Parasha
Shlach Lecha
Numbers
13:1 – 15:41V
Please Pray this
Prayer, before reading
Prayer
In the name of Yahushua
Our Messiyah,
I pray for the Spirit
of Understanding
The Spirit pf Knowledge
and
The Spirit of Wisdom
As I read through this
Parasha
That the Truth of Torah
may
Come forth. Amen
The Torah Portion is Shlach Lecha in the 37th
in the Torah cycle, which begins with the verb saying: And YAHVEH spoke to
Moses saying “Shlach Lecha,” Send men that they may spy out the land of Canaan,
which I gave to the Children of Yisrael; of every tribe of their fathers shall
you send a man, everyone a prince among them.
In this Torah
Portion Moses was told to schlach, or
send out a scout from every tribe. When they return, they reported all kind of
difficulties, which frightened the camp. The negative report of the twelve
scouts resulting in the death of most of them, as well as the forty years of
additional wondering in the wilderness.
In order to
void the same spiritual mistake today, every believer need to understand where
the scouts went wrong. From studying this text, we need to ask, what did
they did wrong? If Moses did indeed told
them to go spy out the land and the spies did what was ask of them truthfully,
then what did they do wrong?
The first
important consideration we can take from this Torah Portion, is the danger of
being right! Everything the scout said was accurate, according to how they saw
it. But what they forget in their accurate assumption, they did not leave an
room for the Will of the CREATOR.
When Missiyah
came into the world the first time He like these spies came to spies out the
Land spiritually, when the people wanted to crown Him King He refused. They
like the spies were only seeing from the physical point of view. Messiyah came
first to defeat the Devil spiritually before He would do it physically. The
goal of the first set of spies were to establish a spiritual ownership over the
Land of Canaan, so that when they enter the land the land would welcome them.
They would not have to fight their way to their inheritance.
The spiritual
disconnection between what the spies though their job was and the job itself,
on the physical level, they were right, but their job had a deeper spiritual
dimension, which they neglect. Because the spies thought they were right, their
minds was closed to any other possibilities and they were wrong.
In this Torah
Portion of Shlach Lecha, the Land of Yisrael is referred to as the Land of
Canaan. Indeed, this is not often the case in the Torah. The gift of both the
spiritual and physical land of Yisrael is to awaken a level of humility unheard
off anywhere else.
In Hebrew, the
word Canaan, Kena’an Is similar
to the word lehikana’an, which means to surrender. So Moses told the spies then, as he is telling us today that on
this Shabbat, we need to enter the domain of humility and we need to surrender.
Those who have spiritually enter the land of Canaan are those who, even if they
have achieved something, will view it as nothing.
As the Nation of Yisrael stood
at the threshold of the Land of Yisrael, Moses told them that it was time for
them to go and conquer it. However, a pivotal incident took place. Twelve of
the leaders of the nations, one from each tribe, were sent to survey the land,
and bring back a report. However, the report they brought back caused the
people to lose faith in their ability to occupy their Divinely ordained
inheritance.
As a result the entire
generation was condemned to death in the Wilderness and Yisrael’s entry into
the Land was delayed for nearly thirty-nine years.
The actions of the spies present
many questions. Why was it necessary to send spies, as if EL יהוה YAHVEH’S promise was not sufficient?
After the disastrous outcome of
this mission, why did Moses and Joshua themselves send similar expeditions to
Jerico? Why did EL YAHVEH allow Moses to send spies? If Moses was in favor of
the stratagem, why did he blame the people for having made the decision they
made?
Since Moses gave the spies a
detail list of questions about the Land, why were they condemned for telling
the truth, as they perceived it?
Many years later in Deuteronomy,
Moses himself, gave an equally frightening pictures of the awesome power of the
Canaanite nations that were waiting to fight the Hebrews; why, then, were the
spies punished for saying essentially the same thing?
Such questions will be discussed
in the following comment.
The illustration of the spies
follows the incident of Miriam’s criticism of Moses and her punishment.
Although the spying mission took place some time after, the experience did not
taught the nation the gravity of malicious gossip, nevertheless, the wicked
spies did not learn their lesson and were not deterred from slandering the
possibility of entering the Land (Full Maturity).
Num 13:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh,
saying, -
Num 13:2 “Send men if you please and let them spy out the land of Kenaʽan, which I am giving to the children
of Yisra’ĕl. Send one man from each tribe of their fathers, every one a leader
among them.” - These men were not the
leaders of the various tribes, they were obviously prominent men. If I may say
so, except of Joshua and Caleb, the rest were not mature believers. This shed
light even on today’s church, not everyone who says that they are leaders, they
themselves are not mature individual.
Notice in this chapter the
term Children of Yisrael was used to describe the people; meaning immature
people.
The implication is that EL
YAHVEH gave Moses permission to send spies, but left the decision up to him. In
Deuteronomy 1:21-23, the Torah provides further information on the sequence of
events leading up to the mission.
These leaders were not the one
listed earlier, the one who were given the spirit of Moses.
Here Moses chose highly
popular leaders, as is indicated by the inclusion of such great men as Joshua
and Caleb. Distinguished men, indicates that when they began their journey, all
of the men were equally righteous.
Num 13:3 And by the command of יהוה Mosheh sent them from the
Wilderness of Paran, all of them men who were leaders of the children of
Yisra’ĕl. – The mere fact that they were
leaders one would have assumes that they were also mature believers. This was
to be proven not to be so.
To clarify this historic
event, the names: of the leaders were all given, in the following verses. The
leaders were listed in the order of the personal greatness. That Caleb is
listed third and Joshua fifth implies that two spies were probably greater than
either of them, and is eloquent testimony to the stature of the group.
The tribe of Levites was not
represented because the tribe of Levi was not to receive a share of the Land.
Num 13:4 And these were their names. From the tribe of Re’uḇĕn: Shammua, son of Zakkur. -
Num 13:5 From the tribe of Shimʽon: Shaphat, son of Ḥori. -
Num 13:6 From the tribe of Yehuḏah: Kalĕḇ, son of Yephunneh.
Num 13:7 From the tribe of Yissasḵar: Yiḡ’al, son of Yosĕph.
Num 13:8 From the tribe of Ephrayim: Hoshĕa, son of Nun.
Num 13:9 From the tribe of Binyamin: Palti, son of Raphu.
Num 13:10 From the tribe of Zeḇulun: Gaddi’ĕl, son of Soḏi. –
Num 13:11 From the tribe of Yosĕph, from the tribe of Menashsheh: Gaddi, son of
Susi. - Only
Manasseh, not Ephraim, is specifically identified with Joseph because the
representative of Manasseh was more similar to his ancestor Joseph than was the
one of Ephraim.
Just as Joseph reported gossip
against his brother, so Gaddi of Manasseh reported slander against the Land of
Yisrael.
Num 13:12 From the tribe of Dan: Ammi’ĕl, son of Gemalli.
Num 13:13 From the tribe of Ashĕr: Shĕthur, son of Miḵa’ĕl.
Num 13:14 From the tribe of Naphtali: Naḥbi, son of Wophsi.
Num 13:15 From the tribe of Gaḏ: Geu’ĕl, son of Maḵi. –
Num 13:16 These are the names of the men whom Mosheh sent to spy out the land. And
Mosheh called Hoshĕa the son of Nun, Yehoshua. – Moses was preparing Joshua for the position of leadership. Why then
would he have sent him on a journey such as this? Suppose something would have
happen to Joshua? We can go forward and look at the life of Job, what did he do
to deserve the things that would later experience.
Joshua like Job had to prove
themselves as leaders, prove themselves worthy of wearing the mantle of
leadership.
Num 13:17 And Mosheh sent them to spy out the land of Kenaʽan, and said to them, “Go up here into
the South, and go up to the mountains, - Leadership lead even when
they were not there. This is where you should start and this is the limit of
your operation.
Num 13:18 and see what the land is like, and the people who dwell in it, whether
strong or weak, whether few or many, - Moses asked the spies to look closely into the nature of the lands
and its inhabitants. The climate and terrain of some lands are conducive to
healthy, vigorous people, while other countries tend to enfeeble their
inhabitants.
Moses asked them to look into
the nature of the people themselves. Asked if it is good or bad, in the sense
that, does the land consume the people, or is it a fertile land of good
rainfall.
Num 13:19 and whether the land they dwell in is good or evil, whether the cities they
inhabit are in camps or strongholds, - It is a land with good natural defenses, or is the cities fortified.
It is essential to know who our enemies are, in order to make plans to overcome
them, as it is essential to know our own strengthen and weakness and how best
to apply them. The spies mist the Mark, what could ABBA YAHVEH do with this
Land.
This Torah Portion of Shlach Lecha awakens those with the desire
to see, with the awareness that whatever
we consider our job in this world to be, may have nothing to do with our
spiritual mission. If we allow ourselves to become identified with what we
think we are meant to do, if we decide for ourselves that we are always right,
it will take us longer to figure out the truth, and in the meantime, we could
be wondering in a spiritual wilderness.
Num 13:20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are forests there
or not. And you shall be strong, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now
the time was the season of the first fruits of grapes. - Are there
tree? Moses was alluding to righteousness of the people. If the Land had a
righteous person in whose merit the inhabitants would be sheltered from attack.
Also, the condition of the land would be shown in the fruits it produces.
Similar when we choose a wife,
we should spend the same amount of time investagating her family background and
her character, that was why in the olden days a matchmaker was employed to do
the job, this match,aker carry the same responsibility as a spy.
Num 13:21 So they went up and spied out the land from the Wilderness of Tsin as far
as Reḥoḇ, near the entrance of Ḥamath. - From the Wilderness of Zin to the expanse at the approach to Hamath.
They traversed the entire land, from south to north. The southwestern shore of
the dead-sea, Hamath is the Syrian city of Hama, and the expanse at the
approach is the Bekaa Valley.
