As we reflect on this Torah
portion we are once again reminded ‘’blended’’ or mixed worship has caused
believers and unbelievers alike to be almost completely assimilated into the
pattern and spirit of this world. It appears that humanity is becoming more and
more disorientated and confused in a world that is becoming more and more
unpredictable.
We should grieve for ourselves
and others for the predicament we find ourselves in these days – confess our
sins and the sins of our fathers for our entrenched disobedience and
unfaithfulness to His covenant and His ways. For the most part this Has been
our condition from the garden to this present day.
The Torah of Moshe that the
Messiah taught us orientates us and shows us the way back into His presence.
Joh
14:4 “And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
This Torah portion holds an
especially important key for us to find our feet and point us in the right
direction in this crazy world we live in.
This key is found and hidden
in the appointments or ‘’moedim’’ of YHVH.
Psa 23:3 He turns backa
my being; He leads me in paths of righteousness For His Name’s sake. Footnote:
aOr He converts.
Psa 23:4 When I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil. For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The word ‘’paths’’ in Hebrew
‘’magelah’’ comes from a word which means that which moves around in a circle
or cycles. This reminds us of the annual feasts and appointments (moedim) that
are repeated year after year – the subject of this weeks Torah portion.
Num 28:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
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.’
“Command the
sons of Yisrael and say to them – My offerings (that which causes you to draw
near to Me) My bread – My fire – a fragrance of tranquility – You are to guard
these offerings of Mine at their appointed time.”
Heb 10:28
Anyone who has disregarded the Torah of Mosheh dies without compassion
on the witness of two or three witnesses.
Heb 10:29
How much worse punishment do you think shall he deserve who has trampled
the Son of Elohim underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was set apart as common,
and insulted the Spirit of favour?
The Torah of Moshe cannot be separated into
what is relevant and that which is not relevant – it is all just as relevant
now as it was then.
These offerings and appointments with YHVH restore the
very heart of His relationship (Marriage) with His People – Yisrael.
Jer 3:14 “Return, O
backsliding children,” declares יהוה, “for I shall rule over (married) you,
and shall take you, one from a city and two from a clan,a and shall bring you
to Tsiyon. Footnote: aSee Isa_27:12.
Isa 54:5 “For your Maker is your husband, יהוה of hosts is
His Name, and the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl is your Redeemer. He is called the
Elohim of all the earth.
Now follows a list of these offerings and their “bridal
connections:”
Tamid – A
continual reminder that our Bridegroom redeemed and gave his life for his Bride.
Daily Offerings
Num
28:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Num 28:2 "Command
the children of Yisra’ěl, 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.’
Num 28:3 “And you shall
say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you bring to יהוה: two
male lambs a year old, perfect ones, daily, a continual ascending
offering.
Num 28:4 The one lamb
you prepare in the morning, and the other lamb you prepare between the
evenings,
Num 28:5 with one-tenth
of an ěphah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of
pressed oil,
Num 28:6 a continual
ascending offering which was offered at Mount Sinai for a sweet fragrance, an
offering made by fire to יהוה,
Num 28:7 and its drink
offering, one-fourth of a hin for each lamb. Pour out the drink to יהוה as an
offering in the set-apart place.
Num 28:8 And the other
lamb you prepare between the evenings. As the morning grain offering and its
drink offering, you prepare it as an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance
to יהוה.
The Torah does not say at what
exact time these offering were made. The Mishnah and other sources indicate that
one lamb was offered in the morning around 9am and the other one around 3pm in
the afternoon.
We see that these offerings
were given/made at about the same time that Yahshua was impaled and eventually
died on the execution stake.
Mar 15:25
And it was the third hour,(around 9am) and they impaled Him.
Mar 15:33 And when the sixth hour
came, darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.
