Beautiful SPIRITUAL Image of Yahweh

Leviticus 21:1-24

Tahor/Tameh = Clean/Unclean

Our Loving Father communicates His Nature to us. So many times people ask "how can you
know God?" His instructions to us on how we are to live and serve Him is where we can find the
answer to this question. One of the many ways this truth is demonstrated so beautifully is in the
specific way He instructs us in His Torah. This paper will discuss the specific instructions
concerning how to deal with corpses, the dead, and how to get back in communion relationship
with Him. About this time you are saying "whoa, CORPES, DEATH?" Please keep reading. It is a
perfect image of our Creator and Father and how He is pure Life.

Brothers and sisters, these instructions are not about us, they are about WHO HE IS. Our Father
is trying to tell us ABOUT HIMSELF.

Initially, one may think this topic one of morbidity and of minimal concern. Some may think we
are given these instructions for purpose of sanitation or health and prevention of infections and
things of that sort. I imagine that many in the church are not even aware of these instructions
given to us by our Father and Creator, the very One Whom it is expressed we worship, but have
little knowledge of. Our Father tells us who He is by His instructions to us on how to be able to
commune with and serve Him. If we claim to love and serve Him, let us make EVERY effort to
KNOW Him and His nature. This only comes through His Torah, and the teaching of the Holy
Set-Apart Spirit.

Is it sinful to have dealings with the dead when taking care of burial? No. We must take care of
those who pass away and bury them. But, we are instructed by our Elohim that we become
unclean when we come in contact with the dead, human or animal corpse. Why? Is this some
mindless hoop we are to jump through? Some sort of "works" that makes us "in good stead" with
the Father? A measurement by which I can say I am better than you, because I am "clean?" Every
instruction we are given has a reason behind the instruction. The opposite of death is life. Can
anyone argue this point? Where there is death, there is no life. Where there is life, there is no
death. Our Father is pure life. He is the Creator of Life, the Giver of life, the Sustainer of life, the
Deliverer from death. He is teaching us about who He is in this basic, physical instruction. When
taken to the eternal, spiritual understanding, there is little that is much more beautiful than this.

Brothers and sisters, these instructions are not about us, they are about WHO HE IS. Our Father
is trying to tell us ABOUT HIMSELF.
I am going to keep repeating this phrase in hope to change a pervasive, and me-centered mind-set
throughout this paper. Stay with me.......

Pertaining to these instructions in His Torah, He demonstrates a gradient on the topic of death.
The instructions become more restrictive with each group of people BECAUSE OF THEIR
RELATIONSHIP TO YHWH AND HIS IMAGE.

Concerning the people of Israel (us) Numbers 19:11

He who touches the dead of any human being is unclean (tameh) for seven days.

The people of Israel (we) had to take care of and deal with burial of dead bodies and animal
corpses, but were considered unclean for seven days and underwent a ritual to purify themselves
(ourselves) to be able to once again commune with the Holy One. Until they (we) purified
themselves (ourselves), they (we) could not come to the tabernacle of service or provide offerings
to the Holy One.
Consider brothers and sisters what our offerings are today to The Holy One. Is it not our prayers,
our requests for blessings, our very lives that are required offerings for today? Our Father does
not change according to Malachi Mal'aki 3:6 "For I am YHWH, I shall not change, and you, O
sons of Ya'aqob (Jacob, Israel), shall not come to an end.
And also in James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights, with Whom there is no change, nor shadow of turning.

So now I would ask you, what has changed in Our Father's requirement, DUE TO HIS NATURE,
for us to draw near to Him? There has been no change. We must be clean, Tahor. It is not about a
rule or work. IT IS HIS NATURE THAT MAKES THIS SO.

Brothers and sisters, these instructions are not about us, they are about WHO HE IS. Our Father
is trying to tell us ABOUT HIMSELF.

Leviticus 21:1-3 Concerning the Priests, Sons of Aharon

1. And YHWH said to Mosheh, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aharon, and say to them: 'No
one is to be defiled for the dead among his people,
2. except for his relatives who are nearest to him: for his mother, and for his father, and for his
son, and for his daughter, and for his brother;
3. and for his maiden sister who is near to him, who has had no husband - for her he is defiled.

