Zion's Voice

Torah Reflections   41

Torah portion                     Numbers 25:10 to 30:1

Haftarah portion             Jeremiah 1: 1 to 2: 3

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

Phinehas, was a grandson of Aaron. He was zealous for God. He had been trained as a child to know and love His precepts and commandments. He had a strong sense of what was right and what was wrong. Then in a time of deep crisis for the Israelites, he ‘stepped up to the plate’ and was counted for God.

The Book of Numbers (Bamidbar) is well named isn’t it? Here in our portion today we have another census. This time it is of men of arms- bearing age, those deemed ready for war. Doesn’t it strike you as a bit strange that God, in His wisdom, having brought these Israelites to the place where they could actually see the land He had promised to give them, that He then tells them that they are going to have to fight to possess it. It is a gift to them, YES, but it has to be taken by their own efforts. There is a ‘messianic’ message here I think. Our salvation certainly is a free gift of God through Messiah Yeshua, YES, but there are choices we have to make for ourselves in order to ‘live in the land’. It is the choice of being counted for God, not imagining we can go on with our lives in the same manner we were before He called us to Himself.

There are many preachers of ‘a prosperity gospel’ in churches today. It is an “easy” gospel. “Come to Jesus and have all your problems solved” is the message. I do not find that in my Bible. It is costly to be counted for God. Look only at the thousands of men and women who are martyred for their faith in Islamic countries today  .. and pray for them.  (Read Luke 24: 25 – 35 and see if you have a Bible like mine.)

Numbers 26  : 64,65 gives us a glimpse of the justice of the God of Israel. He had declared that those who had voted against the ‘short route’ conquest of the Promised Land would not enter it. In our passage today, we are told that they had all died in the wilderness travels (Numbers 14:23)

Using the same justice, God then acts to replace Moses for the journey into the Land. I am really sad. I feel so sorry for Moses, a faithful, humble man. To the Israelites, even to this very day, a GIANT of a man. But we need to take note that God uses all of His dealings with the Israelites for our instruction and understanding of Himself. One does  not need the intelligence of an Einstein to see that the lesson here is that we trifle with God at our peril. Remember Hebrews 10:31 again!

We cannot leave this portion, as it ends, without a mention of the ‘mo’edim’. The appointed times of the Lord. The children of Israel were about to enter the Land of Promise under the leadership of Joshua. During the past 38 years, they had been melded into a disciplined people, an army no less. They had seen the Shekinah of God over the Tabernacle, they understood that God required them to worship Him in the way, and at the times, He had declared. Sure there had been times when they grumbled and grizzled about their lot. But they had a genuine “fear of the Lord”.

Now the time was near when God had put all the pieces into place.

Chapter 29 of Numbers is worthy of our ‘reflection’, and I commend it to you for private study. It details the observation of the festivals of the seventh month of their year. It is highly significant in understanding the prophetic significance of the final three festivals of the Lord. They are prophetic of the return to this Earth of Yeshua Ha’maschiach.

Trumpets .. which herald the return of the Lord/

Day of Atonement .. which heralds the final judgement.

Tabernacles .. which is the great ingathering, and speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Hands up all those who want to be there for this marriage supper.

Those who will be at this last feast will, I believe, be those who have been “counted for God”. It is never too late to begin the journey.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections   40

Torah portion                     Numbers 22:2 to 25:9

Haftarah portion             Micah 5:6 to 6:8

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

The journey of the Israelites had brought them to the land occupied by the Moabites. It is quite interesting to follow the route by which they had come, and you can read it in Numbers 21.

The Amorites, who shared a border with the Moabites, had refused the Israelites safe passage through their land, and lost it in the battle that ensued. Balak, king of the Moabites (Genesis 19:37.) at that time, was petrified that he would suffer the same fate as the Amorites. He looked down to the plain where the Israelites were camped and all he could see was ‘wall to wall’ Israelites. (We tried to visualize this scene in an earlier ‘reflection’ didn’t we? Even today, looking down on that area from Mt Nebo is quite a scene).  So Balak decided to enlist some help.

The story which follows is most interesting. It involves a ‘celebrity’ seer, a prophet with a successful history apparently (Numbers 22:6), called Balaam.

