What Does the Bible Say Aboutā¦/Part 8
By: Dr. Thomas O. Figart; ©2003 |
Dr. Thomas Figart answers more delightfully honest questions from middle school aged kids. Topics includeĀ : sea cows; offerings for sin; Nazirite vows; holy water; and the value of women vs. men. |
Students from Manheim Christian Day School (PA) ask Questions About the Bible
Answered by Dr. Thomas Figart
Contents
- 1 In Numbers 4:6 what are āsea cowsā?
- 2 If all sins are equal, why were the Israelites supposed to have different offerings for different sins?
- 3 =What is separation to the Lord and what is a Nazirite vow?
- 3.1 What is āholy waterā and also what does the word āhearthā mean in Leviticus 6:9?
- 3.2 In Leviticus, when God is telling Moses rules for the priests, I read something that did not sit well with me. Why did God say that no one with a defect could come into the Temple?
- 3.3 āIn Leviticus 21:6 what does it mean when it says that offerings by fire are āfood to God?āā
- 3.4 āWhen people divided up by tribes, where would you go if your parents were from two separate tribes?ā
- 3.5 āIn Numbers 7 why was God so picky about all the offerings? Why couldnāt they just go out into the woods with their animal, stab it and sacrifice and burn it?ā
- 3.6 āIn Leviticus 27:1-8 it speaks about values of people. The value of a male is more than a female. Why is that?ā
In Numbers 4:6 what are āsea cowsā?
BK asks, āIn Numbers 4:6 what are āsea cowsā?ā
Answer: The Hebrew word used here is tachash, which has been defined in a number of ways, including the seal, dolphin, badger, porpoise or manatee.
- In King James and New King James, ābadger skins.ā
- In American Standard Version, āseal skins.ā
- In New American Standard Version, āporpoise,ā or ādolphin.ā
The skin of this particular sea creature was used in making shoes, or sandals. Ezekiel 16:10: āI also clothed you with embroidered cloth, and put sandals of porpoise (tachash) skins on your feet.ā (NASB) This skin was also used as one of the coverings of the TaberĀnacle (Exodus 25:5, NASB)
If all sins are equal, why were the Israelites supposed to have different offerings for different sins?
BM asks, āIf all sins are equal, why were the Israelites supposed to have different offerings for different sins?ā
Answer: This reasoning is not Biblical. Sins are not equal; we have the greatest authorĀity for saying this. Jesus said to Pilate, āThou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above; therefore, he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sinā (John 19:11).
In Matthew 23:14 Jesus declared, āWoe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows houses, and for a pretense make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.ā
We know the basis for the judgment of each unsaved personāRevelation 20:12: āAnd I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened, and anĀother book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.ā What we do not know is the exact nature of that judgment, except that all unbelievers will be separated from God in hell, in everlasting fire (Matthew 18:8).
=What is separation to the Lord and what is a Nazirite vow?
BM asks, āWhat is separation to the Lord and what is a Nazirite vow?ā
Answer: Separation unto God in Scripture is both negative (separation from those things which are contrary to the mind and will of God) and positive (Separation unto God) which results in unhindered communion with God, worship of Him in prayer, study of Scriptures and fellowship with Godās people. (See Hebrews 13:13-17 for details.) To take the Nazirite (from the verb nazar, āto separateā) vow included both aspects of separation. (Read NumĀbers 6:1-21 for details.)
Be sure not to confuse the exclusively Old Testament word Nazirite (from the verb nazar, āto separateā) with exclusively the New Testament word Nazareth, which means āguardian,ā or āwatchtowerā). The New Testament word Nazarene simply means āsomeone from Nazareth.ā Thus, Jesus was a Nazarene, because His hometown was Nazareth, but He was not a Nazirite, because He was sinless and never had to separate Himself from sin, and was always separated unto God.
What is āholy waterā and also what does the word āhearthā mean in Leviticus 6:9?
From BN, āWhat is āholy waterā and also what does the word āhearthā mean in Leviticus 6:9?ā
Answer: āHoly waterā was that water which was in the Laver, and sanctified by the priest. The Laver was a round basin, made from bronze, filled with water so the priests could cleanse their hands and feet before they offered burnt offerings unto the Lord. (ExoĀdus 30:18-20). Thus, in Numbers 5:17 it is called āholy waterā which served for holy purĀposes, one of which was to determine the innocence or guilt of a wife accused of adultery.
The word āhearthā in Leviticus 6:9 is mokdich, defined as āthe part of the altar on which the burnt offering was consumed, perhaps āheap of fuel (from Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon, p. 459). In Isaiah 30:14 it says, āfire from the hearth.ā
In Leviticus, when God is telling Moses rules for the priests, I read something that did not sit well with me. Why did God say that no one with a defect could come into the Temple?
