Upholding the Utter Holiness of God-My Thoughts and Reflections on Torah Reading 100

by | Sep 8, 2023 | Blog

Greetings and Shabbat Shalom. It is my hope, trust, and prayer that this posting finds you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed on this warm but blessed Sabbath in the DFW.

A Short Passage with a Big Message

This 100th parashah of our three-year Torah-reading cycle is the shortest reading of them all. It is contained in Numbers/Bemidbar 4:17-20, and I’ve given this discussion the title of “Better Safe Than Sorry.” Why the so-called sages of old pass down such a short reading is not certain. Nevertheless, despite the abbreviated nature of this reading, the message it must deliver is clear: Yah’s sovereignty and holiness reign as supreme principles among His set-apart people. And regardless of how strange or unfair His ways may appear to us at times, He has from the beginning made the rules, and He will forever make the rules, and His ways will always rule. Yah decides the workings of His set-apart nations, including what jobs people will have, what privileges will be given and denied, when and where, and how things are going to go.

God Makes Distinctions for His Set-Apart People

In the reading that is before us this Shabbat, Yah makes a distinction between the Aharonic Priests (i.e., their purpose, rule, function, and privileges) and the general Levitical priests, in particular, the Kohathites. So important was this distinction that it was effectively a matter of life and death.

Because the Aharonic Priests were the most privileged family of the Tribe of Levi (i.e., they had prescribed direct access to the Tabernacle and its holy elements), Yah placed responsibility for the Kohathites’ wellbeing and safety in their hands. The Aharonic Priests assigned their Kohathite brethren precise duties and responsibilities that, when carried out according to Yehovah’s instructions, would ensure their safety and well-being. In fact, all the Levites received their marching orders from Aharon and Sons. This was the set-up Yah put in place in accordance with His plan and will. Later on in this book, Moshe records an incident where a Kohathite by the name of Korach, jealous of Moshe’s and Aharon’s privileged roles as given by Yehovah, will challenge their authority and privilege. Yah did not take too kindly to Korach’s rebellious act, which resulted in his and the deaths of some 250+ souls (Numbers/Bemidbar 16).

God Gives His People Assignments and Tasks That They are Obliged to Carry Out

Two previous readings ago, we learned that Yah had tasked the Kohathites (i.e., the descendants of Kohath, a son of Levi, with physically transporting the Ark of the Covenant, along with all of the Tabernacle furnishings whenever the nation broke camp and moved on to another location. Despite appearances, the Kohathites enjoyed a privilege that succeeded that of their Gershomite and Merari brethren. The Kohathites were privileged to carry the holy things of Yah when the nation broke camp and journeyed on, whereas their Gershomite and Merari brethren transported the lesser objects of the Tabernacle on carts (Numbers/Bemidbar 7).

Yah-Given Privileges are Often Despised by His People

Man’s carnal nature despises what it perceives as unwarranted privilege. But in the Kingdom of Yah, privilege and sacred responsibility must be accepted as falling within the exclusive purview of the Most High. Thus, it falls to the members of the Faith Community to recognize that Yah is in charge and that they serve Yah best by simply doing that which Yah has assigned to them with all their heart, mind, strength, and soul and be happy and feel blessed in their Yah given assignments. To harbor resentment or to challenge Yah’s status quo or set-up is indicative of rebellion against the Almighty. And we all know where the sin of rebellion originated from, don’t we? In fact, Yah equates rebellion to the sin of idolatry.

The Scourge of Rebellion is Idolatry in God’s Eyes

Addressing King Saul’s rebelliousness, Samuel said:

(22) “Is there as much delight for Yehovah in burnt offerings and sacrifices as there is in obeying Yehovah? Look! To obey is better than sacrifice; to give heed than the fat of rams. (23) For rebellion is like the sin of divination; arrogance is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yehovah, He has rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15; LEB).

Thus, rebellion is not a crime directed at others per se. More so, it is a sin or transgression against Yehovah. The penalty that is meted out against the rebellious is generally severe, as we will in the coming weeks read regarding Korach.

The Kohathites-An Example of Submissiveness Obedience that Must Respect God’s Holiness and Sovereignty

The Kohathites, numbering some 2,750 men who were of qualified age, were not Aaronic (aka, Aharonic) priests. Thus, they were prohibited from seeing and directly touching the Holy elements of the Tabernacle at the risk of death. Consequently, it fell to Aaron/Aharon and Sons to personally disassemble the Tabernacle enclosures and curtain, using them to cover those holy Tabernacle furnishings and elements. And so, it always stood to reason that a hardworking, devoted Kohathite could potentially come upon the Ark or any of the other furnishings before Aaron and Sons had prepared it and find himself in dire harm’s way.

Yah is compassionate and does not want to leave to chance that an innocent Kohathite doing his job stumbles upon one of the Holy Things of the Tabernacle that he should not have seen or touched and thus is subject to death. Yah put into place precepts to prevent inadvertent unauthorized access to the holy things of Yah. In other words, Yah tells Moshe and Aharon to take steps to ensure that the Kohathites, while doing their assigned tasks, are not cut off before Yehovah. Further, it says to us, as well as it said to Moshe and Aharon, that it is the ones who know better that are responsible for keeping their brother (and sister) from falling into judgment and punishment. In that sense, we are indeed our brother’s keeper.

God’s Persistent Utter Holiness

Yehovah established His uncompromising holiness with the nation at the beginning of His interactions with Israel (aka Yisra’el) at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus/Shemot 19). The nation was not permitted to cross the threshold of Mount Sinai under penalty of summary execution. Only Moshe, at this point in the nation’s history, would be permitted to cross that threshold and enter Yehovah’s presence.

After the Golden Calf incident, Yehovah established the Levitical Priestly-Tabernacle system that provided the sacred infrastructure by which Yehovah’s presence would dwell in the midst of the nation. But before that system could get fully up and running, two of Aaron’s/Aharon’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, transgressed the holy boundary lines Yah established to separate the common from the sacred when they “offered strange fire before Yehovah, which He commanded them not” (Leviticus/Vayiqra 10:1-5).

Then we have the reality of the High Priest (aka, the Cohen HaGadol) being permitted to enter the Holy of Holies (aka, the most sacred space) only when certain criteria are met by the High Priest, and he was permitted to enter the sacred space only on Yom Kippurim (Hebrews 9:7). In celebration of the ratification of the covenant between Yah and His bride Yisra’el, the 70-elders of Yisra’el were permitted to go only so far up Mount Sinai and be in Yah’s indirect presence, while Moshe was permitted to continue up the mountain to be in Yah’s direct presence (Exodus/Shemote 24:9-11). We find recorded in 2 Samuel 6 where a Levite by the name of Uzzah was struck down by Yah when, in his feeble attempt to steady the Ark of the Covenant that was being transported to the City of David on an oxen-pulled cart, he reached out and touched the ark. However, in a completely opposite situation involving the transporting of the Ark, when the Philistines returned the stolen Ark back to the nation, they did not suffer any loss of life despite their paganistic mishandling of it. This story happens to be our Haftarah reading for this Sabbath found in 1 Samuel 6:10-16. Here, the disparity in treatment of the Yisra’elites who transgressed Yah’s holiness and the pagan Philistines who openly defiled the holy Ark cannot be mistaken. The takeaway is simply this: Yah has different expectations for His chosen ones, and He does not hesitate to chasten those whom He loves (Hebrews 12:6). Yah did not have any expectations for the Philistines regarding their respecting and upholding His holiness. But Yah indeed has expressed expectations for Yisra’el to uphold His holiness at all costs.