As the story unfolds, we have an incident in which the donkey on which Balaam is riding sees an Angel of the Lord blocking the road, and refuses to proceed, Balaam does not see the Angel and begins to hit the donkey. Then amazingly, the donkey speaks!! It asks Balaam why the beating? MORE AMAZINGLY, to me, Balaam enters into conversation with the donkey!!!!!

The main thrust of our reading today, however, is to focus on the message contained therein, rather than the interesting detail of the events.

Balak had the clear intention to frustrate, if he could, the passage of these Israelites on their journey to the Land of Promise. To that extent, he may be viewed as an enemy of the Lord, an agent of Satan. Balaam, seems at first to be on Israel’s side, and to his credit declares that he will only speak that which God shows him.  Later it appears that he might be persuaded to speak a curse on Israel for the right price, even though he is prevented from so doing. The evidence for this is in the fact that he persisted FOUR times to accompany Balak in the pursuit of trying to utter a curse on Israel. In spite of that, of course, God was, and is, intent on BLESSING ISRAEL.

(Note here that there are TWO different words used for “curse” in Hebrew, both are used in the same sentence in Genesis 12:3, … ‘I will curse those who curse you’ … the first curse in that phrase is ‘a’rar’, meaning to ‘bitterly curse’, and the second is ‘qalal’, meaning to ‘treat lightly’, or ‘to treat with contempt’. This is not a statement of wanton punishment, but a solemn conditional promise of God, and we should always be mindful of that).

The curse that Balak was seeking for the Israelites is the ‘a’rar.’ He wanted Balaam to ‘bitterly curse’ those Israelites. ( Note:- Jeremiah 48:1-46 prophesies a ‘bitter curse” of destruction for Moab in the end times, but not quite the total uninhabitable destruction which is the case with Edom and Babylon).

This is not the end of our association with Balaam. We will meet him again later in our “reflections”.

There is an ominous lesson in this story for those willing to learn. Within our churches today, there are many “balak’s” who, regardless of God’s clear declaration that these people are His  ‘special treasure’, deliberately  ‘qalal’ (treat with contempt) Israel, some even go as far as to “a’rar” (bitterly curse) Israel. It is a dangerous course to chart. God will keep ALL His promises, even the ones we don’t much care for.

Surely those of us who are ‘christian’ believers seek the blessing of Almighty God, don’t we?  Well, trust God on this. Find a way to BLESS ISRAEL, then He will fulfil the promise He made to Abraham, in you.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections   39

Torah portion                     Numbers 19:1 to 22:1

Haftarah portion             Judges 11:1-3

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

What a feast of teaching there is in this week’s Torah portion.

• The death of both Miriam and Aaron.
• Water from the rock.
• Moses actions cause God to deny him access to the Land of Promise.
• The Edomites seal their eternal destiny by denying Israel rite of passage.
• The bronze serpent of Moses.
• The Amorites king, Sihon, also prevents Israel passing through their land. (I had the privilege to visit there late last year, which causes me to marvel at the fact that these millions of people were able to walk in such hostile hilly terrain)

But of all the teaching prospect in many of those incidents, there is another which I find quite irresistible. I refer to the place the Red Heifer has in their ordinances.

In our modern world view, it seems quite bizarre that the ashes of a dead cow, mixed with water, could do anything, let alone absolve someone of ritual uncleanness. BUT, God is God, His ways are not our ways .. are they ??

The very words “Red Heifer” speak of purity. Purity of breeding and purity of self. Unblemished and unused. Then this unblemished animal is taken OUTSIDE the camp and slaughtered. Some of its blood is sprinkled at the door of the Tabernacle and then it is burned to ashes, ALL of it. The one doing the slaughter become unclean. The ashes are placed in a ‘clean’ place and the one touching the ashes becomes unclean.

Miraculously, God ordained that those ashes when mixed with water and sprinkled onto an unclean person makes that person clean. Now there is more to this ritual, which you can read in Numbers 19, but effectively, that is how God chose to have these people act to become ritually clean.