From ES: āIn Leviticus, when God is telling Moses rules for the priests, I read something that did not sit well with me. Why did God say that no one with a defect could come into the Temple? I mean God made these people the way they are and now He does not want them in His house. That makes no sense to me. Our parents brought us up telling us to accept them, and now God is telling them they are not welcome in His house.ā (Leviticus 21:16-23)
Answer: First, this building is not the Temple, but the Tabernacle. The Temple was not built until much later, by King Solomon, and it was located in Jerusalem. The people were permitted to enter the Temple. However, the Tabernacle was entirely different. The people were not allowed in the Tabernacle; they brought their offerings to āthe door of the TaberĀnacleā (Leviticus 17:5). Entrance into the Tabernacle was only allowed to the priests and Levites from the tribe of Levi. Thus, 11 of the 12 tribes never saw the inside of the taberĀnacle property. Further, the priesthood was restricted. Only men, from 30 to 50 years of age qualified, and these men had to be free from blemishes, as you mentioned.
However, God did accept even these blemished men as ordinary people; they simply were not acceptable for the priesthood. In Leviticus 21:22-23 God does allow them to partake of the most holy sacrifices: āHe shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. Only he shall not go in unto the veil, nor come near unto the altar, because he hath a blemishā (and then God gives the reason) āthat he profane not my sanctuaries; for I the LORD do sanctify them.ā In the next chapter, the LORD demands that even the animal sacrifices must be without blemish, because He is a holy God.
āIn Leviticus 21:6 what does it mean when it says that offerings by fire are āfood to God?āā
From BK: āIn Leviticus 21:6 what does it mean when it says that offerings by fire are āfood to God?āā
Answer: Since a similar statement is made in Leviticus 3:11,16, let me quote the answer from the Keil and Delitzsch commentary (p. 301) on these verses:
In verses 11 and 16 the fat portions which were burned are called āfood of the firing for Jehovah,ā or āfood of the firing for a sweet savor,ā that is, food which served as a firing for Jehovah, or reached Jehovah by being burnedā¦. Hence not only are the daily burnt offerĀings and burnt sin offerings of the different feasts called, āfood of Jehovahā but the sacrifices generally are described as the āfood of Godā (āthe bread of their God,ā Leviticus 21:6), as food, that is, which Israel produced and caused to ascend to its God in fire as a sweet-smelling savor.
āWhen people divided up by tribes, where would you go if your parents were from two separate tribes?ā
From TZ: āWhen people divided up by tribes, where would you go if your parents were from two separate tribes?ā
Answer: You would go with the tribe of your father. We have the story of Ruth, a Moabitess (who was descended from Abrahamās nephew Lot). Ruth married Mahlon, from the tribe of Judah, and went with her husbandās family. Even later, when he died, Ruth refused to leave Naomi and go back to Moab with her sister-in-law. She stayed with Naomi and later was married to another man from the tribe of Judah, Boaz. Eventually Ruth beĀcame listed as part of the ancestry of Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. (Matthew 1:5).
āIn Numbers 7 why was God so picky about all the offerings? Why couldnāt they just go out into the woods with their animal, stab it and sacrifice and burn it?ā
From TT: āIn Numbers 7 why was God so picky about all the offerings? Why couldnāt they just go out into the woods with their animal, stab it and sacrifice and burn it?ā
Answer: God established both the method of sacrifice and the one place of sacrifice, the altar of burnt offering. Leviticus 17:3-6:
Whatsoever man there is of the house of Israel who killeth an ox, or a lamb, or a goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp, And bringeth it not unto the door of the taberĀnacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, blood shall be imputed unto that man, he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people; To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacriĀfices which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD. And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the LORD.ā
The reason why the LORD made this rule is seen in Leviticus 17:7: āAnd they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto demons, after whom they have played the harlot.ā God was only trying to prevent them from going astray after false gods; they had done it before; God did not want them to do it again! He is all-wise; He makes no mistakes.
āIn Leviticus 27:1-8 it speaks about values of people. The value of a male is more than a female. Why is that?ā
From TT: āIn Leviticus 27:1-8 it speaks about values of people. The value of a male is more than a female. Why is that?ā
Answer: If you read each evaluation you will see that it was according to the capacity of each individual, male or female, in each age bracket, to produce a given number of years of effectual work. The less years available, the less the value. Also, the male would ordiĀnarily be expected to be stronger than the female and capable of harder and longer work than the woman, so her value was reckoned at a lesser amount than the male. First Peter 3:7 calls the woman, āthe weaker vesselā with no bad meaning intended; it is just the way such situations would work out.
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