Acherei Mot (אַחֲרֵי מוֹת) “After the death” Acherei “after” #310, Mot “death” #4194

Leviticus 16:1-18:30
Amos 9:7-15 (Ashkenazi)
Ezekiel 22:1-16 (Sephardic)
1 Corinthians 6:9-20

Kedoshim (קְדֹשִׁים) “Holy ones” #6918

Leviticus 19:1-20:27
Ezekiel 22:1-16 (Ashkenazi)
Ezekiel 20:2-20 (Sephardic)
Matthew 5:43-48 

This Weeks Parsha is a double portion just like last weeks. This portion picks up after the deaths of Nadab and Abihu with instructions for the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur (יוֹם כִּיפּוּר) one notable and mysterious element of the Day of Atonement is the choosing of the scapegoat or the goat to Azazel. Leviticus 16:8 – 22 is the only place in the Bible where Azazel is mention. To learn more we must look in the book of Enoch (controversy over the book of Enoch is another matter for another time)

And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there forever, and cover his face that he may not see light. And on the day of the great judgment, he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.' Book of Enoch 10:4-9

Another mysterious thing about this scapegoat was that the two goats were chosen by casting lots. To modern thinkers, we flip a coin to “let chance decide” taking the human bias and thinking out of the decision. In Hebrew thinking there is no such thing as chance, still, they are removing the human bias and thinking from the decision but rather than “chance” casting lots means the LORD chooses the outcome.  What then do we learn about Yeshua, who is the scapegoat upon whom our sins have been laid only to be taken and sacrificed outside the camp? Because the scapegoat was chosen by lots he was not chosen by men. And therefore Yeshua was not sacrificed by men, the Romans didn’t kill Yeshua, the priests and scribes didn’t kill Yeshua. The LORD sacrificed Yeshua, a feat no nation of men could have accomplished. The blood of bulls, goats, and lambs provided a temporary and symbolic covering (the word Kippur means covering) that foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice that the LORD offered up himself on our behalf. The details of the instructions laid out in the Torah can teach us about the depth and breadth of our LORD’s wondrous plan of redemption.

Next weeks reading:

Emor (אֱמֹר) “Speak” #559

Leviticus 21:1-24:23
Ezekiel 44:15-31
Luke 14:12-24