Did you know that the Rabbi’s have determined that since those instructions were given to Moses, there have only EVER been NINE such pure ‘Red Heifers’ found in all of Israel? They did not all appear at the same time, but sequentially and precisely when they were needed!! Breeders in America have now declared that they have managed to breed the TENTH. (Ultra Orthodox Jews see this as the ‘missing link’ in being able to get on with the construction of the next Temple!!)  The importance of this is that the whole system of Temple worship is “Red Heifer” dependent. What a mighty God we serve. As long as the Tabernacle and the Temple stood in Israel, in a PERFECTLY timely manner, exactly when they were needed, God provided those NINE ‘Red Heifers’ as the necessary means of ‘cleanliness’ for these Israelites, without which, the priests could not function.

For our teaching this week there is an even more important lesson. That is to be found in the ‘typology’ of the ‘Red Heifer’ to Messiah Yeshua.

In His PERFECT timing, with no Temple in Jerusalem, and no ‘Red Heifer’ required for Temple service, God provided the means of priestly ‘cleanliness’ before Himself. Yeshua Ha’mashiach.

• He was pure and unblemished.
• He was taken outside the camp and slaughtered.
• He was (metaphorically) reduced to ashes by being buried in the tomb.
• Through Him, is the only means of ‘cleanliness’ acceptable to a Holy God.
• The Temple as a vehicle of worship, is dependent on His sacrifice. Our body is today “the Temple” of the Holy Spirit. Unless we are cleansed by Him, our sacrifice is unacceptable to God.
• Our worship of God is “Yeshua” dependent.

As we said earlier, God is God, isn’t He?  “As for God, His way is perfect” Psalm 18:30 and 2 Sam 22:31

Be blessed as you read the Torah portion this week. You will see other lessons which arise from this unusual ritual of the slaughter of the exceptionally rare “Red Heifer”. Then you may care to share those insights with friends you seek to bless.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections   38

Torah portion             Numbers 16:1 to 18:32

Haftarah portion     1 Samuel 11:14 to12:22

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

Two weeks ago, we saw the anger God displayed against Miriam and Aaron because of their challenge to the authority of Moses.

Last week, we saw that God instructed Moses to tell the people to sew tassels on the corners of their garment in order to remind themselves of God’s statutes and commandments. Well, it appears that this was just a bit too much for some of them. Korah (name means ‘boldness’ in Hebrew), a descendant of Levi, together with a crowd of 250 that three men from the tribe of Reuben had pulled together, took it upon themselves to again challenge the authority of Moses !!

Moses was not pleased! He reminded Korah of the privilege the Levites enjoyed in serving in the Tabernacle of the Lord. “Are you seeking the priesthood as well?” he challenged. (Perhaps a gentle reminder to us today to be content in the role God, in His wisdom, has given us, and not be too ambitious (or envious), to do that in which we see others being successful)

Moses instructed all of them to appear at the entrance to the Tabernacle the next day, each with a censer of hot coals. “Let the Lord decide who has authority here” he said.

If Moses was angry, it is reasonable to think, from His reaction that the Lord was livid!!  The resulting events were staggering. Please read the account in Numbers 16:4-40.

I sometimes ponder if the writer to the Hebrews 10:31, had this incident in mind when he penned those famous, chilling words … “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”

It is so easy today, for each of us, reading that account of the judgment of God, to take the high ground and scoff that we would never have fallen for such a circumstance. It is a ‘natural’ response, because we have the advantage of seeing the end as well as the beginning.

Did you know that the word “torah” in Hebrew comes from an archery term meaning to ‘hit the mark’? Did you also know that the word translated “sin” in our Bibles comes for another archery term in Hebrew, “chata” which means to miss the mark (and it does not specify by how much the mark is missed!)?

It is surely possible to list areas of our walk with a Holy God where we could do better, where we have “missed the mark”.  The prophet Isaiah saw, very clearly, these issues with his generation, and warned them of it. Jeremiah put it best perhaps

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the  river, And will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be  anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?  I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.

When I was a very young man (almost 70 years ago) I was privileged to be taken by my Sunday School teacher to hear a very young Billy Graham speaking in Pontypridd South Wales. The text of his talk is burned into my memory today, as it seemed he was speaking ONLY to me. It changed my life.

“Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting”      Daniel 5:27 

Korah and his companions were found wanting, and paid a terrible price for it. May God grant each one of us a desire to search our own hearts and minds  … and approach a loving God for His forgiveness, before He approaches us!!

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    37

Torah Portion                   Numbers  13 : 1  to  15 : 41

Haftarah Portion           Joshua  2 : 1 – 24

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

It was time for the Israelites to prepare to enter the Land God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, fulfilling the unconditional promise God had made to them.  But it was inhabited by the Canaanites in the low lying areas, and by Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites in other parts.

