Bible Fiber
- Tired of scripture study guides that leave you wanting more substance? Discover a resource that offers comprehensive teaching and deep insights into the prophetic message.
- Have you been avoiding the more challenging books of the Bible because they are hard to understand or apply to your life? Let Bible Fiber build your foundational knowledge about ancient Israel’s history and culture.
Welcome to Bible Fiber, where we are encountering the textures and shades of the biblical tapestry through twelve Minor Prophets, two reformers (Ezra and Nehemiah), and one priest in exile (Ezekiel). Along the way, we take pauses for minicourses on peoples of the Bible and ponder why the prophetic office ended. I am Shelley Neese, president of The Jerusalem Connection, a Christian organization devoted to sharing the story of the people of Israel, both ancient and modern.
You won't find another podcast so committed to teaching the parts of the Bible that get the least attention and also is constantly calling for prayers for the modern state of Israel during this moment of crisis.
Bible Fiber
Tzav (Leviticus 6:8–8:36)
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This week’s Torah portion covers Leviticus 6:8–8:36. The second reading in Leviticus is titled Tzav, which means “Command!” Like last week, the text dryly expounds on how the priests are to present the sacrifices in the tabernacle. Details include how they are to dispose of the ashes, eat the grain offerings, and maintain the eternal fire. Each type of offering—be it burnt offering, grain offering, sin offering, or peace offering—has a distinct set of rules.
What are Jewish people supposed to do with the manual now that there is no temple? At this point, they have lived far longer without a sanctuary than they lived with one. There are still those who know they are in the Levitical priesthood, but they have not had an altar to service or an animal to slay for 2,000 years. It isn’t as if the Jews ever had the chance to voluntarily phase out their sacrificial system; the Romans decided that for them. The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE abruptly ended the Jews’ most central form of worship. As they mourned the loss of their sacred sanctuary, they asked themselves how they were supposed to atone for their sins without a temple. Of the 613 laws, 150 pertain to temple worship. How were they to maintain God’s laws when a sixth of them were no longer possible?