin their life anew. Aharon and his sons have been set-apart in the tabernacle and now after seven days of separation they exit the Tent of Appointment they can begin their lives anew and now they will make the sacrifices that Moshe did at the beginning of the separation. They will begin their lives as priests.

Let’s look at Shavuoth, the Shavuoth known as Pentacost. They counted seven sabbaths and on the day after the seventh sabbath, the 8^th day, the Ruach Hakodesh descended on the apostles and those with them and they proclaimed the Besorah/Bosorot to all those in the temple. We now have access to the covenant of promise (Gal. 3:29) that before, as gentiles, of which we were ignorant.

Look at John 7:2: Joh 7:2 And the festival of the Yehuḏim was near, the Festival of Sukkot.

And now, look at what Yeshua said to those following Him and when He said it: Joh 7:37 And on the last day, the great day of the festival, יהושע stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink.

Joh 7:38 “As the Scripture said, out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water.”

It was on the 8^th day of Sukkot, Shemini Atseret. For us this, Sukkot, symbolizes the Wedding Feast of the Lamb and the 8^th Day is the new beginning.(Rev. 21:1-6+)

Now, like Aharon and his sons we are expected to emerge from the Tent of Appointment and begin ministering unto YHVH on the 8^th Day. Unfortunately, we get into the Tent of Appointment and because no one can bother us there we don’t come out and begin our “ministry”. It is safe. We don’t have to worry about making a mistake. But that is not what we are told to do: Jas 1:22 And become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Jas 1:23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror,

Jas 1:24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what he was like.

Jas 1:25 But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in his doing of the Torah.

That is why Ya’aqob calls it the Torah of Freedom because we are free, now, outside of the Tent of Appointment to minister to YHVH, to be an example, like Yeshua should be our example, the living, breathing Torah to instruct us in how we should live.

Enough about the 8^th day, maybe.

Verses 2-6 – First, Mosheh showed Aharon and his sons how to make the offering, now he is instructing Aharon and his sons what to offer and what to tell Yisra’el to bring to offer in order that they might see the esteem of Elohim manifested before them. Do you see how Mosheh functions as a type and shadow of Messiah, who should be our example on what we are to do, so that others can see through us, the esteem of Elohim. In verse 5 we see that the congregation “drew near and stood before YHVH”. (Heb 10:1-12)

Verse 7-21 – Mosheh directs Aharon to begin his ministry as High Priest and instructs him in how to prepare the sacrifices for himself and the people. Like any apprentice, the first time the master allows them to actually follow the instruction of the master, the apprentice is probably very nervous. The master is there to point out any obvious mistakes and to also protect the life of his apprentice. We will see a little later in Scripture that making a mistake in the ministry of YHVH can cause death. What does Sha’ul say? 1Co 11:27 So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master.

1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

1Co 11:29 For the one who is eating and drinking unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Master.

1Co 11:30 Because of this many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

Having been raised in the Southern Baptist doctrine, I know that unknowingly, I took the body and the blood of Yeshua far too lightly. It was not until 1985 that I celebrated my first Passover that I realized of what I had been guilty. Even today, as we celebrate the remembrance meal and the following day, the Passover meal between the evenings, I am afraid that I might take it too lightly once again.

Verses 22-24 – After the offering we see Aharon raise his hand to read the blessing: Num 6:22 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,

Num 6:23 “Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, ‘This is how you bless the children of Yisra’ěl. Say to them:

Num 6:24 “יהוה bless you and guard you;

Num 6:25 יהוה make His face shine upon you, and show favour to you;

Num 6:26 יהוה lift up His face upon you, and give you peace.” ’

Num 6:27 “Thus they shall put My Name on the children of Yisra’ěl, and I Myself shall bless them.”

Amein!