Num 13:22 And they went up through the South and came to Ḥeḇron. And Aḥiman, Shĕshai, and Talmai,
the descendants of Anaq, were there. Now Ḥeḇron had been built seven years before
Tsoʽan in Mitsrayim. - They ascended and he arrived at Hebron. The
change from plural to singular implies that only one of them went to Hebron, to
spy out the land. One of the reasons why we are given the Torah is very clear;
when I get to Heavens, I will not be surprise with what I will face. If we
think that we have seen fruit of the Spirit yet, just wait until we get to the
Heavens.
Num 13:23 And they came to the wadi Eshkol, and cut down from there a branch with
one cluster of grapes. And they bore it on a double pole, also of the
pomegranates and of the figs. - The
land of Yisrael is comparable to the Heavenly Kingdom. The fruits of that
Kingdom are seen in the quality of the produce the land produces.
I have notice that all through
the mission, there is no mention of them ever stop to pray or to bless the
Land. Could it be that they were in too great a rush to see the blessing for
the Land, and not the Land for the blessing. We can sometime waste so much time
gathering information on the richness of the land and the strength of its
inhabitants and not see out blessing in the Land.
By focusing on the letter of
their mission, they missed its spirit. Today we are still paying for the same
mistake.
Num 13:24 That place was called the wadi Eshkol, because of the cluster which the men
of Yisra’ĕl cut down from there. – Probably they furnished
themselves with these fruits when they were leaving the country and returning.
The cluster of grapes was so large and so heavy that they hung it upon a bar,
and carried it between two of them. The place whence they took it was, from
this circumstance, called the valley of the cluster, that famous cluster
which was to Yisrael both the earnest and the specimen of all the fruits of
Canaan. Such are the present comforts which we have in communion with YAHVEH,
foretastes of the fulness of joy we expect in the heavenly Canaan. We may see
by them what heaven is.
Num 13:25 And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. - Forty is a
time of trial, probation, or testing. These forty days was a test for the
leaders who were chosen by the people. It was the people request for this
expedition. When the people request anything, our Heavenly Father will always
give us the type of teacher or leaders we ought to have.
When the spies came back from
their extensive forth day tour of the land, they should have reported to Moses,
who had sent them; instead they made their report in a public declaration.
In view of the account in
Deuteronomy that the entire people demanded stridently of Moses that he send
spies to see the land; it is understandable why the report was made in such a
public forum. The people had demanded the mission and they felt entitled to
hear the result.
Today, the church send their
teachers to bible school, instead of asking them to go through the sixth days
of Creation, to full maturity, the report of the Kingdom would not be the same.
When I try to preach to the people that we should come to maturity while in the
flesh, I have been told that man cannot reach maturity until Messiyah returns.
This is the type of false report that people have been given, and they believe
it. There are not many people today teaching the people to remember to come to
maturity. I get numerous requests from Africa for information on how to reach
full maturity in this life. I spend May 12 to the 26 in Kenya doing just that.
Yes I experience a lot of obstacles, but it was worth it.
Num 13:26 And they went and came to Mosheh and Aharon and all the congregation of
the children of Yisra’ĕl in the Wilderness of Paran, at Qaḏĕsh. And they brought back word to them
and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. – This verse speaks volume concerning the decrement
and perceptions of leaders. The spies who went to the land brought back their
interpretation of how they perceive what they saw. This brings into question,
the spiritual maturity of these so-called leaders. They saw the fruit of the
land! They knew that the land was productive! They knew that the land would be
friendly to the people! Yet they brought back a negative view about it. Is the
glass half empty or is it half full.
Today, we are admonish by
Torah to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is Perfect. Yet, how many leaders
teach their congregation that it is impossible to attained perfection in this
life. This particular story, illustrate a type of leadership who will show you
the fruit of the spirit, but cannot tell anyone how to build their Menorah.
Num 13:27 and they reported to him, and said, “We went to the land where you sent us.
And truly, it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. - They went
to the land! They saw it flowing with milk and honey, yet it became only a head
knowledge, not a heart condition.
Num 13:28 “But the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are
walled, very great. And we saw the descendants of Anaq there too. - Here is
the BUT of the matter. When someone only posses a head knowledge, he or she has
no substance behind their conviction. When a person achieves a certain heart
condition, their very essence is indwelling in their purpose.
There is a difference between
a person who is talented and a person with a mission. The talented person does
it because he or she is good at it. However, a person on a mission, act with a
purpose. Victory by any means necessary! Who are the descendants of Amalek in
our lives? Those small, yet powerful voices, which keep on telling us we can
never make it, we are not good enough.
These so-called leaders were
advising the nation not even to attempt an assault on Canaan. They compounded
the frightening effect of their comments, by mentioning the dreaded Amalekites
and the equally powerful nations that would never surrender their land easily.
These dreaded Amalekites are
who we are fighting even as we speak, they are the enemy of our Soul, the ones
who are trying to stop us from reaching our spiritual Canaan. These Amalekites
are the fallen angel who has been defeated by our leader El Yahushua at
Calvary. All we have to do is to go in and occupied the land. That land has
been given to us as EL YAHVEH as our inheritance gave it to the Nation of
Yisrael.
What then is the issue! Like a
lot of believer, we tend to listen to negative report about the Kingdom, but
never someone who keep reminding us to build our Menorah, learn Torah, so we
can go in an occupied our land.
Num 13:29 “The Amalĕqites dwell in the land of the South, while the Ḥittites and
the Yeḇusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Kenaʽanites dwell by the sea and along the
banks of the Yardĕn.” – Job 1:6 “Now there was a day when the sons of
YAHVEH came to present themselves before there King, and Satan came also among
them” These sons are apart of the
Heavenly counsel. One of the mighty men of Heavens or the land.
Their rebellion have cause
them to become unfit for that position. The Creation of Planet Earth is to
create faithful sons, to replace those who were deemed unworthy for the
Kingdom.
Why then were they not kicked
out as yet? It is because we who have been given the Word did not benefit from
it, as Hebrew 4:1-5 elucidate to us. Exo 23:29 I will not drive
them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the
beast of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive
them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land. The inhabitance who are still in Heavens will not be driven out
until those of us, who have the desire to be become a mature believer decided
to achieve full maturity, like El Yahushua “Jesus Christ”, so we can go and
take our seat in the Throne room with the rest of the Mighty Sons.
Revelations 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the MessiyanicAssembly. Those of us who overcome the desire of the Body
are the ones who will achieve this lofty position. This is what this ministry
teaches.
Num 13:30 And Kalĕḇ silenced the people before Mosheh, and said, “Let
us go up at once and take possession, for we are certainly able to overcome
it.” – I thank EL YAHVEH for the
Caleb type ministry, who will remind the people, that we can go up at once and
take possession of the land, that which is rightful ours. YAHVEH did not give
us a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind.
Num 13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up
against the people, for they are stronger than we.” - We cannot ascend. Now, the spies said explicitly
what they had only suggested before. Earlier, after the assembled people had
gone back to their tents unsure who to believe, the spies spread out among them
and spread malicious lies about the land as seen in the next verse, something
they had not dared to do in the presence of Moses and Aaron, Caleb or Joshua.
They claimed that the nature
of the land and its produce is such that its inhabitant will fight furiously
to hold on to it. That is the purpose of the Evil one campaign against humanity
and those who have the desire to reach maturity.
Num 13:32 And they gave the children of Yisra’ĕl an evil report of the land which
they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a
land eating up its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of
great size. - The land that devours its people. Yes! It is
not their land; it is for those who choose to earn the right to be there. The
men who are there now are squatter. Squatting and my birthright. It is time for
a few good men, men of the caliber of Caleb and Joshua to arise and take up or
Cross our spiritual Jordon, and finish our journey to perfection, so we can be
invited into the Land and take up our rightful position as Mature Sons of EL
YAHVEH.
Num 13:33 “And we saw there the Nephilim, sons of Anaq, of the Nephilim. And we were
like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we were in their eyes.” - How sad it is when a leader in the Messiyanic
community, can make a comment that we are grasshopper in our own eyes,
therefore we must be grasshopper in the eyes of Lucifer.
I am a god, and a proud son of
the Most High Elohim. I will not choose to die like a man, but I choose to live
like a god, for I was Created in the image of my Heavenly Father who is the
King of all the gods in Heavens, who I call Meleck YAHVEH, King GOD.
Chapter
14
The spies or false leaders had
done their job well. The entire nation except for a few became convinced that
the road to the promise land was block by obstacle to large for them to
overcome. They had obviously forgotten the Red Sea.
So convinced were they that
they would be doomed if they venture into the Promise Land, that they were
ready to replace Moses with a Leader, that would guide them back to the land of
their enslavement.
We are also still falling into
the same tray, when we wake up in the morning with our ego all wrapped up in
whatever we think we are supposed to be doing today, we are behaving like the
Spies. When we rigidly stick to our plan, regardless of its spiritual content,
we are also behaving like those spies.
Every time we let spiritual
works give way to being right, we perpetuate darkness and exile. By being open
to the idea that what we think we are supposed to be doing today may not be
what the CREATOR wants for us, we prepare ourselves to reveal the Light.
The only way to avoid the trap
of the Yisralite spies is to disregard our plans, to disregard our logic, and
to let the Holy Spirit show us the way.
Num 14:1 Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and
cried, and the people wept that night. – There is a very well known Hebrew belief that this night was the
Ninth of Av, the date when both the Temple were destroyed and many other
tragedies took place thought the Hebrew history, as a reminder of there
complain. Even though I do not see any Scripture to support this idea, I will
not dismiss it as a probable reason for such actions.
Num 14:2 And all the children of Yisra’ĕl grumbled against
Mosheh and against Aharon, and all the congregation said to them, “If only we
had died in the land of Mitsrayim! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! – Notice here that this verse says that the
Children of Yisrael. Within a nation, there will be children, young men, and
Fathers. It was the spiritual immature children who were doing the grumbling,
yet it was the whole Nations that paid the price.
