Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, You have set us apart by Your commandments and have commanded us to actively study Your Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May You open our eyes to see marvellous truths from Your Torah. Thank You for calling us who were once gentiles excluded from the citizenship of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no expectation and without Elohim- but now through the blood of Messiah we have gained access into the covenant and have obtained citizenship into the commonwealth of Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Amein
והקריתם לכם
- ‘’you will appoint’’
This final
Torah portion of ‘’Bemidbar’’ concludes by ‘’appointing’’ two critical matters
that need to be to make sure your house is in order before you cross over into
the Promised Land. It is in our wilderness journey through life that YHVH
speaks to us to prepare us for His Kingdom. In fact ‘’bemidbar’’ can literally
mean ‘’in the place of speaking’’
Deu 8:3 “And He humbled you, and let you suffer
hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers
know, to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word
that comes from the mouth of יהוה.[a] Footnote: aSee also Mat_4:4
– it is a ‘’proceeding’’ word.
In one sense this Torah portion is a ‘’conclusion’’ of
the Torah. It is like YHVH makes His closing argument and the turns to Moshe
(and to us) and says ‘’what have I just said’’.
Deuteronomy (Gk means a copy or repetition of the law)
‘’Devarim’’ or ‘’words’’ of the first four books of the Torah in Moshe’s words.
(Mishna Torah)
What is astounding is that YHVH seems to allow Moshe to
make some ‘’additions’’ to His Words. For example ‘’mixture’’ or ‘’shatnes’’
Deut 22:9; ‘’- false prophets – Deut 13; a future prophet like unto Moshe –
Deut 18:15; crossdressing – Deut 22:5; parapets for walls -Deut 22:8; concerning
divorce Deut 24:1-4; muzzling an ox during threshing - Deut 25:4; Levirate
marriage Deut 25:11-12 and many others - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuteronomic_Code
What is also amazing is that Yahshua quotes more from the
book of Deuteronomy than any other book in the Torah.
1.
‘’Appoint’’ Cities of Refuge
Num
35:9 And יהוה
spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num
35:10 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ěl, and say to them, ‘When you pass
over the Yarděn into the land of Kena‛an,
Num 35:11 then you shall choose
cities to be cities of refuge (ערים ערי מקלט) for you, that the man-slayer who struck someone mistakenly
shall flee there. (‘’refuge’’ or asylum)
Num 35:12 And they shall be cities
of refuge for you from the revenger, and the man-slayer is not to die until he
stands before the congregation for right-ruling.
Num 35:13 And of the cities which
you give, six are to be cities of refuge.
Num 35:14 Give three cities beyond
the Yarděn, and give three cities in the land of Kena‛an, as cities of
refuge.
Num 35:15 These six cities are for
refuge for the children of Yisra’ěl, and for the sojourner, and for the settler
in their midst, for anyone who mistakenly strikes someone to flee there.
Num 35:16 But if he has stricken
him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer
shall certainly be put to death.
Num 35:17 And if he has stricken
him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a
murderer. The murderer shall certainly be put to death.
Num 35:18 Or if he has stricken
him with a wooden instrument that could kill, and he does die, he is a
murderer. The murderer shall certainly be put to death.
Num 35:19 The revenger of blood
himself puts the murderer to death. When he meets him, he puts him to
death.
Num 35:20 And if he thrusts him
through in hatred, or throws an object at him while lying in wait, so
that he dies,
Num 35:21 or in enmity he strikes
him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall certainly be
put to death, for he is a murderer. The revenger of blood puts the murderer to
death when he meets him.
Num 35:22 But if he pushes him
suddenly without enmity, or throws an object at him without lying in
wait,
Num 35:23 or uses a stone, by
which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies,
while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,
Num 35:24 then the congregation
shall judge between him who struck someone and the revenger of blood, according
to these right-rulings.
Num 35:25 And the congregation
shall rescue the man-slayer from the hand of the revenger of blood, and the
congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he
shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the
set-apart oil.
Num 35:26 But if the man-slayer at
any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,
Num 35:27 and the revenger of
blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the revenger of
blood executes the man-slayer, he is not guilty of blood,
Num 35:28 because he should have
remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after
the death of the high priest the man-slayer is to return to the land of his
possession. (High priests’ death would remove and atone for their sin –
sound familiar?)