God’s Expectation for His People is that They Uphold His Holiness

This is one of the greatest lessons that we who are called by His Name must always keep at the forefront of our hearts, minds, and souls. The world is not expected to honor and uphold the Name and holiness of their Creator. They are outside of Yah’s will. This, however, is not to say that they will not be held accountable by Yehovah in the Judgment, for they most certainly will have to give an account for their rebelliousness. We, on the other hand, are expected to uphold, honor, and obey Yah’s holiness at every turn. It falls to us to be cognizant of Yah’s righteousness at all times and never take His holiness for granted, as so many so-called believers do. Indeed, there is no mystery as to why so many in this beloved faith of ours are experiencing and suffering through illnesses, financial hardships, relationship problems, and so forth. It’s most likely due, at least to a lesser or greater extent, to their insensitivity to Yah’s holiness and sovereignty.

You see, when we honor Him, He honors us.

Continuing.

Because of the sensitive nature of the Kohathites’ assigned tasks/duties, they were always on the cusp of violating the sacredness of the holy things, either through negligence or ignorance. It is conceivable that the Kohathites could be wiped out as a member of the Levites altogether if certain precepts were enacted. Thus, Yah laid the responsibility for ensuring the safety of the Kohathites upon the shoulders of Aharon and Sons (vss. 19).

God’s People Must Learn to Understand and Uphold His Holiness

It may be extremely difficult for most of us 21st-century Westerners to understand and accept the inherent risks that the Kohathites faced just in the course of their assigned duties. For some of us, it may seem a bit overkill to think someone would die because someone inadvertently saw or touched one of the Tabernacle’s holy elements. To a lesser or greater degree, this is one of several reasons that many people in the world dismiss the so-called “God of the Old Testament” as a callous, unforgiving, murderous Being. I recall my boss, who identified herself as a devout Christian, once declared to me that she much preferred the God of the New Testament over the God of the Old Testament for the stated reasons. But Yah’s holiness is a concept that most people do not fully understand.

Tim Hegg, in his commentary on the Book of Numbers, describes Yah’s holiness as Yah’s “utter holiness” (“Studies in the Torah-Numbers,” pg. 35). He continues: “God’s holiness is a consuming fire that cannot be quenched. He must be satisfied by holiness that matches His own” (ibid).

At some point, humanity will come to realize that despite Yah’s immense and unfathomable love that He has for His creation, He will not compromise His own holiness and righteousness. Thus, Yah will always be compelled, by His holy and righteous nature, to deal with sin, regardless of how harsh and unfair our foolish minds think and our souls feel about it. And thank Yah that He has and will remain the same throughout eternity (Hebrews 13:8). As Hegg so astutely states: “For if God can act outside of His character, He ceases to be the true God of the Bible” (ibid).

Upholding God’s Holiness Requires Uncompromising Obedience to His Will and Purpose

Thus, it falls to us, as Yah’s chosen ones, to submit to His perfect will and purpose. And not submit to His will and purpose in a begrudging manner and mindset. But do so in a spirit of true fidelity with the Creator of heaven and earth, knowing that you are part of the greatest endeavor and movement in all of creation history. Regardless of what we’ve been assigned to do, such that it may not be appealing and notable to the world’s eyes, let us be mindful that our purpose and goal in this life is to serve Yehovah and to please Him. And in so doing, we will find peace, joy, and wholeness in this and the life to come.

Shabbat Shalom, Shavu’atov, take care. Until next time.

God’s Priestly Armies Then and Now: Thoughts and Reflections on Torah Portion 99

by | Sep 1, 2023 | Blog

Greetings on this warm Shabbat in Maryland. May this post find you, your families, and your fellowships well and bless.

These are my thoughts and reflections on the 99th reading of the 3-year Torah Reading cycle. I’ve entitled this post “God’s Priestly Army Then and Now.” It is found in Numbers/Bemidbar 3:14-4:16.

The Scene in Which our Torah Reading Takes Place

Today’s scene of our reading is that of the Sinai Desert as opposed to Mount Sinai, where the events of Exodus and Leviticus took place. This was 14 months after the nation’s Exodus out of Egypt.

Moses Instructed to Conduct a Head Count of the Tribe of Levi

Yah instructs Moshe to conduct a census or head-count of the Tribe of Levi in accordance with the tribe’s families/fathers/clans.

It must be understood that the Levitical census/numbering Moshe was commanded to conduct was for the purpose of facilitating Tabernacle operations. All Levite males from a month old and upwards were included in this census. Compare this headcount to that of the 12-non-Levitical tribes, where only the males aged 20 years and up were counted for purposes of manning the nation’s army (Num. 1:3). There’s that concept of “purpose” that is interwoven throughout the whole of scripture.

Oh oh! The Numbers Don’t Seem to Match

Yehovah intended for the number of Levites whose exclusive purpose was to minister to the Aharonic Priests to match the number of firstborn non-Levite Yisraelites.

It turns out that 22,000 male Levites were counted in the census (3:39, 43; cf. 26:62). This number became important in that the number of firstborns of the other non-Levite tribes totaled 22,273 or 273 more non-Levites than Levites.

Recall that Yehovah sanctified unto Himself all the firstborn of Yisra’el immediately after the 10th and final plague against Egypt; the plague that claimed the life of every Egyptian firstborn (Exo. 12:29-32; 13:1-2; 22:29-30; 34:19-20). Yah, in fact, referred to Yisra’el as His firstborn among all the world’s nations (Exo. 4:22; 22:29-30). Thus, it would stand to reason that the original plan for the nation was for every firstborn male of Yisra’el to serve in some priestly capacity, but Yehovah altered that plan. Recall that Yah enacted this plan change in our previous reading (Reading 98), and He likely did so in response to the Golden Calf Incident (Exodus/Shemote 32).

The Critical Concept of Redemption Foreshadowed

As we move into 3:40 and beyond, we get to what I believe to be the heart of the reading. Yah instructs Moshe to “muster” (aka, paqah) every firstborn (“bekor”) non-Levite male by name. Every male Levite, one month and above, was counted separately and was devoted to Yehovah (3:41). The number of Levites was then compared to the number of non-Levite firstborn males. And it turns out that the number of non-Levite firstborn males exceeded the number of Levite males by 273. Yehovah required that the 273 difference in number be ransomed (“padah”) by the 273 non-Levite firstborns who lacked a Levite counterpart.

The Hebrew term “padah” a Hebrew verb, means to redeem or buy back (Baruch A. Levine; AB-Numbers 3:44-55). This is where we come into the understanding of the “Redemption of the Firstborn.” The ESV Study Bible commentary on 3:40-51 states that “the census showed there were 273 fewer Levites than firstborn males in the other tribes. To redeem these 273 Israelites who had no Levite to take their place, five shekels per person had to be paid.”

This concept of redeeming the firstborn and redeeming Yisra’el as a whole traces its origin back roughly 14 months prior to this census when Yah redeemed Yisra’el from her bitter servitude in Egypt. In order to free her from her taskmasters (i.e., the human Egyptians and the elohiym of Egypt), a price had to be paid for their freedom (Mic. 6:4). Thus, every firstborn of Egypt was sacrificed in exchange for the firstborn of Yisra’el. That sacrifice earned the Hebrews their freedom. In exchange, Yah initially determined that He would lay claim to all Hebrew firstborns. However, as we mentioned previously, Yah claimed unto Himself the Levites instead of the nation’s firstborns, thus prompting the redemption of the general Hebrew firstborn through the 5-shekel redemption that we see recorded here in our reading today. Five shekels of silver (weighing approximately 11-13 grams per shekel, or 5 shekels totaling 2 ounces equally 57 grams) was the price Yah determined was required to cover the deficit number of Levite males.  Thus, the 1,365 shekels collected from the 273 extra Hebrew firstborn males were given to Aharon and Sons, no doubt for the upkeep of the Tabernacle (3:50-51).