It is essential, however, to
keep these spiritual children quite in the assembly, when they do speak, like a
plaque, their lack of faith spread like wild fire among dry bush.
One of the most hurtful things
for any child to say to their parent is: I wish I were never born. After all
the pain and suffering to bring a child into the World, to hear these words, is
a very dishearten thing.
To have a believer say, that
he prefer life in Egypt rater than a future life in the world to come, is very
sad for our Heavenly Father, who is trying to create more perfect sons.
Num 14:3 “And why is יהוה bringing us to this land to
fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become a prey? Would it
not be better for us to turn back to Mitsrayim?” – The purpose of their lives was never made clear to them, or was it
made clear and they refuse to follow the chosen path.
They made the excuse that
their wives would fall prey to unscrupulous character. I guess they never
really understand the purpose to maturity. The family structure is the basic
unity from which a person should develop himself or herself spiritually. The
way in which Moses the true man of EL YAHVEH was not good enough for these
so-called spiritual expert.
Is it possible that the
Amalekites and the others tribes, knew about the missions of the spies, and
participate in a bit of covert spiritual deception themselves. I used this idea
to drive home a point that is very prevalent today.
The Evil one knows that He as
no power over a believer, except how they think. He knows if he can control the
mentality of the redeemed community, he can change their goal.
Num 14:4 And they said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader, and let us turn
back to Mitsrayim.” – Today most of the church
leadership, does not encourage the people to carry their Cross to perfection.
They are encouraged; to leave Egypt, the world, just remain in the wilderness
for the rest of their lives. Just have faith in El Yahushua, there is no need
to go over to Mt. Sinai to learn the Commandments, just stay on the other side
of the Jordan spiritually. These types of people are saved, but will never
reach spiritually maturity.
Num 14:5 Then Mosheh and Aharon fell on their faces before all the assembly of the
congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl. – Like every true leader, Moses and Aaron fell on their knees and beg
for forgiveness from EL YAHVEH. Moses and Aaron assumed the position of
supplication, employing the people not to participate in such activity.
Num 14:6 And Yehoshua son of Nun, and Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh, who were among those
who had spied out the land, tore their garments, - In a display of grief that was calculated to shock the people into
recognition of their error, Joshua and Caleb tore their clothing as a sign of
mourning, for the loss of faith in EL YAHVEH. Questioning the repudiation of
Moses and Aaron was tantamount to the death of a dear one.
Num 14:7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl,
saying, “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. - Caled and
Joshua made every effort to convince the masses, that they should not follow
the report of those who says that we are only grasshoppers in the eyes of the
enemy. It is very easy to follow the broad winding road, than to fallow the
straight and narrow path to eternal life. We just have to turn on the 6 o’clock
new to see the types of new we are drawn to. Negative news is more acceptable
than good news. Look who got chop to death last night, instead of reporting who
came to a better understanding of Torah?
Num 14:8 “If יהוה has delighted in us, then He shall bring us into this
land and give it to us, ‘a land which is flowing with milk and honey.’ – Eze 33:11 Say
unto them, As I live, saith EL
YAHVEH, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn
from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye
die, O house of Yisrael? Even in the wicked, יהוה
does not even take pleasure, much more His chosen people who He brought out of
Egypt. Remember Exodus 6:6 Wherefore say unto the
children of Yisrael, I am YAHVEH, and I will bring you out from under the
burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will
redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: Joshua and Caleb reminder the children of
Yisrael of the promise, and the purpose of them leaving Egypt. It was to get to
the promise land, if He says He will do, He will do. He is faithful to His
Words, which cannot be broken.
Num 14:9 “Only, do not rebel against יהוה, nor fear the people of the
land, for they are our bread. Their defence has turned away from them, and יהוה is with us. Do
not fear them.” – The first thing Joshua and
Caleb ask, is for the children not to rebel against their Heavenly Father. The
second is for them not to fear the people in the land. The third is not a
request it is a statement: They are our bread! Bread is something we consumed.
What we consumed turn into fertilizer eventually. These two wonderful men are
what I model my ministry Beyt Lechem Ministry after. We will remind the people
not to forget of Ultimate Destination. We must never fear the Evil one, he is
only a loud mouth. The position Lucifer and his demons had in Heavens are
reserved for those who prove themselves worthy to receive it.
Num 14:10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the esteem
of יהוה appeared in the Tent of Meeting before all the
children of Yisra’ĕl. – The action of a reprobate
childish mind is always to destroy those who we do not agree with. The evil one
speaks with the voice of the people. He knows that the objective of Moses is to
bring the people to full maturity. That is exactly what Lucifer is afraid will
happen, shortening his time in the Heavens.
Then the Glory of יהוה appeared in the Tabernacle, as a sign that Moses was still the
main man.
Num 14:11 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “How long shall I be scorned by these
people? And how long shall I not be trusted by them, with all the signs which I
have done in their midst? – This vote of confidence in
Moses by יהוה demonstrates that nothing can
stop the Sovereign Will of יהוה . I wonder if the people
heard the message that was being transmitted to Moses. Friends, this is a
sobering story! How long will the believers continue to scorn the promises EL
YAHVEH had made to us?
Let read Hebrews 4:1 YAH’S promise that we may enter his place of rest still stands. We are
afraid that some of you think you won't enter his place of rest. 2 We have
heard the same Good News that your ancestors heard. But the message didn't help
those who heard it in the past because they didn't believe. 3 We who believe are entering that place of
rest. As YAHVEH said, "So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would
never enter my place of rest." YAHVEH said this even though he had
finished his work when he created the world. 4 Somewhere in Scripture YAHVEH
has said this about the seventh day: "On the seventh day YAHVEH rested
from all his work." 5 YAHVEH also said in the same passage, "They
will never enter my place of rest." These people who saw the plaque
in Egypt, they saw the Red Sea experience, and they saw Mt Sinai. Now they are
question the ability of יהוה to complete the journey.
Num 14:12 “Let Me smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and make of you
a nation greater and mightier than they.” - In all of this יהוה could have been wondering if
there any other beside Caleb and Joshua who display their uncompromising
loyalty to Moses. So when יהוה said to let Him destroy them
all, would this include the seventy elders who went up to Mt Sinai, and Caleb
and Joshua also?
I believe this was a test for
Moses to see if Moses was still sold out on the idea of bring these people to
the Promise Land.
Num 14:13 And Mosheh said to יהוה, “Then the Mitsrites shall hear it, for by Your power
You brought these people up from their midst, - In his dialog with יהוה Moses
used good spiritual logic. Moses reminder יהוה of His
promise in Exodus 6:6 "Tell
the Yisraelites, 'I am YAHVEH. I will bring you out from under the oppression
of the Egyptians, and I will free you from slavery. I will rescue you with my
powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7
Then I will make you my people, and I will be your Elohim. You will know that I
am YAHVEH your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor of the
Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land I
solemnly swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as
your own possession. I am YAHVEH.' Moses was obviously aware of these 4 promises that יהוה made to the people. I will bring you out from under the
oppression of the Egyptian, which יהוה
certainly did. However, when the Egyptians hear of their destruction, they will
say that You were not able to fulfill Your promise to them. By freeing them from
slavery to the Egyptian, for see they require to return to their former slave
master. יהוה You have failed! With all
Your Mighty Power You could not even rescue these people. How do You expect to
restore your Kingdom from these people whom You have created?
This was Moses logical
argument to EL YAHVEH. This was a pretty convincing argument if I should say
so.
Num 14:14 and they shall say to the inhabitants of this land they have heard that
You, יהוה, are in the midst of these people, that You, יהוה, are seen eye to
eye and that Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a column
of cloud by day and in a column of fire by night. - That
the eyes both of Egypt and Canaan were upon them, and great expectations were
raised concerning them. They could not but have heard that thou, Lord, art
among this people. The neighboring countries rang of it, how much this
people were the particular care of heaven, so as never any people under the sun
were. That if they should be cut off great notice would be taken of it.
"The Egyptians will hear it , for they have their spies among us,
and they will tell it to the inhabitants of the land’’; for there was
great correspondence between Egypt and Canaan, although not by the way of this
wilderness.
This
is that which is written in Isa. 52:8 ‘For they shall see eye to eye,’ When the restoration of
the kingdom is complete. It is also written in this verse that ABBA YAHVEH, art
seen eye to eye. Unless the bountiful Eyes of ABBA YAHVEH were to look down
upon the inferior man, the universe could not exist even for a moment.
Providence
ariseth from ABBA YAHVEH Eye when HE
shineth down upon man HIS Shekinah, for from it all things are
illuminated.
What
is written in this verse is also written in Psalms 33:18 ‘The Eyes of יהוה is upon them that fear Him. ’ It is also written in
Zech. 4:10 ‘The
eyes of the Lord running to an fro throughout the whole earth.’ The eye of יהוה is upon them that fear HIM, if they be upright. This is the
superior eye. On the contrary, when it is said, the eyes of יהוה run to
and fro this is the eye which is below.
It is also called the open
eye, the holy eye, the excellent eye, the eye of Providence, the eye which
sleepeth not neither slumber or sleep, the eye which is the guardian of all
things, the eye which is the subsistence of all things.
Num 14:15 “Now if You shall kill these people as one man, then the nations which
have heard of Your report shall speak, saying, - "If these people who have
been given such great a promise be all consumed, if their mighty pretensions
come to nothing, and their light go out in a snuff, it will be told with
pleasure in Gath, and published in the streets of Askelon; and what
construction will the heathen put upon it? It will be impossible to make them
understand it as an act of YAH’s justice, and as such redounding to YAH’s
honor; brutish men know not this (Ps. 92:6).
