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.)
For us to have a deeper understanding of this Torah portion we need to
understand that our status in this life is that of “desert wonderers.” YHVH has
a good track record for providing for “desert wanderers.” The Torah provides an
excellent road map for those who have accepted their destiny and fate in this
life as desert wonderers to reach their destination.
Psa 84:5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Your
(pilgrim) Highways are in their heart.
Heb 11:13 In belief all these died, not having received
the promises, but seeing them from a distance, welcomed and embraced them, and
confessed that they were aliens and strangers on the earth.
Heb 11:14 For those who speak this way make it clear
that they seek a fatherland.
Mat 10:38 “And he who does not take up his stake and
follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Mat 10:39 “He who has found his life shall lose it, and
he that has lost his life for My sake shall find it.
Modern Christianity
emphasises the many blessing we receive now and that our ultimate destiny is in
heaven.
The way of blessing is
to first seek His Kingdom – His restored Kingdom (Millennium reign), where
Messiah rules, regathering all the tribes of Israel and teaching all the
nations the Torah.
In the absence of a
functioning Levitical ministry the goal of our desert pilgrimage is to teach us
the Levitical mandate of Leviticus 10:10
Lev 10:10 so as to make a distinction between the
set-apart and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean,
Lev 10:11 and to teach the children of Yisra’ĕl all the
laws which יהוה has spoken to them by the hand of Mosheh.”
Act 14:22 strengthening the beings of the taught ones,
encouraging them to continue in the
belief, and that through many pressures we have to enter the reign of Elohim.
See also Deut 8
If
the “manna” Messianic Torah reality - does not continually sustain you and
satisfy you, you like many Yisraelites, will begin to complain and long for the
life you had in “religious” Mirsrayim/Egypt.
Our Torah Portion Begins:
Num 11:1 And it came to be, when the people were as
complainers,
א וַיְהִי הָעָם כְּמִתְאֹנְנִים
The root for “complain” in Hebrew is “anan” and can also mean “to be
sorry.” The verb form used above is in the hitpael form (reflexive verb) and
can also mean “to feel sorry for oneself.”
The English definition for “complain” is: “to express discontent or
unhappiness about a situation.”
This does not mean we cannot express feelings of discontent and
unhappiness about our situations in this life. We need to discern what kind of
expressions of discontent are acceptable before YHVH and what kind of
expressions are not acceptable. Clearly we see in the same verse that it was
evil in the Ears of YHVH.
….it was evil in the
ears of יהוה. And יהוה heard it, and His displeasure burned. And
the fire of יהוה burned among
them, and consumed those in the outskirts of the camp.
This kind of complaining was so unacceptable to YHVH that
He destroyed those in the outskirts of the camp.
Let us midrash on this kind of unacceptable behavior:
רַע
בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוָה; וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה, וַיִּחַר אַפּוֹ, וַתִּבְעַר-בָּם אֵשׁ
יְהוָה, וַתֹּאכַל בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה.
First of all we see in the
passuk (verse) that YHVH “heard.” This may imply that the people were being
very vocal amongst each other about their discontent. Maybe it’s a better idea
to first remain silent about our discontent and wait on YHVH as to what He is
trying to say to us in the situation and how we ought to respond to the
situation.
Then we begin to see a
progression of YHVH’s anger. First He becomes “hot” “charah” in Hebrew can mean
“hot or furious.” “Ohf” in Hebrew means “nose or nostril” it also implies
someone who is breathing hard and is angry. Get the picture someone is turning
red with anger starts breathing hard and is about to “explode” If this was a
man it can be very scary, imagine if this is YHVH?
If we have been filled with
the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Set Apart Spirit) we ought to display some kind of
discernment in our own spirits when YHVH is displeased and even furious. Sadly
this is often not the case. The consequences are none the less extremely
detrimental to those who have caused such anger.
“Vativar” comes from the root
“ba ar” which means to kindle implying to “consume or destroy.” The Fire of
YHVH is kindled and it brings severe destruction.
“Vatochal” comes from the root “ohchal” which means
to eat, devour, burn up or feed. Get the picture, the fire of YHVH “eats
up” the complaining people.
These “eaten up people” were on the
outskirts (bikitsah) of the camp. In other words they were possibly distancing
themselves from obeying and submitting to Moshe and YHVH’s Torah. They were
displaying an “independent spirit.”
This
should cause us to fear and not to judge. The coming fiery judgment of YHVH may
first fall on those who are part of His Camp or His House.
1Pe 4:17 Because it is time for judgment to begin from
the House of Elohim. And if firstly from us, what is the end of those who do
not obey the Good News(Torah) of Elohim?
1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous one is scarcely saved,
where shall the wicked and the sinner appear?
The presence of YHVH
can only dwell in a people set apart by
His commandments. These set apart people will have an intense desire to
follow and walk in all the commandments of YHVH. Baruch ata YHVH melech ha olam asher
kidishanu bimitzvotah vitzivanu la asok bediverei Torah-
English
translation: 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.
Num 11:2 And the
people cried out to Mosheh, and Mosheh prayed to יהוה, and the fire
died down.
The Hebrew word root “shaka” is used and means “to drown”.
Moshe’s intercessory prayer “drowned” the fire of YHVH.
Num 11:3 Then he
called the name of the place Taḇʽĕrah, because the fire of יהוה had burned
among them.
Num 11:4 And the
mixed multitude who were in their midst lusted greatly, so the children of
Yisra’ĕl also wept again and said, “Who
is giving us meat to eat?