Num 35:29 And these shall be
for a law of right-ruling to you throughout your generations in all your
dwellings.
Num 35:30 Whoever strikes a being,
the murderer shall be executed by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness does
not bear witness against someone to die.
Num 35:31 And take no ransom for
the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall certainly be put to
death.
Num 35:32 And take no ransom for
him who has fled to his city of refuge to return to dwell in the land before
the death of the priest.
Num 35:33 And do not profane
the land where you are, for blood profanes the land, and the land is not
pardoned for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed
it.
Num 35:34 And do not defile the
land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell, for I, יהוה, am dwelling in the midst of the children of Yisra’ěl.’ ”
This Torah portion is more important than we realize – it’s about making sure there are no unresolved conflicts within our communities.
If
Your Brother Sins Against You
Mat
18:15 “And if your brother sins against you, go and convict him, between
you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
Mat
18:16 “But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by
the mouth of two or three witnesses every word might be established.’[a] Deu_19:15.
Footnote: a Joh_8:17, 2Co_13:1, 1Ti_5:19, Heb_10:28.
Mat
18:17 “And if he refuses to hear them, say it to the assembly. And if he refuses
even to hear the assembly, let him be to you like the nations and a tax
collector.
Mat
18:18 “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be having
been bound in heaven, and whatever you loosen on earth shall be having been
loosened in heaven.[b] Footnote: bSee footnote Mat_16:19.
Mat
18:19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning
any matter that they ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in the
heavens.
Mat 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst.”
In fact YHVH is so serious about unresolved conflicts that he requires us to first do all we can to resolve these conflicts before bringing Him peace offerings – Mat 5:23-24 Rom 12:18
2. The second issue that needs to be in place is ‘’righteous marriages’’
Tselophḥaḏ and
his daughters.
Num 36:1 And the heads of the
fathers of the clans of the children of Gil‛aḏ, son of Maḵir,
son of Menashsheh, of the clans of the sons of Yosěph, came near and spoke before
Mosheh and before the leaders, the heads of the fathers of the children of
Yisra’ěl,
Num 36:2 and said, “יהוה commanded my master to give the land as an inheritance by lot
to the children of Yisra’ěl, and my master was commanded by יהוה to give the inheritance of our brother Tselophḥaḏ
to his daughters. See Num 27
Num 36:3 “Now if they are married
to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Yisra’ěl, then their
inheritance shall be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be
added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and taken from the
lot of our inheritance.
Num 36:4 “And if the Yoḇel
of the children of Yisra’ěl takes place, then their inheritance shall be added
to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance
taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”
Num 36:5 And Mosheh commanded the
children of Yisra’ěl according to the word of יהוה, saying, “What the tribe
of the sons of Yosěph speaks is right.
Num 36:6 “This is the word which יהוה has commanded, for the daughters of Tselophḥaḏ,
saying, ‘Let them marry who is good in their eyes, but let them marry only
within the clan of their father’s tribe.’
Num 36:7 “And the inheritance of
the children of Yisra’ěl is not to change hands from tribe to tribe, for every
one of the children of Yisra’ěl is to cling to the inheritance of the tribe of
his fathers.
Num 36:8 “And every daughter
possessing an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Yisra’ěl is to be the
wife of one of the clan of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Yisra’ěl
possess each the inheritance of his fathers.
Num 36:9 “Thus the inheritance is
not to change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children
of Yisra’ěl is to cling to its own inheritance.”
Num 36:10 As יהוה
commanded Mosheh, so did the daughters of Tselophḥaḏ.
Num 36:11 For Maḥlah,
Tirtsah, and Ḥoḡlah, and Milkah, and No‛ah, the daughters of Tselophḥaḏ,
were married to the sons of their father’s brothers.
Num 36:12 And they were married
into the clans of the children of Menashsheh, the son of Yosěph, and their
inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s clan.
Num 36:13 These are the commands and the right-rulings which יהוה commanded the children of Yisra’ěl by the hand of Mosheh in the desert plains of Mo’aḇ by the Yarděn of Yeriḥo.