Mar 15:34 And at the ninth hour(around
3pm) יהושע cried
out with a loud voice, saying, “Ěli, Ěli, lamah sheḇaqtani?”1 which
is translated, “My Ěl, My Ěl, why have You forsaken Me?” Footnote: 1In
Hebrew - “Eli, Eli lamah azaḇtani” - as per Ps. 22:1.
Ephah - An ancient Hebrew unit
of dry volume measure, equal to a “bath” or to one-tenth of a homer. It is
approximately equal to 22 litres. Exo
16:36 And an omer is one-tenth of an
ĕphah.
Hin - A unit of liquid measure used by the
ancient Hebrews equal
to about four liters.
We
also need to realize that the responsibility of these offering was upon the
Priests – Kohanim however during the millennium Messiah Himself will bring
additional offerings on the sabbath.
Eze
46:4 “And the ascending offering which the prince brings to יהוה on the
sabbath day is six lambs, perfect ones, and a ram, a perfect one.
Sabbaths – First of the Musaf Offerings.
Num 28:9 ‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs a year old,
perfect ones, and two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour as a grain
offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering,
Num
28:10 the burnt offering for every
Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering with its drink offering.
Rosh Chodesh.
Num 28:11 ‘And on the beginnings of your months you
bring near a burnt offering to יהוה: two young
bulls and one ram, and seven lambs a year old, perfect ones;
Num 28:12 three-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour
as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ĕphah
of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram;
Num 28:13 and one-tenth of an ĕphah of fine
flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering
of sweet fragrance, an offering made by fire to יהוה.
Num 28:14 ‘And their drink offering is half a hin of
wine for a bull, and one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for
a lamb. This is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the
year,
Num 28:15 and one male goat as a sin offering to יהוה is prepared, besides the continual burnt
offering and its drink offering.
Pesach.
Num 28:16 ‘And in the first month, on the fourteenth
day, is the Passover of יהוה,
Num 28:17 and on the fifteenth day of this month is a
festival. For seven days unleavened
bread is eaten.
Num 28:18 ‘On
the first day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.
Num 28:19 ‘And you shall bring near an offering made by
fire as a burnt offering to יהוה: two young
bulls and one ram, and seven lambs a year old, perfect ones they are for you,
Num 28:20 and their grain offering, fine flour mixed
with oil. Prepare three-tenths of an ĕphah for a bull, and two-tenths
for a ram.
Num 28:21 ‘Prepare one-tenth of an ĕphah for
each of the seven lambs,
Num 28:22 and one goat as a sin offering, to make
atonement for you.
Num 28:23 ‘Prepare these
besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt
offering.
Num 28:24 ‘According to these you are to prepare the
food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet fragrance to
יהוה. It is prepared besides the continual
burnt offering and its drink offering.
Num 28:25 ‘And on the seventh day you have a set-apart
gathering, you do no servile work.
Num 28:26 ‘And on
the day of the first-fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to יהוה at your
Festival of Weeks, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. (Shavuot)
Num 28:27 ‘And you shall bring near a burnt offering as
a sweet fragrance to יהוה: two young
bulls, one ram, and seven lambs a year old,
Num 28:28 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed
with oil: three-tenths of an ĕphah for each bull, two-tenths for the one
ram,
Num 28:29 one-tenth for each of the seven lambs,
Num 28:30 one male goat to make atonement for you,
Num 28:31 perfect ones they are for you. Prepare them
with their drink offerings, besides the continual burnt offering with its grain
offering.
Yom Teruah.
Num 29:1 ‘And in the seventh month, on the first day
of the month, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work, it is a
day of blowing the trumpets for you.
Num 29:2
‘And you shall prepare a burnt offering as a sweet fragrance to יהוה: one young
bull, one ram, seven lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:3 and their grain offering: fine flour mixed
with oil, three-tenths of an ĕphah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,
Num 29:4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs,
Num 29:5 and one male goat as a sin offering, to make
atonement for you,
Num 29:6 besides the burnt offering with its grain
offering for the New Moon, the continual burnt offering with its grain
offering, and their drink offerings, according to their right-ruling, as a
sweet fragrance, an offering made by fire to יהוה.