Num 14:16 ‘Because יהוה was not able to bring this people to the land which
He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ - but they will impute it to
the failing of YAH’s power, and so turn it to his reproach. They will say, He
slew them in the wilderness because HE was not able to bring them to Canaan,
HIS arm being shortened, and HIS stock of miracles being spent. Now, Master,
let not one attribute be glorified at the expense of another; rather let mercy rejoice
against judgment than that almighty power should be impeached.’’ The best pleas in prayer are those that are
taken from YAH’s honor; for they agree with the first petition of the Lord’s
Prayer, Hallowed be thy name. Do not disgrace the throne of thy glory.
YAHVEH pleads it with himself (Deu. 32:27), I feareth the wrath of the
enemy; and we should use it as an argument with ourselves to walk so in
every thing as to give no occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, 1
Tim. 6:1.
Num 14:17 “And now, I pray, let the power of יהוה be great, as You
have spoken, saying, - Is it possible that a mere
mortal, be able to converse withיהוה I believe it can be done. If we use the
argument found only in the Word. Moses was well verse in every aspect of the
Word and its purpose. In our argument or conversation with our Heavenly Father,
we may debate using the Word as it applies.
Moses knew that by destroying
the people is not the only display of true Authority, showing mercy and
patience is a more efficient display of Heavenly Authority.
Num 14:18 יהוה is patient and of great kindness, forgiving
crookedness and transgression, but by no means leaving unpunished1;
visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth
generation.’ Footnote: 1This is confirmed
in Ex. 34:7 and in Jer. 30:11. – Moses went on to elucidate that by showing patient and kindness does
not mean that transgression will go unpunished. What this mean is that,
punishment may be borne by someone else, until that person learn that their
ways were in violation of Torah.
This argument was a foreshadow
of the coming of our Messiyah thousand of years later. We do know that He came
and bore our sins on the Cross-at Calvary, as we learn to obey the commandment
of יהוה.
Num 14:19 “Please forgive the crookedness of this people, according to the greatness
of Your kindness, as You have forgiven this people, from Mitsrayim even until
now.” – Moses was actually setting
the ground work here for the Messiyah to be sent to us. What is the greatest
kindness that יהוה have extended to us. It is
sending of El Yahushua our Messiyah. In our debate with EL YAHVEH we should
apeal to HIS attribute, as the EL YAHVEH SHADDAI the abstainer of Heavens and
earth.
Num 14:20 And יהוה said, “I shall forgive, according to your word, - Notice how EL YAHVEH acknowledge the Word of
Moses. The question that is begging to be asked? Did Moses knew about the
Messiyah, before hand? Was Moses just employing EL YAHVEH to implement a
Heavenly Policy, Moses had seen before? Or was it the Spirit of Wisdom,
Knowledge, and Understanding that cause Moses to be so bold in his
recommendation to EL YAHVEH.
Num 14:21 but truly, as I live and all the earth shall be filled with the esteem
of יהוה, - Listen to יהוה reply;
My Kingdom shall be restored, when His esteem once again filled the earth. Once
again EL YAHVEH made clear the intention of Creation, for the restoration of
all things.
Num 14:22 for none of these men who have seen My esteem and the signs which I did in
Mitsrayim”Egypt” and in the wilderness, and have tried Me now these ten times,
and have disobeyed My voice, - EL
YAHVEH is now setting the ground rules. Anyone who have seen His Esteem and His
Signs, and who still find it necessary to still try Him. Shall not enter into
His Rest. Hebrew 4.
Num 14:23 shall see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor any of those who
scorned Me see it. - The punishment is that you might even see the
land, but you will never set foot on it. Regardless of how close we are to the
border of the land, if we choose to follow the practice of the Children of
Yisrael, we will see it but we will never enter it. Hebrew 4:6 However, some people enter that place of rest. Those who heard the Good
News in the past did not enter YAH’S place of rest because they did not obey
YAHVEH. 7
So EL YAHVEH set another day. That day is today. Many years after your
ancestors failed to enter that place of rest YAHVEH spoke about it through
David in the passage already quoted: "If you hear YAHVEH speak today,
don't be stubborn.
Num 14:24 “But My servant Kalĕḇ, because he has a different spirit in him and has
followed Me completely, I shall bring into the land where he went, and his seed
shall inherit it. – Here we find a remarkable
affirmation of the right spirit. Because he had a different spirit, because he
had a developed his Menorah, he had complete faith in the promise laid out in
Exodus 6:6.
But My servant Caleb, this
too, is part of the oath. When Caleb received his personal share of the Land of
Yisrael, Joshua said he was giving it because Moses had made an oath to Caleb,
Joshua 14:9 On that day Moses swore this oath: 'The land
your feet walked on will be a permanent inheritance for you and your
descendants because you were completely loyal to YAHVEH my EL.'
The pledge that Caleb receives was Hebron,
the part of the land to which only he alone spies out, his family would later
conquer the giants whose presence had so frightened the other spies.
Torah did not mention Joshua’s reward, since
he was to become Moses successor, it would have been disrespectful to Moses to
speak of it while he was still alive.
Num 14:25 “Since the Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites are dwelling in the valley, turn
back tomorrow and set out into the wilderness by the Way of the Sea of Reeds.” – The overall spirit nature of the entire nations
was not conducive to the them having a spiritual confrontation with the
Amalekites. Further spiritual development had to be accomplished.
In one sense the incident with
the ten spies really open and exposed the spiritual nature or the fighting
condition of the nation of Yisrael. Every situation that we go through is to
expose our spiritual condition. Some might say it is a bad thing what the ten
spies did; yes and no. Yes they should have been more mature and have more
faith. No in the sense it exposed the weakness in their spiritual Armour.
The next task was to repair
the weakness in their army. The reason why country has spies is to find out
weakness in the enemy defense, or to plant subversive ideas. The Amalekites
certainly planted some subversive taught in the minds of the ten spies.
The implication is that
because of these formidable enemies, Yisrael had to withdraw from the area, as
if the spies were right that they could not be defeated.
Because יהוה was no
longer with them, the Hebrew could not succeed, but if they had been loyal to יהוה and Moses, these seemingly power forces would have been nothing
more than bread, as Caleb and Joshua had describe.
Verse 26 – 38 יהוה spells out the decree. Previously, He had accepted Moses plea,
but stated that the nations as then constituted would not entered into the
land. Now יהוה specified to Moses what His decree would be, and Instructed
Moses to tell it to the people.
But although he would stretch
out the punishment of the nation over a period of years, the Spies themselves,
who were the immediate cause of the tragedy, did not deserve any consideration.
They would die immediately.
Num 14:26 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, and to Aharon, saying, - Moses continue to speak to יהוה about
the welfare of the people. Even thought not all the people sinned they all paid
the price of disobedience.
Num 14:27 “How long shall this evil congregation have this grumbling against Me? I
have heard the grumblings which the children of Yisra’ĕl are grumbling against
Me. – We must remember that יהוה is absolutely perfect; no imperfection can reside within His
Kingdom. It is His Nature to destroy sin, whenever HE sees it. He will not
change is nature for anyone. It is His condescending mercy to forgive sin, but
it must eventually be destroyed.
How long, this verse refers to
two groups: the spies, the evil assembly, and the rest of the nations.
Regarding the spies, יהוה said simply, “how long”
implying that they had reached the limits of His Patience and there would be no
Divine forbearance towards them.
יהוה made it clear why the spies’ sin was so
serious: they were content to lack faith themselves, but they provoke others to
lose faith and sinned. Indeed, the spies died immediately according to verse
37.
As for the rest of the people,
יהוה said that He had heard their complaints, meaning
their outspoken protestations against יהוה and
Moses. Therefore, they had sinned grievously and could not escape without
punishment, but as יהוה went on to say, the judgment
would be tempered with mercy in response to Moses’ prayer.
Num 14:28 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares יהוה, ‘as you have spoken in My
hearing, so I do to you: - יהוה swore
that the punishment of the entire nation would be predicated on the very
tragedy that the people for having believed the spies, predicted for
themselves. They said that the Canaanites and their alleys would kill all the
men in the Wilderness and that all children would be taken captive.
The men would indeed die in
the Wilderness, but the children, the next generation, would enter the Land. As
for the women, since they did not participate in the rebellion, there was no
decree against them, and they would live out their natural life spans. Surely,
therefore, many of them lived to enter the promise land.
Num 14:29 ‘The carcasses of those who
grumbled against Me are going to fall in this wilderness, all of you who
were registered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and
above. - The fear of the wicked shall come upon him. Those who
had now grown up should die in the
wilderness, not all at once, but by degrees. They had feared that they might
die in the wilderness, and YAHVEH said Amen to their greatest fear, and made
their fear their ruin, snared them in the words of their mouth, and caused
their own tongue to fall upon them, HE took them at their word, and determined
that their carcases should fall in the wilderness.
Num 14:30 ‘None of you except Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh, and Yehoshua son of Nun, shall
enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. – It is only those who have an absolute unbending
faith that will reach the Promise land, or full maturity. Our testing is to see
if we are truly faithful in every thing, or is there still something in us that
will cause us to compromise our values.
Num 14:31 ‘But your little ones, whom you said would become a prey, I shall bring
in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected. – The generation that died has a slavery mentality
that had to be eradicated from among the people. It was this mentality that
causes them and us to fail. It is one of the most difficult characteristic
traits to deal with.
When I was a child, I was
extremely shy, no one could not convince me that the whole world would not
laugh at me because I stuttered. It was the mentality of the Jamaican culture
to make fun of other people’s impediment. As I migrate to Canada, I notice that
Canadians were more tolerable to other people handicaps. It was no longer an issue
if I did stuttered.
The Children of Yisrael were
born with the mentality of the slavery mindset of Egyptians, and like myself it
took me some time to loose that frame of mind. Today, if someone does not tell
me that I stuttered, I do not even remember.
Num 14:32 ‘But as for you, your carcasses are going to fall in this wilderness. – The mindset we carry with us will, determine were
we die spiritually. The battleground for humanity is in our mind. The spying
campaign was a battle for the minds of the children of Yisrael. May we learn
from their mistake?
