We start off with the prophecy of
Ezekiel describing the sad pattern of rebellion throughout history of those who
are called to serve and worship YHVH.
Eze 20:5 “And you shall say to them, ‘Thus said the
Master יהוה, “On the day
when I chose Yisra’ĕl and lifted My hand in an oath to the seed of the house of
Yaʽaqoḇ, and
made Myself known to them in the land of Mitsrayim, I lifted My hand in an oath
to them, saying, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim.’ Eze
20:6 “On that day I lifted My hand in an
oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Mitsrayim into a land that I had
searched out for them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendour of all lands.
Eze 20:7 “And I said to them, ‘Each one
of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not
defile yourselves with the idols (Christmas,
Easter and Sun worship) of Mitsrayim! I am יהוה your Elohim.’ Eze
20:8 “But they rebelled against Me, and would not obey Me. All of them
did not throw away the abominations which were before their eyes, nor did they
forsake the idols of Mitsrayim. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to
complete My displeasure against them in the midst of the land of Mitsrayim. Eze
20:9 “But I acted for My Name’s sake,
that it should not be profaned before the eyes of the gentiles among whom they
were – before whose eyes I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of
the land of Mitsrayim. Eze 20:10 “So I
took them out of the land of Mitsrayim, and I brought them into the wilderness.
Eze 20:11 “And I gave them My laws and
showed them My right-rulings, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ Eze 20:12
“And I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign1 between them
and Me, to know that I am יהוה who sets them
apart. Footnote: 1See Ex. 31:13-17. Eze 20:13 “But the
house of Yisra’ĕl rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not walk in My
laws, and they rejected My right-rulings, which, if a man does, he shall live
by them. And they greatly profaned My
Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My wrath on them in the wilderness,
to consume them. Eze 20:14 “But I acted
for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the gentiles, before whose eyes I
had brought them out. Eze 20:15 “And I Myself also lifted My hand in an oath
to them in the wilderness, not to bring them into the land which I had given
them, flowing with milk and honey, the splendour of all lands, Eze
20:16 because they rejected My
right-rulings and did not walk in My laws, and they profaned My Sabbaths. For
their heart went after their idols. Eze 20:17
“And My eye pardoned them, from destroying them. And I did not make an
end of them in the wilderness. Eze 20:18
“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the
laws of your fathers, nor observe their rulings, nor defile yourselves with
their idols. Eze 20:19 ‘I am יהוה your Elohim.
Walk in My laws, and guard My right-rulings, and do them. Eze 20:20 ‘And set apart My
Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, to know that I am יהוה your Elohim.’ Eze 20:21 “But the
children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My laws, and My
right-rulings they did not guard to do them, which, if a man does, he shall live by them. They profaned My Sabbaths,
so I resolved to pour out My wrath on them to complete My displeasure against
them in the wilderness. Eze 20:22 “But I
held back My hand and acted for My Name’s sake, not to profane it before the
eyes of the gentiles, before whose eyes I had brought them out. Eze 20:23 “Also, I Myself lifted My hand in an oath to
those in the wilderness, to scatter them among the gentiles and disperse them
throughout the lands, Eze 20:24 because
they had not done My right-rulings, and they rejected My laws, and they
profaned My Sabbaths, and their eyes were on their fathers’ idols. Eze
20:25 “And I also gave them up to laws
that were not good, and right-rulings by which they would not live1.
Eze 20:37 “And I shall make you pass under the rod, and
shall bring you into the bond of the covenant, Eze 20:38 and purge the rebels from among you, and
those who transgress against Me. From the land where they sojourn I bring them
out, but they shall not come into the
land of Yisra’ĕl. And you shall know that I am יהוה.
One of the most chilling statements in our Torah portion
comes in verse 34…
14:34 ….. you shall know My breaking off.
וִידַעְתֶּם, אֶת-תְּנוּאָתִי
The Hebrew word “tenuah” 8569 can mean “opposition,
alienation, enmity” which can lead to becoming completely broken off from YHVH.
Tragically the possibility that YHVH would even
consider such a thing hardly exists in the mindset of modern religion.
Num 14:1
Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the
people wept that night.
Num 14:2 And all the children of Yisra’ĕl grumbled
against Mosheh and against Aharon, and all the congregation said to them, “If
only we had died in the land of Mitsrayim! Or if only we had died in this
wilderness!
Num 14:3 “And why is יהוה bringing us to this land to fall by the
sword, that our wives and children should become a prey? Would it not be better
for us to turn back to Mitsrayim?”
Num 14:4 And they
said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader, and let us turn back to
Mitsrayim.”
