Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) said, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30 NASB). But how do we learn the will of the Father by which Yeshua judges?

As Yeshua lived by “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deut. 8:3), so can we. The Torah passage שֹׁפְטִים Shoftim (“judges,” Deut. 16:18–21:9) is all about how judges and officers of justice should conduct themselves.

God’s design for Israel was that every city have its own judges and officers, which were separate from the six cities of refuge run by the Levites for manslaughter suspects. 

Each of the local judges had a certain authority, but there were limitations to their authority. There were no despots of absolute dictators in Israel. 

“’Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you.’” (Deuteronomy 16:20 NASB)

Every tribe had to have their own justice system but they were all held by the same standard. The Torah is Israel’s original constitution, the basis of all judgment. There was to be no “judge shopping” in Israel. 

When ‘pillar of the community’ turns from good to bad

“Seeing much, suffering much, and studying much, are the three pillars of learning.” —Benjamin Disraeli

One section of Shoftim seems to be a little out of place, but it’s not. 

“’You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD your God, which you shall make for yourself. You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the LORD your God hates.’” (Deuteronomy 16:21–22 NASB)

The Torah was “added because of transgressions” (Gal. 3:19). There is something I want you to notice in Deut. 16:22. The phrase that is commonly translated as “sacred pillar” is called a matzevah or matzerah in Hebrew. This word is found in a couple of other places as well. 

In Gen. 31:45–54 we see that these markers is not merely a boundary marker. Jacob and Laban had asked God to verify their covenant. 

Does God care about the object, the function of the object, or both? Let’s look at another example, also from the life of Jacob (Gen. 28:16–22). 

This pillar is not a witness between two men but between Jacob and God Himself. Where did God say His name was? Is this the place where God will place His name? God is the one who decides where His name will be placed, not man. God says He hates these sort of pillars. Why? 

Jacob later returns to his sacred pillar in Bethel, on God’s direct request as recorded in Gen. 35:1-15. In these examples, I want you think about what this means. Jacob is setting up pillars that God says here in Deuteronomy 16 that he “hates.” 

There are markers in our lives, good and bad over the years of our lives. We are to follow God where He is, not where He was. God lives, as we live, and God doesn’t change Himself but He lives with us. Humans have repeatedly set up pillars and monuments with good intentions and motives but future generations place a disproportionate meaning and these places become idols and centers of worship rather then mere memorials. Humans often impart a value to these items, greater than the value they place on their relationship with HaShem. 

What God hates about these pillars is what we do with them and how we use them. Human nature doesn’t change, just as God doesn’t change. 

Righteous judgment

“’Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.’” (John 7:24 NASB)

“Hear everything and judge for yourself” —George Eliot

It is crucial that there be multiple witnesses to an event, particular when one is investigating a crime for which the death penalty c...

Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) gave three answers to HaSatan (the devil) after His 40 days in the wilderness. What was Yeshua trying to say with, “Man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)? In His refutations of HaSatan while being tempted, Yeshua quoted heavily from the Torah reading עקב Ekev/Eikev (“consequence,” Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25).

What did Yeshua want His disciples to learn from this account, recorded in Matthew 4:1–11? As I see it, anytime Yeshua cited scripture, it is a reference for the entire passage, not merely the verse itself. Yeshua’s apostles taught and wrote in the same manner. They didn’t write out entire passes of the Torah or the Tanak. They cited a reference, and expected their disciples to go to scripture and read it in context.

Yeshua gave three basic answers to HaSatan’s temptations. As He was rebuking HaSatan, this parashat was very much on the Messiah’s mind. All of Yeshua’s answers were rooted in Torah, and He pulled many lessons from Parashat Ekev, not just the small snippets He quoted.

Matthew 4; Deuteronomy 8: Will you let God feed you?

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’”” (Matthew 4:1–4 NASB)

Yeshua quoted Deut. 8:3:

“You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:2–3 NASB)

What is the lesson of “not living by bread alone”? The point is that we are not to forget God. Moses tells the children of Israel that the point of these tests were so the children of Israel would know what was in their heart.

Yeshua understood He was being tested and by quoting this text is letting HaSatan know that He knows He is being tested.