Num 14:33 ‘And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness forty years, and shall
bear your whorings, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. – Forty is a time of testing. Testing to remove the
old mindset, and the renewing of our mind. The logic and the thinking pattern
of Egypt cannot function in the Heavenly Kingdom. Like oil and water, light and
darkness cannot service in the Kingdom to come.
As grazing sheep are led from
place to place and rarely remain in any one area for very long, so will the
Hebrew people in the Wilderness, wondering from place to place, from church to
church until their forth years are over. Never finding the promise Land.
Num 14:34 ‘According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty
days – a day for a year, a day for a year – you are to bear your crookednesses
forty years, and you shall know My breaking off. – As the sixth days of Creation is an representative of our six years
we need to reach spiritual maturity. This verse shows the spiritual connection
of a day for a year. As the children of Yisrael had to be punish a day for a
year for their crookedness, we will be rewarded a year for a day as we try and
build our spiritual Menorah. At the end of our Sixth day, our Heavenly Father
will have created a perfect man.
As result of your long years
of wondering, you will have all the time to comprehend the magnitude of your
sin of having negated the ultimate objective, which is to bring a people into
the Promise Land.
Num 14:35 ‘I am יהוה, I have spoken, I shall do this to all this evil
congregation who are meeting against Me: In this wilderness they are consumed,
and there they die.’ - How many countless millions of believers have
died in their spiritual Wilderness, because of the lack of faith. All these
stories are written for our benefits, that we too might not travel down the
same pathway.
Hebrew chapter four warns us
that is was because those men of old did not believe the word that they heard.
They did not entered into the promise land, which is the same as entering into
the Sabbath Rest.
Num 14:36 And the men whom Mosheh sent to spy out the land, who returned and made
all the congregation grumble against him by bringing an evil report of the
land, - The sudden death of the ten evil spies. While the
sentence was passing upon the people, before it was published, they died of
the plague before the YAHVEH. Now, YAHVEH hereby showed HIS particular
displeasure against those who sinned and made Yisrael to sin. They
sinned themselves, in bringing up a slander upon the land of promise. Those greatly provoke YAHVEH who misrepresent
religion, cast reproach upon it, and raise prejudices in men’s minds against
it, or give occasion to those to do so who seek occasion. Those that represent
the service of YAHVEH as mean and despicable, melancholy and uncomfortable,
hard and impracticable, needless and unprofitable, bring up an evil report
upon the good land, pervert the right ways of the YAHVEH, and in effect
make YAHVEH lier.
Num 14:37 even those men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the
plague before יהוה. – Friends, it is not everyone
who says Master Master is truly a disciple. Remember that even El Yahushua had
twelve disciples and one was evil. The most perfect Teacher of all times had
one who fails. What about you and I who are just mere mortal. Grumbling against
authority is a very serious violation in the Kingdom of Heavens. Those men, who
were given a chance to encourage the people to enter into the Rest that we were
created for, but fail to do so, are the ones who will die by the plague.
The decree of forth years
applied only to the nation as a whole, but the spies themselves died
immediately in a plague. Their punishment was measure for measure. They
insisted falsely that the land consume the inhabitants, so they died as if been
consumed by the land.
Num 14:38 Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Yehoshua son of Nun, and
Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh remained alive. – These Caleb and Joshua type ministers, the ones who encourage the
people that we are more than capable to go, and posses the Land. We are more
than capable to make it up to the mountaintop.
Num 14:39 And when Mosheh spoke these words to all the children of Yisra’ĕl, the
people mourned greatly. – They wept for nothing verse 1 and now
they have cause given them to weep; so justly are murmurers made mourners. If
they had mourned for the sin when they were faithfully reproved for it verse 9
the sentence would have been prevented; but now that they mourned for the
judgment only their grief came too late, and did them no service; they found no
place for repentance, though they sought it carefully with tears, Heb. 12:17.
Such mourning as this there is in hell, but the tears will not quench the
flames, no, nor cool the tongue.
Those
believers who have fail to make it into the Holy of holies while they were in
the flesh, will mourned when they get to the Heavens and realize what they
could have achieved in this life and they were deceaved by foolish leaders. Rev
7:17
Because the
Lamb in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and will lead them on
living springs of waters; and Yahushua will wipe off every tear from their
eyes. Why would they be crying in the Heavens
except over their lack of unbelief?
In verse 40 –45 the chastened
of a nation who realize too late. Moses’ words hit the people hard like a
hammer and brought them to their senses. Too late, the opportunities have been
squandered. They had already decided that the land was indeed theirs and now
they wanted it. Like Esau who sold his birth right and later wanted it with all
his heart.
יהוה no longer wished to give it to that
generation; they had rebel too often and now their fate are sealed.
Nevertheless, they insisted on advancing to the land despite Moses’ warning
that they would fail with out’s יהוה help.
In a sense the spies were right:
the people of Canaan were too strong for the Hebrew, but, as Caleb had said, יהוה could vanquish them if He so wished. The tragedy was that the
people awakened too late from their spiritual stupor; as is all too common,
people refuse to move when they can, but are ready when it is too late.
Num 14:40 And they rose up early in the morning and went up to the top of the
mountain, saying, “See, we have indeed sinned, but we shall go up to the place
which יהוה had spoken of!” - Towards the mountain top. From Deuteronomy, it is clear that this was
the mountain of the Amorite, which forms the natural border between the land
and Sinai Desert.
Num 14:41 But Mosheh said, “Why do you now transgress the command of יהוה, since it does
not prosper? - Moses utterly disallows their motion, and forbids the
expedition they were meditating: Go not up, he gives them warning of the
sin; it is transgressing the commandment of the YAHVEH, who had
expressly ordered them, when they did move, to move back towards the Red Sea.
That which has been duty, in its season, when it comes to be mistimed may be
turned into sin. It is true the command he refers to was in the nature of a
punishment, but he that has not obeyed the law is obliged to submit to the
penalty, for the YAHVEH is our Judge as well as Lawgiver.
The
sobering question to all believer is why do you break the commandment of YAHVEH
when there is nothing to gain from it.
Num 14:42 “Do not go up, lest you be smitten by your enemies, for יהוה is not in your
midst. – Like most children when the
parents tell them not to touch the hot stove, it is not until they are burn
before they realize that the parents were indeed right. A wise man is not the
man with the experience. A wise man is one who learns from the mistake of others,
and not makes the same mistake over again.
Num 14:43 “Because the Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites are there before you, and you
shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned away from יהוה, יהוה is not with you.”
– There is a spirit that
covers every place were people lives. Before we tend to overcome a people, we
need to have spiritual domination over them before we move in. If EL YAHVEH is
not with us, our spiritual superiority over our enemy will not be complete. Our
spiritual cover is like having air superiority in a military campaign.
Spiritual covering above, so that the foot solder on the ground may be
successful.
Num 14:44 But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop, but neither the ark of the
covenant of יהוה nor Mosheh left the camp. – Without the Presence of EL YAHVEH in our lives
our entire venture in His Name will always fail. The children of Yisrael left
the camp with no air support over them, their spiritual airforce was grounded
that day, resulting in a crushing defeat.
Num 14:45 So the Amalĕqites and the Kenaʽanites who dwelt in that mountain came
down and smote them, and beat them down, even to Ḥormah. - The Canaanites and the Amalekites lived in the
valley between these two mountains. The Children of Yisrael now tried to bypass
them and go to the mountaintop, from which they would then descend into the
promise Land.
The Amalekites and Canaanites
were waiting in ambush on the mountain, verse 45, and threw them back.
Chapter
15
This chapter in particular the first
sixteen verses deal with the meal offering and its libations. This passage
gives a new law: Certain offerings must be accompanied by gifts of
meal-offering and wine libations.
This would not apply until thirty-nine
years later, when the people entered the Promise Land. However the law was
given to them to console the younger generation and give them confidence that יהוה
still intended to give them the Promise Land.
Num 15:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -
Num 15:2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When you have come
into the land of your dwellings, which I am giving you, - This is a particular offering for those who have
reach full maturity. Coming into the Land is a synonym for our spiritual
maturity.
Num 15:3 and you make an offering by fire to יהוה, a burnt offering or a
slaughtering, to accomplish a vow or as a voluntary offering or in your
appointed times, to make a sweet fragrance to יהוה, from the herd or the flock,
- This verse defines the
offerings to which the passage applies. An Elevation-offering is one that is burn in its entirety on the
Altar. A Feast-offering is offerings that are eaten, such as a Peace and
thanksgiving-offerings. What we call a celebration.
They are called
feast-offerings because they are generally brought to celebrate happy occasions
and their owners would invariably invite others to eat with them. Since our
verse refers specifically to offerings that are brought voluntarily, it is
clear that the libations do not apply to private offerings that are required in
atonement for sins.
This verse mentions private
offerings that are brought in celebration of the festivals to imply that even
though the Torah requires such offerings, Libations must accompany them.
Num 15:4 then he who brings near his offering to יהוה shall bring near a grain
offering of one-tenth of an ĕphah
of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, - The term shall bring, implies that the entire
meal-offering is burnt on the Altar, in like an ordinary personal
meal-offering, which is eaten by the Kohanim after a part of it is place on the
Altar.
The wine Libations is poured
into a bowl-like vessel that was attached to the southwest corner of the Altar.
In the Tabernacle, the wine drained off to the ground; in the Temple, it would
flow onto the top of the Altar and into a pipe leading to a ditch under the
Altar.
Num 15:5 and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you prepare with the
burnt offering or the slaughtering, for each lamb. – The restriction on the amount of wine was so that it did not become a
drunken party. It was a time of celebration, not a time to become impaired.
Num 15:6 ‘Or for a ram you prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with
one-third of a hin of oil, - Again in this verse we see
the same requirement for a meal that look like a vegetation meal. Whether we
eat meat of just vegetable it is ok to have a glass of wine with it.
