Chukat (Regulations) Numbers 19-22
Torah Portion: Chukat (Regulation) Numbers 19-22
HafTorah: Judges 11:1-33
NT John 3:9-21, 4:3-30, 12:27-50
In this Torah section we cover many things that will give us the opportunity to grow in our spiritual understanding. We see the death of two people who were two of only a few still left alive from the original ones who left Egypt. One of those who died was Moses’ sister Miriam. In D’Varim (Deut) 24:9 we read a curious statement concerning her, “remember what G-d did to her on the way from Egypt.” This is one of only six things Torah commands us to remember each day. So what did G-d do to her? She complained about Moses and G-d struck her with leprosy. So what was her sin? Her sin was lashon harah or gossip. This should tell us something of how the Father sees this sin. If we remember it daily it should impress us and remind us how G-d sees a loose tongue. Even her punishment is connected with the sin. Leprosy is looked at as a slow death. When we speak evil of someone it can have the same effect. It can slowly destroy them. When we gossip it usually does not stop with the person with whom we shared our story. It takes on a life of its own and like a disease, spreads from person to person infecting them all with the words we spoke. I pray each of us remember Miriam each day and with G-d’s help we will not be a part of this sin of lashon harah.
Korach Numbers (B’Midbar) 16-18
Torah Portion: Korach Numbers 16-18
HafTorah: I Sam. 11:14-12:22
This week’s Torah section is full of spiritual lessons for us. The main part of this Parasha concerns Korach and the rebellion led by him against Moses and Aaron. I want us to look at this rebellion in some detail and see what life spiritual lessons we can draw from it.
Shelach L’kha (Send on Your Behalf) Numbers 13-15
Torah Portion: Shelach L’Kha (Send on Your Behalf) Numbers 13-15
HafTorah: Joshua 2:1-24
This Torah portion begins with Moses sending out the 12 men to go into Canaan to check out the best way to approach taking the land that G-d had promised them. It ends with the commandment of tzitzit. As we examine this section I believe we can see a common thread going through out.
Beha’alotcha (When You LIft Up) Numbers 8-12
Torah Portion: Beha’alotcha (When You Lift Up) Numbers 8:1-12:16
HafTorah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
This Torah section begins with a description of what Aaron was to do with the Holy Lamp stand in the Tabernacle (Mishkan). This lamp stand could be looked at as lighting the way to the Holy of Holies. Now the interesting part is the name of this section – Beha’alotcha. The root of this word is to lift up. So Aaron was to lift up the light that was to light the way to the Father. This caused me to think of us as priests of the L-rd. In the spiritual sense our job, our role in life is to lift up, lift up the light that people can find the way to the Father. Yeshua represents that light. As we live our life daily, every action, word or deed should be purposed to light the way for those around us in darkness. We don’t have to make some special effort. Our every effort should be to be that light we are called to be. We are to make sure the light stays lifted up.
Naso (count) Numbers 4-7
Torah Portion: Naso (Count) Numbers 4:21-7:89
HafTorah: Judges 13:2-5
This evening we look at the Torah Portion named Naso or count. In this Torah section we cover many topics but I want us to look closely at two, both of which are in chapter 5 of Numbers.
The first thing I would like us to seek the L-rd on is found in Numbers 5:6-7. It speaks of confession of our sins. In these verses we read that when we sin we are to confess our sins to G-d. In Hebrew this is called “vidui.” The important part is that the confession, according to Judaism and Christianity, is to be verbalized. We speak the words with our mouth to G-d. What’s the point of vocalizing our thoughts of remorse to G-d? The L-rd of the universe knows our every thought and our every feeling like an open book. Why must our confession be verbal?
Emor (Say) Lev 21-24
Torah Portion: Emor, Say,Vayikra Lev. 21:1-24:23
HafTorah: Ezekiel 44:15-31
This week we read first about the commandments to the priests, the high priests and their service in the Mishkan or Temple. We see again that they were held to a higher level of holiness than the average person. This should cause us again to think of ourselves as priests. As the New Testament says in I Peter 1:16, “Be holy for I am holy.” This brings me to my last question I sent out this week. In the verses 22:32 the Torah tells us to not profane the name of G-d, but He should be sanctified in our midst. In the L-rd’s prayer in Matt. 6:9 we read , “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.” What does this phrase hallowed be Your Name mean to us and what do we have to do with it?
