Blessing
for the Torah:
Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch
ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu
eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(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.)
We are
still busy with “Parashat Shelach le cha.” Last week we looked at one of the
most darkest days in the history of Yisrael – Tisha B’Av- the ninth day of Av –
the day where Yisrael rejected YHVH because they failed to believe and obey His
command to enter into the promised land.
This
week’s teaching concludes with the instruction of a group of people who will
eventually return to the Promised Land. It is safe to say that only Yahshua
with his end-time Bride will finally enter into Yisrael, never to leave Yisrael
again.
May
YHVH find us worthy to be part of this end-time returning bride.
This
week’s Torah portion is laid out in a very systematic way:
1.Offerings
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 Ttzitziyot -(plural. Tzitzit- singular) 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, (see Josh 24:13)
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,
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.
Pagans
build altars out of bricks – Nimrod - manmade religion creates these bricks to
force as many as they can to conform to their idolatrous understanding of YHVH
and His Word, contrary to the teaching and instruction of Torah.
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.
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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” an extra ordinary
vow (“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;
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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, esteem and love 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
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.
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 is beyond your
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 make excuses for our disobedience because we are
confident that as we find our true identity and restoration in Messiah,
conformed to Torah, we will be enabled to keep all His commandments and walk in
a perfect manner before Him – Phil 1:6.
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
This kind of perfection only comes
in our complete love and surrender to YHVH. 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.
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 – Our sin has been covered by the blood of
His Son. He will enable us in Messiah never to sin again. By the end of the Millennium
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, it is becoming a progressive reality for those
called and chosen and set apart by Him.
2Co 5:21 For
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become
the righteousness of Elohim. (Note the tense – we are in the process of becoming.)
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 of YHVH
(Moadim and some are also called Chaggim which means Feasts (Feats of YHVH))
without the offerings.
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.’
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.
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.
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.’ ” (Emphasis added)
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 those who lead us as they follow in the footsteps of Messiah, 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.
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.
6.Mitzvah or commandment of Tzitziyot or fringes (taitait is singular)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 our BLOG )
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
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)