Korban Asham (Sacrifices 8)

And, now, we come to the fifth category of sacrifices, the second of the propitiation sacrifices, the korban asham.  The word "asham" can be translated as "guilt, trespass, restitution, compensation".  This korban (sacrifice) is mentioned in several places, but most notably in Leviticus 5:14-19 and Leviticus 7:1-7.

Of all the five types of sacrifices, the korban asham is the most complex in its application.  The asham offering can be thought of as a "supplemented chatat offering."  Like the korban chatat (sin sacrifice or purification sacrifice), the korban asham was required as an atoning sacrifice; but, the asham was for certain types of more egregious, unintentional sins - - sins which severely harm the fellow man and one's own good name.

Of all the offerings, this one "cost the most",  reflecting the severe degree of the offenses committed.  There was also an element of restitution associated with this offering, because of the sinner's guilt at having harmed another (as well as God Himself).  Accordingly, a 20% fee ("the fifth part") was added.  Say a person stole $100 from another.  $120 would be paid back to that person, and an asham offering would be made.  In cases where there was no damage or harm to another human, the 20% would be given in addition to the asham offering, and the priests would be the recipients.

Jesus alluded to this offering and reiterated this principle in Matthew 5:23-24 when he required the repentant sinner to first go make things right with his brother (restitution plus 20% would have been understood) and then go present himself at the altar (to make the asham offering).

The procedure on the part of the repentant sinner was similar to that for the chatat offering, described in the last post.  The offered animal was always to be a ram.  However, the at the time of the laying on of the hands, the act in Hebrew called semikhah, the offender had to verbally confess his sin over the animal.  And, the only portion of the asham offering, the ram, burned on the altar was the fat of the animal; the remainder was for the priests to eat, as long as it was eaten in a holy section of the Temple.  Best I can determine, the carcass of this sacrificed animal was not burned outside the camp, as was the case with the sin offering.

Leviticus 5 lists the six, seemingly unrelated, instances when a Korban Asham was required.  One of them, the Asham Taluy (vs. 17-19), is particularly open-ended.  This is when the penitent is unsure whether he has committed a sin necessitating an asham sacrifice or not.  The term literally means, "sins without knowing".

There was a story that circulated among the female collegians when I was at university.  It was said that the wife of the chancellor, who taught in the Home Ec division, admonished her pupils thusly.  When determining if a garment needed washing, the rule should be, "If it's doubtful, it's dirty."  This memory comes to mind when I consider the Asham Taluy.

I confess that describing these five categories barely "scratch the surface" of the knowledge of Old Testament korbanot (sacrifices).  There were over 100 different sacrifices offered in the two ancient Temples!  I have learned that there is a tremendous amount of information about these that I do not know.  As we come to the close of this sacrifices study, there are some things important to remember:

1.  The sacrifices themselves took a back seat to the heart attitude of the one making the offering.  The most key verse to illustrate that truth is found in 1 Samuel 15:22-23a - - - 

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obedience to His voice?

Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice,

and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

23For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry.

It is still true today.  The many "religious" things people do are not what make them right with God.  Instead, He seeks a heart that is contrite, humble and that seeks Him through the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2.  The sacrifices will return.  Because the Temple will return.

Right now, all the plans are in place for the 3rd Temple to be built.  (The First and Second Temples were destroyed in 586 BC and 70 AD, respectively.)  Only two things are lacking: an opportunity to access the location on the Temple Mount (that area is currently controlled by the Muslim WAQF), and a red heifer, whose ashes will be used to purify the priesthood. 

When the 3rd Temple is built, sacrifices will resume.  According to Scripture, this will take place either during the 7-year Great Tribulation, or the Temple will be rebuilt shortly before that period begins.  As Jews will be controlling what goes on in this Temple, it is reasonable to assume that all five categories of sacrifices will resume.  Many Bible scholars believe, however, that many Jews will turn to their true Messiah, Jesus (Yeshua), during those last days.

There could be a whole host of posts written about what the Bible says about this 3rd Temple and about the next one.  Many Bible scholars believe the 3rd Temple I described above, and which will be desecrated by the False Messiah of the Great Tribulation, will be utterly destroyed in the devastation that occurs in the latter half of that tribulation period.  However, the New Testament is not clear about the fate of that Temple, even though it is mentioned three times in the New Testament.  