Redemption is best understood from the perspective of one set free from an obligation he/she owes for a set price. And, of course, we find examples of incidents and spiritual principles related to this concept of redemption. The most obvious examples of redemption are found in the Exodus story proper and the Passion of our Master Yahoshua Messiah.

Can you see the prophetic shadow picture embedded in this historical event whereby the Levites replaced the redemption of Yisra’el’s firstborn?

I believe that Abba chose to do things this way, or why the discrepancy mattered to Him is no concern of ours. He established the redemption of the Hebrew firstborn to fulfill a purpose important to Him and His great plan of redemption, salvation, and restoration. However, there is the prophetic shadow picture embedded within this section that Abba desires His human creation to come to understand. Mashiyach paid the redemption price for any who would come to enter into a covenant relationship with Yehovah:

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45; LEB).

“…in whom (Yeshua) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins…” (Eph. 1:7; LEB).

(13) For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled sanctify them from the ritual purity of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Mashiyach, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to Yehovah, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God (i.e., as foreshadowed in the redemption of the firstborn)? (15) And because of this, He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that, because a death has taken place for the redemption of transgressions committed during the first covenant (i.e., the golden calf and other incidents), those who are the called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Heb. 9; LEB modified).

Yah Positions His Priestly Army for Service

Moses and Aharon and Sons were positioned before the Tabernacle to the east (3:38). (The Tabernacle’s entrance always faced east.) These were responsible for guarding the “miqdash”–the holy place or sanctuary–“for the Yisra’elites” (3:38; LEB). The wording of this had nothing to do with protecting the sanctuary from unqualified intruders, but rather, protecting the Yisra’elites from Yah’s righteous and holy wrath when they or any other unqualified soul violated the “sacred space” (1:53; Faithlife Study Bible Commentary). The commentary continues: “The  Levites were to camp around the Tabernacle as a buffer between the other 11 tribes and the space dedicated to the service of Yehovah. This was a preventative measure against the kind of tragedy that can happen when that which is common comes into contact–either intentionally or unintentionally with that which is holy. Such an offense often brought immediate death to the offenders, regardless of intent, as recorded in Leviticus 10 and 2 Samuel 6:5-15. Yah instructed that anyone not qualified to enter the Divine Presence would be put to death (3:38).

Yah Separates the Kohathites for Service

Moving into chapter 4 of our reading, we come to Yah instructing Moshe and Aharon to conduct another census. This census would involve counting the Kohathite males who were 30 to 50 years of age (vss. 2-3). Kohath was a son of Levi, and thus, his direct descendants would be referred to as Kohathites.

Yah tasked the Kohathites to handle the holy things of the Tabernacles (i.e., specifically, the transporting of the elements and implements of the Tabernacle).

Verses 4:5-15 entail the process by which the Tabernacle was dismantled. Only Aharon and Sons were permitted to dismantle and prep the Ark of the Covenant and the furnishings of the Tabernacle for transport. It then fell to the Kohathites to physically transport the properly packed Tabernacle elements. Neither the Kohathites nor any other non-Aharonic priest could participate in the dismantling and unpacking of the Tabernacle implements and elements. To do so would result in their death.

This delineation of tasks by Yehovah would lead to a future confrontation between members of the Kohathite clan, Moshe and Aharon, over assigned tasks and privileged roles within the Levitical community. But this teaches us, in the interim, that Yah assigns each of His children specific tasks in the great work of redemption. Some tasks that Yah assigns to certain individuals may not appear glamorous or desirable to most individuals, such as in the case of the Kohathites, when compared to others who are given more notable, privileged, or desirable tasks, such as Moshe, Aharon, and Sons. But this doesn’t mean that the more menial task assignments aren’t important, for every assignment in the great work of redemption is important. Yah does not favor those to whom He has assigned the more desirable assignments over those to whom He has assigned the less desirable assignments. Every member of the Body is valuable to the Work. The only difference is that everyone has assigned purposes and functions that must be enacted in order for the work to get done as Yah so ordains.

Case in point: It’s easy to venerate those in teaching, preaching, and leading positions in the body while looking down or being less appreciative of those in support roles in the Body of Messiah. Indeed, everyone has a purpose and function in the Body of Mashiyach. Unfortunately, too many folks feel that if they are not out there preaching, teaching, and leading masses of people in ministry, they have no role or purpose to fill. However, the truth of the matter is that Yehovah has a purpose and function for each and every one of His chosen ones. And it is up to us to petition the Father to reveal that purpose and function. Some of us may find out what that purpose and function is based on where the Father has us situated in the Body at certain times in our walk with Messiah. He may have us serving as laborers in an assembly or as support staff. He may have us serving as helpers or exhorters or members of the worship team, and so forth. Yah will use our talents and experiences to place us as integral, functional members of the Body, and it’s up to us to walk in that purpose and function until the time that Yah moves us to some other function and purpose. In fact, every soul in the Body benefits from the work, function, and purpose that the members of the Body fulfill (see the Apostolic Reading for this week’s parashah), regardless of role, purpose, and function. Thus, when we all joyfully abide and operate in our calling and function in the set-apart framework He has created, the Body functions and accomplishes its Messiah-given mandates in the world.

The Father’s Priestly Armies Then and Now

The Aharonic Priesthood would thus serve a redemptive function on behalf of the nation, in a prophetic shadowing of the dual redemptive role that our Master Yeshua serves on our behalf. Yahoshua intercedes on our behalf as the only authorized High Priest of the Melchizedekian Priestly order, as well as He Himself became our atoning sacrifice that was holy and acceptable to Yah.

Yah’s apportionment of the Tabernacle’s operational priestly duties would ensure that every aspect of the nation’s interaction with Yah would always take place decently and orderly.

Every Levite had a job to do. No job was insignificant. Thus, solemn and steadfast obedience and performance of everyone’s assigned duties would ensure that Yah’s will was and is accomplished.

The one who loves Yehovah and His instructions in righteousness cannot help but be reminded of the Apostle Kefa’s/Peter’s writing, which is a direct reflection of Exodus/Shemote 19:5-6:

“But you are a chosen race (i.e., “genos,” a nation; a people; even a kind or class of people), a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the One who called you out of darkness, into His marvelous light” (LEB).

The conditional, covenantal promise that Yah made to our ancient wandering cousins was prefaced with, “You will be” a nation of priests if you keep the terms of the covenant that I am about to cut with you (Exodus 19:5-6). Here, Kefa is emphatically conferring onto his readers the title of royal priest and so forth in the here and now. There is an interesting contrast between the two passages.

But what is the difference between those who would serve as priests under the Levitical-Aharonic priesthood and those new covenant Messianic-Netsari believers whom Kefa calls royal priests? Are Nesarim-Messianic-new covenant believers the modern-day replacements of the Levitical priests of old, as so many in denominationalism believe and teach? And the answer to this question is no, at least not in a literal sense. Just because the Levitical Priesthood has, for this time, been shelved doesn’t mean that we, as a set-apart people, outright replaced them. Let us not forget that the Levitical Priesthood served within the context of the nation of Yisra’el. We must also bear in mind that the priesthood that Yahoshua haMashiyach serves as high priest in the heavenly Mishkan is the Melchizedekian priesthood, different from the Levitical.