HaSatan already knows the answers. He knows the Bible. He’s memorized every syllable of it. He knows it, believe me, he knows it. Yeshua is not trying to teach Satan something he doesn’t already know.

The point of the testing in the wilderness so Yeshua would know what in His heart. It was recorded so that we would know what is in His heart as well.

If HaShem tested His own Son, He will test you and I as well. We also see in the Book of Hebrews that Yeshua was tested or suffered in order to learn obedience on the deepest level.

Let’s make note that HaShem did not put Yeshua to the test when He was 10 years old. Our tests and our experiences change in time; hence, we won’t be tested only once in our lives. God will test us periodically throughout our lives.

God tested the children of Israel so they could see what was in their hearts, how they react when life is difficult.

Our problems are different from those experienced by the children of Israel in the wilderness. We have our own frustrations, but we can all related to feeling that we don’t have what we need or desire in life. Our perception can be skewed, and God will test us to see if we understand the difference between desires and needs.

Will you challenge God?

“Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him,

Imagine life’s journey as a cable car. We are trams, and what we ultimately depend on in life is the cable. Moshe (Moses) in the Torah reading ואתחנן Va’etchanan (“and I pleaded,” Deut. 3:23–7:11) appealed to the second generation post-Exodus to remember the One Who carried them patiently from their life in bondage to freedom. Moshe called born-again Israel to forsake all the pretender gods of the Promised Land, to learn the love the LORD has for them and to leave a legacy so their descendants will turn back from foolishness apart from God — even enslaved again in exile.

This same message of faith, grace and mercy communicated through the Torah is what Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) proclaim with power and bring to ultimate reality.

The inspiration for this modern parable of life’s journey into the Kingdom of Heaven for ancient Israel and us today is the Anberlin song “The Unwinding Cable Car,” with the cable as a metaphor for the stability of God and His Mashiakh (Christ) as Savior.

Big picture of  Va’et’chanan

* As we saw through the travelogue of post-Mitzraim stops in Matot/Massei (Numbers 33):

* Remember where we came from and where we’re going.

* Remember why we left our way of life outside the Kingdom.

* Remember Who took us out of the house of bondage and Who takes us into the Kingdom of God.

* Cling to the LORD with all our hearts, lives and resources.

* Pass on the importance of this connection to the Creator (Deuteronomy 6).

* Remember what it means to be a holy people, how that happens and why (Deuteronomy 7:1–11).

Isaiah 40:1-26:  Shabbat Nachamu

This is called Shabbat Nachamu, and the haftarah (parallel) reading for today is in Isaiah 40:1-26. In English, it is called the “Sabbath of comforting.” It is the first of seven parallel readings on comfort traditionally read leading up to Yom Teruah (Rosh haShanah).

Isaiah speaks these words of comfort to the children of Israel in a time of exile. Those who paid attention to the words of the Lord knew that such a thing was coming and were not caught off guard by the impending exile. 

‘Speak kindly to Jerusalem’ (Isaiah 40:2)

I like this because God is speaking to the לב lev (“heart”) of the people.

Imagine what these words would have felt like to a people

who thought they were forgotten and forsaken by God?

It goes on to say,  “her warfare [צבא tzevah, or ‘hard service’] has ended” and the LORD’s discipline that resulted in exiles has ended and “her iniquity has been removed [רצה retzah, ‘propitiated’ (HALOT lexicon)].”

This is a foretaste of the work of the LORD’s ultimate Comforters (John 14:15–17). Helper (NASB) is translated from παράκλητος parakletos, a translation for מְנַחֲמִים Menakhamim in the Septuagint (LXX).

The Lord is not leaving the people of Israel high and dry. So just as you saw before the picture of people in exile, they aren’t going to be left without support.

‘Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness’ (Isaiah 40:3)

This is another prophecy of the coming Menakhem of Heaven, fulfilled in the Mashiakh’s herald, Yokhanan (Matt. 3:1–12), and this quote from Isaiah 40:3 is actually included in all four gospels, which is unusual. Very few stories are included in all four gospels.

Access to the Kingdom of Heaven is not given to us as an inheritance from our parents or grandparents but it is give to us by God Himself as we are in communion and fellowship with Him. 