This is the common theme of self- appointed and man-
appointed spiritual leaders – they will all lead you back to spiritual Egypt –
a place of bondage – as far away as possible from obeying the Torah of YHVH as
it should be obeyed – as far away as possible from obeying and following the
true Messiah. If we get Messiah wrong we get the whole deal wrong – he is not a
pre- existent Deity. He is the brought forth Son of YHVH, the Promised Messiah.
Our right standing with YHVH comes about with our complete and perfect
identifying with Yahshua in ALL things. It’s only our proper identification
with the True Messiah that will bring us back to the land. Many will need to be
adjusted about their identification with Yahshua before they can enter the
land, for many others it may be too late.
Num 14:5 Then
Mosheh and Aharon fell on their faces before all the assembly of the
congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl. Num 14:6 And Yehoshua son of Nun, and Kalĕv son of
Yephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their
garments,
Num 14:7 and they
spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “The land we
passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
Aliyah Shlishi 14:8 – 25
The
Yisraelites rejected the pleas of Yehoshua and Calev, and decided to stone
them. YHVH intervened; His Esteem appearing over the Tabernacle. YHVH informs
Moshe of His decision to instantaneously wipe out the Yisraelites in a massive
plague due to their persistent lack of faith. Moshe successfully invoked YHVH's
mercy and pointed out that this mass execution will cause a mammoth scandal on
YHVH's name. "People will assume that YHVH lacked the power to defeat the
Canaanites in battle, so He instead slaughtered His people," Moshe argued.
Although YHVH agreed not to immediately wipe out the Yisraelites, that
generation would not enter the Land. YHVH instructs Yisrael to reverse course,
and to head back to the desert.
Maybe
in the last days YHVH will choose a very small remnant under the authority of Yahshua
to bring destruction to the enemies of the truth.
Num 14:8 “If
יהוה has delighted
in us, then He shall bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which
is flowing with milk and honey.’
This is the secret of making it into the promised- land –
“YHVH must delight in you” The key once again may depend on your identification
with His only brought forth son – Yahshua. The Son of His delight; the Promised
Messiah.
Mat 3:16 And having been immersed, יהושע went up
immediately from the water, and see, the heavens were opened, and He saw the
Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him, Mat 3:17 and see, a voice out of the heavens, saying,
“This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight.”
Num 14:9 “Only, do
not rebel against יהוה, nor fear the
people of the land, for they are our bread. Their defense has turned away from
them, and יהוה is with us. Do
not fear them.”
Num 14:10 But all
the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the esteem of יהוה appeared in
the Tent of Meeting before all the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Num 14:11 And יהוה said to
Mosheh, “How long shall I be scorned by these people? And how long shall I not
be trusted by them, with all the signs which I have done in their midst?
Num 14:12 “Let Me
smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and make of you a nation
greater and mightier than they.”
See last week’s parashah - this was the second time YHVH
almost destroyed the entire nation of Yisrael. This should serve as a solemn
warning on us upon who the end of the ages has come.
Num 14:13 And
Mosheh said to יהוה, “Then the Mitsrites shall hear it, for by Your power You
brought these people up from their midst,
Num 14:14 and they
shall say to the inhabitants of this land they have heard that You, יהוה, are in the
midst of these people, that You, יהוה, are seen eye to eye and that Your cloud
stands above them, and You go before them in a column of cloud by day and in a
column of fire by night.
Num 14:15 “Now if
You shall kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of
Your report shall speak, saying,
Num 14:16 ‘Because
יהוה was not able
to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He
killed them in the wilderness.’
Num 14:17 “And
now, I pray, let the power of יהוה be great, as You have spoken, saying,
Num 14:18 ‘יהוה is patient and
of great kindness, forgiving crookedness and transgression, but by no means
leaving unpunished1; visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the
children to the third and fourth generation.’ Footnote: 1This is
confirmed in Ex. 34:7 and in Jer. 30:11.
Num 14:19 “Please
forgive the crookedness of this people, according to the greatness of Your
kindness, as You have forgiven this people, from Mitsrayim even until now.”
Jas 2:13 For he who has shown no mercy shall have
judgment without mercy, and mercy exults over judgment.
Num14:20 And יהוה said, “I shall
forgive, according to your word,
Num 14:21 but truly, as I live and all the earth is
filled with the esteem of יהוה,
Num 14:22 for none
of these men who have seen My esteem and the signs which I did in Mitsrayim and
in the wilderness, and have tried Me now these ten times, and have disobeyed My
voice,
Num 14:23 shall
see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor any of those who scorned Me
see it.
Num 14:24 “But My
servant Kalev, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me
completely, I shall bring into the land where he went, and his seed shall
inherit it.
