Study from Parshat "Tzav" (Command) - Leviticus 6:8 - 8:36

While reading this week's portion, I was taking copious notes on all the details of the sacrifices described in chapters six and seven of Leviticus. Towards the end of chapter seven, once again I came across the word "consecrations" (Lev 7:37). I've always wondered, "What exactly does consecration mean?" So, I finally decided to examine the Hebrew word. I discovered the Hebrew word to be "milloo", and reading its meaning opened a whole world of insight, encouragement and admonition.

The Hebrew word "milloo" is used 15 times in all of scripture. Eleven times it is used in the context of ceremonially setting Aaron and His sons in their priestly roles, and it is translated to English in these verses as "consecration." The other four times, it is used in its literal sense, meaning "a setting of gemstones" or "to be set as a gemstone." Three of these four literal uses describe setting the stones in the ephod and breastplate of Aaron, the high priest; the fourth describes the precious stones King David set aside for the building of the temple (and presumably the fashioning of the priestly garments) by Solomon.

It is so interesting the Lord would describe setting Aaron and his sons in their place as High Priest and priests using a word that literally means to be set as a gemstone. 

To me, this conveys the value God has in setting us in roles he has designed for us. To Him, setting us in the roles He designed for us--the roles He designed us for and called us to--is like setting gemstones in a perfect setting. This beautiful picture shows that God's design and purpose for us, and the roles we play in service to Him, are not merely purpose-driven functions, tasks to accomplish in an organizational strategy; to Him it is a creative work, a work of art that places valuable, precious, and unique gems in a setting that is a perfect fit and the perfect complement to that gemstone.

In these scriptures, "milloo" desribes the setting of precious stones that are worn by the priests as beautiful ornamentation, an expression and demonstration of glory and honor. Likewise, when we are set in the settings the Lord designed for us, He can work through us and the gifts, experiences and desires that uniquely make us who we are, in ways that bring glory and honor to Him and draw adoring and awe-filled eyes to Him; He wears our service to Him as ornaments of beauty and glory. 

How fitting it is that the priests wore the very gemstones "milloo" references in those 11 verses, a physical representation and reminder of the Lord's perspective and heart for our service to Him. It is also worth noting these stones "milloo" references were worn only by priests, those whose work is dedicated to Israel's relationship with God and continually restoring Israel to Him. With this in mind, it is amazing to read Exodus 19:5-6, "Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." 

I'm sure we all want to find ourselves set in the perfect place by the Lord and to experience the blessings of the Lord working through us. How do we let God set us in these perfect roles? 

The Lord gives us the foundational step in Exodus 19:5, "...if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples..." To hear from the Lord in a personal way, we must be willing to listen to Him, to what He has already made clear to us by the scriptures, and be led by obedient hearts to take the kind of actions he treasures; and He will treasure us. It all begins with having repentant hearts which pursue His heart. As we pursue His heart, our eyes are directed towards Him, and He speaks to us as if face-to-face, in a personal and intimate way. 

Another important step is found in a hidden detail within the beautiful picture "milloo" is painting. Exodus 35:27, "The leaders brought the onyx stones and the stones to be set, for the ritual vest and the breasplate." 

As it was the leaders of Israel who brought the precious stones to Moshe to be set in the ephod and breastplate, it is also our leaders today who bring us before Adonai as an offering of precious stones to be set in his artistic work of congregational and community life and service. Adonai shared His creative plan for the tabernacle with Moshe, who then filled the hands of the people with their various assignments and roles. To the Lord, I think the creative work of the tabernacle included not only the tabernacle itself, but also the community it took to build it, sanctify it, and to serve the Lord and one another through it. 

It is a beautiful thing to behold when an entire community--in this case, a whole nation--works together in harmony--as we can imagine Jewish harmony--to accomplish a vision and purpose of the Lord. It required, however, that the people had willing hearts to give and to serve according to the commands and direction Moshe received from Adonai. We must have such hearts to become gemstones the Lord can set through the vision and wisdom He speaks to our leaders. 