These instructions are for the Priests only. The priests were not the ones dedicated to enter into
the Holy of Holies once per year like the Cohen Gadol, or High Priest. Nor are they considered
removed from sanctity (or the Holy One) as far as members of Israel. They are in the middle and
therefore are allowed to be defiled by death when it involves immediate family ONLY. In other
words, they were to LIMIT their contact with any dead thing because they were given charge of
the Temple services.
Even so, they were considered tameh, or unclean, for 7 days. Notice this 'uncleanness' is not
sinfulness. This issue is critical to understand. Not all uncleanness is sin, but our Father is so Holy
and so opposite of death, that to have touched death renders one unable to be near Him for 7
days.

Brothers and sisters, these instructions are not about us, they are about WHO HE IS. Our Father
is trying to tell us ABOUT HIMSELF.

To the High Priest Leviticus 21:10-12

10. And the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil was poured and who
is ordained to wear the garments, does not unbind his head nor tear his garments,
11. nor come near any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or his mother,
12. nor go out of the set-apart place, nor profane the set-apart place of his Elohim, for the sign of
dedication of the anointing oil of his Elohim is upon him, I am YHWH.

The High Priest, the Cohen Gadol, is instructed to NEVER come near any dead body. He and he
alone, and only one time per year on Yom Kippurim, was to go into the Holy of Holies where the
Ark of the Covenant and Mercy Seat resided (The Holy One Himself resided) to make atonement
for the people of Israel. The High Priest was closest to Yahweh by His responsibility of entering
the PRESENCE of Yahweh. The High Priest was the representation of the Image of YHWH on
earth to the people. Therefore, the High Priest was to be the farthest removed from death of all
the groups of people.

Brothers and sisters, these instructions are not about us, they are about WHO HE IS. Our Father
is trying to tell us ABOUT HIMSELF.

There are no instructions for the Nations of the world. Is this why there is so much history of the
worship of the dead in all the ancient pagan religions. Egypt, Babylon, Celts, Aztecs, Mayans all
are well-known and documented for their fascination, worship, and calling upon the dead. Does
the church fall into this category also, in that it withholds the teaching that Yahweh instructs us
on dealing with the dead? Think about this. Do you want to be considered in this group? Without
instructions? Without Torah?

Brothers and sisters, these instructions are not about us, they are about WHO HE IS. Our Father
is trying to tell us ABOUT HIMSELF.

We begin to see a gradient of Holiness. Starting with the Nations or the world, to the Children of
Israel (including the foreigner and sojourner), then to the Priests/Levites, and finally to the High
Priest. Why would this be? Could it be that our Father's Nature is pure Holiness, pure tahor, pure
cleanliness, pure LIFE?
Be ye Holy, as I am Holy. Holy = Set Apart
Leviticus 19:2
"Speak to all the congregation of the children of Yisra'el, and say to them, 'Be set-apart, for I
YHWH your Elohim am set-apart."
1 Peter 1:16
Peter states: because it has been written, "Be set-apart, for I am set-apart."
Here, the disciple of Yahshua quotes from the "Old Testament." Has there been any change?
YHWH forbid!

Now, one may ask, where do I fit in to all of this?

And there IS an answer.

Take a look at 1 Peter chapter 2

So, brothers and sisters, just in case you may be thinking that this instruction does not pertain to
you, allow me to remind you of what the Apostle Kepha wrote in 1 Peter Chapter 2
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that
you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,
10 who once were not a people, but now the people of Elohim; who had not obtained
compassions, but now obtained compassion.

So we are given a picture of nearness to our Father of Life:

World - Nation of Israel - Cohenim - Cohen Gadol

Unsanctified -> Sanctified - >More Sanctified -> Most Sanctified (image of YHWH)
Worship the dead - >Can bury the dead, but are tamei for 7 days and must go through a ritual to
get back to tahor - >can only bury close relatives -> NEVER to come in contact with the dead.
Our Father exists at the diametric opposite of where death is.
YHWH is LIFE, pure LIFE. No death is to come near Him.

Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. How can we draw near to Him when we have
death all over us? Uncleanness is death. Uncleanness leads to death. Being Clean (following
Yahweh's instructions) leads us to life!
We ask from Him pearls and blessings, yet we bring Him filth.
Yahshua Our Messiah's sacrifice covers us - yes. But should that take away our desire to be as the
Father instructs us to be? Yahweh forbid! He desires a RELATIONSHIP with us. Don't we desire
a RELATIONSHIP with Him. Be ye Holy, as I am Holy. Why does He instruct us on this? Could
it be, that He is life and no death can exist in His presence? YES!

THE TEACHING OF THE IMAGE OF YAHWEH! PURE LIFE!!