‘Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD’ (Isaiah 40:13–14)

We see another prophecy of the Messianic era in the role...

Deuteronomy 1–4 are Moses’ historical recollection for the benefit of the second generation post-captivity in Mitzraim (Egypt). This discourse took between three to five weeks, according to Jewish tradition. By that time, the first generation, at least all the males of that generation, were dead, except for Joshua, Caleb, Phineas the cohen and Eliezer the cohen ha-gadol (high priest).

I’m sure that the second generation had heard from their parents their version of why they didn’t enter the Promised Land, but in these introductory chapters, Moses was setting the record is set straight. This is Moshe’s last opportunity to correct all that history.

The daughters of Zelophahad (Num. 27:1–10) had said their father “died in his own sin” (Num. 27:3 NASB) with the first generation. They understood their parents had made real mistakes in judgment, and deserve to die in the wilderness, but not all the second generation had a correct understanding of why that first generation weren’t allowed to enter the Promised Land.

In this Torah reading, דברים Devarim(“words,” Deut. 1:1–3:22), Moses started giving a more complete record of what happened during the entire 38 years in the wilderness. There there are events that are recorded in the book of Numbers that are not recorded the same way Moses is describing here.

Most likely, the accounts in the original account in the Book of Numbers is incomplete and Moses is making sure a children of Israel have a fuller historical account.

Imagine a nation in which only 5 men are over the age of 60 years old? Wiping out a generation in 40 years, takes a lot. A lot of people have to die.

There were people in their early 20s, when God cursed them and the entire nation has to wait 40 years until all of them die.  It’s shocking how that happened, because most people live past the late 50s.

God used the various plagues and punishments to hasten the death of that generation so they would all be dead in 40 years. If God hadn’t intervened to hasten their deaths, the younger generation would have to wait 60-70 years before entering the promised land. It was God’s mercy on the second generation to hasten the deaths of those in the first generation.

But he left them a remnant of 60+ year old elders to enter the Promised land with them: Joshua, Caleb, Phineas the cohen, and Eliezer the cohen ha-gadol (high priest).

Deuteronomy 1:22–46: Who sent the spies out?

The first recollection of the entry of the spies in the Promised Land is recorded in Numbers 13. In Deuteronomy, the sending of the spies is the people’s idea while in Numbers, it looks like it’s God’s idea to send the spies into the land. I believe the recollection recorded is Deuteronomy is more accurate, although both are correct. The version in Deuteronomy gives more detail.

We know that God would not lead His people into a miserable fruitless, desolate, awful land. God is promising them a land of milk and honey.

So, why send spies? What’s the point of investigating the land. They’re trying to verify whether God’s description of the land was true. The people were testing God and doubted God’s provision. Their intent was to find out if God was really bringing them to a good land or not.

Moses had no doubt in God’s provision so he decided to humor them and he approached God with their request to send some spies into the land. God then gave instructions for the spies, one man per tribe. God did not set the people up for failure. They set themselves up for failure because their intentions were not honest and they slandered God in the tone of their request.

I’m sure that Egypt doesn’t grow the same fruits and vegetables and whatever else that grows in the land of Israel. The lands supported two different cultures, different climates,

The LORD makes a big deal about fulfilling our promises, because He wants us to count on His promises of our transformation of character and world made new through the Messiah. That’s an important lesson in the Torah double reading מטות Matot (“tribes”) and מסעי Massei (“journeys of”), covering Numbers 30:2–36:13.

But easy to miss in seemingly unending list of 40-plus place names in Numbers 33 are the critical lessons learned by the Exodus generations and each one to our current day about temptations “common to man” (1Cor. 10:13).

Apostle Paul riffs on the incidents behind the Egypt-to-Promised Land travelogue to show us we must trust that, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1Corinthians 10:13 NASB).

There are many simple yet profound lessons one can learn from Mattot/Massei:

When the LORD makes a vow or oath, you can count on it.

We must be careful when calling on the LORD to co-sign our vows or oaths.

Remember where we came from and where we’re going.

Remember why we left our way of life outside the Kingdom.

Remember Who took us out of the house of bondage and Who takes us into the Kingdom of God.

Remember that we can enter the Kingdom now, before we “cross over” on the Day of the LORD.

