11.22.25 ~ Knowing the Difference

Good morning!

With Thanksgiving, less than a week away, I'd like for you to consider the Passover Lamb (a Thanksgiving offering/korban todah) with the Peace Offering/Korban shelem in Leviticus 3 and Leviticus 7.

Before we jump to that, let's prepare ourselves for time with friends and family by heeding Paul's word of instruction to walk in love, just as Messiah loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering/Korban and a sacrfice/zebach to God as a fragrant aroma (Eph. 5:2).

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering/korrban and a
 sacrifice/zebach to God for a sweet smelling savour. (Eph. 5:2)

At first, it seems like Paul is a little redundant with his wording, but he's not. He carefully chose two words that we often lump together and, for his reader, they were used to give them clarity when they approached the altar with what would be sacrificed.

To keep things simplified for us, since we don't have an altar, a Temple, or an active Priesthood, it's important to make a distinction between an offering/korban and a sacrifice/zebach.

All five offerings/korbanot in Leviticus 1-5 are the means on how to draw near/qarab to the Lord.  The emphasis is on the one approaching God, not the offering itself.  An offering is an offering because the bearer brings what God instructed him to bring and approaches on His terms.

Sacrifice/zebach, on the other hand, implies "death". We can see that “sacrifice” applies to the "substance" of what is brought near.  We should notice that from a biblical, Hebrew perspective, the emphasis falls on the action, not the substance.  The focus is on drawing near. The substance of what's being sacrificed is only the means that facilitates the action of drawing near.

Yeshua's death, on our behalf, gives us the privilege of drawing near to the Father.  He came into God’s presence and in so doing, paved the way for us as well.  His living, not His dying, was the offering/korban and His zebach/Sacrifice made it possible for us to draw near/qarab to God. Both offering and sacrifice are necessary. Each word describes a particular aspect of this life-altering event.  Neither the living nor the dying is sufficient in itself.

Paul told us, 'in everything give thanks/todah for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus (1 Thess. 5:18). The peace/shelem offering/korban is a thanksgiving offering/korban todah and was to be enjoyed by the entire community. It was an offering and sacrifice that all got to participate in, because all was well in the camp.

May your time of thanksgiving stem from the One Who offered/korban Himself up as a sacrifice/zebach, making possible what we have here in America...freedom to give thanks/todah and share with one another.

Shabbat shalom!
Alan

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