The prophet Ezekiel, in his book, describes vividly a Fourth Temple, which many believe will be "the millennial Temple", during that 1000-year period Jesus Christ rules and reigns upon the Earth.  The prophet received the information about this structure and surrounding areas in a vision which featured "a man whose appearance was like bronze"; many have postulated this was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ.  In the vision, Ezekiel was given 318 precise measurements of the Temple.  This Temple has not yet been built, but it will be, because God's Word never fails.  AND it is much too large to fit on the present Temple Mount.  I could go on and on about this Temple, but won't at this time.  I do want to point out a very important feature.  While the Temple Ezekiel describes differs in several very important ways from any previously existing Jewish Temple, it does have an altar.  Ezekiel 45:13-25 gives some pretty specific instructions concerning that altar of sacrifice.

3.   Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, is all in all.  His coming and His finished work changed everything.  As He said in Matthew 5:17 - - - 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Of the four gospels, the one that points out the most how Jesus' work fulfilled the Mishkan (Temple) is the gospel of John. I invite you to read the Addendum from the Hebrews4Christians link, given in the sources, because this blog post has gone on long enough.

Sources:

https://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/search?q=Red+Heifer

https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Vayikra/Zevachim/zevachim.html

"Making Sense of Sacrifices, Part 5", by Dr. Jennifer Scrivner, Beth HaShomer Ministries

https://www.thelehrhaus.com/scholarship/korban-asham-the-sacrifice-for-sacrilege-and-other-sins/

https://bac2torah.com/Messiah201-Asham.htm

Undesirables

Last night before bed I made my to-do list for today, a seemingly innocuous exercise, except for the fact that then I could not go to sleep from thinking about the logistical challenges today would bring!  Studying and blogging is something I delight in doing.  By putting it on the to-do list, voila!  Ok, enough about that.

We are back in Zephaniah today because, although you don't hear many sermons from this Old Testament minor prophet, it is an intriguing book.  Go back and skim my last post to refresh your memory about his family ties/genealogy, if you need to.

Zephaniah was a plain-talker, a blunt speaker.  He did not often employ flowery, poetic language to get his point across.  Interestingly, the book of Revelation is laid out in a similar progression as the book of Zephaniah, albeit with more depth and, well, revelation, haha.  Here is the same basic progression of themes in both:

• Judgment of God's people - Israel/the Church
• Judgments on the nations - Zephaniah 2/Revelation 4-15
• The Day of Judgement - Zephaniah 3:1/Revelation 20
• God's blessing - Jerusalem/new Jerusalem
• The return - God as King/Jesus as King

Isn't that fascinating?!  I just love how the themes in the New Testament reflect and fulfill the prophecies of the Old.  As Jesus said,

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." 

(Matthew 5:17 ESV)

In this way, the prophecies of Zephaniah have been fulfilled already; and, also they have not.  As is the case with several of the biblical prophecies, they have what is called "duality".  That is, they were fulfilled either during or sometime after the prophet's own time, AND they will be fulfilled again sometime in the future.  (Hence the parallels mentioned above between Revelation and Zephaniah).

Let's examine, first, the initial fulfillment of Zephaniah's pronouncement of judgment on God's people, Israel.  The folks had just emerged from a period of severe idolatry under the reign of the pagan King Amon, who was assassinated.  They were now ruled by the boy king, Josiah, who took the throne at the tender, young age of 8 years old.  He had a team of godly advisors, five in his inner circle, but none whose names you would recognize.  I want to focus on Josiah at a later date; so, we'll skip over some of the particulars here.  Let's just content ourselves for now with the fact that reforms began in the nation of Judah under Josiah's reign.

If Zephaniah was written during King Josiah's reign, why did Zephaniah warn the people that the period of righteous reform would not last?  Because that was the message God gave him, one which ultimately proved to be true.

Unfortunately, Josiah's reforms did not last.  The dire prognostications of judgment from Zephaniah, Jeremiah and others came to pass about 75 years after Zephaniah was written, in the form of the Babylonian scourge, where the brightest and best of the nation of Judah were carted off in chains to Babylon for 70 years.

Some pastors preach that the Church will not be judged during the oft-spoken-of "last days" before Christ returns, because Jesus took all of our judgment on the cross when He paid for our sins, once and forever.  On the most spiritual level, I completely agree. Christians will not experience eternal judgment, damnation, because of our signed, sealed, delivered salvation via the Holy Spirit.
However ... we currently live in a time when the Church is more persecuted than at any other time in human history, if you are talking about scope.  In other words, when you consider the worldwide Church, Christians in many places are either persecuted to some comparatively minor degree for exercising their faith (such as here in the USA) or they are hunted down and killed for their faith in Jesus Christ (many parts of the Middle East, Africa, China, etc.).  In that sense, the Church is undergoing "judgment" in the physical realm, here on earth.  (Others might refer to it as "purification".)