Our High Priest is our refuge for the avenger after us.

We will spend most of today in Numbers 33. Mattot/Massei is, in a sense, a travelogue of the children of Israel. But Moses does not merely talk about where they went. He also recalls all the lessons they learned through their travels.

The travelogue of Numbers 33 is not in chronological order. They are not recorded merely to reiterate history but to remind the children of Israel of the spiritual lessons they would need to internalize to live successfully in the Promised Land.

Each one of us is going through our own journey from the house of bondage to the promised land and to the kingdom. These curveballs come our way, too, and the problems that drug them down can drag us down as well if we aren’t paying attention.

So don’t just space out like another vacation slideshow.

“Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which the LORD has commanded. “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” (Numbers 30:1–2 NASB)

God knows the difference between a rash vow and a tough vow that one has decided is too hard to keep. Those of us who are followers of God need to be as faithful to keep our vows as our Master Yeshua is in keeping His vows.

A tale of two watersheds: Nile v. Jordan

One of the patriarch Joseph’s original water canals is still in active use in Egypt. You can almost set your watch to the timing of its floods. The Nile is a large river, and sometimes it’s large and sometimes it’s very large but its always formidable.

The land of Israel, on the other hand, depends on rain. There is no large river that irrigates the entire land to sustain its agriculture. The Jordan River is a small stream to muddy river. At various times, it goes up and then it goes down. It’s a good boundary but it is not a sufficient water source for the entire country.

The tribes are no interchangeable. Each one has a purpose just as each part of the human body has a purpose.

The Promised Land was sandwiched between Mitzraim and the Hittite Empire (modern day Turkey) and God cut out a place for His people separate from these superpowers.

Travelogue from the ‘house of bondage’ to the ...

When one is said to be “above the law,” that’s taken to mean the person flouts authority, in the sense second-century Roman jurist Ulpian meant when he wrote that sovereigns aren’t bound by laws.

There are plenty of scofflaws and tyrants recorded in the Bible. But an undercurrent in Heaven’s testimony from beginning to end is that true followers of the Creator are those who have so much trust (i.e., faith) in the instructions they’ve internalized that their actions follow the “spirit of the Law,” rather than the “letter of the Law.”

That’s what we see in the shocking actions recounted in Torah reading פינחס Pinchas (“Phinehas,” Numbers 25:10–30:1).

When a character in the TaNaK (Torah, Prophets and Writings, aka Old Testament) acts out of place, doesn’t follow the Torah’s explicit instructions, yet is successful, I wonder why he was successful. 

Zimri, the Simeonite, who we meet in today’s Torah reading,  was not just a random Israelite man. He was an nasi, which means he was a “prince” or an elder of the tribe of Simeon.

Phineas, on the other hand, was not a nasi, or High Priest Why did Phineas act when others who were of a higher rank did not?

Zimri was never arrested, or put on trial. He was, in our modern language, summarily executed, as was the Midianite woman he was cavorting with.

Phineas went outside his authority and performed an act that we would call vigilantism, yet God does not criticize Phineas for his act but actually praises him and even makes an eternal covenant with him and his descendants. 

This story has helped me understand some of the New Testament passages where the Apostles say that there is the Law then there is a law above the Law (Matt. 5:20; Rom. 2:12–16; 3:21). 

There are other stories of men who have done things that seem to be outside the Torah, yet God tells them “well done my faithful servant.” 

Second census

There is a second census listed here. This is the second generation of Israelites. This second census tells us a sad story.

For example, five entire families are missing from Benjamin, at least one family is missing from Simeon and Asher. 

Asher is the only one where a daughter is the head of a clan. (Numbers 26:46). There are matriarchs as head of families in the Torah. These subtleties tell us of the transitions of time, place and people. 

We see even here an example of God treating women with equality. 

Zimri’s personal tent was very close to the tabernacle. Everyone saw him bring the Midianite princess to his tent.

Zimri was a head of household, he had men under his command, including an entire battalion of fighting-age men. He was no ordinary man.

This may explain a little bit why others were standing by and crying but refusing to take any action against Zimri’s flagrant sin. Assassinating a high-level national leader could easily have started a war. Phineas’ act could have easily and quickly started a civil war in the nation of Israel. WWI started this way, for example. 

