Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.
“ Nasso” –to lift up or Make an Accounting– is an interesting Hebrew verb, it is called an infinitive of emphasis or an infinitive absolute verb. This verb intensifies the idea of a command as well as an ongoing action.
General Overview: This week's Torah portion, Nasso, is the longest single portion in the Torah, containing 176 verses, the same number of verses found in Psalm 119, reminding us of the importance of the priestly responsibility and burden to carry (nasso) the Word of the Torah. The reading starts with a continuation of the Levite census and a discussion regarding their Tabernacle duties, and the preserving of purity in the camp. The laws of the “sotah” jealous husband suspecting his wife of infidelity (Ex 34:14) and the Nazirite follow. The portion concludes with the Priestly Blessing and the offerings which the Tribal leaders brought in honour of the Tabernacle inauguration.
In this portion one gets the idea of been lifted up when you are feeling lowly and insignificant.
The
Levitical ministry will be restored when Messiah returns, and the Temple is
rebuilt in Yerushalayim.
What about Messiah’s Melchitzedek ministry? It is most definitely superior but does not replace the Levitical ministry. Yahshua has proved faithful in his ministry. His Bride and those whom He has called have still need to prove their commitment and faithfulness. We know and believe that Messiah accomplished a finished work in terms of our salvation on the execution stake and we are still being called to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12)
The future ministry of the Levites and the regathered tribes of Yisrael when Messiah returns is found in chapters 40 to 48 in the book of Ezekiel.
This Torah portion also points us to the temporary restricting and removing from the camp those who bring defilement into the camp. The purpose is for protection and restoration of Yisrael- (sotah – the law of the jealous husband who suspects his wife of unfaithfulness).
Finally this Torah portion brings to our attention to the responsibility of the on- going material support required by the Levitical ministry.
This parashá once again points us to Messiah – the title ‘’nasso’’ Strongs 5357 is related to one of the titles of Messiah ‘’nassi’’ Strongs 5387 – means a ‘’Prince’’ or one who is lifted up. This reference is found several times in Messianic prophecies in Ezekiel and Daniel- eg Ezekiel 34:24 and others.
Joh 12:32 ואני בהנשאי מעל־הארץ אמשך כלם אלי׃
Num 4:21
And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 4:22 “Take a census(nasso) also of the sons of
Gĕreshon, by their fathers’ house, by their clans.
Heb ‘’Gershon’’’- to drive out
from a possession – to divorce Strongs 1644 ‘’garash’’
Num 4:23 “Register them, from thirty years old and
above, even to fifty years old, all who enter to perform the service, to do the
service in the Tent of Meeting.
Num 4:24 “This is the service(“avodah” or burden) of
the clans(“mishpachah” or families) of the Gĕreshonites, in serving and in
bearing burdens:
Num 4:25 “And they shall bear the curtains of the
Dwelling Place and the Tent of Meeting with its covering, the covering of fine
leather that is on it, the covering for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
Num 4:26 and the screens of the courtyard and the
covering for the door of the gate of the courtyard, which is around the
Dwelling Place and altar, and their cords, all the equipment for their service
and all that is made for them – so shall they serve.
Num 4:27 “Aharon and his sons are to command all the
service of the sons of the Gĕreshonites, all their burden and all their service. And you shall appoint to them all the
duty of all their burden.
Num 4:28 “This is the service of the clans of the sons
of Gĕreshon in the Tent of Meeting. And
let their duties be under the hand of Ithamar, son of Aharon the priest.
Num 4:29 “As for the sons of Merari, register
them by their clans and by their fathers’ house.
The verb “muster or register”(tiphkod in Hebrew) is used
and implies being “called up” for duty – note the Hebrew verb “nasso” is not
used.
Num 4:30 “Register(tiphkod) them, from thirty years
old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the
work of the Tent of Meeting.
Num 4:31 “And this is the duty of their burden,(Heb “massa” connected to “nassah” – to
lift a burden) according to all their service for the Tent of Meeting: the
boards of the Dwelling Place, and its bars, and its columns, and its sockets,
Num 4:32 and the columns around the courtyard with
their sockets, and their pegs, and their cords, with all their equipment and
all their service. And assign to each by name the equipment of the duty
of their burden.
Num 4:33 “This is the service of the clans of the sons
of Merari, as all their service for the Tent
of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar, son of Aharon the priest.”
Why does it appear that some
seemed to have had a nicer job than some of the others. Merari which comes from
the Hebrew word meaning “bitter” seemed to have received the “wrong end of the
stick.”
Maybe
the answer lies in the fact that not all our service to YHVH seems pleasant and
inspiring. But all His Work is especially important.
One
Body with Many Members
1Co
12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Messiah.
1Co
12:13 For indeed by one Spirit we were all immersed into one body,
whether Yehuḏim or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to
drink into one Spirit.
1Co
12:14 For indeed the body is not one member but many.
1Co
12:15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the
body,” does it therefore not belong to the body?
1Co
12:16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to
the body,” does it therefore not belong to the body?
1Co
12:17 If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? If all
hearing, where would be the smelling?
1Co
12:18 But now Elohim has set the members, each one of them, in the body,
even as He pleased.
1Co
12:19 And if they all had been one member, where would the body be?
1Co
12:20 And now, there are indeed many members, but one body.
1Co
12:21 And an eye is unable to say to the hand, “I have no need of you,”
or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
1Co
12:22 But much rather, those members of the body which are thought to be
weaker are necessary.
