1/02/2015

Parashat 37 Portion 111 B’Midbar/Numbers 15:1-41 Yesh/Isaiah 56:1-8 Gal 3:24-29


Isa 56:1  Thus said יהוה, “Guard right-ruling, and do righteousness, for near is My deliverance to come, and My righteousness to be revealed. Isa 56:2  “Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it,guarding the Sabbath lest he profane it, and guarding his hand from doing any evil.

Isa 56:6  “Also the sons of the foreigner who join Themselves  to יהוה, to serve Him, and to love the Name of יהוה, to be His servants, all who guard the Sabbath, and not profane it, and hold fast to My covenant – Isa 56:7 them I shall bring to My set-apart mountain, and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their slaughterings are accepted on My altar, for My house is called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”

Gal 3:24  Therefore the Torah became our trainer(pedagogos) unto Messiah, in order to be declared right by belief. Gal 3:25 And after belief has come, we are no longer under a trainer.

The “pedagogos” was a Greek term used for a boy who brought a student to school to be taught by the teacher.
If we are not brought to the Torah to be taught an understanding of the foundation of Messiah and the righteousness which YHVH provides through our complete identification with Messiah; then we will always remain spiritually immature and ignorant of YHVH and His ways. Many in the church have been allowed a partial glimpse of Messiah without the Torah, through the mercy of YHVH. However this ignorance will no longer be overlooked in the last days.  See Acts 17:30 and Rom 10:4

This week’s Torah portion is laid out in a very systematic way:

1Offerings made when one enters the land – vs 1-12
2. Responsibilities and duties regarding Converts – 13-16
3. Separation of the bread or challah offering as a permanent practice – 17-21
4. Delineation between intentional and unintentional transgressions, both corporately and 
 individually and the manner in which restitution may be made, or the penalty of “karat” 
being cut off and when the death penalty is applied – 22 -31.
5.An example of a specific case of how the death penalty is applied for intentional sin – 32-36.
6. Mitzvah or commandment of Tzit – tzit or fringes is  to be kept – 37-41

1.    Offerings made when one enters the land – vs 1-12

Num 15:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 15:2  “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When you have come into the land of your dwellings(moshavim), which I am giving you,
Num 15:3  and you make an offering by fire to יהוה, a burnt offering or a slaughtering, to accomplish a vow or as a voluntary offering or in your appointed times, to make a sweet fragrance to יהוה, from the herd or the flock,

Before you can make an offering you need to build an altar – So one of the first things the Israelites do when they enter into the land is build altars to make offerings.
Now the Israelites could not just build altars where and how they felt like it.

Deu 12:11  “And it shall be, that unto the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell there, there you are to bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, and your offerings, and your tithes, and the contributions of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to יהוה.

Altars were often built when YHVH confirmed His covenant and made His presence known to His people. However if an Israelite stayed too far from Yerushalayim or the place designated by YHVH for an offering, they could then build altars within their gates.

           Deu 12:21  “When the place where יהוה your Elohim chooses to put His Name is too far from you, then you shall slaughter from your herd and from your flock which יהוה  has given you, as I have commanded you, and you shall eat within your gates as much as your being desires.

Israelites had a rich heritage of building altars, pitching tents and digging wells.

Gen 26:24  And יהוה appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the Elohim of your father Aḇraham. Do not fear, for I am with you, and shall bless you and increase your seed for My servant Aḇraham’s sake.” Gen 26:25  And he built an altar there, and called on the Name of יהוה, and he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Yitsḥaq dug a well there.

The second writings describe true believers as stones from which altars are built.

1Pe 2:4  Drawing near to Him, a living Stone(lithos) – rejected indeed by men, but chosen by Elohim and precious
1Pe 2:5  you also, as living stones,(lithos) are being built up, a spiritual house, a set-apart priesthood, to offer up spiritual slaughter offerings acceptable to Elohim through יהושע Messiah.

