Without Blemish תָּמִים

We are in chapter twelve of Exodus with our word for today. תָּמִים complete, unscathed, intact, blameless, without fault, free of blemish, without defect, perfect. It is used 91 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of being free of guilt or not subject to blame. Genesis 6:9 Noah was a righteous man, תָּמִ֥ים blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Our word is also used in the sense of being complete constituting the full quantity or extent. Leviticus 23:15 From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven תְּמִימֹ֥ת full weeks. We find our word used most of the time in reference to the requirements of the sacrifices that were to be made to God by the priests. Leviticus 1:3 If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male תָּמִ֖ים without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord.  Ezekiel 46:13 Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb תָּמִ֗ים without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning you shall provide it.This is how our word is used in our chapter. Exodus 12:5-6 Your lamb shall be תָמִ֛ים without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Why is this sacrifice necessary? Because of our sins. We find in Leviticus 22:19-22 If it is to be accepted for you it shall be a male תָּמִ֣ים without blemish, of the bulls or the sheep or the goats. You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you. And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must תָּמִ֤ים be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. Animals blind or disabled or mutilated or having a discharge or an itch or scabs you shall not offer to the Lord or give them to the Lord as a food offering on the altar. This shows that in order for God to accept a sacrifice it had to be perfect. This is why Jesus had to die for us because we were not perfect and therefore deserved to be separated from God because God cannot look at sin or allow it to be in his presence. This is why any substitute that would take our place and take the punishment for our sins had to be a perfect sacrifice otherwise the offering would simply die for its own sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. This is why we see the worship in the book of revelation referring to Jesus our lamb being worthy. I’ll close with this wonderful concept. Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:12-13 In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”