This brings us home to the broader points of our discussion in relation to Kefa’s statement: Because of our indelibly linked relationship with our Melchizedian Cohen haGadol, we are, in essence, vicariously speaking, a race or nation of priests. This reality comes about as a result of Yah’s renewed covenant. Thus, Yeshua serves as the universal, Melchizedian High Priest, and we, by virtue of our calling and assignments as Yeshua’s disciples, serve Him. And in our serving Him, we are effectively functioning in the capacity of priests. We serve Him by producing good fruit, imaging Yah in this world, making disciples of all the nation peoples of the earth, through our obedience to Yah’s instructions in righteous living, and through our sacrifices of praise and petitions unto Yah on behalf of others. Indeed, if we take our roles in Yah’s armies seriously, as we should, our hands, like our Levitical priestly counterparts, “will be full” of service and authority.

This understanding parallels the conditional covenant promise of Leviticus 19. It was originally intended that Yisra’el’s covenant relationship with Yah, through her obedience to His instructions in righteousness and her being the light to a dark world, would achieve royal priestly status as a nation. Both iterations of the royal priesthood are actively founded upon a covenant relationship with the Almighty. There can be no true priesthood without an obedient covenant relationship with Yehovah. Our covenant relationship today is fully made possible by the Person and ministries of Yeshua Messiah, our High Priest. Our priestly endeavors are meant to not only minister to our High Priest but also minister to the world.

Our Haftarah Reading

Yehovah is sovereign, and it is He who determines how things are going to go. No one else overrides Him, and it is our responsibility to recognize just who and what He is and walk in that reality.

Our Apostolic Reading

And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to a measure of the maturity of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed about by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching, by the trickery of people, by craftiness with reference to the scheming of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined together and held together by every supporting ligament, according to the working by measure of each single part, the growth of the body makes for the building up of itself in love. (Eph. 4:11-16; LEB)

Shabbat Shalom–Shavu’atov–Blessings unto you, your families, and fellowships. Take care.

The Power From Within-Thoughts and Reflections on Parashah 98

by | Aug 26, 2023 | Blog

Greetings to you on yet another exceptionally warm Sabbath in the DFW. May this day of rest find you, your families, and your fellowships well and blessed.

These are my thoughts and reflections on the 98th Torah or Parashah Reading of our 3-year reading cycle. It is contained in Numbers 2:14-3:13, and it picks up where we left off in last week’s reading (97) with the commissioned numbering or census of the ancient Hebrew tribes.

The Numbering of the Tribes Also Involved Their Positioning According to Yah’s Plan and Purpose

The numbering or census of the tribes was not just an enumerating of the able-bodied men of Yisra’el who could fight on behalf of the ancient nation. More so, this enumeration involved positioning and ordering the tribes to operate and achieve their intended purpose within the plan and will of Yah. Thus, as Yah ordered the tribes’ positioning in the camp around His Tabernacle, so was the order by which each tribe would proceed onward in the nation’s journeys whenever and wherever Yah’s cloud pillar would lead.

The Tribes’ Positions

As just mentioned, the tribes were positioned around the Tabernacle, and the orientation of the tribes was as follows:

  • To the East of the Tabernacle and the first to move when camp broke were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
  • To the South of the Tabernacle and second to depart when camp broke were the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad.
  • Central to the tribes’ positioning in the camp was the Tent of Meeting/the Tabernacle with the Levites. These would follow the eastern and southern tribes when camp broke.
  • To the West of the Tabernacle and the third to move when camp broke were the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin.
  • And to the North of the Tabernacle and the fourth to move when camp broke were the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.

The Tribes Themselves: Why are 13 Tribes Listed?

The Patriarch Jacob/Ya’achov had twelve sons. Joseph/Yosef was one of the twelve sons of Ya’achov, yet as we can see, there is no tribe bearing his name listed. Well, it turns out that Yosef/Joseph was replaced–sort of–by his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, by Yosef’s dad, Ya’achov, just prior to Ya’achov passing in Egypt/Mitsraim (Genesis/Beresheit 48).

Then we find here in our reading today at 2:33 where Yah commanded Moshe and Aharon not to include the Tribe of Levi in the general census/numbering. Later in this reading, and even into next week’s reading, the Levites would be enumerated and given a specific set of tasks and duties.

The Levites

Aharon, who Yah chose to be the nation’s High Priest/Cohen haGadol. It would be exclusively through the Aharonic/Aaronic line that the high priesthood would be established and operate.

Aharon had four sons who would serve their father as priests operating out of the Tabernacle during Ahaon’s lifetime. These were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Yah commanded that only through Aharon’s line would the High Priest be selected and serve.

Nadab and Abihu, however, tragically died by Yah’s hand as a response to their rendering unto Him “strange fire before Yehovah” (3:4; Leviticus/Vayiqra 10:1-2). This left just Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests under Aharon.

We find in 3:5-10 that Yah charged Moshe as it related to Aharon’s and the remainder of the tribe of Levi’s duties. It would come to pass that the purpose of the tribe of Levi would be to support Aharon as the Cohen haGadol and to facilitate Tabernacle operations. And it is here in this section of our reading today that the census of the tribe of Levi begins.

Unlike the 12 tribes previously referred to in our reading, the tribe of Levi was parsed into two classes. Each class of Levite was assigned unique duties that were associated with Tabernacle operations and the sacred work of atonement.

A common misconception held by some is that all Levites were priests. However, just because one descended from the Patriarch Levi didn’t necessarily mean he was a priest with direct access to the Tabernacle. In fact, only Aharon and his direct descendants could serve as priests or cohanim operating out of the Tabernacle (3:1-4).

Aharon and Moshe were descended from Levi’s son, Kohath (see Genesis/Beresheit 46:11; Exodus/Shemote 6:16-25). However, Yah placed the mantle of High Priest upon Aharon and his direct descendants.

Yah positioned Aharon and Sons just East of the Tabernacle within the overall camp configuration. As chosen and anointed priests of Yah, these men were tasked with creating or establishing a barrier or guard in front of the Tabernacle’s entrance (3:38). Only Aharon and his sons were sanctioned by Yah to serve as high priests and internal operators of the Tabernacle.

It should be clearly understood, however, that Aharon was the “man” as it related to the whole of the tribe of Levi (3:9). Aharon’s sons answered and ministered to him, while the Levites who were not directly descended from him answered and ministered to both Aharon and Sons (3:10).

As a whole, the Levites were tasked with (1) guarding access to the Tabernacle from those not qualified to have access to it and (2) ministering to Aharon and Sons and directly supporting Tabernacle/Tent of Meeting operations, such as transporting, dismantling, and assembling the Tabernacle.

The Levitical Priesthood Replaced Yisra’el Firstborn

Initially, Yah claimed unto Himself all Hebrew firstborn males (Exodus/Shemote 13). This situation came about in response to the final plague in Egypt/Mitsraim when all of Egypt’s firstborn males were killed by the Destroyer (Exodus/Shemote 12). Some Bible teachers have asserted that the Hebrew firstborn would have served as priests unto Yehovah, as Yah had not, to this point, assigned the Levites to serve in this capacity on behalf of the nation. However, after the Gold Calf incident, Yah altered this set-up by claiming the Tribe of Levi as His own in place of the Hebrew firstborn sons (Exodus 32:25-29).

Yah Dwells in the Midst of the Nation

As the tribes were situated/positioned when encamped, so were they situated and positioned when the nation moved.

Yah’s presence was always in the very midst/heart of the Body Yisra’el.

Unlike the secular and carnal counterparts of ancient Yisra’el, the centralization of the Divine Presence within Body Yisra’el served exclusively as the nation’s physical and spiritual power source. The centralization of the Tabernacle, representative of Yah’s presence in the midst of the nation, was not surrounded on every side for the purpose of being a rampart of protection for the Almighty against his enemies. Yehovah, above any Being, requires no protection. Rather, the centralization of the Tabernacle within the Body Yisra’el protected the nation from her enemies from the inside out. Thus, Yah protected Yisra’el, not always by annihilating her enemies outright, but rather, Yah protected the nation by providing her the wherewithal to not only stand against the wiles, slings, and arrows of her enemies but also to reign victorious over them in the event of battle. This, then, is the reason, in great part, behind the census that is recorded in the first 3/5 of our reading here today.