In our day, much is made about ‘original ownership’ rights. There are two places in our Bible (Exodus 19:5 and Leviticus 25:23) where God puts ‘ownership’ in perspective. On both occasions He reminds the Israelites that the earth is His. That the occupation of any land is by His grace and favour. In this case, He had chosen to give that right of occupancy to the Israelites, but on the condition that they would order their lifestyle in accord with His instructions. A lifestyle that was to be a beacon of light to those nations around them.

Twelve tribal leaders were chosen to spy out the land. Trustworthy men of their respective communities. The two names that stand-out, (because we know the end of the story) Joshua and Caleb, were from the tribes of Ephraim and Judah respectively.

This story is well known. There would not be a person who ever attended a Sunday School class that could not repeat it. But I always think it was a big ask of these erstwhile bunch of recently freed slaves, expecting them to face an unknown foe, who were in their own familiar territory, ready to defend themselves to the bitter end. Especially when some were of giant stature. I ALWAYS ask myself how I might have behaved in like circumstances. And I ALWAYS find myself having sympathy for these Israelites. Such is my frailty.

Well, as the story unfolds, they decide that it is all too hard for them, and we see the result. Not one of those Israelites aged above 20 years (except the aforementioned Joshua and Caleb) survived the rest of their 38 year journey. So, apart from Joshua and Caleb, ALL the Israelites who did eventually enter the Land, were less than 59 years old. Imagine that, a whole nation of people under 60 years old! Everyone active. No-one on the age pension!! And God had another 38 years to meld them into a people He could work with and use as an example to other nations.

I never cease to be amazed by the dialogue, recorded in this passage, between God and Moses. The story is told in a manner which elevates Moses to a position of an elder statesman. He appears calm and rational in his argument, seeing the quite disastrous consequences which would most likely follow if these fearful Israelites were to be punished for their fear, and consequent lack of faith in Almighty God. But returning to Egypt was never a viable option, even though they contemplated it. Then they tried another option, to ‘go it alone’ as it were, against the very strong word of advice from Moses. “The Lord is not with you” he said, “don’t even think about it”.

But that did not stop them, or their complaints. But it did move Almighty God to develop another course of action, “plan B”. The long route.

Does it ever occur to you that it could well be that we too may be experiencing God’s “plan B”?

(Of course that is hypothetical. We will probably never know (or we know it already). I recall hearing a well-known missionary, speaking at a church, of which I was once a member, declare that he was quite sure that because of an earlier rejection, by him, of God’s first missionary call, that he was now experiencing God’s second best!)

The lesson for us is all too clear. The Israelites, in our parashah today, were clearly experiencing God’s leading in their lives. They were in a place they could never have been without God’s active leadership. How many of us can identify with that experience today, in our relationships, in our employment, in our friendships, in our church, in our personal circumstances? How much of that is due to our own carefully orchestrated planning, and how much because we have been led by Almighty God? Do not underestimate God’s ability.

There is so much more, as always, on which we could ‘reflect’ in this reading, but the lesson for me is this. When I recognise the call of God on my life, when I receive that “rhema” from His word, when I know, because I know, that He is speaking to me on some matter, then I have a choice to make. I can choose the short route, or suffer the long route. God’s way is perfect and His plan for me is written before the foundation of the world. As it was for Israel.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    36 

Torah Portion                   Numbers  8 : 1  to  12 : 16

Haftarah Portion           Zechariah  2 : 10 – 4 :7

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

The Tabernacle of the Lord was in the middle of the Israelite camp. It was absolutely central to their life.  It had a special place, it was holy, the dwelling place of YWHW Elohim. I imagine that there might have been talk amongst them as to what it looked like inside, but no-one dare approach. None of them was allowed inside the Tabernacle. Except the Kohenim and the Levites, and they had to be specially prepared in bodily cleanliness and dress, in order to do their work there.

There are two replica Tabernacles that I have visited in Israel. Both claim to be identical to the Biblical dimensions, and even though they differ from each other, they are both immensely impressive. One is a in a desert setting in the Timna region of Israel near Eilat, and the other is in Samaria, in a Biblical garden setting in a hotel near Ariel. One just needs to close ones eyes, use ones  imagination, and wonder at the spectacle these structures presented to the people at the time of our parashah.