1Co
12:23 And to those of the body which we think to be less respected, these
we present greater respect. And our unseemly members have greater
seemliness,
1Co
12:24 whereas our seemly members have no need. But Elohim blended
together the body, having given greater respect to that member which
lacks it,
1Co
12:25 that there should be no division in the body, but that the members
should have the same concern one for another.
1Co
12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if
one member is esteemed, all the members rejoice with it.
1Co
12:27 And you are a body of Messiah, and members individually.
1Co
12:28 And Elohim has appointed these in the assembly: firstly emissaries,
secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, ministrations, kinds of tongues.
1Co
12:29 Are all emissaries? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all
workers of miracles?
1Co
12:30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all
interpret?
1Co
12:31 But earnestly seek the better gifts. And yet I show you a more
excellent way.
What
is the more excellent way?
Num 4:34 So Mosheh and Aharon and the leaders of the
congregation registered the sons of the Qehathites by their clans and by their
fathers’ house,
Num 4:35 from thirty years old and above, even to
fifty years old, all who entered the service for work in the Tent of Meeting.
Num 4:36 And their registered ones, by their clans,
were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
Num 4:37 These were the registered ones of the clans
of the Qehathites, all those serving in the Tent of Meeting, whom Mosheh
and Aharon registered according to the command of יהוה by the hand of
Mosheh.
Num 4:38 And those registered ones of the sons of
Gĕreshon, by their clans and by their fathers’ house,
Num 4:39 from thirty years old and above, even to
fifty years old, all who entered the service for work in the Tent of Meeting,
Num 4:40 the registered ones, by their clans, by their
fathers’ house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty.
Num 4:41 These were the registered ones of the clans
of the sons of Gĕreshon, of all who serve in the Tent of Meeting, whom Mosheh
and Aharon registered according to the command of יהוה.
Num 4:42 And those of the clans of the sons of
Merari who were registered, by their clans, by their fathers’ house,
Num 4:43 from thirty years old and above, even to
fifty years old, all who entered the service for work in the Tent of Meeting,
Num 4:44 the registered ones, by their clans were
three thousand two hundred.
Num 4:45 These were the registered ones of the clans
of the sons of Merari, whom Mosheh and Aharon registered according to the
command of יהוה by the hand of
Mosheh.
Num 4:46 All the registered ones of the Lĕwites, whom
Mosheh and Aharon and the leaders of Yisra’ĕl registered, by their clans and by
their fathers’ houses,
Num 4:47 from thirty years old and above, even to
fifty years old, all who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing
burdens in the Tent of Meeting,
Num 4:48 their registered ones were eight thousand
five hundred and eighty.
Num 4:49 According to the command of יהוה they were registered by the hand of
Mosheh, each according to his service and according to his burden, thus were they
registered by him, as יהוה commanded
Mosheh.
Only once the priesthood had been properly accounted for
and put in order could the camp of Yisrael be put in order.
Num 5:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Num 5:2 “Command the children of Yisra’ĕl to send
out of the camp every leper, and everyone who has a discharge, and whoever
becomes defiled1 for a being. Footnote: 1Defilement
can be imparted from one to another.
Num 5:3 “Send out both male and female, send them
outside the camp, so that they do not defile their camps in the midst of which
I dwell.”
Num 5:4 And the children of Yisra’ĕl did so, to send
them outside the camp. As יהוה had spoken to
Mosheh, so the children of Yisra’ĕl did.
We must assume that these physical ailments were
manifestations of spiritual conditions that needed to be addressed –
Num 5:5 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Num 5:6 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, ‘When a
man or woman commits any sin that men commit in trespass against יהוה, and that being is guilty,
Num 5:7 then they shall confess their sin which they
have done. And he shall restore his guilt in its principal, plus one-fifth of
it, and give it to whom he has been guilty.
Num 5:8 ‘But if the man has no relative to restore
the guilt to, the guilt which is restored goes to יהוה, for the
priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made
for him.
Vs 8 has possibly been poorly
interpreted.
The Hebrew word for relative of kinsman is usually ‘’kerov mishpacha’’ but here in our text the word “goel” is used which is more accurately translated as “redeemer” the Hebrew structure is difficult to translate into English. One may assume the interpretation to mean that when a trespass cannot be atoned for, for the guilty party, a Redeemer will come for YHVH, separate from the intercessory ministry of the priesthood. This is a foreshadow of the Messiah who will make perfect our redemption.
Once
again we see that Help for our desperate need has been provided.
Num 5:9 ‘And every contribution of all the set-apart gifts
of the children of Yisra’ĕl, which they bring to the priest, becomes his.
Num 5:10 ‘And every man’s set-apart gifts
becomes his, whatever any man gives the priest becomes his.’ ”
1Co 12:4 And there are
different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 There are
different kinds of services, but the same Master.
1Co 12:6 And there are
different kinds of workings, but it is the same Elohim who is working all in
all.
1Co 12:7 And to each one
is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profiting,
1Co 12:8 for to one is
given a word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a word of knowledge
according to the same Spirit,
1Co 12:9 and to another
belief by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the same
Spirit,
1Co 12:10 and to another
operations of powers, and to another prophecy, and to another discerning of
spirits, and to another kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of
tongues.
1Co 12:11 But one and
the same Spirit works all these, distributing to each one individually as He
intends.
What about
the so called lost tribes our ancient brothers and sisters?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdYbQKthqoE
Baruch atah
YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam
nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are
you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of
truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you,
YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn.)