Of this reality, Torah scholar, teacher, and prolific writer Tim Hegg penned:

As long as Isra’el maintained her faith in God, and gave Him the central focus of her existence, she would be victorious. Only when she looked outside, to other nations, seeking their protection, did she fall prey to her enemies (Commentary on Numbers; pg. 21).

The Spiritual Applications Associated with Our Reading

The spiritual applications of this principle of Yehovah’s indwelling presence in the nation cannot be overstated. As is so true about even the most mundane of our Torah readings, we must always remember the Apostle’s teaching:

But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. (1Co 15:46 ESV)

One can glean/draw tremendous spiritual relevance from this historical account that will serve the Kingdom-bound Netzer well in his/her walk-in Messiah. For Yah indeed dwells within His chosen ones. He, in fact, takes up residence within the very bodies of His chosen ones once he/she enters into a covenant relationship with Him:

Or don’t you know that your body is a temple for the Ruach HaKodesh who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; (1Co 6:19 CJB)

Thus, as with the ancient Hebrew nation, the indwelling presence provides the Netzer with the power to withstand and overcome any and all things that the world throws at him/her. Thus, the basis of the Apostle’s teaching regarding the “Whole Armor of God” (Ephesians 6).

Central to the indwelling Divine Presence to Yah’s set-apart people is the function, role, mission, and purpose of the Levitical Priesthood.

At the apex of the Levitical Priesthood’s existence stood the High Priest (aka, the Cohen haGadol). He, of course, prefigured our present and eternally reigning High Priest/Cohen haGadol, Yeshua ha Mashiach, who presently operates out of the Heavenly Mishkan/Temple, interceding on our behalf before the Creator of the Universe (Hebrews 7:25; 9:11).

Like Aharon, whose sons would succeed him as high priests, the coveted position being passed down through generations of Aharon’s descendants, Yeshua’s spiritual descendants will also receive coveted positions in the Kingdom of Yah (aka, the Malchut Elohim) as kings and priests unto Yehovah (Revelation 1:4-6; 5:9-10).

Another key aspect of the Cohen haGadol is the exclusive access He was granted to Yah’s presence in the Tabernacle. This exclusive access to His Divine Presence facilitated atonement for the nation’s sins through the annual Yom Kippurim (the Day of the Atonements) ceremony and sacrifices. For it would be through the Cohen ha Gadol and his office that peace would be made between Yah and Yisra'[el through the atonement he facilitated.

So, when we fast forward some 1,500 or so years later, this prophetic shadow picture that the Levitical High Priestly office painted would be manifested in the Person and ministries of Yeshua Messiah. Yeshua would be, and so He still remains, the only means by which peace is to be made between Yehovah and humanity: through His personal atoning sacrifice (John 3:16).

The Aharonic Cohen ha Gadol was granted the partial title (my wording) of “the anointed” (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 6:20; Numbers 3:3). Indeed, Aharon and any of his descendants who would ascend to the high priestly office would be ceremonially anointed with a set-apart oil that would lavishly be poured upon his head (Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12). His then anointed moniker would be that of haMashiyach or the anointed one. The same moniker and title of our Master Yeshua. Master Yeshua was anointed, not with the set-apart oil that Aharon and his descendants were anointed with. Rather, He was anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit (i.e., the Ruach haKadosh) (Luke 3:22; 4:1).

The whole point as it relates to this, the previous, and the next couple of parashah readings is to spotlight for us the essential concept/understanding that Yehovah has and continues to earnestly seek to dwell with His human creation. But in order for this to take place, Yah requires order, structure, Torah, faith, love, and obedience to rule the day, all in accordance with His precise, holy, and righteous ways. And ultimately, Yah will dwell with His human creation for the rest of eternity on the new earth and new heaven (Revelation 21).

The Netzer’s secret weapon, then, is the indwelling, Divine Presence, power, and authority that aids in his/her overcoming the world and delivers him/her from the clutches of the evil one. Yeshua, being filled to overflowing of the Divine Presence, overcame the world and so can we:

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
(Joh 16:33 ESV)

So I say to you in closing, beloved: Whatever it is that you may be going through on this Shabbat, take heart. You have the wherewithal to overcome whatever that thing is. I encourage you to stop looking outwardly for your deliverance but rather to look inwardly to that Divine Presence that will most certainly bring about your deliverance and victory.

Until next time, I bid you Shabbat Shalom, Shavu’atov, take care.

God Brings His Children Unto Himself: My Thoughts and Reflections of Torah Reading 97

by | Aug 19, 2023 | Blog

Greetings on this warm summer Shabbat in the DFW.

These are my thoughts and reflections on the 97th reading of our three-year Torah Reading Cycle. It is contained within Numbers 1:1-2:13; the Haftarah in Ezekiel 47:13-23; and the Apostolic in Luke 15:1-7. Combined, these readings led me to entitle this post: God Brings His Children unto Himself.

Our Torah Reading

This week’s Torah reading begins our journey through the Cepher/Book of Numbers/Bemidbar. Bemidbar means “In the Wilderness,” and it is drawn from the first words of chapter one, verse one. Unlike Leviticus/Vayiqra, which is primarily legislative in nature, Numbers/Bemidbar is like Exodus/Shemot in that it is a mixture of history and instructions in righteousness.

At first blush, this is one of those readings that most bible readers gloss over because it involves numbers, tribes, and the Hebrew names of people whom we will not hear much about beyond this passage.

But for the one who pushes through this type of text and allows the Ruach to speak to him/her, he/she will see Yah’s plan of salvation, restoration, and redemption take shape before their eyes.

Having completed a full year as a free people, Yah begins to organize the nation into an ordered, living organism. One of the first tasks in organizing the people into tribes and their placements in the camp and when traveling was to number the men who were 20 years of age and in a physical state to serve in Yisra’el’s army. Aaron and Moses were tasked with this monumental assignment (1:1-2) along with a representative, otherwise referred to as “princes of the tribes” (1:4, 16).

Yah, being the loving and compassionate God/Elohim that He is, exempted those males under 20 years and those who were physically impaired from having to serve in the nation’s military (1:3).

In total, the fighting men of Yisra’el, as counted in this census, amounted to 603,550 (1:46).

Now, many have doubted the validity of this census because back in Exodus, chapters 12 and 38, the same number of souls were documented to have exited Egypt/Mitsrayim. And this being the second year of their journey, we know that many souls had already died along the way. So, how can the number remain the same a year later?

Messianic Torah teacher and author Tim Hegg offers a most likely explanation. He suggests that when the tribes exited Egypt and the fighting-age males were numbered, the total sum in the above-cited passages of Exodus included the Levites. When we carefully examine the tribes that were counted, we see that the Levites were indeed not included in the census (1:50). The Levites’ sole responsibility was the care, running, and transport of Yah’s Tabernacle (1:51).

And so, how did the number arrived at in this census total the exact number of souls that departed Egypt? Quite simply, this: Yah is amazing, and His mysteries are unfathomable. Only He could make such a thing happen.

So, after completing the census, Moses, Aaron, and the 12 tribal princes positioned the tribes. This position would directly affect where each tribe would be positioned when the nation was camped, as well as where each tribe would be positioned when the nation would commence and go about their wilderness journeys (1:52-2:13). Interestingly, the 12 tribes when in camp, were situated roundabout the Tabernacle, with the Tabernacle and the Levites being dead center in the camp (1:53).