Acharei Mot & Kedoshim Lev 16-20
Torah Portion: Acharei Mot, Kedoshim,Vayikra Lev. 16:1-20:27
HafTorah: Ezekiel 22:1-19
Tonight we have read two sections of Torah. The first covers the ceremonial duties of the priests, the Day of Atonement and personal relationships, what is forbidden and what we can and can’t eat.
It leads directly into the second section of Holiness. This is the issue I want us to look at closely tonight. Holy – what makes something holy? It is separated out for service or use in the service to G-d, for example Sabbath. At the end of Sabbath we read a prayer and included in that prayer G-d is referred to as “Ha Mavdil” , “The One who Separates.” G-d separates things or people out for His service. We are separated out by our faith in Messiah. In Lev. 20:7-8 we read, “be holy.” We also read the same words in I Peter 1:13-16. What does it mean to be holy? If G-d has separated us to Himself how are we to be holy? How does how we live affect our holiness or does it? We are separated by our faith in Messiah. That faith has boundaries, things we can do, things we can’t do. When we cross those boundaries, think of a shepherd and his sheep. He builds a pen for them. As long as they stay within the boundaries of the pen they are safe from wolves and attacks but if they get out, cross over the boundaries, they are open to those things that can harm them. The boundaries are those guidelines set out in scripture for us to live our lives by daily. In Lev. Torah portions of today we see many of those boundaries and also in the New Testament we see boundaries set for us.
Metzora Lev. 14-15
Torah Portion: Metzora Vayikra Lev. 14-15
HafTorah: II Kings 7:3-20
Tonight I want us to look at the person with leprosy and the process involved with the person becoming clean again. Look at Lev. 14:1-3 which introduces us to this process. It is important to keep in mind that the process we are looking at did not cure the leprosy but was the process to declare the person clean so they could reenter the religious life of Israel.
Tazria Lev. 12-13
Torah Portion: Tazria Vayikra Lev. 12-13
HafTorah: II Kings 4:42-5:19
NT Matt 8:1-4, 11:2-6
This week we continue on with the laws of clean and unclean which began in chapter 11 with clean and unclean animals. I want us to begin our time with what it means to be clean or unclean. The word in Hebrew, tahor, can also be found in Psalms 51:10 where David prays to G-d to, “create in me a pure/clean heart.” So clean denotes something pure and unblemished. Tami, in Hebrew would be the opposite. If you will notice this is the same word used for the sacrifices. They had to be tahor, no blemish or spot could be found. In Torah this term is used to denote if a person would be able to take part in the Sanctuary worship or to come in contact with any holy object. It had nothing to do with sin but rather was a physical issue. It was usually dealt with by the passage of time (usually until evening) and passing through the waters of mikvah. It in effect excluded a person from experiencing the presence of G-d in the Mishkan or Temple. So these laws pertained to the things of the Sanctuary. which is here being used for the first time. These laws had nothing to do with the person’s heart condition, yet they are used in both Hebrew scripture and the New Testament to symbolically refer to issues of morality. So we hear David speak of a Tahor heart. In the New Testament, Yeshua does the same in Matt. 5:8. So as we go on I want us to keep these things in mind as we explore clean and unclean.
Shemini (Eighth) Lev 9-11
Torah Portion: Shemini (Eighth) Vayikra Lev. 9:1-11:47
HafTorah: II Sam 6:1-7:17
Tonight we read and study the Torah portion of Shemini or eighth. This eighth day was at the conclusion of the seven day training period for Aaron and his sons. Eighth in Torah has special significance. It usually is connected with something that transcends the ordinary but is still connected to that which it transcended. Here the priests had been practicing their role in the Mishkan. Now was the time to step out of practice into reality. If you think about it Yeshua rose on the eighth day or what became know as Sunday. He, with His resurrection, entered another realm. This realm was that for which He came. He was to take His place at the Father’s side and intercede for us. So this eighth concept can help us further understand the order of G-d. Yeshua was not separated from what had gone before, His people, His land, but entered the spiritual world, which is that which should be the pattern for our physical life.