There are no windows in the Tabernacle. The Holy place is covered in thick drapes and Badger skins. The only light comes from the Menora, the lampstand, made of pure gold and which was to burn continuously.

Last week, we reflected on the special role of the Levites, as substitutes for the firstborn. They belonged to the Lord. In our parashah this week we read that God gave these Levites as a gift (Leviticus 8:19) to Aaron and his sons (the Kohenim) to do the work of service in the Tabernacle. There were more that 8,000 of them of the designated age.

Our reading takes place just one year after the exodus from Egypt. The Lord had already told them that this was to be a time of perpetual remembrance of their release from slavery in Egypt. Now, just to be sure Moses did not forget. God gave him a reminder. Moses must have been a very busy man with his many responsibilities towards this huge crowd of people in the desert. But God made sure they started their new life of freedom in the right way. Giving thanks to Him for His work of salvation. Then an interesting instruction (Numbers 9:10-13) about the observance of Passover for those unable (or unwilling) to keep it at the appointed time.

(It was a misunderstanding of this instruction which, in part, caused the Council of Nicaea to make such sweeping changes to the non-Jewish observance of Passover, substituting the Easter Rule by which that date is calculated today)

We then come to the first big movement of these people. They had been at this resting place for a little over one month after remembering Passover when the ‘cloud’ was taken up from above the Tabernacle. The first big test of their organisational skills. There had never been a ‘trial run’. The Tabernacle had to be taken down, as previously instructed, packed properly, carried by the right people, and transported for however long the ‘cloud’ moved. An amazing spectacle I should think. First the members of six tribes, several hundred thousand people, then the Levites carrying the Tabernacle component parts, followed by the remaining six tribes of another several hundred thousand folk. Plus their livestock.

It was not long before the complaints began, We are told that God was Himself so angered by these complaints that His fire (we may assume it was the pillar of fire meant to guide them) was so intense that some folk at the edges of the assembly were consumed by it. They complained about not having meat in their diet. It is not difficult to empathise with Moses as he enters dialogue with God on this issue. (read it in Numbers  11:10-32)    The relationship God had with Moses was very close.

Our parashah ends with another dispute. This time both Aaron and his sister Miriam decided to challenge Moses authority as a leader of the people. They obviously objected to Moses marrying an Ethiopian lady, but carried it further by suggesting that Moses was not the only messenger God had in their camp. To say that God was furious would be an understatement.

“Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!" So the three came out.  Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward.  Then He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.   Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house.  I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?" So the anger of the LORD was aroused against them, and He departed.”    Numbers 12 : 4 – 9

Miriam ended up with leprosy. Moses plea before the Lord restored her.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    35 

Torah Portion                   Numbers  4 : 21  to  7 : 89

Haftarah Portion           Judges  13 : 2 – 25

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

The counting continues. This week, we have an insight into the family of Levi. He had three sons, Gershon, Merari, and Kohath (the grandfather of Moses and Aaron). Between them, they had 8,580 male descendants between the ages of 30 and 50, who were assigned tasks of serving in the Tabernacle and carrying various parts of it whenever it relocated from one place to another.

Once again, we have confirmation of the meticulous attention to detail which God instructed Moses to convey to the Israelites. Nothing left to chance, good order, no-one in doubt about the tasks they were assigned.

There follows, some instruction about keeping the camp healthy, by segregating those with signs of disease. And also a charge to the priests about making judgements relating to accusations of marriage infidelity. The core of this section of our parashah is the recognition of jealousy and how to deal with it. These instructions are formative in the life of the new community as they change from being mere ‘neighbours’ as slaves in Egypt, to becoming an exemplary nation before the rest of the nations around them. That is what the word “Torah” means. It is ‘teaching’ or ‘instructions for righteous living’. It is instructive of a lifestyle which is honourable and caring. It is ‘being holy, as God Himself is holy’.

The section about the vow of a “Nazarite” is most enlightening. In the Scriptures we are told of three men who were Nazarites for life, a vow taken on their behalf by their grateful parents. They are Samson, Samuel and John the Baptiser. Only Samson is actually referred to as a Nazarite. But there were many others who took this vow for a specific period or purpose. The outward signs related to hair growth and wine abstention. There is speculation, based on Acts 18, that the Apostle Paul might have taken a Nazarite vow whilst in Corinth, but this cannot be confirmed from the little we are told about it in the text.