During the 40 years in the wilderness, the tribe of Simeon lost 60% or so of their fighting men. How he lived set an example for the entire tribe, and even the entire nation. 

Zimri’s corruption caused the entire tribe of Simeon to suffer terribly. 

What blessing did Phineas receive from his quick action? 

“Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; and it shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel...

I used to find Yeshua’s actions in clearing the Temple of commerce very odd and seemingly out of character compared to the common teaching that Yeshua was always “meek and mild.” But the Yeshua (Jesus) in Scripture often shows His zealous side, which matches very well with the zealousness of Pinchas and Eliyahu (Elijah) and even His cousin Yokhanan (John the Baptist). 

As we’ll see in this study of Torah reading פינחס Pinchas (“Phinehas,” Numbers 25:10–30:1), sages of Israel saw a thread of connection between Melchizedek, Pinchas and Eliyahu. And the author of Hebrews connected the same thread to Messiah Yeshua Himself. 

“The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the LORD of hosts.”” (Haggai 2:9 NASB)

The Messiah entered the Temple but when He left the Temple for the last time, shortly before His crucifixion, He issued a strong prophesy:

“Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’” (Luke 13:35 NASB)

One challenge when reading prophetic literature is to discern what is in the now, the past and the future. History often repeats itself because carnal human nature does not change. Prophetic literature reveals what is happening in the physical world and the spiritual world. The shekinah leaves before the Temple is destroyed. The building comes down later. The signs happen in the people before they happen in the heavens. The spirit departs first and the physical happens later. 

The Temple was still standing for 40 years after Yeshua died, but that edifice was devoid of its original purpose when the Messiah was executed, and resurrected. The Jews were more attracted to the edifice of the Temple than they were to the Owner of the Temple. They had 40 years to ask themselves why the owner of the house was gone and they never put two and two together and they lost their Temple in 70 AD. 

* Parallels between Pinchas, Eliyahu and Yeshua the Mashiakh

Parashat Pinchas

Haftarat Pinchas

Messiah

“he was jealous with My jealousy among them” (Num. 25:11)

“‘I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.’” (1Kings 19:10)

“For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” (Psa. 69:9; John 2:13–21)

“eternal priesthood” (Num. 25:13)

Some sages took “eternal priesthood” to mean Pinchas lived forever and reappeared as Eliyahu. Others that Eliyahu came in the spirit of Pinchas.

Yokhanan the Immerser was foretold to have “the spirit and power of Eliyahu” (Luke 1:17). Yeshua said Yokhanan was the “Eliyahu who was to come” (Matt. 11:14).

Yeshua holds an eternal priesthood, of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:16–17).

Similar to how Eliyahu was taken up in the sight of Elisha, so too Yeshua was taken up in the sight of the Apostles.

“who will go out and come in before them” (Num. 27:17)

Rashi: This refers to a leader who leads personally, as in “[David] went out and came in before them” (1Sam. 18:16).

Eliyahu personally confronted the king, queen and hundreds of pagan priests on Mt. Carmel.

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4)

“HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON” (Rev. 2:27, quoting Psa. 2:9; Rev. 12:5; 19:15)

“But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth wit...

The New Testament has multiple warnings about the “error of Balaam” (Jude 11) and “teaching of Balaam” (Rev. 2:12–17), specifically for the Body of Messiah at the apocalyptic time around the Day of the LORD.

But what does the amazing account in Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9) of a talking donkey and double-agent prophet have to teach us today? In short, remember who we are as “treasures” of the Kingdom of Heaven, why that’s special, and whether we are being transformed into people who have the character and heart of the Messiah.

We will be reviewing this parashah in the reverse, so in a sense, I’m focusing on “the good stuff” to answer the question “Why should I care about this?”

There were a lot of warning signs that the main actors in this story should have noticed. There are plenty of warnings given to those who were straying into error to prevent them from falling into catastrophe. 

We are actually going to start today’s parashah in the Book of Revelation. Two of the messages to the seven assemblies in Revelation directly and indirectly reference this incident with Bilam and Israel’s later apostasy at his devising.

