‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’( Isaiah)
The Neo Pharisees make a great pretense of honoring and observing the Torah, but in truth, they lead those who are wrongly impressed with their “piety” into the pit. These are the blind guides Jesus warned us of; the blind leading the blind into the eternal pit of perdition.
For example let us look at the subject of atonement by Blood sacrifice.
The Perushim, (Pharisees) downplay sacrifice, as if it is not that important, instead the way to be forgiven by God according to them, is by Teshuvah,(repentance) prayer, alms and other “Mitzvoth”,(good works). Supposedly blood is not necessary for forgiveness.
For example here is a quote by Rabbi Daniel Asor, which is typical of the Pharisaic movement,
Christianity’s obsession on the subject of ‘atonement for sins’ through someone else’s pure blood, comes from the Pagan idolatry of ancient religions.” From Article, “Is Blood Necessary for the forgiveness of Sins?”
Such is the Pharisaic way to deal with the problem of Christian theology, just dismiss us as Pagans and Idolators. But the Christian teaching on atonement is rooted in the Torah itself, in Genesis,Exodus and Leviticus, all of which teach atonement by blood. What was the meaning of the first blood shedding in the garden of Eden?
Furthermore why was Cain’s offering rejected whereas Abel’s was accepted by God? What was the difference? How is it that the entire nation of Israel was delivered from Slavery? What was the God ordained sign of faith? The blood of the Lamb!
“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
The Pharisees are lying when they discount the need for blood atonement. They have to lie about it, because modern “Orthodox Judaism” encoded it’s doctrine at the council of Jamnia, sometime after the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. They had to refashion Judaism, since the old Temple worship, with it’s Priests and sacrifices was no longer possible to practice. Now instead of Priests and Levites, there would be Rabbis. Instead of sacrifices of blood, (Life for life), there would be Good works,( Repentance, prayer, Alms). No wonder they are forced to discount blood as a necessity.
Leviticus ( In the Torah) flows with blood of sacrifice,
The Book of Leviticus, the book which is dedicated in detail to the sacrifices and atonement for sins, talks about atonement 49 times! Each time, the context is always the blood sacrifices. Why blood is so important to God?
In Leviticus 17:10, God commands not to eat blood, and in the next verse, He explains why the blood is so important: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” (Lev. 17:11) (ibid)
I have heard Rabbis assert over and over again, that when Christians are asked “where in the Torah is the need for blood sacrifice taught?” that the only answer given of them, is Leviticus 17:11. Then the Christian is told that Leviticus 17 is not about atonement, but about dietary laws.
This is disingenuous, a straw man , easily knocked down. On the one hand, the Torah has much, much more to say on the subject, than Leviticus 17:11, although that is a powerful enough argument.
“And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.’” (Ex. 24:6-8)
“Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.” (Ex. 30:10)
I could easily fill this page with quotes from the Torah which make the point that fellowship with God can only be attained by the blood of a perfect God appointed sacrifice. The Rabbis are lying to people.
Those who once knew Jesus are in fact trampling under foot the blood of Jesus, as Hebrews warns.
Even many Jewish Sages disagree with Singer, Skobac and others, according to this “One for Israel” article,
Even the Sages recognized this. Yalkut Shimoni says on Exodus 29: “There is no atonement but in the blood.” In tractate Yoma 5a it says: “And he shall lay his hand… and it shall be accepted for him. Does the laying on of the hand make atonement for one? Does not atonement come through the blood?” Rashi himself said: “There is no atonement without blood.”The Sages also recognized this principle and repeated it in Zevachim 6; Minchot 93; Sifra 4, and more.
Pharisees always come across so authoritative, pious and supposedly reverent of scripture, but I hope you can see on this all important concept, the Pharisees are actually lying about the Torah. Where is the reverence in that? In order to justify their existence as post Temple Jews, the Pharisees have literally downplayed a huge concept in God’s Torah, the importance of atonement by Blood sacrifice, appointed by God.
This is a dangerous game, spiritually. Those impressed by the modern Pharisees who have renounced the blood of Jesus, will have eternity to regret their decision.
More to come-
Pastor Bill Randles Blog 