The most well-known section of our reading today is found at the end of Numbers 6. Words that are burned into the memory of most preachers of the gospel, and frequently used as a benediction. Words that are usually spoken as a plea, or a wish, for the benefit of the hearer when quoted today from our English Bible translations. But in Hebrew, just fifteen words, full of meaning, spoken as a powerful promise.

We need to put this into context. The Israelites were at the beginning of what was to be a very long journey in trying conditions of the desert wilderness. They had no idea where they were, and even less idea of where they were going. Being led by a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. They had left behind everything that was familiar to them. Going back was not an option.

Then, at God’s command, Aaron stood before them, hands raised in blessing, his voice loud and very clear.

“Yivarechecha Adonai viyishmirecha, Ya’er Adonai panav elecha veechunera, Yeesa Adonai panav elecha viyasem lecha shalom.” (phonetic Hebrew)

“The LORD will bless you, and He will keep you, The LORD will make His face shine upon you, and He will be gracious to you. The LORD will lift up His countenance to you, and He will establish your Shalom.” (One New Man Bible translation)

The strong emphasis in the Hebrew is on what God WILL do. It was not a prayer, it was a promise. A promise spoken by a man of high integrity among the people. A man in whom they had trust and respect.

The Ancient Hebrew Research Centre translates this ancient Hebrew text as follows:-

“YHWH will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection. YHWH will illuminate the wholeness of His being to you, bringing order, and He will beautify you. YHWH will lift up the wholeness of His being and look upon you, and He will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.”

What a promise.

We know that God kept His word. They enjoyed the provision of food and water. Their shoes did not wear out, their livestock produced food. But they also had the blessing of both Moses and Aaron to intercede, guide, instruct and encourage them all the years of their travels. They were observant of all the commandments of God, and they prospered in their travels safely to the Land of Promise.

Let us ponder this Aaronic blessing, and ask God what He requires of us to pronounce such a blessing on us today.      

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections   M3  

Torah portions           Exodus 19:1 to 20:23  and Numbers 28 :26 - 31

Haftarah portion      Ezekiel 1 : 1-28 and 3 : 12

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 have the commandments about annual observances of the “mo’edim”. (The Hebrew word for “appointed times”, which in turn is usually translated into English as “feasts”). These are times when God specified He would meet with His chosen ones.

Today, they are most often referred to as “Jewish Feasts”. That correctly describes the fact that they are observances remembered by Jews. But it is an incorrect understanding of the Scriptures.

When God gave these instructions to Moses, He carefully worded these ‘appointed times’ (mo’edim) as MY ‘mo’edim’. They may be characterized as times when God says, in effect, “I will be there to meet with you on these specific occasions”. Those who choose not to attend miss an opportunity of blessing through meeting with Him at His invitation.

This ‘appointed time’ is fixed in relation to Pesach. Seven Sabbaths plus one day later.( In the Christian reckoning, it is called “Whitsun” and is seven weeks after Palm Sunday, but it bears no relationship at all to the ‘mo’ed’ of the Lord specified in Leviticus 23.) Some pretty exciting things happened at Shavuot, and the festival (also known as the Feast of Weeks) figures most significantly in the prophetic calendar as it relates to Yeshua.

Firstly, by Jewish calculation, and there is good evidence for it, this was the time when Moses was on the mountain communing with the Lord and receiving the instructions for righteous living, which we know as Torah. (see Exodus 19:1)  That, in my view is cause enough to celebrate. The very Word of God, which is ‘sharper than any two-edged sword’, came to us at this time of the year. An immeasurable blessing. My Bible tells me that Moses spoke “all that the Lord had told him” and wrote it in a book.(Exodus 24: 3 and 7). More importantly, that was the exact time that the first covenant was sealed, when the people voluntarily agreed as they said “all that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient”.

Secondly, according to Acts 1, Yeshau returned to His Father 40 days after his resurrection from the grave. But He told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem. Just 10 days later was the festival of Shavuot. Jerusalem was overflowing with people, there for the festival from all over the known world (as it is today for the three pilgrimage festivals). Then came a sound ‘like a mighty rushing wind’. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, the One who points to Messiah, was sent to minister His blessing to those who would receive it.