What is the deeper application of this aspect of Zephaniah's writings to us?  To answer that question we need to honestly look at the behavior of the Hebrew people of Judah, as well as our own behaviors.  The people were judged by God because they willfully, persistently practiced sin in their own lives.   They had become so comfortable in their own sins that they no longer attempted to please God.  The idolatry of the people groups surrounding them had infiltrated their ranks and overtaken them.  Don't miss this point: they were conquered within their own hearts before the Babylonians ever struck and put them in physical chains.  They had allowed the chains of persistent, practiced sin to bind them.  They had given up and given in to their own personal vices.

And, God was not pleased.  He referred to His own beloved people as "undesirable".
Zephaniah 2:1-3 (NET) records His warning and His plea:

1Bunch yourselves together like straw, you undesirable nation,

2before God’s decree becomes reality and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff,

before the Lord’s raging anger overtakes you –

before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!

3Seek the Lord’s favor, all you humble people of the land who have obeyed his commands!

Strive to do what is right! Strive to be humble!

Maybe you will be protected on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

People have the freedom to disobey God, but not the freedom from the resulting consequences.

A single example, for us on the "micro" level here: Smokers.
Husband and I have gotten into the (rather bad) habit of watching reruns of the ancient Perry Mason show each night before sleep overtakes me.  (I can rarely finish an episode, as these air at 11:30 p.m.). It is curious to note how many people smoke in these episodes.  It was a common, mostly-acceptable practice.  (My own daddy began smoking at age 9!) . Many fewer people smoke tobacco in modern America because, today, the dangers of such behavior are widely known.  To persist in a pattern of smoking tobacco negatively affects one's health, often bringing a premature death.  My own daddy died at age 66 of disease related to smoking, after ignoring the warnings and smoking nearly all his life.  Just about 99.9% of us have some behaviors that negatively impact our health, thereby reducing our effectiveness for the Lord. 

When we, as the Body of Christ, persist in behaviors, thoughts, habits that are contrary to God's directions for our lives, we will reap the consequences, that is, His judgment on us in this physical world.  It may not be immediate, but it will be sure.  God will not allow Himself to be mocked; what we plant, we will harvest, in our earthly lives. (Galatians 6:7) God's mercy and grace come into play here, because He is long-suffering with us.  He is patient as a benevolent, loving Parent of His children.  But, ultimately, the general principle for us as believers is: "you play, you pay".  God's discipline is a reflection of His love for us. (Hebrews 12:6)

All true believers struggle against their own personal sins.  We hide them from others, most of the time.  But, deep down, we acknowledge them and if we are walking the resplendent walk, we acknowledge them, confront them, confess them and repent.  Often this seems like an endless cycle, and hence the term "besetting sins".  Those are our personal sins that each of us tend to fall prey to most often.  We can never, in this life, seem to totally conquer them.  Even the apostle Paul acknowledged this ongoing battle, raging through his own life.  You can almost hear the angst in his voice as you read, "Oh wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from this body of death?!"  (Romans 7:24).  Thankfully, that battle will end when we are free from our bodies and their fleshly, sinful entanglements, living eternally with Jesus, our Deliverer, the One who, despite our "undesirability" loved us enough to incarnate Himself, live a sinless life and then lay down that life for us.

Until then, we must continue to fight the good fight of faith.  The struggle goes on.  Our God calls us to strive, to strain, to fight to do what is right through the Spirit He has given us, while we are simultaneously seeking humility and the other fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Today is January 4th.  Have you "fallen off the wagon" yet with your New Year's Resolutions?  I have.  But, you know what?  Right afterwards, I climbed right back on.  As Christians, we have the power of the Holy Spirit at our disposal.  Like exercising a muscle, we need to draw on His power in our day-to-day lives.  It's hard, y'all.  The flesh provokes a constant battle.

But, let's encourage one another in our local Christian fellowships by "bunching ourselves together like straw".  We know the final outcome.  We are His, forever.  All the battles we wage and fight here merely purify us for the blissful Forever that awaits us.  All the struggles merely prepare us for that amazing Eternity we anticipate living with Him.

Sources:

http://www.conservapedia.com/Book_of_Zephaniah
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/holy-bible/old-testament/the-prophets/minor-prophets/zephaniah/
https://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-Zephaniah.html