Yom Kippur.
Num 29:7 ‘And on the tenth day of this seventh month
you have a set-apart gathering, and you shall afflict your beings, you do no
work.
Num 29:8 ‘And you shall bring near a burnt offering to
יהוה, a sweet fragrance: one young bull, one
ram, seven lambs a year old, perfect ones they are for you,
Num 29:9 and their grain offering: fine flour mixed
with oil, three-tenths of an ĕphah for the bull, two-tenths for the one
ram,
Num 29:10 one-tenth for each of the seven lambs,
Num 29:11 one male goat as a sin offering, besides the
sin offering for atonement, the continual burnt offering with its grain
offering, and their drink offerings.
Sukkot.
Num 29:12 ‘And on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. And you shall
observe a festival to יהוה seven days,
Num 29:13 and you shall bring near a burnt offering, an
offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה: thirteen
young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones they are,
Num 29:14 and their grain offering: fine flour mixed
with oil, three-tenths of an ĕphah for each of the thirteen bulls,
two-tenths for each of the two rams,
Num 29:15 and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs,
Num 29:16 and one male goat as a sin offering, besides
the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Num 29:17 ‘Then on the second day: twelve young bulls,
two rams, fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:18 and their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:19 and one male goat as a sin offering, besides
the continual burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink
offerings.
Num 29:20 ‘And on the third day eleven bulls, two rams,
fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:21 and their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:22 and one goat as a sin offering, besides the
continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Num 29:23 ‘Then on the fourth day: ten bulls, two rams,
fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:24 and their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:25 and one male goat as a sin offering, besides
the continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Num 29:26 ‘Then on the fifth day: nine bulls, two rams,
fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:27 and their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:28 and one goat as a sin offering, besides the
continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Num 29:29 ‘Then on the sixth day: eight bulls, two
rams, fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:30 and their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:31 and one goat as a sin offering, besides the
continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Num 29:32 ‘Then on the seventh day: seven bulls, two
rams, fourteen lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:33 and their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:34 and one goat as a sin offering, besides the
continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Shemeni Atzaret.
Num 29:35 ‘On the eighth day you have an assembly, you
do no servile work,
Num 29:36 and you shall bring near a burnt offering, an
offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה: one bull, one
ram, seven lambs a year old, perfect ones,
Num 29:37 their grain offering and their drink
offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number,
according to the right-ruling,
Num 29:38 and one goat as a sin offering, besides the
continual burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.
Num 29:39 ‘These
you prepare to יהוה at your
appointed times, besides your vowed offerings and your voluntary offerings, as
your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your
peace offerings.’ ”
Num 29:40 And Mosheh spoke to the children of Yisra’ĕl
according to all יהוה had commanded
Mosheh.
The
world is about to be plunged into total darkness. The anti- messiah will be a
false light and bring a false hope for a short while until the beginning of the
great tribulation. At this time even the Ruach of YHVH will be taken away –
2Th 2:3 Let no one
deceive you in any way, because the falling away is to come first, and the man
of lawlessnessa is to be revealed, the son of destruction, Footnote: aSee Dan_11:36-39.
2Th 2:4 who opposes and
exalts himself above all that is called Elohim or that is worshipped, so that
he sits as Elohim in the Dwelling Place of Elohim, showing himself that he is
Elohim.
2Th 2:5 Do you not
remember that I told you this while I was still with you?
2Th 2:6 And now you know
what restrains, for him to be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the secret
of lawlessness is already at work – only until he who now restrains comes out
of the midst.
2Th 2:8 And then the lawless
one shall be revealed, whom the Master shall consume with the Spirit of
His mouth Isa_11:4 and bring to naught with the manifestation of His
coming.