* • Message to Ephesus (Rev. 2:1–7)

* • Message to Pergamum (Rev. 2:12–17)

The church in Ephesus saw the warning signs and paid heed to them. They did not tolerate evil men. They examined and tested every statement, every person who claimed to be “apostles” and did not listen to those who were false. Yeshua commended them for this close examination. The Ephesians wanted to make sure that these messengers were speaking a message similar to the teaches of the Messiah Yeshua. 

Yet they were losing their first love. Their bodies were in the communion but their hearts, souls, minds and strength were elsewhere. 

The church in Pergamum, on the other hand, were tolerating evil by allowing some who were holding to “the teaching of Bilam” into fellowship. 

The Apostle Paul discusses the issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols. On the one hand, Paul teaches us that the idols have no power compared to the Creator God. On the other hand, we also should not do anything that can cause others to stumble in their faith. 

We see in Numbers the battle between the Spirit of Peor and the Spirit of God. 

We meet up with Bilam elsewhere in the Bible:

* Midian is destroyed along with Bilam (Numbers 31)

* Bilam is killed (Josh. 13:22)

* Recounting the Balak-Bilam plot: “I would not listen to him” (Josh. 24:9-10)

* After hearing of the treachery of Bilam, returned Israel banned foreigners (Neh. 13:1-3)

* Bilam’s oracle helped show the power of God (Micah 6:5)

* Way of Cain, error of Bilam, rebellion of Korach (Jude 11)

Balak ultimately did get what he paid for, which is trouble on the people of Israel. It didn’t come about in the way he thought it would, though. However, Balak also received four prophesies that fortold his own destruction and the eventual destruction of his nation. 

What is in a name?

בִּלְעָם Bilam (H1109)

* Thought to be a combination of “בֶּלַע and עָם ‘destruction of people’ which accords with his reputation as a charmer and conjurer.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

*  בָּלַע bala’ (H1104): “swallow down, swallow up, engulf (idea of quickness, suddenness)” (Brown Driver Briggs)

* עַם, עָם ‘am (H5971, 5993): “people” (BDB)

* “Some have suggested that Nikolaos ‘conquerors of the people’ in Rev. 2:6, 15 is a translation of this name.” (TWOT)

Bilam’s first prophecy (Num. 23:1-12)

Now Bilam’s mouth is opened. He has become the donkey. Bilam has become the channel speaking God’s words. 

““My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab counseled And what Bilam son of Beor answered him,

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NASB)

The Creator of Heaven and Earth can make what appears good and bad to exchange places, shuffled like a deck of cards based on the circumstances. This isn’t to say that what’s bad actually becomes good. Rather, that a bad situation or person can be part of a something bigger. In the Torah reading חֻקַּת‎Chukat (“statute of,” Numbers 19:1-22:1), Moses saved the second generation of Israel from dying of thirst, but they entered the Promised Land, while he didn’t. In a parallel account, the bandit Yiftakh (Jephthah) lost his daughter to a rash vow made after gaining something great.

Through these accounts and the strange ritual of the red heifer to “decontaminate” those who touch the dead, we see shadows of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), Who took on death to bring rebirth to all of us who are “dead in our transgressions.”

Numbers 19: Red heifer

There is a strange sequence in this section. We are introduced to the ceremony of the red heifer as well as an explanation as to how to use its ashes.

It is not common to offer a female cow as a sacrifice. (The Hebrew word here — פָרָהparah, H6510 — means “cow,” but the Greek word used in Heb. 9:13 — δαμάλεως damaleōs, G1151 — to compare this offering to that of the Messiah specifically refers to a heifer.) A steer is a far more common sacrificial animal. The only other commanded sacrifice that used a cow is the one called for when someone discovers the body of a murdered individual and the elders of the nearest town haven’t been able to discover the murderer.

There is no other sacrifice that is offered by a priest that makes the priest himself unclean except this one.

Although the red heifer is a clean animal, the process of slaughtering the animal, burning the animal, as well as the sprinkling, transporting and storage of its ashes makes those who participate unclean. This is very odd, considering that the point of this sacrifice is to make those who are made unclean due to contact with a corpse.

