Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.
We are still busy with “Parashat Shelach le cha.” Last week we looked at one of the 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 the promised land.
This
week’s teaching concludes with the instruction of a group of people who will
eventually enter into the Promised Land. It is safe to say that only Yahshua
with his end time Bride will finally enter the age to come, the millennium,
never to leave Yisrael again.
May YHVH find us worthy to 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 Convert (“convers as in non-natural born Yisraelitess that
want to leave their paganism behind and obey the Elohim of Yisrael) – 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 way 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 Tzit – tzit or fringes is to be kept – 37-41
Gal
3:22 But the Scripture has shut up all mankind under sin, that the
promise by belief in יהושע Messiah might be given to those who
believe. Rom
11:32,33
Gal
3:23 But before belief came, we were being guarded under Torah, having
been shut up for the belief being about to be revealed.
Gal
3:24 Therefore the Torah became our trainer (Gk 3807 ‘’pedagogos’’ or boy leader) 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.
Gal
3:26 For you are all sons of Elohim through belief in Messiah יהושע.
Gal
3:27 For as many of you as were immersed into Messiah have put on
Messiah.
Gal
3:28 There is not Yehuḏi nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is
not male and female, for you are all one in Messiah יהושע.
Gal 3:29 And if you are of Messiah, then you are seed of Aḇraham, and heirs according to promise.
Vs 24 - The “pedagogos” was a Greek term used for a boy leader servant who brought a student to school to be taught by the teacher. But now the teacher – the Messiah – has come and he is calling us to Himself. Yahshu is the perfect and complete revelation and manifestation of all the Torah is and teaches. Rom 10:4.
Joh
16:7 “But I say the truth to you. It is better for you that I go away,
for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you at all, but if I go,
I shall send Him to you.
Joh 16:8 “And having come, He shall convict a the world concerning sin,b and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment – Footnotes: aOr confute or prove wrong. b 2Ch_24:20, Neh_9:30, Eze_36:27, Mic_3:8, Act_28:25-27. 1Jn 3:4
The Torah is the road map for now and for the ages to come. The Torah brings us back into a perfect oneness with YHVH our Creator. Messiah came to show us the way and he continues to intercede for us – Heb 7:25 to present us one day without fault before His and our Father – Jude 1:24,25. Now we look to the Messiah - Heb 12:2 looking to the Prince and Perfecter of our belief, יהושע, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake, having despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.
Remember
Messiah did not do away with the Torah - Mat 5:17 “Do not think that I came to
destroy the Torah or the Prophets.e I did not come to destroy but to complete. Footnote:
eThe Law and the Prophets is a term used for the pre-Messianic Scriptures.
Mat
5:18 “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one
yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.f Footnote:
f Luk_16:17.
Mat 5:19 “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
Only an
exceedingly small group of people have been able to teach the Torah the way it
was meant to be taught.
And now the ministry of the ‘’pedagogos’’ or bond servant is to bring you to Messiah – the fulness of the Torah.
So this Torah portion gives us clear directions that will guide us back to the promised land to be in fellowship with the Messiah one day.
Today churchmen have forsaken the Torah - Mar 7:8 “Forsaking the command of Elohim, you hold fast the tradition of men.”
1. Offerings made when
one enters the land – vs 1-12
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 24:13-20)
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, (The first few chapters in Leviticus explain these different offerings)
True Israelites had a rich
heritage of building altars, pitching tents and digging wells.
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.
|
ג וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה, עֹלָה אוֹ-זֶבַח, לְפַלֵּא-נֶדֶר אוֹ
בִנְדָבָה, אוֹ בְּמֹעֲדֵיכֶם--לַעֲשׂוֹת רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ, לַיהוָה, מִן-הַבָּקָר,
אוֹ מִן-הַצֹּאן. |
3 and
will make an offering by fire unto YHVH, a burnt-offering( olah or ascent
offering), or a slaughter offering,(Heb ‘’zevach’’) in fulfilment of a vow –
“neder” an extra ordinary vow (“pala”), or as a freewill-offering, (volunteer
offering – Ps 110:3)or in your appointed seasons, to make a tranquilizing (“nichoach”)
fragrance (“reiach”)unto YHVH, of the herd, or of the flock; |
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 has 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 would draw the ‘’offeror’’ closer to YHVH but also made the ‘’offeror’’ aware of the great distance that still needed to be overcome between himself and his Creator. This realization would inspire the offeror’’ to bring a 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 righteous 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 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 – Php 1:6 being persuaded of this, that He who has begun a good work in you shall perfect a it until the day of יהושע Messiah. Footnote: aSee Mat_5:48.
We are not saved now 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 and one day we will be perfect 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.
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 one day to never to sin again. By the end
of the Millenium we will be so infused with Messianic life and His fragrance
that we will be incapable of sinning before YHVH and one another. On the
“eighth day” we will once again enter the perfect state of the original
creation.
Churchman have tried to deceive us by believing this state exists in the present time and have built an entire theological doctrine of bondage around this idea – ‘’Kingdom Now theology’’ This state does not 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 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 – moedim. 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, (‘’Hin’’ approx. 6 lit)
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 (25 lit dry) 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.
There are deep connections between the Temple service and the apostolic scriptures.
2.
Responsibilities and duties regarding Converts (the non natural born
Yisraelites who turn their backs on paganism to serve the Elohim of Yisrael and
follow His instructions) vs– 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 (Heb ‘’ger’’) 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.’ ”
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 or wounded’’ bread. The Hebrew word
“chalal” means to pierce and is also found in Yeshayahu 53:5 ” he was wounded ‘’pierced’’
(chalal) for our transgressions and crushed for our depravities”
This is a prophetic act reminding us of the Messiah.
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 way 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,(Heb ‘’shagah’’
to go astray) 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.
Matt 18;15-20 Instructions for a straying brother.
6.Mitzvah or commandment of Tzit – tzit or fringes 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 the BLOG)
1Co 2:9 But as it has been written, “Eye
has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor have entered into the heart of man
what Elohim has prepared for those who love Him.” Isa_64:4.
1Co 2:10 But Elohim has revealed them to us
through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all matters, even the depths
of Elohim. (Not the depths of satan – see Rev 2:24)
1Co 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts
of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also, the thoughts
of Elohim no one has known, except the Spirit of Elohim.
1Co 2:12 And we have received, not the spirit
of the world, but the Spirit that is from Elohim, in order to know what Elohim
has favourably given us,
1Co 2:13 which we also speak, not in words
which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Set-apart Spirit teaches, comparing
spiritual matters with spiritual matters.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man does not receive
the matters of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him,
and he is unable to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he who is spiritual discerns
indeed all matters, but he himself is discerned by no one.
1Co 2:16 For “Who has known the mind of יהוה? Who shall instruct Him?” Isa_40:13 But we have the mind of
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