Note in the above verse that believers are compared to the living stones of an altar as well – a life so yielded to YHVH that spiritual offerings could be made,

Peter goes on to describe that these stones(Gk – lithos) would be like stumbling stones and rocks of offense.

1Pe 2:8  and “A stone(lithos) of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling,” (stumbling or an occasion for apostacy)who stumble because they are disobedient2 to the Word, to which they also were appointed. Footnotes: 1Isa. 8:14. 2See John 3:36, Heb. 3:18.

Examine the prophetic words that inspired Peter to write the above quoted words.

Isa 8:14  “And He shall be for a set-apart place, but a stone of stumbling and a rock that makes for falling to both the houses of Yisra’ĕl, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim. Isa 8:15  “And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken and snared and taken.”
Isa 8:16  Bind up the witness, seal the Torah among my taught ones. Isa 8:17  And I shall wait on יהוה, who hides His face from the house of Yaʽaqoḇ. And I shall look for Him.

Yisrael, Messiah, offerings, altars the Torah are all connected, if we fail to see their connectedness we fail to enter into the righteousness ordained for us by YHVH.

Joh 3:36  “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.” (You cannot believe without obeying)

Heb 3:18  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter into His rest, but to those who did not obey?

These kinds of living stones cannot be fashioned by man – no tool was allowed to fashion them. They were not to look alike like men and woman fashioned to be the same by manmade religion.

Exo 20:25  ‘And if you make Me an altar of stone, do not build it of cut stone, for if you use your chisel (cherev)on it, you have profaned it.

“Hebrew חרב(cherev) which most literaly means 'sword'.
Rashi here explains that a sword is designed to shorten life, while an altar is designed to lengthen life by being used to achieve atonement. It makes sense, therefore, that one should not be used in the formation of the other.”

Pagans built altars out of bricks – manmade religion creates these bricks to force as many as they can to conform to their idolatrous understanding of YHVH and His Word.

Let us examine the kinds of offering presented on these altars:

ג  וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה, עֹלָה אוֹ-זֶבַח, לְפַלֵּא-נֶדֶר אוֹ בִנְדָבָה, אוֹ בְּמֹעֲדֵיכֶם--לַעֲשׂוֹת רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ, לַיהוָה, מִן-הַבָּקָר, אוֹ מִן-הַצֹּאן.
3 and will make an offering by fire unto  YHVH, a burnt-offering(ascent offering), or a slaughter offering, in fulfilment of a vow – “neder” beyond your ability (“pala”), or as a freewill-offering, or in your appointed seasons, to make a tranquilizing (“nichoach”) fragrance (“reiach”)unto YHVH, of the herd, or of the flock;
  1. First of all the offerings were to be burned by fire. The very nature of true spirituality is the willingness to be totally consumed for the honour and esteem of YHVH and His Truth.

Rom 12:1  I call upon you, therefore, brothers, through the compassion of Elohim, to present your bodies a living offering – set-apart, well-pleasing to Elohim – your reasonable worship. Rom 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you prove what is that good and well-pleasing and perfect desire of Elohim

  1.  The “olah” was an ascent offering – This seems to always be the first kind of slaughter offering mentioned in the Torah and the other offerings flow from this burnt offering. While the burnt offering was been totally consumed on the flames the worshipper bringing the offering must have had an opportunity to deeply reflect on the presence and greatness of YHVH. This must have made him aware of his desire to be closer to YHVH but also the great distance that still needed to be overcome between himself and his Creator. This realization could give rise to the next kind of offering – the vow offering.

  1.  The vow offering – appears at least 6 times in the Torah and is referred to as the “lephale neder” or “the promise you make to YHVH that you do not have the ability to keep.”  The very nature of this promise or vow that we make is that when we make it we confidently assume that He has promised us that He will enable and empower us to keep it. So for example we vow to YHVH that we will be right before Him because in Yahshua this will happen. We will not always make excuses for our disobedience because we are confident that as we find our true identity and restoration in Messiah we will be enabled to keep all His commandments and walk in a perfect manner before Him.