Num 15:7 and as a drink offering you bring one-third of a hin of wine as a sweet
fragrance to יהוה. – The drink of wine is a sweet
fragrance to EL YAHVEH.
Num 15:8 ‘And when you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering, or as a
slaughtering to accomplish a vow, or as a peace offering to יהוה, - If the sacrifice was a
bullock, the meat-offering was to be trebled, three omers, with five pints of
oil, and the same quantity of wine for a drink-offering. For each sacrifice,
whether offered by a particular person or at the common charge. Our religious
services should be governed, as by other rules, so by the rule of proportion.
Num 15:9 then shall be brought with the young bull a grain offering of three-tenths
of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed
with half a hin of oil, - We are told to drink more
wine when we eat meat than when we eat just vegetable. One third for vegetable
to a half for meat offering.
Num 15:10 and bring as the drink offering half a hin of wine as an offering made by
fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה. - Half a him
of wine must be presented with every meat offering.
Num 15:11 ‘This is what is done for each young bull, for each ram, or for each lamb
or young goat. - Our Creator give us the proportion of meat or
vegetable when we are drinking wine.
Num 15:12 ‘According to the number that you prepare, so you do for each one
according to their number. – The term accordingly to the
number, even if someone brings many animals as his offerings, in which case one
might think that one libation should suffice for the entire group, he must
bring a separate libation for each animal.
Num 15:13 ‘Let all who are native do so with them, in bringing near an offering made
by fire, a sweet fragrance to יהוה. - Every
believer prepares a thanksgiving offering as a celebration offering. For those
who chose to say we must not drink wine that not what Torah says! It limits us
on the quantity of how much we are suppose to consume with each animal.
Num 15:14 ‘And when a stranger sojourns with you, or whoever is among you throughout
your generations, and would make an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to
יהוה, as you do, so he does. - There is no difference between
a visitor and a native. There is no two-tier law, as some would like you to
believe, one for the Native Hebrew and one for the none Hebrews.
The term throughout your
generations simply means as long as there are believers, as long as time still
exists, this must be done.
In the plain sense, this verse
reiterates the point that a proselyte has the same libations as a native and
must bring the same libations as his fellow Hebrews.
Based on the apparent
redundancy, that a proselyte is required to bring an offering as part of his
conversion procedure. If so, one might reason that conversions cannot be valid
when the Temple is not standing. To refute such an argument, our verse
discusses anyone who converts from Creation until the end of time, this process
is still applicable in any generation.
Num 15:15 ‘One law is for you of the assembly and for the stranger who sojourns with
you – a law forever throughout your generations. As you are, so is the stranger
before יהוה. – Many Christian’s today
claims that the Old Testament is for the Hebrews and the New Testament is for
the Christian. In light of this verse, it is clearly not so.
Num 15:16 ‘One Torah and one right-ruling is for you and for the stranger who
sojourns with you.’ - Torah here stresses the point over the last three
verses, the universality of the Torah.
Verse 17 to 21 describe the
law of Challah. The Torah now commands that from every batch of dough, a
portion, commonly known as challah is given to the Kohanim, just as they must
receive a part of the produce of the field.
By making the servants of יהוה dependent on the gifts
of the nation, and obligating the national to provide for them, יהוה ties together the people who enjoy the Land’s prosperity and
those who devote themselves to Torah study, the temple service, and matters of
the spirit. Believers are blessed by virtue of the sustenance they provide for יהוה devoted servants.
Num 15:17 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, -
Num 15:18 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘When you come into
the land to which I bring you, - The term
coming into the land is synonymous to when we reach the promise land, when we
reach full maturity. When we are in position of our own land, we can plant our
own crops, vineyard, gardens ect.
Num 15:19 then it shall be, when you eat of the bread of the land, that you present
a contribution to יהוה. – This is also indicative of
the kingdom to come. This verse seems to imply that we will be paying tithes to
those above us, as they will also pay tithes to those above them.
Num 15:20 ‘Present a cake of the first of your dough as a contribution – as a
contribution of the threshing-floor you present it. – The paying of tithes is a sign of respect to
those who is above me. I believe that I will be paying my tithes to El Yahushua
who will be paying His tithes to EL YAHVEH.
The first use of the dough is
the separation of Challah for the Kohen, and its owner is forbidden to eat of
the dough before setting that portion aside. Alternatively, the word may be
rendered as the choicest part, for just as the Torah asks a Hebrew to give the
Kohen the choicest part of his produce, so too, they are asked to give of the
dough.
The commandment to separate
challah goes into effect from the moment the mixture become dough. From the
possessive form your dough from which challah must be taken is the amount that
was familiar to the people in the Wilderness to whom this verse was originally
addressed. Your dough, consequently, means the volume of Manna that fell daily
for each Hebrew, which was an omer.
Since the Torah refers to the
Kohen’s portion as challah, the Hebrew people have taken to call their Sabbath
bread, from which they separate this Divinely commanded portion Challah.
This illustrates Hebrew people
loyalty to the Torah. The main focus of our lives must be seen in the
performance of the commandments, so much so that we call our bread by the same
name of the commandment associated with it.
This is similar to the
terumah, the first fruit of the crop given to the Kohen from the crops of the
field. By comparing challah to terumah, the verse indicates that just as the
Torah does not specify a minimum percentage of the crop that must be given.
Num 15:21 ‘Of the first of your dough you are to give to יהוה a contribution throughout
your generations. – This command speaks to a
certain principal, one which we are to give a portion of every meal unto EL
YAHVEH.
Verse 22 to 26 illustrate the
atonement principle for public, unintentional idol worship. Since the aftermath
of the tragedy of the spies, the Torah turns to another possibility of a
national downfall that would be a denial of Yah’s Sovereignty over His people:
mass idol worship.
Although the Torah does not
say explicitly that the topic of the passage is idolatry, verse 22, which
speaks of a transgression of all of these commandments. Since it cannot be a
violation of every single one of the 612 commandments, it must refer to a sin
of idolatry, for by worshiping another deity, a person shows that he denies the
very existence or the authority of YAHVEH, and he considers himself not to be
bound by anything EL YAHVEH has commanded.
The Torah requires every
believer to perform the commands because they are the one, which the King has
spoken to Moses. To obey any of them because of personal or social
considerations, without believing in the other, is to dough a portion, commonly
know as Challah.
By giving to the Kohanim, just
as they must receive a part of the produce of the field, By making the servant
of YAHVEH dependent on the gifts of the nation, and obligating the nations to
provide for them, YAHVEH ties together the people who enjoy the Land’s
prosperity and those who devote themselves to Torah study, the Temple service
and matters of the spirit.
Believers are bless by virtue
of the sustenance they provide for YAHVEH devoted servants.
Num 15:22 ‘And when you sin by mistake, and do not do all these commands which יהוה has spoken to
Mosheh, - It is not if we sin, but,
when we sin even by mistake to do even this commandment.
Num 15:23 all that יהוה has commanded you by the hand of Mosheh, from the day
יהוה gave command and onward throughout your generations, - This verse illustrate a point that all
commandments given by the hand of Moses from that day, the day it was first
given, and every subsequent generation after that.
Num 15:24 then it shall be, if it is done by mistake, without the knowledge of the
congregation, that all the congregation shall prepare one young bull as a burnt
offering, as a sweet fragrance to יהוה, with its grain offering and
its drink offering, according to the right-ruling, and one male goat as a sin
offering. - If it is done in ignorance or by mistake,
this is the penalty the whole assembly must pay.
They must give today the price
of one young bull, since El Yahushua is our sin offering. We are still required
to pay the price for the bull. This bull must accompany a grain offering and a
drink offering. This is not a celebration, for it is a sin offering.
Num 15:25 ‘Then the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the
children of Yisra’ĕl, and it shall be forgiven them, for it was by mistake. And
they shall bring their offering, an offering made by fire to יהוה, and their sin
offering before יהוה, for their mistake. – When we confess our sin to El Yahushua, He will make atonement for
us, or else it will not be forgiven. If we do not bring this offering, as it is
describe here there will be no forgiveness. If the whole church should say we
are sorry, is not good enough, this sin offering must be brought, which is
approximate $800.00 for a young bull.
Num 15:26 ‘And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Yisra
’ĕl and the stranger who sojourns in
their midst, because all the people did it by mistake. – Here is another qualifier, because all the people
done it by mistake. Suppose the leader did it not by mistake and the people
follow. Then the leader will have to face the consequence, while the people may
make this sacrifice.
Verse 27 to 29 illustrate a
unintentional individual idolatry.
Num 15:27 ‘And if a being sins by mistake, then he shall bring a female goat a year
old as a sin offering. - The sacrifice for an individual who
mistakenly sin, is the price of a female goat. Approximate $30.00
Num 15:28 ‘And the priest shall make atonement for the being who strays by mistake,
when he sins by mistake before יהוה, to make atonement for him,
and it shall be forgiven him. – Then
this offering is brought, El Yahushua (Jesus Christ) will make atonement for
us.
Num 15:29 ‘For him who does whatever
by mistake there is one Torah, both for him who is native among the children of
Yisra’ĕl and for the stranger who sojourns in their midst. – This is the law for every believer, in any
generation.
Verse 30 to 31 discribe
intentional idolatry. One who worship idols intentionally, is describe a
high-handedly, he or she cannot be atone for his sin through an offering.
If he sinned despite being
warned that his actions would incur the death penalty, and witnesses reported
his act to the court, he suffers death by stoning.
This passage refers to one who
worshiped an idol intentionally, but who had not received a valid warning, or
whose act did valid witnesses not see.
EL YAHVEH punishes such a
person by cutting off his soul from the nation and denying him a share in the
World to Come.
The very act of worshiping an
idol constitutes the blasphemy described in this passage.
When anyone claims that a
particular commandment does not apply to him or that he has the right to pick
and choose among the commandment is blasphemous and worthy of condemnation
stated in this passage.