The specificity of why Yah placed each tribe where He placed them around His Tabernacle is a mystery. Yah did not reveal the whys and wherefores of His setup. But leave it to the Rabbinic sages to come up with an explanation.

Hegg records Ramban’s explanation, which I’ll quote here for you. I found this to be quite interesting as well as enlightening:

“Judah is on the east, the place from which the light comes each day, for Judah is the tribe of the Messiah. Ramban designates Issachar as the tribe of the Torah since tradition says Issachar produced scribes. Zebulun was known as a tribe of wealth. Thus, Zebulun supports those who study Torah, and Torah leads to the Messiah. Reuben symbolizes repentance (Gen. 35:22). Gad symbolizes strength while Simeon needed atonement. It was therefore fitting that Simeon be flanked by repentance and strength. Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin together represented strength, necessary for the harsh weather that enters the Land from the West. The strength represented by these tribes is a necessary companion to Torah (Judah) and repentance (Beuben). The north is symbolic of darkness, as is Dan, who allowed idolatry in the north under Jeroboam. To offset the darkness God gave Asher (known for olive oil) and Naftali, given a special blessing by Moses: (cf. Deu. 33:23) (Studies in the Torah-Numbers; pg. 18).

Ideally, and we’ll get into this more in our discussion of the Haftarah portion of this week’s reading, the stranger or sojourner would dwell within whichever tribal section they personally identified with. They were to be treated as a native-born Yisra’elite was treated, subject to Torah: “One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you” (Exo. 12:43).

Our Haftarah Reading

The land allocation in this renewed land distribution will include “strangers that sojourn” with the descendants of the 12 tribes. Back in the day, the so-called “resident alien…was not allowed to own land and was commended to the legal protection of the full citizen” (Zimmerili, Walther: Ezekiel 2: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel). Thus, the prophet here in our Haftarah reading is instructing his kinsmen who would be returning to their land at the end of their Babylonian Captivity, in the very spirit of Torah whereby the sojourner who has chosen to enjoin him/herself to the commonwealth of Yisrael would be given the full rights of citizenship that included land ownership as well.

Unfortunately, bigotry on both sides of this equation has led to a temporary disruption of this grand plan. The Hebrews, after the Assyrian and Babylonian devastations, became consolidated such that the only descendants of Avraham to be considered children of Yah are those of the tribe of Judah. But this paradigm excludes the other 11 tribes entirely, creating in and of itself a religious and cultural bias that has reigned over the Land and all of the Abrahamic peoples for millennia. 

Then we have the other side of this equation, in the form of so-called Christians, who look disparagingly upon their Jewish cousins. These, because their cousins reject Yeshua as their Messiah, have all but dismissed them as having any remaining claim to Yah’s covenant promises and the coming Kingdom of Yah (aka, Dominion and Replacement Theologies).

But scripture is quite clear on these issues. Yehovah made a covenant with Avraham, which covers all of his descendants down through the ages. Not just Jews (i.e., of the Tribe of Judah), mind you, but also the other eleven tribes that were strewn throughout the world.

In his attempt to better unify the Roman Messianic Jewish assembly members with their growing Gentile Messianic counterparts, Paul goes right to the heart of the renewed covenant. And it is at the heart of the renewed covenant that and Yah’s desire that all of humanity-both biological Hebrew and Gentile alike–come into the great adoption of souls that will be His children.

Paul said that there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, in the Body of Mashiyach. But that does not mean that Yah does not apply any significance to the biological tribes of Yisra’el. These certainly do still matter to Yehovah as He still has a covenant promise to fulfill. And we know that Yah never reneges on His promises. What this does mean, however, is that the Gentile (aka the Ger) is, through the auspices of the renewed covenant, brought near unto Yehovah. And Yehovah has effectively grafted each Gentile into the commonwealth of His nation, Yisra’el. He/she is joined filthy with his/her counterpart, the Hebrews. Thus, the Jew-Hebrew-Ger/Gentile is made into a unified family of Yehovah. Thus, there is no need for us to worry about the Jewish (i.e., the religious) mandates that have been held over the heads of any who would desire to join the family of Yehovah for millennia. As Gentiles/Ger, we do not have to become or act like Jews in order to be a member of Yah’s set-apart people. We become what Yah has destined His chosen ones to be: Members of His family, His child, through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah.

This reality is critical for anyone entering a covenant relationship with Yah to understand. For Yah never made any covenants with Christians. Thus, the only way to enjoy the benefits of Yah’s covenant promises is through Yeshua Messiah and walk in the true Faith once delivered.

Our Apostolic Reading

Our apostolic reading aligns with that of the Haftarah reading, whereby Yah uses the Parable of the Lost Sheep to make a key spiritual point to His nemeses, the Scribes and Pharisees, for this passage documents Yeshua’s response to the Scribes’ and Pharisees’ criticism of Him socializing with those deemed as the less-desirable ones of the Jewish community (e.g., publicans/tax collectors such as Matthew and sinners).

Religious Jewish arrogance and prejudice prohibited religious Jews from having anything whatsoever to do with such classes of people. As we’ve learned, religious Jews were also forbidden from associating with Gentiles, short of those who went through the rigors of proselytization. Recall the story of Peter/Kefa and Cornelius. When meeting Cornelius at his home, Kefa reminds Cornelius, a God-fearer: “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but Yah has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean” (Acts 10:28; ESV). Then there’s the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well who asked Yeshua: “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (Joh. 4:9; KJV). And so forth.

But Yehovah, being ever so faithful to His covenant promises, is Personally seeing to it that the Gentile has the divine opportunity to become a member of His set-apart, eternal family. In his comprehensive letter to the Roman Messianics, the Apostle explains to both Messianic Jews and converted Gentiles of the assembly that the Gentiles, like wild olive branches, are being grafted into the olive tree that is believing Yisra’el (Rom. 11:14-24). Why is Yah doing this, according to Paul? He tells his readers: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Yisra’el until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” (Rom. 11:25; KJV).

Praise Yah from Whom all blessings flow! Once again, but this time, with circumcised hearts, Yah’s set-apart people are being numbered and ordered in preparation to enter the Promised Land as our cousins of old were in the Sinai desert. And this time, we, who were once olive branches, are being intricately and beautifully and lovingly engrafted into the commonwealth of Yisra’el, even among her individual tribes (reference Revelation 12). Therefore, let us rejoice that Yah chose us to enter in and draw near unto Him, that we may be a member of His glorious family that He founded from the foundation of the world.

Shabbat Shalom–Shavu’atov–Blessings unto you, your families, and fellowships. Take care.

The Realities of the Messianic’s Liberty in Messiah–Thoughts and Reflections of Torah Reading 95

by | Aug 4, 2023 | Blog, Podcasts

Rod Thomas

by The Messianic Torah Observer

These are my thoughts and reflections on the 95th parashah of the 3-year Torah Reading cycle. It is contained in Leviticus/Vayiqra 25:39-26:2. I’ve entitled this discussion: The Realities of the Messianic’s Liberty in Messiah–Thoughts and Reflections on Torah Reading 95.

 

 

Getting up to Speed: The Previous Undiscussed Readings

 

Now, I should mention before getting too much into today’s reading that the previous two and a half readings–92, 93, and 94–which we did not discuss, are linked to this one. It is important that we first gain at least a basic understanding of the primary theme of those readings.

 

To begin with, Leviticus 23, or Reading 92, addressed the set-apart days of Yah’s Biblical Calendar Year. Yah’s “moedim.” They include, of course, (1) The Weekly Sabbath; (2) Passover/Pesach; (3) The weeklong Feast of Matzah or Unleavened Bread; (4) The Day of Firstfruits; (5) Pentecost or Shavuot; (6) The Day of the Blowing of Trumpets or Yom Teruah; (7) The Day of Atonements or Yom Kippurim; (8) The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot; and (9) Shemini Atzeret or The Last Great Day.