There was plenty of meat to be eaten. Reuben and Gad had
large flocks of animals (32:1). Rashi states that this was merely a pretext to
complain about the manna.
The “mixed multitude” in Hebrew “aspesuf” or “gathered
gathering” seen as a kind of trouble making group within a group who gathered
for the wrong reasons. Note the Hebrew word “erev rav” or mixed multitude is
not used in this verse. This implies that it was not the sojourners who were to
be singled out for the cause of this disturbance.
This is very dangerous because it implies that some were
gathering with those inside of Yisrael in such a way as to distinguish
themselves from the rest of Yisrael. Those with independent spirits found each
other. An independent spirited person believes that they know what they need to
reach the goal of their faith.
Num 11:5 “We
remember the fish which we ate without cost in Mitsrayim, the cucumbers, and
the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic,
Num 11:6 but now
our throat is dried up. There is naught to look at but this manna!”
Hebrew literally reads “our souls are dried up. “Dried
up” comes from an ancient Hebrew root form meaning “ashamed, confused and
disappointed.
We see herein the danger of not being content in the
circumstances we have been placed in. Some of the Yisraelites felt that unbelieving
Mitarites/Egyptians had it better than them and they were going to change that
by protesting until they got what they wanted.
Php 4:11 Not
that I speak concerning need, for I have learned to be content in whatever
state I am.
Php 4:12 I
know what it is to be humbled, and I know what it is to have in excess. In any
and every situation I have learned both to be filled, and to be hungry,
both to have in excess, and to be in need.
Php 4:13 I
have strength to do all, through Messiah1 who empowers me.
Num 11:7 Now the
manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like the appearance of
bdellium.
Num 11:8 The
people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the
mortar, and cooked it in a pot, and made cakes of it. And its taste was as the
taste of cakes baked with oil.
Num 11:9 And when
the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna fell on it.
Num 11:10 And
Mosheh heard the people weeping throughout their clans, each man at the door of
his tent. And the displeasure of יהוה burned
exceedingly. And in the eyes of Mosheh it was evil,
Num 11:11 so
Mosheh said to יהוה, “Why have You
done evil to Your servant? And why have I not found favour in Your eyes, to put
the burden of all these people on me?
Num 11:12 “Was it
I who conceived all these people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You
should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as the foster father carries a
nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?
Num 11:13 “Where
am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep before me, saying,
‘Give us meat to eat.’
Num 11:14 “I am
unable to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.
Num 11:15 “And if
You are doing this to me, please slay me altogether, if I have found favour in
Your eyes, and let me not see my evil!”
Num 11:16 Then יהוה said to Mosheh, “Gather to Me seventy men
of the elders of Yisra’ĕl, whom you know to be the elders of the people and
officers over them. And bring them to the Tent of Meeting, and let them stand
there with you.
Num 11:17 “And I
shall come down and speak with you there, and shall take of the Spirit that is
on you, and put on them. And they shall bear the burden of the people with you,
so that you do not bear it yourself alone.
Num 11:18 “And say
to the people, ‘Set yourselves apart for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat,
because you have wept in the hearing of יהוה, saying, “Who
is giving us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Mitsrayim.” And יהוה shall give you
meat, and you shall eat.
Num 11:19 ‘You are
going to eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor
twenty days,
Num 11:20 but for
a month of days, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes an abomination
to you, because you have rejected יהוה who is among
you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we come up out of Mitsrayim?” ’
”
Num 11:21 And
Mosheh said, “The people in whose midst I am are six hundred thousand men on
foot, and You, You have said, ‘I give them meat to eat for a month of days.’
Num 11:22 “Could
flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or could
all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for
them?”
Num 11:23 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Is the arm of יהוה too short? Now see whether My word meets
you or not!”
Num 11:24 And
Mosheh went out and spoke to the people the words of יהוה, and he gathered the seventy men of the
elders of the people and placed them around the Tent.
Num 11:25 And יהוה came down in the cloud, and spoke to him,
and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy
elders. And it came to be, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they
prophesied, but did not continue.
Num 11:26 However,
two men had remained in the camp. The name of one was Eldaḏ, and
the name of the other Mĕyḏaḏ. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among
those listed, but did not go out to the Tent. And they prophesied in the camp.
Num 11:27 And a
young man ran and informed Mosheh, and said, “Eldaḏ (Elohim has loved) and Mĕyḏaḏ(love) are prophesying in the camp.”
Num 11:28 And
Yehoshua son of Nun, Mosheh’s assistant from his youth, answered and said,
“Mosheh my master, forbid them!”
Num 11:29 Then
Mosheh said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Oh, that all the people of יהוה were prophets, that יהוה would put His Spirit upon them!”
Num 11:30 And
Mosheh returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Yisra’ĕl.
Num 11:31 And a wind
went forth from יהוה, and it brought quail from the sea and
let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a
day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits
above the surface of the ground.
Num 11:32 And the
people were up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and
gathered the quail. He who has least gathered ten ḥomers.
And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
Num 11:33 The meat
was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, and the wrath of יהוה burned against the people, and יהוה smote the people with an exceeding great
plague.
Be careful what you pray for and set your heart on!
Num 11:34 Then he
called the name of that place Qiḇroth Hatta’awah, (the
graves of lust) because there they buried the people who had lusted.
Num 11:35 From Qiḇroth
Hatta’awah the people set out for Ḥatsĕroth
– and they were at Ḥatsĕroth.(an enclosed space, possibly a place of safety.)
How many will survive this “desert” journey in the last
days?
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.”