Num 15:30 ‘But the being who does whatever
defiantly, whether he is native or a stranger, he reviles יהוה, and that being
shall be cut off from among his people. – Any act of defiance against anyone of the commandment is an act
against the Kingdom of Heavens. That person will no longer be consider apart of
it. That person is consider to be worshiping another mighty one.
Num 15:31 ‘Because he has despised the word of יהוה, and has broken His command,
that being shall certainly be cut off, his crookedness is upon him.’ – The
Word of יהוה refer to the sin of idolatry
this way, The Torah alludes to the first two of the Ten Commandments, which
demand faith in יהוה and prohibit idolatry.
These two commandments were
heard by the people directly from יהוה not
thought Moses, and can therefore be called the Word of יהוה.
The term his sin is upon him
means that even after death, the spiritual corruption of sin adheres to the
soul and keeps it out of the world to come. This term implies further that only
as long as the sin is upon the person, meaning that he did not repent, the soul
was not excised. Repentance however removes the sin and punishment.
Removal of the sin means to
remove the root cause, that human desire to be rebellious, that evil
inclination that is so prevalent in humanity.
Verse 32 to 36 explains one
such sin, the desecration of the Sabbath in the Wilderness. The Torah put next
to the sins of idolatry and Sabbath desecration because they represent the same
concept. Just as the idolater denies the sovereignty of יהוה, so,
too, one who flouts the Sabbath, which testifies to יהוה ‘s
Creation of the universe, and mans desire to come into His fullness, declares
his lack of faith in the Creators ability to bring them into His fullness.
Because of the vital
importance of the Sabbath in the heart of a mature believer belief, the Torah
place this incident here, although it did not necessary happen immediately
after the rebellion of the spies.
Num 15:32 And while the children of Yisra’ĕl were in the wilderness, they found a man
gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. - The terms were in the
Wilderness. This incident could have taken place at the very beginning of the
journey in the Wilderness, the fact that the Torah did not mention the exact
location, means that it was not time to mention this incident.
The fact that such a thing
could have happen so soon is to the Hebrew people discredit, for the nation had
just learn to observe the Sabbath and this individual desecrated the Sabbath is
the point of this story.
The term gathering wood, means
that he took part in the actions related in gathering wood. This include,
traveling to the location were the wood were; gathering the wood, including
breaking or chopping; binding up the wood; and carrying it back home. All labor
intensive work.
Num 15:33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Mosheh and to
Aharon, and to all the congregation. - Since the Torah stress that he
was found while committing the sin, implies that he was warned that he was in
violation of the Sabbath, a capital offence and he persisted in continuing.
Num 15:34 And they put him in under guard, because it had not been declared what
should be done to him. – Since this was a new law and
the penalty of violating it was not given. The violator of the command had to
be place in a holding area, under guard, until a judgment was determine. Only
the nature and procedure of the death penalty had been clarified, but they
knew, as stated in Exodus 31:14, that Sabbath desecration incur the death
penalty.
Had it not been known that
Sabbath desecration was a capital offense, the transgressor would not have been
executed, because part of the necessary warning is notification of the gravity
of the penalty.
Num 15:35 And יהוה said to Mosheh, “The man shall certainly be put to
death, all the congregation stoning him with stones outside the camp.” – The clarification of the judgment was that he was
to be stoned to death.
Num 15:36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with
stones, as יהוה commanded Mosheh, and he died. - The
penalty was he was to carry out of the assembly as a sign of separation, so
that others would see the consequence of sin and be deterred from committing
any further violation.
Num 15:37 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, - We must remember that we need to get to the place spiritually were we
will hear the Voice of EL YAHVEH audible.
Verse 38 – 41 is the
commandment for the people to wear Tzitis. This chapter concludes wit a passage
that brings home to the Hebrew people the obligation to remember all of the
commandments, for it is fallacious to think that Judaism can rest only on the
foundation of such primary commandments as belief in יהוה and observance
of the Sabbath, vital though they are.
The commandment of Tzitze, the
Torah states, is a vehicle that enables the Hebrew people to remember all the
Torah’s: precepts, judgments, statues, and laws
This passage contains other
general commandments that are essential to maintaining an allegiance to יהוה, and conclude with the often-repeated statement that He took us
out of Egypt and as a consequence of that, we are obligated to accept Him as
our יהוה.
Num 15:38 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them to make tzitziyot1 on the corners of their
garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue cord in the tzitzit1 of the corners. Footnote: 1See Explanatory notes - “Tzitzit” -
plural Tzitziyot. – Tzitzis, fringes, the word
refers not to the fringes themselves, but to what they are called upon those
who wear them. The related Hebrew word means to peer at something intently as
Songs of Solomon 2:9 elucidate, and as stated in the following verse, one
should look at the tzitzis in order to help remember all the commandments.
The corner of their garments
in those day were accessible and visible, which is important in the context of
this commandment, since the fringes must be seen in order to serve as a
reminder.
Garments are a person’s means
of playing a role, of presenting himself to the world, as he would like to be
perceived. It is important, therefore, that garment be consecrated, as it were,
with reminders of יהוה, so that
they do not become the means to entice people away from His service.
When someone is sincere about
using even his garment as a means of achieving devotion to יהוה, he can imbue his children and succeeding generations with the
same dedication. People should never underestimate the effect their actions can
have on others, especially upon those who are closest to them and who are able
to see whether their deeds are motivated by a genuine dedication.
One of the strings in the
fringe is to be dyed blue. This treed helps its wearer focus on his duty to יהוה because, blue represent Heavenly character, the color of the
Heavens. This roundabout means of focusing on Heavenly Throne teaches that
people should look for a way to direct their attention towards higher
aspirations.
Those who search for holiness
will find inspiration in many experiences. Conversely, in the same situation,
those who seek only human pleasure will not see even a possibility of spiritual
elevation.
Therefore, a familiar way of
testing what different people are like is to see how they react to the same
stimuli; what someone sees is an indication of ones spiritual maturity.
Num 15:39 “And it shall be to you for a tzitzit,
and you shall see it, and shall remember all the commands of יהוה and shall do
them, and not search after your own heart and your own eyes after which you
went whoring, - The blue thread in the
fringes are for us and other to see that he have made a commitment to follow
all that Torah have command. Let see hoe El Yahushua carry out this command. Mat 9:20
A woman who had had a hemorrhage for
twelve years approached him from behind and touched the tzitzit on his robe. How did she knew who He was, it was the garment
that he wore. Like every good Hebrew man, El Yahushua fulfills Scripture. The
fringes are like a royal insignia, reminding their wearers that they are always
in the service of the King.
The term not explores means
like spies in this chapter; the heart and eyes are like the body spies,
brokering for it the sins sought by its animal nature. The heart covets and the
eyes seek out, and the body sins.
We are enjoined to avoid any
thought that could entice us to uproot a fundamental of the Torah. Human
intelligence is limited and not everyone can ascertain the truth, so that a
person can destroy his spirit or soul if he follows his own random thoughts.
For example, if a person ruminates on whether or there is a יהוה, whether
the prophecies are true, or whether the Torah is of an Heavenly origin, and he
does not have the spirit of understand and knowledge to help him find the
truth, he will be opening himself to heretical beliefs.
Therefore, the Torah commands
that one not explore after the desire of the eyes and heart, lest he become
controlled by them.
This chapter conclude with the
statement that it is not enough merely to remember, one must perform all the
commandments and not pick and choose among them: One must remember the
commandments and perform them all with equal enthusiasm. We must be scrupulous
in performing a minor commandment as a major one, for you do not know the
reward given for the respective commandments.
Such a realization makes a
person holy, for it separates him from the lusts and passion that so corrupt
people and brings them down.
This was יהוה purpose
in taking Yisrael out of Egypt; the deliverance from Egypt was conditional upon
Yisrael’s acceptance of the commandments.
Num 15:40 so that you remember, and shall do all My commands, and be set-apart unto
your Elohim. - The whole concept of tzitzit is to help us remember to
keep Torah and to remember that we are a set Apart people.
Num 15:41 “I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of
Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. I am יהוה your El.” - The Torah commands that we remember the Exodus
and our ultimate objective, the Holy of Holies every day.
In conclusion. The kabbalist
Rabbi Yonatan BenUziel says the CREATOR promise that whoever has humility will
be able to finish the correction of their ego in this life time.
Humanity is a phenomenal
spiritual achievement, like counting the Omer, humility is available to use all
year round, if we only recognize its power. We can study, pray all day, we can
even help an old lady across the street. If however, we achieve humility, the
CREATOR promise that we will finish othe correction of our ego, in our life
time.
Arvei Nachal say that prayer
that contain ego cannot be heard by the CREATOR. Because these prayer cannot
enter the Kingdom of Heavens, they will remain in the natural world.
So what can we do? All of us
have egos. The Kabbalist tell us the very act of trying to minimize our ego
creates hope. When we make an effort to learn from the story of the spies in
Shlach Lecha, we awaken ourselves to the Truth that the only way to enter our
Spiritual Cana’an, the Tree of Life, is to replace our ego the desire to
receive, the desire to be right with humility. This way, we make room for the
Holy Spirit. This way, we merit the blessing of full maturity.
Haftarah
Joshua 2:1 – 24
Jos 2:1 And Yehoshua son of Nun secretly sent out two
men from Shittim to spy, saying, “Go, see the land, and Yeriḥo.” And they
went, and came to the house of a woman, a whore, and her name was Raḥaḇ, and they lay down
there. – The prudence of Yahoshua, in sending
spies to observe this important pass, which was likely to be disputed at the
entrance of Yisrael into Canaan. Go view the land, even Jericho. Moses
had sent spies (Num. 13) Yahoshua himself was one of them and it proved of ill
consequence. Yet Yehoshua now sent spies, not, as the former were sent, to
survey the whole land, but Jericho only; not to bring the account to the whole
congregation, but to Yahoshua only, who, like a watchful general, was
continually projecting for the public good, and, was particularly careful to
take the first step well and not to stumble at the threshold.