2Th 2:9 The coming of
the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and
signs and wonders of falsehood,
2Th 2:10 and with all
deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the
love of the truth, in order for them to be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this
reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood, b Footnote: bSee also Joh_9:39, Joh_12:40,
Act_7:42, Rom_1:24-28.
2Th 2:12 in order that
all should be judged who did not believe the truth, but have delighted in the
unrighteousness.
The
Future Esteem of Yisrael
Isa
60:1 “Arise, shine, for your
light has come! And the esteem of יהוה has
risen upon you.
Isa 60:2 “For look,
darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But יהוה arises
over you, and His esteem is seen upon you.
Isa 60:3 “And the
nations shall come to your light, a and sovereigns to the brightness of your rising.
Footnote: a Isa_60:19-20, Rev_21:23-24.
This Torah portion also
referred to by some scholars is called ‘’the essence of all the Torah’’ What is
the essence of all the Torah?
It is the desire of YHVH to be
united to His people Yisrael. YHVH's design for life, covenant, and intimacy as
revealed through the Scriptural Feasts and the Tabernacle. Everything YHVH
desires from us and for us is revealed by the life-giving relationship between
a husband and wife, as first seen in the Garden of Eden. The structures of the
Tabernacle, the cycle of the Feasts, and even the biology of human reproduction
is all wrapped up together to reveal YHVH's plan in our relationship with Him.
Gen
4:1 And Aḏam knew Ḥawwah
his wife, and she conceived and bore Qayin…
וְהָאָדָם, יָדַע אֶת-חַוָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ; וַתַּהַר, וַתֵּלֶד אֶת-קַיִן
The Hebrew says ‘’she
conceived and became pregnant and gave birth…’’
In Hebrew the feminine is
called ‘’nekevah’’ also means hollow. The masculine is referred to as
‘’zachar’’ means ‘’to remember’’ also referred to in Hebrew culture as the male
penis.
In Genesis 1:26, the Hebrew words zachar and nekevah are used to convey ‘male’ and ‘female’. These two words are expressly sexual, and literally mean ‘piercer’ and ‘one pierced’. So, in the very words YHVH uses to describe the male and the female he created, He graphically describes the sexual act.
Some scholars believe Eve was made from the penis bone of
Adam.
The Hebrew word ‘’tsela’’ only
translated once as rib in the scripture. This same word is used several times
explaining the structures in the tabernacle.
The tabernacle itself has been
described as a model of a bridal chamber.
1Pe 1:23 having been
born again – not of corruptible seed,(Gk ‘’sporos’’ related to ‘’sperma’’) but incorruptible – through the living Word of
Elohim, which remains forever,
The Word of YHVH often refers to itself as a seed. There are a total of forty-four verses in the New Testament where the Greek word “sperma” was translated “seed.” This is the same word from which we derive our English word “sperm.”
Many people have pointed out that the menstrual cycle is similar to the monthly cycle of the moon. (The English word “menstruation” derives from the Latin word for “monthly.”)
Eph 5:31 “For this cause
a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two
shall become one flesh.” Gen_2:24.
Eph 5:32 This secret is
great, but I speak concerning Messiah and the assembly.
Adam knew (Heb ‘’yada’’) his
wife ….
Mat 7:23 “And then I
shall declare to them, ‘I never knew (Heb ‘’yada’’) you, depart from Me, you
who work lawlessness!’c Psa_6:8. Footnote: cSee Mat_7:15, and
also Mat_13:41-42.
YHVH’s marriage covenant –
ketubah - with Yisrael consists of 10 sayings – Ex 20:1-17
Yisraels coming out of Egypt
and entering into the Promised Land lies behind the meaning of all the feasts
or appointments His Bride has with Himself.
What
went wrong?
This is the midrashim of these
parashiot – Balak and Pinchas - Yisrael was corrupting the set apart seed in
unrighteous unions – sexual and spiritual.
The history of Yisrael and YHVH is the account of a heavenly romance…..the best seller of all time.
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 Yahweh, 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.