 

We’ve discussed each of these set-apart days on The Messianic Torah Observer one or more times throughout the years of this ministry. I would encourage you if you are new to this beautiful and righteous Faith of ours. If you want to know more about these special times on Yah’s annual calendar, go on over to the site and type into the search function the name of the day you’re looking to inquire about and take a listen or read. 

 

Reading 93 touches upon the weekly Sabbath and the various Levitical rituals (i.e., the operating of the Menorah and the stocking of the Table or Bread of the Presence) attached to this set-apart day.  

 

 

Then there is Reading 94 of Leviticus/Vayiqra 25:1-38, which is key to understanding the content of Reading 95.

 

Reading 94 addressed the cycle of Sabbaths the Creator established for His set apart-people to observe. They include:

 

  • The weekly, 7th-day Sabbath.
  • Shavuot or Pentecost, which occurs at the end of 7 weeks (popularly referred to as the period of the counting of the omer, which in and of itself is not biblical, but I mention it here only as a reference).
  • The 7th Month of the Creator’s Calendar Year, which contains the Fall Feasts of Yehovah.
  • The Sh’mittah or the Sabbatical Year, which occurred in the Land every seven years. There are numerous principles—Messianic, moral, and spiritual–to be gained from a study of the Sh’mittah. But given the limited time I’ve allotted to today’s discussion; I’ll only say that the Shemittah was a year of release tied exclusively to the land and the release of Israelite servants.
  • And lastly, the year of Jubilee or Yovel, which occurred in the Land the year after seven consecutive Shemittah or Sabbatical Years. Like its lesser year of release, the Shemittah, the Year of Jubilee has many spiritual, Messianic and moral principles attached to it, and I’ll only say here that it was also a year of release tied both to the Land and to the return of servants to their families and property to their original owners.

 

 

The Rest and Dedication of the Shemittah and the Jubilee

 

Each of these special days was in one way or another intricately linked, not only to a ceasing of work and days of rest. These days were to be dedicated to Yehovah. To focus on Yehovah and His Word.

 

It should be mentioned that the Sabbatical or Shemittah Year, as well as the Year of Jubilee, cannot apply to us today. Despite what some religious leaders have stipulated in the past, these set-apart years are specifically tied to the Land of Yisra’el. These were years that the Father required His people to observe and keep at their appointed times. And because they did not keep these years as commanded, they were expelled from the Land.

 

Are the Shemittah and Jubilee Still in Effect Today for Yah’s Set-Apart People?

 

Unfortunately, because our ancient cousins were expelled from the Land (both the Northern nation of Yisra’el by the Assyrians and the Southern nation of Judah by the Babylonians and later by the Romans), the specific dates for these years have been lost to antiquity. Yet, there have been some who have determined through unknown means the dates of these years and have erroneously applied the commandments associated with these years to Yah’s set-apart people today.

 

Now, please understand me. As I just mentioned, the Shemittah and the Jubilee years have tremendous and beautiful spiritual, moral, and Messianic principles attached to them. And it is those spiritual, moral principles that we modern Messianics must focus on. For example, is it a good idea to allow your land to rest every seven years if you’re a farmer in the spirit of the Shemittah and Jubilee years? Absolutely. But does Yehovah command His 21st-century set-apart children to follow suit? No.

 

It is more important to understand the spiritual-Messianic-and moral principles Yah attached to these set-apart years than to worry about when and how we are to keep them.

 

The Moral-Messianic-Spiritual Elements of the Shemittah and Jubilee

 

The key spiritual, moral, and Messianic elements to be gleaned from these set-apart years are (1) they remind us of the rest we have as Yah’s set-apart people through the Person and Ministries of Yeshua Messiah. Regarding the Shemittah and Jubilee, the Land was to be afforded rest. We were not to labor on the Land whatsoever. We were to allow the Land to go into a fallow state. Yah described the Shemittah as a year of solemn rest for the Land (Lev. 25:2-5). (2) They remind us that all we possess and have access to belongs to Yehovah. We own nothing. For the earth is Yehovah’s and the fullness thereof (1 Cor. 10:26-28).

 

The rest that was afforded to the Land through observances of the Shemittah and the Jubilee years provided food to any who were hungry and who happened by our fields as the uncultivated earth would bring forth produce on its own. In particular, the animals would receive much-needed nourishment from these uncultivated fields.

 

The additional benefits and principles to be found in the Jubilee year focus on what J.H. Hertz in his Torah and Haftarah, families that “are emancipated, and property…that reverts to its original owner” (pg. 532). This emancipation and repatriation played into the economic and moral fabric of the Kingdom of Elohim (i.e., the Malchut Elohim). Property that was sold, let’s say, for economic reasons, would eventually return to the family. Families sold into servitude for economic reasons would be repatriated to their greater family and independence. This repatriation and emancipation of the family was also incorporated into the Shemittah.

 

What better Messianic prophetic shadow picture is found than in the institutions of the Shemittah and Jubilee years? As with everything in the Torah, these years point us to our Master Yahoshua, Messiah. He is the one, through His Person and Ministry, that provides the opportunity for a true and substantive covenant relationship with our Heavenly Father. His atoning and intercessory ministries provide our souls rest: Rest from sin, rest from worry, rest in the World Tomorrow.

 

The Shemittah and Jubilee Conditional Mandate

 

So strongly did Abba Yah feel about these set-apart years that He, in great part, tied our ancient cousins remaining in the Land to their faithful and obedient keeping of these institutions at their appointed times (Lev. 25:18).

 

There are, of course, a great many other things that we could discuss about these set-apart days of Yah. Nevertheless, we now have the foundation to discuss this week’s reading competently.

 

Parashah 95 Themes

 

Let’s consider the themes to be found in our reading for today:

 

Torah Themes

  • Slavery—Yah’s expectation of His people related to slavery. Which causes us to ponder the question: How do we enslave others today?
  • Proper Treatment of Slaves by a Master (See Apostolic Reading below).
  • Jubilee release-Liberty. Emancipation. Restoration. Rest.

Haftarah Theme (Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu 24:1-6):

  • The earth and its inhabitants belong to Yah. Yah is thus sovereign over all creation. He will judge His people and His human creation accordingly.

 

Apostolic Reading Themes (John/Yochanan 13:12-20)

  • Yeshua shows His disciples what proper treatment of those that belong to Him, their Master and teacher, looks like.
  • The Master humbles himself before His students.
  • Yeshua told His disciples: (14) You call Me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ (or Master), and do so correctly, for that is what I am. (14) If then, your Lord (aka Master) and Teacher have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. (15) For I have given you an example–you should do just as I have done for you. (16) I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him (John 13; NET).

(25:39-46) There is to be no Permanent Servitude for God’s People

 

In these verses, Yah expresses His concerns for the welfare and dignity of bondservants in the Land.

 

It is evident that whenever the topic of slavery is brought up, it can be expected that emotions and opinions will be elevated. Slavery, in these United States particularly, left a terrible black stain upon this nation that was supposed to be founded upon Judeo-Christian principles. Indeed, the enslaved of this nation were treated terribly, which in and of itself was a stark contradiction of the principles of Scripture.

 

Slavery at the time Torah was given was a reality of ANE life. In many cases, slavery was a lifeline to both sides of the equation as it offered the masters who needed manual labor to keep their household afloat economically and offered the servants an escape from utter destitution. In Yah’s eyes, slavery or servitude was an option for both sides to have their respective personal and family burdens lifted. It was never meant to be as it was in the United States. 