 We are not saved by our perfect obedience –  we have been saved by the favour or grace of YHVH through the blood of Messiah, to be enabled to walk perfectly before Him.

Jud 1:24  Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His esteem without blemish, with unspeakable joy..

YHVH has promised us this so when we make a “lepahle neder” to Him – We also promise YHVH that we believe He will make our “lepahle neder” or vow to be perfect before Him, good.
This does not mean that YHVH just turns His eye away from our sin – He enables us in Messiah never to sin again. By the end of the Millenium we will be so infused with Messianic life and fragrance that we will be incapable of sinning before YHVH and one another. On the “Eighth Day” we will once again enter into the perfect state of original creation.
Churchman have tried to deceive us by believing this state actually exists in the present time and have built an entire theological doctrine of bondage around this idea. This state does exist in the present time for YHVH but it is becoming a progressive reality for us.

  1. A slaughter offering that was made as a free will offering – “nidavah”. This kind of offering was more a kind of offering that we could make that was not beyond our ability to make. To promise to be righteous before YHVH is an offering beyond our ability. However a promise or vow to be obedient to the commandments and to be kind and generous to others and to serve YHVH faithfully is not beyond our ability.

Deu 30:11  “For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. Deu 30:12 “It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ Deu 30:13  “Nor is it beyond the sea, to say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ Deu 30:14  “For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it. Deu 30:15  “See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, Deu 30:16  in that I am commanding you today to love יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to guard His commands, and His laws, and His right-rulings. And you shall live and increase, and יהוה your Elohim shall bless you in the land which you go to possess.

  1. Offerings  were also made at the Appointed Times – Moedim. See Lev/Vayikra 23. Once again these were not optional offerings, they were commanded to all generations. Sadly while there is no temple and we are not in the land of Yisrael – we will not be able to do the offerings. However we can and must still keep the Appointed Times without the offerings (the Feasts (Chaggim) of YHVH).

Lev 23:2  “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed times of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these….. – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

Specific offerings were given for each Appointment – Moed. See Numbers/B’Midbar 28.

Num 28:2  “Command the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘Take heed to bring My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet fragrance to Me, at their appointed time (moed).’

Num 15:4  then he who brings near his offering to יהוה shall bring near a grain offering of one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil,
Num 15:5  and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you prepare with the burnt offering or the slaughtering, for each lamb.
Num 15:6  ‘Or for a ram you prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil,
Num 15:7  and as a drink offering you bring one-third of a hin of wine as a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Num 15:8  ‘And when you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering, or as a slaughtering to accomplish a vow, or as a peace offering to יהוה,
Num 15:9  then shall be brought with the young bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil,
Num 15:10  and bring as the drink offering half a hin of wine as an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Num 15:11  ‘This is what is done for each young bull, for each ram, or for each lamb or young goat.
Num 15:12  ‘According to the number that you prepare, so you do for each one according to their number.

Listen to the heart of Paul:

Php 2:17  In fact, even if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the offering and service of your belief, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

2Ti 4:6  For I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure has arrived.

2. Responsibilities and duties regarding Converts – 13-16

Num 15:13  ‘Let all who are native do so with them, in bringing near an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה.
Num 15:14  ‘And when a stranger sojourns with you, or whoever is among you throughout your generations, and would make an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה, as you do, so he does.
Num 15:15  ‘One law is for you of the assembly and for the stranger who sojourns with you – a law forever throughout your generations. As you are, so is the stranger before יהוה.
Num 15:16  ‘One Torah and one right-ruling is for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.’

 3.   Separation of the bread or challah offering as a permanent practice – 17-21

Num 15:17  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 15:18  “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land to which I bring you,
Num 15:19  then it shall be, when you eat of the bread of the land, that you present a contribution to יהוה.
Num 15:20  ‘Present a cake of the first of your dough as a contribution – as a contribution of the threshing-floor you present it.