The disciples, already emboldened at meeting the resurrected Lord Yeshua, were imbued with power from on high. No longer the ‘shrinking violets’ who were shattered by the death of Yeshua on that cruel Roman cross. They spoke boldly to the throngs of people in the Temple courtyard, and miracle of miracles, the foreigners present all heard these fishermen from Galilee speaking in their own several languages. It is almost impossible to imagine. But by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, over three thousand were added to the company of believers that very day. Now that surely is another reason to celebrate.

But there’s more!!   Both events related above did not stop.

Today, we have the precious Holy Scriptures, written in so many of the world’s languages. The faithful Jews who were entrusted with those Scriptures have carefully preserved them for our blessing and instruction down through the ages. In the early days, meticulously copying by hand every ‘jot and tittle’. Every yod and vav.

The Holy Spirit of God is alive and well in the earth today. His role on earth is to point us to Messiah Yeshua, by any and all means possible. He brings strength to the ‘weary’, comfort to the ‘afflicted’, guidance to those who seek, and blessing to all who ask.

So if any still wonder why we should celebrate Shavuot, I trust that this ‘reflection’ will provide some answers. But there is a much greater and compelling reason. God commanded it. His promise, is included in the introductory remarks of this ‘reflection’. He will be there to meet all who come. It is a special time. It has never been revoked.

You will be blessed as you meet together and thank Him for His unspeakable gift.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    34        

Torah Portion                   Numbers  1 : 1  to  4 : 20

Haftarah Portion           Hosea 1 : 10 – 20

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

The events described in our parashah today take place almost exactly one year after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt. The Exodus account ended with the instruction for the Israelites to move when the ‘cloud’ moved, and to rest when the ‘cloud’ stood still.

The whole chronology of the Israelites is contained in just eleven books of the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Torah (first five books) Leviticus and Deuteronomy are books of instruction, rather than books of travel. So following our ‘reflections’ in Leviticus, we return to the travelogue of these Israelites. For good orders sake, it was deemed necessary that these people, probably exceeding two million in number, be properly organised for their long journey (even though they had no idea how long it would be). So the parashah begins with the numbering of people by family groups. From this numbering the whole assembly was designated a place to pitch their tents, in approximate equal number and in order, on each side of the Tabernacle. When the ‘cloud’ moved, the people would strike camp, again in designated order, and follow the ‘cloud’ to the next stopping place.

(It is worthy of our effort to try to imagine the spectacle of this. It is the equivalent of the whole population of Brisbane moving, in order, at the same time. Amazing. If that weren’t enough, try to picture the same group having food and water provided each day!  … for forty years!!)

What an awesome God we serve.

The Levites were in a special category. A year earlier, they were the ones who stood by Moses, declaring themselves to be on the Lord’s side, at the time of the idolatry with the ‘golden calf’. (Exodus 32) As an aside to this event, we are also informed that God keeps a ‘book’. It would appear that in this .book’ everyone’s name is recorded, because God says to Moses that “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book”. Evidently, there were plenty of people whose names were blotted out at the ‘golden calf’ incident.

But there is much more. The Levites were accepted by God as a substitute for the ‘firstborn’. That is a very special role. We note that there is much evidence in the Scriptures of the pagan practice of human sacrifice. In particular, the firstborn son, the natural heir of his father, was sacrificed to Moloch, a Canaanite god. (Anyone interested in this can look up Moloch in Wikepedia). The main point here being that YHWH had eliminated that practice from the Israelites by demanding that the firstborn belong to Him, (Exodus 13:2 and 14) dedicated to His service, and most definitely not to be sacrificed in the fire.

So then, already having possession of the firstborn (males), God then told Moses that He would accept the Levites as a substitute into His service, one Levite for one firstborn.  Demonstrating His insistence on absolute justice, “near enough is definitely not good enough” for God, it was discovered in the numbering of the Levites, that they were 273 short of the right number. Those 273 were then purchased for money, and the money was given to Aaron to be used in the Lord’s service. This practice of ‘redemption of the firstborn’ is still practiced today in Jewish society.

What lessons are there for us today in this parashah?