 

Among several related issues, the main issue at stake separating the Hebrew’s involvement in slavery from the United States’ involvement in slavery has to do with the treatment of slaves by their masters.

 

It was prohibited for Hebrews to be slaves to their Hebrew brethren. If there was a need for a Hebrew to be taken in by another Hebrew in servitude, they were to be treated as “hired servants,” which meant that they were not to be given “menial or degrading work, but only agricultural tasks or skilled labor, such as would be performed by a free laborer who is hired for a season” (J.H. Hertz; Torah Haftarah; pg. 536).

 

Yah stipulates that this hired servant would remain in their master’s home till the Shemittah or Jubilee, whichever came first (25:40; Exo. 21:2; Deu. 15:12). The Shemittah guaranteed the hired servant a return of his personal freedom, but the Jubilee guaranteed both a hired servant’s freedom and a return of all inheritance to their previous owners.

 

The other aspect of redemption, liberty, and emancipation of Hebrew servants is that outside of the Shemittah and Jubilee years, that soul enjoyed the privilege of being redeemed out of servitude, either by a family member or by their own means, if he somehow comes across the price for him and his family’s redemption.

 

Contrary to the false notion that slaves were the property of their owners or masters, a Yisra’elite or Hebrew was never meant to be any human’s property. For every human and all the substance of the earth belongs to Yehovah. Humans were never meant to own another human being.

 

Of the Hebrew, a prototype of all of Yah’s people, by the way, Yah stated: “For they (i.e., the Hebrew hired servant) are My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt” (25:42).

 

The Hebrew’s treatment of a master’s servant came with stipulations: He was to be treated as a kinsman. He is not to be harshly treated, as was common in treating slaves in this nation back in the day.

 

Of this stipulation, J. H. Hertz writes: “In Rabbinic law, the rules that should regulate the relationship between a master and his Hebrew slave are given in great detail and are based on the principle that master and man are kinsmen, e.g., the slave must not be given inferior food or accommodation to that of the master” (ibid, pg. 537).

 

Yah did, however, permit His people to have slaves or bondservants. However, these would be of the “nations that are round about you” (25:44-45). These foreign bondservants/slaves were not subject to the privileges afforded their Hebrew counterparts in the Shemittah and Jubilee years. Nevertheless, the Hebrew master was responsible for maintaining the dignity of his bondservant. Thus, the Godly treatment of his slaves was mandatory: “…but thou shalt fear thy God” (25:43). This commandment asserts that the Hebrew master knows what he is supposed to do in relation to the treatment of his servants. Thus, knowing the right thing to do, the master was expected to do the right thing. 

 

The bondservant, unlike his Hebrew counterpart, could be treated as a family asset and passed down to the master’s posterity.

 

Slavery was always a slippery slope for humanity to engage in. The chances of masters abusing and mistreating their slaves can never be ignored nor understated, as it is human nature to treat their fellow humans wrongly, be they slave or simply neighbors in the biblical sense.

 

Yah, however, inserted Himself into this paradigm of human activity. He commanded His chosen ones to be a light to the nations by living contrary to the ways of the world’s nations, by living according to His set-apart ways. The underlying principle in every human activity is to love Yehovah with one’s whole being and to love one’s neighbor as one loves him/herself (Luk. 10:27). Turns out that one cannot truly love their Elohim without loving their neighbor. Thus, the relationship between master and slave or servant that Yah codified in His Torah is to be a good one. Instead of slavery being a destructive and demeaning human activity, it was to be civil and humane. This was not debatable. Yah’s people were required to conform to this paradigm.

 

This Torah instruction transcends every human notion about servitude, including ethnicity and socio-economic status.

 

 

Yisra’el is a Servant Only to Yehovah (25:47-55)

 

Yah’s perspective on servitude of His set-apart people is simple: Yisra’el belongs to Him. Period. He redeemed her from the gods of Egypt/Mitsrayim. He separated her from the other nations of the world and took her as His bride. He established an everlasting covenant with her. Thus, she belongs to no other entity from a general standpoint. From a microcosm standpoint, the Hebrew was never meant to become a slave to any soul.

 

The rest of the world, indeed, remains as bondservants to the powers of this world. Furthermore, these remain slaves to sin and are subject to Yehovah’s judgment and wrath.

 

Practical Messianic Halachah

 

The spiritual, Messianic, and moral principles gleaned from this parashah/reading are numerous. But for the sake of time, allow me to point out just a couple.

 

The Netzer as a Slave

 

As Yah allegorically stipulated in our reading today, no Hebrew or Yisra’elite is to be treated as a bondservant, no Netzer or called out one is to be a slave to sin or to any entity of this world: Be that entity human or a want-to-be god. 

 

Yeshua said to His detractors: “…everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34; ESV).

 

The Apostle Paul/Shaul wrote to the Messianic Assembly in Rome: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (6:16; ESV)?

 

Our Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach redeemed us from our previous master, enslaver, hasatan, and his ilk. Thus, we now belong to Yehovah, our Father and Elohim. And He has given us the wherewithal to resist the tugs and allure of our former master by way of His Holy Spirit, giving us the ability not to sin. Consequently, we are called to be perfect in our ways as Yah our Father is holy (Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).

 

The Netzer as a Slave Master

 

Given that slavery as an institution no longer exists in this nation, how are we to apply the principles of a Godly master to ourselves today?

 

Those of us who have employees or employ workers or contractors are, in a sense, masters. And the question that must be answered in relation to our reading here today is: How do we treat those whom Yah has entrusted us with? Do we pay them on time? Do we pay them a fair wage? How do we speak to them? Do we assign them reasonable work tied to the terms they were hired? Are we sensitive to their needs? Do we love them as Yah requires us to do?

 

How about those who we encounter who are less fortunate than ourselves? Do we treat them with dignity, respect, and love? How about workers who provide us with services? Do we treat them with Godly respect, dignity, and love?

 

Then there are those to whom we loan money and assets: Are we treating them with dignity, respect, and love? Are we reasonable in our expectations of them repaying their debt? Are we in some way engaging in usury with them?

 

It comes down to our sitting down and assessing how we deal with those who come and go within our day-to-day sphere of influence. Are we walking out the Great Commandment of loving Yah and loving our neighbor?

 

 

Yeshua, as the Emancipator of the Netzer

 

 

I’m reminded of a beautiful hymn from back in my Baptist Church days, the refrain of which is as follows:

 

“Jesus paid it all…All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow” (Elvina M. Hall; 1865).

 

The Shemittah and Jubilee years of Yehovah’s Biblical Calendar are a prophetic shadow picture reminder of our redemption through Yeshua, our Messiah. As former slaves, His atoning sacrifice and ongoing ministry in the heavenly temple have emancipated the Netzer from enslavement. The Netzer now belongs to their perfect Master, Yehovah Elohim. He not only is the Netzer’s Master, but He has also adopted us to become His children. The Apostle wrote variously:

 

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit (aka, the Ruach HaKodesh), who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, ‘Abba’” (Rom. 8:15; CJB).

 

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. And not only it, but we ourselves, who have the Firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons—that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free” (Rom. 8:22-23; CJB).

 

“In the Messiah He chose us in love before the creation of the universe to be holy and without defect in His presence. He determined in advance that through Yeshua the Messiah we would be His sons—in keeping with His pleasure and purpose…” (Eph. 1:5; CJB).

 

Beloved, in these perilous times, let us walk victorious in the knowledge and reality of who we are in Messiah, that we belong to Yehovah as His servant and child. And that we have liberty in every conceivable way through our Master Yeshua.

 

Shabbat Shalom—Shavu’atov beloved of Yehovah. Until next time.