Num 14:25 “Since
the Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites are dwelling in the valley, turn back
tomorrow and set out into the wilderness by the Way of the Sea of Reeds.”
Personal Midrash:- I believe we more than ever before need to have the
same heart as Moshe, who fell on his face before YHVH and pleaded for the
people. We too need to be on our faces before YHVH pleading and praying for
both Jew and Christian and anyone else who desires to draw close to YHVH that
they will come to an obedience of Torah and allow YHVH’s Ruach/Spirit to
conform them to the image if His Son – Messiah.
There remains an extremely solemn warning however that
those who persist in their rebellion to YHVH’s purpose will not enter into the
Promised Land when Yahshua returns.
Aliyah Reviee 14:26- 15:7
The details of the
punishment are now revealed. The Yisraelites will wander in the desert for
forty years. During that time, all males over the age of twenty -- with the
exception of Yehoshua and Calev -- would perish. The next generation would
enter the Promised Land. The ten scouts who brought back the frightful report
died immediately. When the Hebrews were informed of YHVH's decision, they
lamented and grieved. A group of people awoke the next day and decide to
"go it alone," and enter the Land of Yisrael -- this despite Moshes'
warning that their plan would not succeed
for it was not sanctioned by YHVH. This group is cut down and massacred by the
Amalekites and Canaanites.
Num 14:26 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying,
Num 14:27 “How
long shall this evil congregation have this grumbling against Me? I have heard
the grumblings which the children of Yisra’ĕl are grumbling against Me.
Num 14:28 “Say to
them, ‘As I live,’ declares יהוה, ‘as you have spoken in My hearing, so I do to you:
Num 14:29 ‘The
carcasses of you who have grumbled against Me are going to fall in this
wilderness, all of you who were registered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.
Num 14:30 ‘None of
you except Kalĕv son of Yephunneh, and Yehoshua son of Nun, shall enter the
land which I swore I would make you dwell in.
Num 14:31 ‘But
your little ones, whom you said would become a prey, I shall bring in, and they
shall know the land which you have rejected.
Num 14:32 ‘But as
for you, your carcasses are going to fall in this wilderness.
Num 14:33 ‘And
your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall bear your
whorings, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.
Num 14:34
‘According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land,
forty days – a day for a year, a day for a year – you are to bear your
crookednesses forty years, and you shall
know My breaking off.
Num 14:35 ‘I am יהוה, I have
spoken, I shall do this to all this evil congregation who are meeting against
Me: In this wilderness they are consumed, and there they die.’ ”
Num 14:36 And the
men whom Mosheh sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the
congregation grumble against him by bringing an evil report of the land,
Num 14:37 even
those men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before
יהוה.
Num 14:38 Of those
men who went to spy out the land, only Yehoshua son of Nun, and Kalĕv son of
Yephunneh remained alive.
Num 14:39 And when
Mosheh spoke these words to all the children of Yisra’ĕl, the people mourned
greatly.
Num 14:40 And they
rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying,
“See, we have indeed sinned, but we shall go up to the place which יהוה had spoken
of!”
Num 14:41 But
Mosheh said, “Why do you now transgress the command of יהוה, since it does
not prosper?
Num 14:42 “Do not
go up, lest you be smitten by your enemies, for יהוה is not in your
midst.
Num 14:43 “Because
the Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites are there before you, and you shall fall by
the sword. Because you have turned away from יהוה, יהוה is not with
you.”
Num 14:44 But they
presumed to go up to the mountaintop, but neither the ark of the covenant of יהוה nor Mosheh
left the camp.
Num 14:45 So the
Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and smote
them, and beat them down, even to Ḥormah.
Hormah means and speaks of a total destruction.
Midrash on a remnant:
Amo 5:15 Hate evil and love good, and set up
right-ruling in the gate. It might be that יהוה Elohim of
hosts shows favour to the remnant of Yosĕph.
Amo 5:18 Woe to you who are longing for the day of יהוה! What does the
day of יהוה mean to you? It is darkness, and not light, Amo 5:19 as when a man flees from a lion, and a bear
shall meet him; or entered his house, rested his hand on the wall, and a
serpent shall bite him. Amo 5:20 Is not
the day of יהוה darkness, and
not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?
Jer 23:3 “Therefore I shall gather the remnant of My
flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and shall bring them back
to their fold. And they shall bear and increase.
Eze 9:8 And as they were smiting them it came to be
that I alone was left. And I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah,
Master יהוה! Are You
destroying all the remnant of Yisra’ĕl in pouring out Your wrath on
Yerushalayim?”