Firstly, we note that God is precise in His dealings with the people. We have noted many times in our ‘reflections’ that we serve a God who does not change. His particularity continues. There is no ambiguity in His instructions. He says what He means and He means what He says. His instructions are not open to individual interpretation. When I was a young boy, there was an older man in our congregation who often quoted these words .. “God said it, I believe it, that settles it”. It appears to me that in many of our churches today, we are prone to live a different version of that saying. Perhaps “God said it, I’ll have a think about it, and if it is convenient, I'll go along with it.” There seems to be scant regard for the ongoing validity of the Hebrew Scriptures, even though they were the ONLY Scriptures available to the early believers and the writers of the Apostolic Scriptures.

In the course of my weekly ‘reflection’ on the Scriptures, in an orderly manner, I have learned that God is wonderfully consistent. I have learned that God’s instructions are always attuned towards benefit for those who are His. He has our very best interest at heart.

Shabbat Shalom

RS

Torah Reflections    33         

Torah Portion                   Leviticus 26 : 3  to  27 : 34

Haftarah Portion           Jeremiah 16 : 19 – 17 : 14

The Torah of YHWH given to Moses

When we started our ‘reflections’ in Leviticus, I said this was the place where “new year’s resolutions” founder!!!

Well this week we come to the final ‘reflection’ in Leviticus. And what an amazing message God has given us this week. Reward for our perseverance perhaps!

This week’s parashah strongly emphasises the blessings which accrue to those who faithfully commit to the will of God. The words are directed to the Israelites of course, but to the extent that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” as the Apostle Paul wrote to the young Timothy, there are valuable lessons available to us in this week’s parashah.

It starts with the condition God requires, in verse 3. “IF you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and perform them”                           Everything which follows hinges on that condition. How often do we hear the words “Why does God allow ‘so and so’ to happen?’ That is usually followed, by those who have no allegiance to Him, with the words “God is supposed to be a God of love isn’t He?” What is missing from these questions is the understanding of the condition God made for His provision of abundant blessing. Sadly, even Christians sometimes appear not to understand that God is not some gigantic Department Store where one can go and make selections to satisfy ones selfish wants and desires. Our prayer to Him can often sound like a daily shopping list!

His promises are trustworthy. He is a covenant keeping God. He is faithful and true. But He is not to be trifled with. We are blessed by Him on His terms, not ours.

Look carefully at the promises He gave in verses 9 and 12. “I will look on you favourably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.” “I will walk among you and be your God and you shall be My people”. It could not be clearer. Now we should also take note that right at the end of Leviticus, the last verse in fact, declares that these commandments were spoken by the Lord to Moses on the mountain, that is, in the third month after they left Egypt. In Exodus 24 :7 we have the record of the covenant agreement, wherein the Israelites said “All that the Lord has said, we will do, and be obedient.” It could not be clearer.

But God knows the human heart. He knows our propensity to want to do things our way. So He issues a warning. Having given the wonderful promise of His protection and provision when we do things His way, He tells us what will happen when we go our own way. It is not comfortable reading. And as I read this account in our parashah today, because we have the advantage of living hundreds of years later, and have the record of history, I could readily identify how true this description was of events which unfolded in the life of the Israelites down through the centuries. And that because of their neglect of their covenant commitment.

What is our covenant commitment?

How many times have you heard Christians declare that “we are not under law but under grace”? Those eight words appear at the end of a sentence. Very few Christians can tell you where that sentence appears in the Scriptures, and even fewer can recite the whole sentence. And yet those words have become “doctrine” to many. A doctrine which says that Christians no longer need to take heed of God’s commands. How sad.

Our covenant commitment is to become disciples of Yeshua. The Yeshua who is “the Word”, who was in the beginning with God and who was God. The Yeshua who became flesh and dwelt among us. The Yeshua who said that if we love Him we would keep His commandments. Furthermore, our commission is to make other disciples of Him. A disciple is one who imitates his Master.

Our parashah today is, sadly, a prophetic statement of the whole history of Israel. It is a history which flowed from neglect of their covenant commitment. But the good news in this parashah is that we can learn from the mistakes of others. The promises of blessing, resulting from obedient worship, are amazing. The message of Scripture is wonderfully consistent. As we study Torah we have a reminder every week. What a privilege we share.

“Be diligent to show yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.  2 Timothy 2:15

Shabbat Shalom

RS