Perhaps one of the most important issues that will face YHVH’s people in the end times is the issue of ‘’righteous marriage covenants’’ The tragic reality of our times is that there appears to be more righteous woman seeking to be in covenant with a short supply of righteous husbands. We see this reality reflected with the daughters of Tzelophad.
Let us take another look at a very contentious verse that has been poorly translated into English that addresses this issue. If we take a closer look at this verse, we see the problem is not caused by the women but by the men.
Isa 3:12 “My people! Youths exert pressure on them, and women rule over them. O My people! Your leaders lead you astray,[a] and swallow the way of your paths.” Footnote: aSee Isa_9:16.
A Hebrew - English Bible According to the Masoretic Text and the JPS 1917 Edition
יב עַמִּי נֹגְשָׂיו מְעוֹלֵל, וְנָשִׁים מָשְׁלוּ בוֹ; עַמִּי מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים, וְדֶרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ בִּלֵּעוּ. {פ} 12 As for My people, a babe is their master, and women rule over them. O My people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.
בְּ is a Hebrew preposition meaning '' in, at; with, by; for’’
מֵעַל, עַל is also a Hebrew preposition and means ‘’over’’
Women don’t rule ‘’over’’ men. They rule ‘’in’’ men because of their immaturity.
עַמִּי
מְאַשְּׁרֶיךָ מַתְעִים
– my people are content or
happy with these ones leading them astray.
1Ti 2:12 But I do not permit a woman to teach or to
have authority over a man, rather, to be in silence. (not to be
contentious or argumentative with men)
1Ti 2:13 Because Aḏam was formed first, then Ḥawwah.
1Ti 2:14 And Aḏam was not deceived, but the woman, having been deceived, fell into
transgression.
1Ti 2:15 But she shall be saved in childbearing if
they continue in belief, and love, and set-apartness, with sensibleness. (this
is the one thing that ensures that women are not inferior to men)
1Co 11:3 And I wish you to know that the head of
every man is the Messiah,[a] and the head of woman is the man,[b] and the head
of Messiah is Elohim.[c] Footnotes: a Eph_1:22, Eph_4:15, Eph_5:23.
b Gen_3:16. c 1Co_3:23, Joh_14:28.
1Co 11:4 Every man praying or prophesying, having
his head covered, brings shame to his Head.
1Co 11:5 And every woman praying or prophesying
with her head uncovered brings shame to her head, for that is one and the same
as if her head were shaved.
1Co 11:6 For if a woman is not covered, let her
also be shorn. But if it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her
be covered.[d] Footnote: d Num_5:18.
1Co 11:7 For a man indeed should not cover his
head, since he is the likeness and esteem of Elohim, but woman is the esteem of
man.
1Co 11:8 For man is not from woman, but woman from
man.
1Co 11:9 For man also was not created for the
woman, but woman for the man.
1Co 11:10 Because of this the woman ought to have authority[e]
on her head, because of the messengers. Footnote: eSome say “a symbol of
authority.”
1Co 11:11 However, man is not independent of woman,
nor woman independent of man, in the Master.
1Co 11:12 For as the woman was from the man, even
so the man also is through the woman. But all are from Elohim.
1Co 11:13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a
woman to pray to Elohim with her head uncovered?
1Co 11:14 Does not nature itself teach you that if
a man indeed has long hair, it is a disrespect to him?
1Co 11:15 And if a woman has long hair, it is an
esteem to her, because the long hair has been given to her over against a
veil.
1Co 11:16 If, however, anyone seems to be contentious, we do not have such a habit, nor do the assemblies of Elohim.
The Master's Supper
1Co 11:17 And in declaring this I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse.
Mal 4:4 “Remember the Torah of Mosheh, My servant,
which I commanded him in Ḥorěḇ for all Yisra’ěl – laws and right-rulings.
Mal 4:5 “See, I am sending you Ěliyah the prophet
before the coming of the great and awesome day of יהוה.
Mal 4:6 “And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with utter destruction.” (note the issue is about fathers and not mothers)
This is one of the reasons there will be 42 stops during the 42 months of the great tribulation. The cloud will not move on until all unresolved issues are settled and only those who have complied will be illegible to be invited to the great marriage supper of the Lamb.
1Th 5:24 He who calls you is trustworthy, who also shall do it.
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 – Amein
Chazak chazak ve
Nitchezek.