This first cake is called a “challa” in Hebrew and means a pierced bread. The Hebrew word “chalal” means to pierce and is also found in Yeshayahu 53:5 ” he was pierced (chalal) for our transgressions and crushed for our depravities” This makes us continually mindful of our Messiah who is the only one who can lead us and establish us in the Kingdom of YHVH.

Num 15:21  ‘Of the first of your dough you are to give to יהוה a contribution throughout your generations.

4.    Delineation between intentional and unintentional transgressions, both corporately and individually and the manner in which restitution may be made, or the penalty of “karat” being cut off, or the death penalty is applied – 22 -31.

Num 15:22  ‘And when you sin by mistake, and do not do all these commands which יהוה has spoken to Mosheh,
Num 15:23  all that יהוה has commanded you by the hand of Mosheh, from the day יהוה gave command and onward throughout your generations,
Num 15:27  ‘And if a being sins by mistake, then he shall bring a female goat a year old as a sin offering.
Num 15:28  ‘And the priest shall make atonement for the being who strays by mistake, when he sins by mistake before יהוה, to make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
Num 15:29  ‘For him who does whatever by mistake there is one Torah, both for him who is native among the children of Yisra’ĕl and for the stranger who sojourns in their midst.
Num 15:30  ‘But the being who does whatever defiantly,(“beyad rama”- with a high hand) whether he is native or a stranger, he reviles יהוה, and that being shall be cut off from among his people. (Heb 10:28)
Num 15:31  ‘Because he has despised the word of יהוה, and has broken His command, that being shall certainly be cut off, his crookedness is upon him.’ ”

“Beyad rama” or sinning intentionally implies sinning without remorse or repentance. To continue with
something you know is wrong with no willingness to turn from the transgression as well as a determination to
continue in that transgression. There is no forgiveness from such rebellion except deep repentance if YHVH so chooses to grant such repentance. Remember repentance is a gift.

“Beyad rama” reminds us of the uplifted arm with a clenched fist which has become the international symbol of defiance and resistance to real or perceived injustice.
The greatest freedom fighter of all time bears the scars of a nail pierced hand.

5.       An example of a specific case of how the death penalty is applied for intentional sin – 32-36.

Num 15:32  And while the children of Yisra’ĕl were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.
Num 15:33  And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Mosheh and to Aharon, and to all the congregation.
Num 15:34  And they put him in under guard, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.
Num 15:35  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “The man shall certainly be put to death, all the congregation stoning him with stones outside the camp.”
Num 15:36  And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, as יהוה commanded Mosheh, and he died.

Continual rebellion against the commandments including the Sabbath proves that a person has chosen to remain outside the covenant YHVH  and has no right to be part of the covenant community of YHVH.

Maybe one of the worst forms of defiance and rebellion is lifting up your hands to worship
YHVH every Sunday year after year believing that YHVH is impressed or even accepts
such worship.

Open and continual rebellion and defiance against YHVH and His Torah defiles more and more people every day – YHVH will soon severely judge such rebellion.

6.    Mitzvah or commandment of Tzit – tzit or fringes is to be kept – 37-41

Num 15:37  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 15:38  “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them to make tzitziyot1 on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord in the tzitzit1 of the corners. Footnote: 1See Explanatory notes - “Tzitzit” - plural Tzitziyot.
Num 15:39  “And it shall be to you for a tzitzit, and you shall see it, and shall remember all the commands of יהוה and shall do them, and not search after your own heart and your own eyes after which you went whoring,
Num 15:40  so that you remember, and shall do all My commands, and be set-apart unto your Elohim.
Num 15:41  “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. I am יהוה your Elohim.”


When looking at the fringes we remember all the commandments and refrain from following the temptations of the heart. (See our article on Tzitzit (Tzitziyot-plural) under the “Pages” on the right hand side of this BLOG)