Mattot (Tribes) Masa’ei (Stages) B’midbar(Numbers) 30:2-36:13
Torah Portion: Mattot (Tribes) Masa’ei (Stages) B’midbar(Numbers) 30:2-36:13
Tonight, we finish the book of B’Midbar/Numbers by reading the last two Torah portions, Mattot and Masa’ei. In these sections Moshe covers a variety of topics with the people before they enter the Land without him.
Interestingly, the first subject he talked about was the issue of vows. Our words are important and carry power. In Proverbs 18:21 we read the tongue has the power of life and death. In Matthew 5:33-37 we read the words of Yeshua concerning vows. He said, “Just let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Think a moment on how we see words used in scripture. We can start with Genesis chapter one. G-d created the world by His words. It is through speech that we pray, that we ask for forgiveness for our sins. Words spoken cannot be taken back. All of this should move us to speak only when we have thought through what we are about to say and the effect it will have on the hearer. Too often we let our mouth get in front of our mind. G-d looks at this seriously. So here we see Moshe warning the people about vows. What is a vow? Anytime we begin by saying, “I will never…” or “I will always…”, we are making a vow. My point is that G-d takes this seriously and once the words are out there we are bound by them. Think before you speak, will my words bring life or will they bring death?
Pinchas B’midbar (Numbers) 25:10-30:1
Torah Portion: Pinchas B’midbar (Numbers) 25:10-30:1
Haftorah Reading I Kings 18:46-19:21
Our reading tonight is filled with many things that deserve our attention. I will try to pick a few to look at and then, before we finish, I want to share some study material with you. One hand out will show a list of Biblical holidays, where they are commanded in the Torah, and where they were celebrated in the Messianic Scripture by Yeshua and the believing community at that time.
Balak B’midbar(Numbers) 22:2-25:9
Torah Portion: Balak B’midbar(Numbers) 22:2-25:9
Haftorah Reading Micah 5:6-6:8
Our Torah portion today plays out a great drama of a pagan king, Balak, and his fear of the Israelites as they arrive at the border of his land. He engages the help of a seer by the name of Bilaam to come and curse the Israelites and in order to save his country.
Chukat (Regulations) B’midbar(Numbers) 19:1-22:1
Torah Portion: Chukat (Regulations) B’midbar(Numbers) 19:1-22:1
Haftorah Reading Judges 11:1-33
This Torah portion is one of the more difficult portions to understand on several levels. The name, chukat, gives us a hint to its difficulty. The word, when used as it is here, can mean regulations. The root of the word means to engrave, as in stone or metal, something that is meant to endure. Chok, the singular form of the word always means something that, on the surface, seems to be illogical or impossible to grasp. In our portion we read where the people involved in preparing the ashes of the red heifer became unclean. However, when those ashes were applied to a person, who was unclean from being in contact with a dead body, that person became clean again. For an Israelite, being unclean by contact with death meant they were excluded from worshiping G-d in the Temple. That person could not come into the confines of the Temple until they were cleansed by the ashes of the red heifer.
Korach B’midbar(Numbers) 16:1-18:32
Torah Portion: Korach B’midbar(Numbers) 16:1-18:32
Haftorah Reading I Samuel 11:14-12:22
This week we read a Torah portion that begs the question, why? Why, after the catastrophe of the sending of the spies, would something like Korach’s rebellion happen? Maybe a clue can be found in the two opening words, in Hebrew, of our portion. In Hebrew this passage begins with the words, “Korach took.” Korach found people who were vulnerable to his arguments. They were men from the tribe of Rueben, Dothan and Aviram were among them. If you remember, the tribe of Reuben was displaced from the normal privileges of the first born because of his sin against his father Jacob. That place of the first born was given to Judah.
Shelach (Send) B’midbar(Numbers) 13:1-15:41
Torah Portion: Shelach (Send) B’midbar(Numbers) 13:1-15:41
Haftorah Reading Joshua 2:1-24
Tonight, we study a Torah portion that is possibly one of the saddest portions we will look at this entire year. It is mainly concerned with the sin of the scouts. As a result of their mission Israel had to spend another forty years in the desert rather than being in the Land of Promise.
Beha’alotcha (When You Lift Up) B’midbar(Numbers) 8:1-12:16
Torah Portion: Beha’alotcha (When You Lift Up) B’midbar(Numbers) 8:1-12:16 Haftorah Reading Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Tonight, our reading covers a wide range of subjects. We begin with the instructions for lighting the golden menorah in the Mishkan or Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem. We also read of the men who came to Moshe and pleaded for a chance to keep Passover since they were unclean from being in contact with a dead body during the holiday. This portion also covers the order the tribes were to be in when it came time, at G-d’s direction, for them to move.
Naso (Lift) B’midbar (Numbers) 4:21-7:89
Torah Portion: Naso (Lift) B’midbar (Numbers) 4:21-7:89
Haftorah Reading Judges 13:2-25
This Torah portion covers a number of topics that I would like us to look at tonight. To start, let’s take a look at the name of the portion, Naso. This is an interesting word. In Hebrew it means to lift. We see this same word used in Psalms 121:1 where the verse reads, “I will lift up my eyes…” However, here the English translation is usually, take, as in count. If we translate this using the words lift up, it will carry a completely different feeling than to count. When G-d told Moshe to lift the heads of the people what impression does that give you, as opposed to count? To lift up implies each person was important. They were not just a number in a mass of people.
B’midbar (In the desert) B’midbar/Numbers 1:1-4:20
Torah Portion: B’midbar (In the desert) B’midbar/Numbers 1:1-4:20
Haftorah Reading Hosea 1:10-2:20
Tonight, I have several topics I want to cover. I would like to begin with my question of the week. When we start this book of Torah I think it is worthwhile to compare it to the second book of Torah called Sh’mot/Exodus. In both, the people commit a terrible sin. In Exodus it was the golden calf and here in Numbers it was the sin of the bad report of the spies. In both situations G-d threatened to destroy them and start over with Moshe. Both times Moshe appealed to G-d and G-d relented.
B’chukkotai (By My Statutes) Leviticus/Vayikra 26:3-27:34
Torah Portion: B’chukkotai (By My Statutes) Leviticus/Vayikra 26:3-27:34
Haftorah Reading Jeremiah 16:19-34
Tonigh,t we will finish the book of Vayikra or Leviticus by looking at chapters 26 and 27. Chapter 26 covers G-d’s blessings and curses that will come upon Israel for either their faithfulness or their disobedience. I would ask you to look at these chapters in light of Romans 11:11-27. In Romans we see Shaul speaking to the believers in Rome, many of which were not Jewish. Shaul apparently was battling an idea that is still popular today, replacement theology.