As we are doing these two things through our lifetimes--pursuing God's heart, and receiving our leaders' direction and the work they put in our hands--the Holy Spirit builds important skills and experiences in us, using them together with our unique makeup of talents and desires to bring us into roles we are created for and called to. It's important to understand these roles may or may not be "positions"; by “roles” I simply mean ways that God uniquely uses us according to His plan and creative inspiration for setting us and fulfilling us with His purposes. In fact, "milloo" used in a plural sense expands the concept "to be set" to mean "a fulfilling." As God continually sets us in our many roles from one season to the next, He is bringing us through His artistic process of fulfilling our hearts, our purposes, and His redemptive plan for His people and all mankind. 

Let Adonai set you as a precious stone in His garments of glory, as you ask Him to fill your heart with His words and desires, and as you ask your leaders to fill your hands with what God has shown them to give you; and you will be His treasured possession. 

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Where to find "milloo"...

Exodus 25:7; 29:22, 26-27, 31, 34; 35:9; 35:27 (8 verses)

Leviticus 7:37; 8:22, 28-29, 31, 33 (6 verses)

1 Chronicles 29:2 (1 verse)

Scriptural Observations

• The first night after Jacob leaves Beersheba for Haran, God appears at the top of the ladder from Earth to Heaven, on which angels ascend and descend. This night is when God first promises to Jacob the promises of Avraham and Yitzchak. He inherits the promises to Avraham. These are expanded and more personal.
  • The land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendnats.
  • They shall be as the dust of the earth.
  • You shall spread from west to east, to north and to the south.
  • In you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
  • I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.
  • I will bring you back to this land.
  • I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.
  • [How are these promises similar to and different from the promises made to Isaac and Avraham? How are they specific to Jacob's situation?]
• Jacob's response
  • Commemorated the place: anointed it and named it.
  • Made a vow (first vow to God in scripture): if God will be with me and keep me in the way way I am going and provide for me, and I come back to His fathers house in peace (with his brother), then...
  • The Lord shall be my God,
  • This stone shall be God's house,
  • I will give a tenth of all you give me.
• Despite all that God promised, Jacob's desire is to be at peace with his brother. It seems he inherited his father, Isaac's, propensity for peace. Also, he knows how his father pursued peace with the nations (Abimelech) and the price he continually paid for it; but now he feels he is the instigator of conflict (and warring nations) within his father's own house. Perhaps he perceives that God's promises will always be plagued with strife should the conflict with his brother endure.
• v16-Jacob was unaware that God was "in this place." Every spot on earth may be for man the gate of heaven; God's revelation is not restricted to sacred places or places he's already been. God can appear, reveal, and bless in any place and in any situation.
• Interesting how Jacob is now the nephew who departs, as Lot was the nephew of Avraham. But this time the nephew is the righteous one, and Laban is the devious one.
• As Jacob plans to depart from Laban and shares his intent with Leah and Rachel, they explain they will go with him because they have no reason to stay; they have no inheritance left from Laban because God has taken all his wealth from him and given it to Jacob, despite Laban's intent to exploit him. What is interesting is how this shows that these women who were joined to Jacob and God's covenant had their original inheritance vanish, to be replaced by the inheritance of Jacob. It is like this for we who join ourselves to Jacob today.

Directional Thoughts

• Even when part of God's plan and seeking to serve His will, sometimes the timing of the reward for our faithfulness can seem unfair or even hopeless.
• While we are waiting and working for the reward God has for us, we can experience "fringe" rewards now if we allow ourselves to trade urgency (or impatience) for trust in God's faithfulness and content in God's provision, even while exercising diligence. If we don't, we may miss part of the blessing God intends for us to experience.
• Sometimes even perfect faithfulness to and exceeding blessing on those we serve is not enough to receive the reward we have earned, because their heart is set to exploit rather than to bless; however, because it is God who we are truly serving, He is our reward, and the giver of our reward; and He will be faithful to reward us according to His grace and perfect and sovereign will.
• Jacob was unaware that God was "in this place." Every place on earth and every situation in life may be for man the gate of heaven. God's revelation is not restricted to sacred places or places he's already been; nor to holy moments or to patterns of life. God can appear, reveal, and bless in any place and in any situation. Knowing this gives us hope, strength, and confidence in times and places when it seems God could never be present.

Worship Responses

• When it seems our rewards are being withheld seek God's help to replace resent with content in what He has provided and confidence in what He has promised.
• Treat God as your reward, and treat His rewards as His expressions of love.
• Seek God's strength to pursue diligence and seek God's presence in every situation; even in times and places where it seems he would never appear.

Theme Words: reward, diligence, presence, service