Who is Your Go-To Guy?

Tetzaveh, You Shall Command

Shemot (Exodus) 27:20 – 30:10

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 43:10-27

Mark 4:35 – 5:43; Philippians 4:10-20

Everybody loves a go-to guy. He comes through for you like no one else can when you’re in a pinch. He’s Mr. Clutch – always right on time with just what you need! When no one else can get the job done, he delivers. He’s the selfless team player every coach and his teammates love. He’ll do anything he can for you, and he’s really good at it.

The Big Kahuna

He was the go-to guy for the nation – the ‘big kahuna.’ When the nation needed to do business with the King, they went to him. When a Hebrew man wanted to make things right with Elohim, he went to him, his sons, or his relatives. When he had sin in his life that brought curses on his household, or when something happened so good that he just wanted to show his thanks and praise to his King for it, he’d go to the go-to guys.

Nobody could elect them, they were born into their offices and assigned duties by lots. No man could fire them and replace them with somebody better. They were in it for life.

You knew who they were by what they were commanded to wear, and by where they were assigned to serve at all times. They were there for you on duty any day, seven days a week. They were easy to find. They were approachable. They had you covered.

They were the go-betweens. You could always find them serving in the same place, at the center of the camp. Who were the go-to guys in the wilderness camp of Israel?

The Levites and Their Sharp Knives

Why was the tribe of Levi chosen especially to fill such a central role in all of Israel? Was it because they liked to use swords and knives so much that Abba gave them something to do to keep them out of trouble? Why were they chosen above all other tribes to serve in the most holy dwelling place of the Almighty, the King of Israel?

During the golden calf show-down, the Levites chose to side with YHWH when Moses asked, “Who is for YHWH?” (Exo 32:26) They assembled with Moses. Being true to their character, they took swords and killed 3,000 golden calf worshipers. They did have a penchant for sharp, cutting instruments and for wielding them with real zeal! Could that be a reason Abba assigned the job of sacrificing animals to the Levites?

Our Great Go-To Guy

The Levites represented One greater than themselves so that we can understand our High Priest’s service to us. Yeshua is the ultimate Go-To Guy, our Go-To God. He was born into that service and no one can nor ever will replace Him. He serves 24/7 in the central place of all of our lives. He’s there for us, ever interceding at the Throne of Grace.

He is the perfect Sacrifice slain for us, which He as High Priest offered up to the Father. The shed blood of the Messiah still bears witness in the earth (1 John 5:6) and has you covered. It never loses its power to cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9).

How can one who has sinned against God have the confidence to go to the Go-To Guy whenever he needs to? How can one know for sure Yeshua is the ultimate Go-To Guy?

Therefore, since we have a great High Priest Who has passed through the Heavens, Yeshua Ben-Elohim (Son of God), let us hold firmly to our confessed allegiance. For we do not have a kohen gadol (high priest) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all the same ways—yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the Throne of Grace, that we may receive mercy, and we may find grace for timely help. Hebrews 4:14-16, TLV

Praise Yah! The Father sent His Son to be a Man with flesh and blood living on earth dealing with the same kinds of temptations and troubles we face, yet He was without sin. He not only can sympathize, but we can trust that He truly empathizes with us no matter how bad it gets in life. Because He kept the Torah perfectly, unlike the Levites who all have sinned like us, He qualified as the innocent sacrifice without blame and blemish. He emptied Himself of His glory so that He could be like one of us, tempted with the same stuff of the flesh we go through. Now we can know how much He cares and can better put our trust in Him. By His grace, we are drawn to go to Him.

The High Priest of Heaven

The only way we can go to the Throne of Grace for help is by the service of the High Priest, Who passes through before us in the Heavens. There is no other way to go there; He is the Way to the Father in Heaven. Hear what He had to say to ‘doubting’ Thomas:

Yeshua said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Both as Elohim and as the perfect Man, He is the only Righteous One Who can take us into the presence of the Almighty, the Heavenly Father. He is our Advocate with Abba.

How do I know for sure that our Heavenly High Priest has every one of His people in His heart, including you and I, to intercede for us and our loved ones? Is there something about what He has put on that shows us what His service is at the Heavenly Throne and for whom He is there? The twelve stones of all twelve tribes of Israel (Exo 28:21) are on the ephod of His heart. He ever intercedes for all of Israel, who we are (Eph 2:12).

He too has go-betweens serving under Him – intercessors and counselors who work as priests in His Kingdom. How are we, a royal priesthood, like the great High Priest?

For Glory and Beauty

Let’s take another look at the kohen gadol, specifically, what the high priest was commanded to wear:

And you shall make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and beauty. Exodus 28:2

The garments of the kohen gadol were made “for glory and beauty,” in Hebrew – kavod and tiferet. The root words for these two words are substance or weight (kavod) and an ornament (Tiferet). From my research, I found the twelve stones on the ephod shine with all the colors of the rainbow. But of all the glorious things that the kohen gadol wore, what do you think had the most substance or weight as a beautiful ornament?

Certainly, the gold headband engraved with ‘Qadosh L’YHWH’ (Holiness unto YHWH) on the forehead was “for glory and beauty.” And oh, those golden bells and pomegranates chiming in around the hem of the robe! From head to toe, Yeshua shines!

Every part of the garments the high priest wore shows us how the Messiah covers us.

I bring My righteousness near. It is not far off, and My Salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion (Tziyon), to Israel, and My glory (tiferet). Isaiah 46:13

Here the Hebrew word for glory – tiferet – is the same as the word that YHWH said the garments of the High Priest were made for – glory and beauty – tiferet. The root word for tiferet is ‘pey resh’, and the root word for p’riy, is fruit, which is the beautiful ornament of a tree. The fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace – is the beautiful ornament of the grafted-in believer in our Kohen Gadol. As we grow, He makes “all things beautiful in his time.”

Yisra’el, you are His glory, His beauty! Those washed by His precious blood, born again and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, are beautiful to Him! Take a look in the looking glass laver of the clear water of the Word and see yourself as who you are in Messiah. You are so precious!

Then with confidence, be that go-to guy!