This is the paradox: If you are clean, the processing of the red heifer will make you unclean. If you are unclean due to any sort of contact with a corpse, the red heifer will make you clean. And this fits with apostle Paul’s teaching on God’s mercy for us

Everything used in this sacrifice was either the red or used for purification: cedar, red thread, spring water and hyssop.

What do the red heifer, leprosy, Yom Kippur and Passover have in common?

Symbol

Purpose

Red heifer

Cleanse people and things contaminated by contact with a corpse.

Leprosy

Makes a person equivalent to a living corpse.

Passover

Cover those yearning to be free but don’t really know who God is.

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Cover all departures from God’s way, including the worst.

Those symbols point to the work of the LORD’s Anointed (Messiah):

“Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12 NASB; Eph. 2:1–7; Col. 2:13–14)

Numbers 20: Rebellious water

This also is an odd account. It’s hard for us to know exactly what Moses and Aaron did to make God so angry. Exodus 17 tells us of an almost identical miracle performed by Moses in the previous generation, about 40 years earlier. In both instances, God told Moses and Aaron to take a staff with them. They are even appearing at the exact rock in both instances.

There is a subtle difference in the two stories though. The first time, he was told to strike the rock, which in the second instance, God told Moses to speak to the rock,

The Torah reading קֹרַח Korakh (“Korah,” Numbers 16–18) can be quite chilling, especially for those of us who have serious challenges with authority. We also see a display of the adage “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future” coming to fruition right before our eyes. I used to scoff at the idea of knowing who you are by the friends you keep, but it is so true. Your friends inevitably rub off on you, just as Korach’s rebellious and insolent spirit rubbed off on Dathan and Abiram and then trickled down to the entire congregation.

We’ll explore how Moses’ and Aaron’s humble intercession for these rebels teaches us about Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).

Here are some of the  lessons to glean from the tragedy of Korach:

* Guard yourself against envy, jealously and covetousness for position, authority and esteem.

* Praise the Father for what you do have, rather than complaining about or yearning for what you don’t have.

* Be thankful for the blessings and the mercy you have not earned.

* Be careful of what you absorb from the culture around you, because it could be spiritual poison.

* Respect authority, and welcome correction.

* Don’t trash-talk or undermine parents, leaders or others.

* Forgive (let Heaven handle vengeance), and seek reconciliation.

Korach’s bald-faced Lie

Korach is Moshe’ and Aharon’s first cousin. His rebellion starts as an intra-tribal squabble but Korach didn’t want to launch his rebellion alone. Lashon hara is like a wildfire driven by strong winds, spreading quickly, singing those who are closest to the fire first.

The Reubenites were neighbors of Korach’s so they were the first to catch the contagion of envy, jealousy and rebellion.

Numbers 16 is one of the saddest chapters in the Torah. Korach was speaking with such arrogance and yet such ignorance at the same time.

Moshe calls Korach out and asks him a very direct question.

“and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?” (Numbers 16:10 NASB)

Moshe could have also asked Korach “Do you really know what the priesthood is and what it demands? In this we are reminded of the Apostle James blunt warning.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1 NASB)

The priests are the servants of the people. They bring the people’s sacrifices and their confessions to God.

One might ask “How did Korach get to this point of acting so irrationally?” They may have been going through the different stages of grief as they were processing the fact that because of their sin, they were not going to enter the Promised Land.

They even slandered God and the promises of Canaan by speaking of Egypt, the land of their servitude, as a “land flowing with milk and honey” (Numbers 16:13).

Let’s turn to the Gospel of John to see ridiculousness of their “nostalgia” over their bondage in Egypt.

Sometimes it seems easier to accept the bondage we know then the uncertain blessings we don’t know.

Why is that Pesach is at the beginning of the agricultural cycles. Pesach is just the beginning of the journey out of the house of bondage. We are on a journey to learn what God wants from us and then to take God’s words and work them out until we produce a bountiful harvest of many different grains and fruits.

The first generation out of Egypt died in the wilderness because they did not have faith.

When we resist and reject authority, we are not walking in the fruits of the spirit. We reap a weak harvest rather than a strong one.

“Each of you take his fire-pan and put incense on it” (Num. 16:17 NASB)

Incense is symbolic of prayers and the act of taking a fire-pan and burn incense ...