Eze 9:9 And He
said to me, “The crookedness of the house of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah is
exceedingly great, and the land is filled with bloodshed, and the city filled
with that which is warped. For they say, ‘יהוה has forsaken
the land, and יהוה is not
seeing!’ Eze 9:10 “But as for Me, My eye
shall not pardon, nor would I spare, I shall recompense their deeds on their
own head.”
Eze 11:13 And it came to be, while I was prophesying,
that Pelatyahu son of Benayah died. And I fell on my face and cried out with a
loud voice, and said, “Ah, Master יהוה! Are You
making an end of the remnant of Yisra’ĕl?”
For the sake of the elect He will
shorten the last days otherwise no one would stand- Mat 24:21
“For then there shall be great distress,1 such as has not
been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Footnote:1Or great pressure, or great affliction. Mat
24:22 “And if those days were not
shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the sake of the chosen ones those
days shall be shortened.
Midrash - Multitudes in the valley of
decision: Humanity will have to make a decision on where they stand regarding Yerushalayim/Jerusalem.
Joe
3:1 “For look,
in those days and at that time, when I turn back* the captivity of Yehuḏah and Yerushalayim,
Joe
3:2 then I shall gather all gentiles,
and bring them down to the Valley of Yehoshaphat. And I shall enter into
judgment* with them there for My people, My inheritance Yisra’ĕl, whom they
have scattered among the gentiles, and they have divided up My land.
*Not “turn back” but “return” – “ashuv” not
“ashiv” in the Hebrew text.
KJV -Joe 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time,
when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem ..
In
the last days captivity will return to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem. Today we see the
nations working together to bring Yerushalayim back into captivity.
*“Enter into judgment” – is stated in the Hebrew as
“venishmati” which is a niphal or passive verb formed from the verb “shafat” or
to judge. When the passive form of the verb is used it can also mean “to
plead.” See the context “YHVH will allow Himself to be judged with the nations.
He will want to allow them to seriously consider the implications of coming up
against Yerushalayim.
KVJ - Joe 3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will
bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there
for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among
the nations, and parted my land.
KJV
- Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:
for the day of YHVH is near in the valley of decision.
Zec 14:1 See, a day shall come for יהוה, and your
spoil shall be divided in your midst. Zec 14:2
And I shall gather all the gentiles to battle against Yerushalayim1.
And the city shall be taken, the houses plundered, and the women ravished. Half
of the city shall go into exile, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut
off from the city. Footnote: 1Joel 3:2, Zeph. 3:8, Rev. 16:14.
In these last
days YHVH will plead one more time for the nations as well as with those who
call on His name to return to Him and to His Word.
The three issues of
decision will most probably revolve around Yahshua, Torah and Yerushalayim or
Mount Tzion.
We will be confronted
with the spirit of Esau again in these last days – Esau wanted the blessing but
not the responsibility.
Oba 1:10 “Because of your violence against your
brother Yaʽaqoḇ, let shame cover you.
And you shall be cut off forever.
Oba 1:11
“In the day that you stood on the other side, in the day that strangers
took captive his wealth, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for
Yerushalayim, you also were like one of them! Oba 1:12 “And you should not have looked on your
brother’s day in the day of his estrangement, nor rejoiced over the children of
Yehuḏah in the day of their
destruction, nor made your mouth great in the day of distress, Oba 1:13 nor have entered the gate of My people in the
day of their calamity, nor looked down on their evil in the day of their
calamity, nor have seized their wealth in the day of their calamity, Oba
1:14 nor have stood at the parting of
the way to cut off his fugitives, nor handed over his survivors in the day of
distress. Oba 1:15 “For the day of יהוה is near upon
all the gentiles. As you have done, it shall be done to you, your reward shall
come back on your own head. Oba 1:16
“For as you have drunk on my set-apart mountain, so do all the gentiles
drink continually. And they shall drink and shall swallow, and they shall be as
though they had never been. Oba 1:17 “But
on Mount Tsiyon there shall be an escape1, and they shall be
set-apart. And the house of Yaʽaqoḇ shall possess their possessions. Footnote: 1Isa.
4:2-3, Joel 2:32, Rev. 14:1. Oba 1:18
“And the house of Yaʽaqoḇ shall be a fire, and the house of Yosĕph a flame, but
the house of Ěsaw for stubble. And they shall burn among them and they shall
consume them, so that no survivor is left of the house of Ěsaw.” For יהוה has spoken.
Zec 9:13 “For I shall bend Yehuḏah for Me, I shall
fill the bow with Ephrayim, and I shall stir up your sons, O Tsiyon, against
your sons, O Greece, and I shall make you like the sword of a mighty man.”
Final warning to this
generation:
Heb 12:16 lest there be anyone who whores, or profane
one, like Ěsaw, who for a single meal sold his birthright.