It
was not fitting that Yahoshua should venture over Jordan, to make his remarks incognito,
in disguise; but he sends two men (two young men, says the Septuagint), to
view the land, that from their report he might take his measures in attacking
Jericho, and secondly to remove from Jericho the Rahabs of the city.
There
is no remedy, but great men must see with other people’s eyes, which makes it
very necessary that they be cautious in the choice of those they employ, since
so much often depends upon their faithfulness.
Faith
in YAH’s promise ought not to supersede but encourage our diligence in the use
of proper means. Yahoshua is sure he had YAHVEH with him, and yet sends men
before him. We do not trust YAHVEH, but tempt him, if our expectations slacken
our endeavors.
See
how ready these men were to go upon this hazardous enterprise. Though they put
their lives in their hands yet they ventured in obedience to Joshua their
general, in zeal for the service of the camp, and in dependence upon the power
of that YAHVEH who, being the keeper of Yisrael in general, is the protector of
every particular Yisraelite in the way of his duty.
Jos 2:2 But it was reported to the
sovereign of Yeriḥo, saying, “See, men from the children of Yisra’ĕl have come
here tonight to search out the land.” – No
marvel that the king of Jericho sent to esquire after them; he had cause to
fear when the enemy was at his door, and his fear made him suspicious and
jealous of all strangers. He had reason to demand from Rahab that she should bring
forth the men to be dealt with as spies.
Jos 2:3 And the sovereign of Yeriḥo sent
to Raḥaḇ, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have
entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” - The providence of YAHVEH
directing the spies to the house of Rahab. How they got over Jordan we are not told;
but into Jericho they came, which was about seven or eight miles from the
river, and there seeking for a convenient inn were directed to the house of
Rahab, here called a harlot, a woman that had formerly been of ill fame,
the reproach of which stuck to her name, though of late she had repented and
reformed.
Simon
the leper (Mt. 26:6), though cleansed from his leprosy, wore the reproach of it
in his name at long as he lived; so Rahab the harlot; and she is so called in
the New Testament, where both her faith and her good works are praised, to
teach us,
That
the greatness of sin is no bar to pardoning mercy if it be truly repented of in
time. We read of publicans and harlots entering into the kingdom of the
Messiyah, and being welcomed to all the privileged of that kingdom, Mt. 21:31.
That
there are many who before their conversion were very wicked and vile, and yet
afterwards come to great eminence in faith and holiness.
Even
those that through grace have repented of the sins of their youth must expect
to bear the reproach of them, and when they hear of their old faults must renew
their repentance, and, as an evidence of that, hear of them patiently. YAH’s
Israel, for aught that appears, had but one friend, but one well-wisher in all
Jericho, and that was Rahab a harlot. YAHVEH has often served HIS own purposes
and HIS church’s interests by men of different morals. Had these scouts gone to
any other house than this they would certainly have been betrayed and put to
death without mercy.
But YAHVEH knew where they had a friend that would be true
to them, though they did not, and directed them thither. Therefore that which
seems to us most contingent and accidental is often over-ruled by the divine
providence to serve its great ends. And those that faithfully acknowledge
YAHVEH in their ways he will guide with his eye. See Jer. 36:19, 26.
According
the Hebrew rendition of the word harlot, it could also means a business woman,
for she had a inn where visitor would stay over night. It is unheard of to see
to holy Hebrew men going to the house of a whore, but they could be seen going
to an Inn.
Jos 2:4 But the woman had taken the two
men and hid them. So she said, “The men came to me, but I did not know where
they were from. - but Rahab not only disowned that she
knew them, or knew where they were, but, that no further search might be made
for them in the city, told the pursuers they had gone away, and in all
probability might be overtaken.
Jos 2:5 “Then it came to be as the gate
was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. I do not know where
the men went. Pursue them quickly, so that you overtake them.” – Rahab must have been a very excellent spoke person, who was able
to give instruction in details to the police as to what might have happen to the
two men, and what they should do. This showed the police that she was on their
side. Go quickly and find them, after all my flourishing hospitality business
is at stake here. Convincing argument for a business woman or a Harlot, I would
say a business woman, who knew how to conduct herself.
Is it surprising that Rahad was
describe in Proverbs 31, as victorious woman. Is it any wonder that she was
able to differentiate righteousness from unrighteousness and aligned herself on
the right side? It seem like virtuousness is not only in business, it is a
spiritual condition.
Jos 2:6 But she had brought them up to the
roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid out on the
roof. - Perceiving that they were observed
coming into the city, and that notice was taken of there presence, she hid them
upon the roof of the house, which was flat, and covered them with stalks of
flax, so that, if the officers should search for them, there they might lie
undiscovered among the flax. By these stalks of flax, which she herself had
lain in order upon the roof to dry in the sun, in order to the beating and
making it ready for the spinning wheel, it appears she had one of the good
characters of the virtuous woman, that why I say she was a business woman, for an
harlot sits by the wayside every day doing business. The virtuous woman she was
she sought wool and flax, and wrought willingly with her hands, Prov.
31:13.
There
are circumstance in which it is not easy to justify, and yet it must be
justified, or else it could not be so good a work as to justify her.
It
is plain that she betrayed her country by harboring the enemies, and aiding
those that were designing its destruction, which could not consist with her
allegiance to her prince and her affection and duty to the community she was a
member of.
But
that which justifies her in this verse is that she knew YAHVEH had given
Yisrael this land verse 9, knew it
by the indisputable miracles YAHVEH had wrought for them, which confirmed that
grant; and her obligations to YAHVEH were higher than her obligations to any
other.
If
she knew YAHVEH had given them this land, it would have been a sin to
join with those that hindered them from possessing it. But, since no such grant
of any land to any people can now be proved, this will by no means justify any
such treacherous practices against the public welfare.
It
is plain that she deceived the officers that examined her with an inaccurate
statement, but it was not a lie. A lie is any statement that is against the
Word of YAHVEH.
That
she said that she knew not whence the men were, that they had gone out, that
she knew not whither they had gone. What shall we say to this? If she had
either told the truth or been silent, she would have betrayed the spies, and
this would certainly have been a great sin; and it does not appear that she had
any other way of concealing them that by this ironical direction to the
officers to pursue them another way, which if they would suffer themselves to
be deceived by, let them be deceived. None are bound to accuse themselves, or
their friends, of that which, though inquired after as a crime, they know to be
a virtue.
This
case was altogether extraordinary, and therefore cannot be drawn into a
precedent; and that by been justified here which would be by no means lawful in
a common case. Rahab knew, by what was already done on the other side Jordan,
that no mercy was to be shown to the Canaanites, and thence inferred that, if
mercy was not owing them, truth was not; those that might be destroyed might be
deceived.
Yet
divines generally conceive that it was a sin, which however admitted of this
extenuation, that being a Canaanite she was not better taught the evil of
lying; but YAHVEH accepted her faith and pardoned her infirmity. However it was
in this case, we are sure it is our duty to speak every man the truth to his
neighbor, to dread and detest lying, and never to do evil, that evil, that
good may come of it, Rom. 3:8.
Telling
evil things is to speak against the Written Word. Rahab did not speak against
Yah’s People, therefore she did not lie. YAHVEH accepts what is sincerely and
honestly intended towards HIS people as good, though there be a mixture of
frailty and folly in it, and is not extreme to mark what we do amiss. Some
suggest that what she said might possibly be true of some other men.
There
is a lot of people who tell the truth and other people suffer for it, because
they feel they were telling the truth. Consider 1939 Germany, a Nazi solder
come into your house when you are having dinner with three Jewish guest at your
table. The solder ask if there are any Jews in the house. What would you say?
Consider
this someone come to you and tell you that the Sabbath is done away with. What
would you call the later consideration? I call it a lie! The first
consideration I would deny that there were any Jews in my house. When is a lie
a lie? When it is against the Word of YAHVEH.
Jos 2:7 And the men pursued them by the
way to the Yardĕn, to the fords. And they shut the gate afterwards as soon as
the pursuers had gone out.
Jos 2:8 And before they lay down, she came
up to them on the roof, - during world war II thousand of
people who we have not heard about protect Jew from been slaughtered by the
Nazi, men like Shindler, falls in the same category as Rahab the business
woman.
Jos 2:9 and she said to the men, “I know
that יהוה has given you the land, and that
the fear of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt
away because of you. - We are sure this was a good work: it is
canonized by the apostle (James 2:25), where she is said to be justified by
works, and this is specified, that she received the messengers, and sent
them out another way, and she did it in faith, such a faith as set her
above the fear of man, even of the wrath of the king.
She
believed, upon the report she had heard of the wonders wrought for Yisrael,
that their Elohim was the only true EL, and that therefore their declared
design upon Canaan would undoubtedly take effect and in this faith she sided
with them, protected them, and courted their favor. Had she said, "I believe
YAHVEH is yours and Canaan yours, but I dare not show you any kindness,’’ her
faith had been dead and inactive, and would not have justified her. But by this
it appeared to be both alive and lively, that she exposed herself to the
possibility of great repercussion, even of life, in obedience to her faith.
Those
only are true believers that can find in their hearts to venture for YAHVEH;
and those that by faith take the YAHVEH for their EL take HIS people for their
people, and cast in their lot among them. Those that have YAHVEH for their
refuge and hiding-place must testify their gratitude by their readiness to
shelter HIS people when there is occasion. Let my outcasts dwell with thee,
Isa. 16:3, 4. And we must be glad of an opportunity of testifying the sincerity
and zeal of our love to YAHVEH by hazardous services to his Messiyanic Assembly
and kingdom among men.
Jos 2:10 “For we have heard how יהוה dried
up the water of the Sea of Reeds for you when you came out of Mitsrayim, and
what you did to the two sovereigns of the Amorites who were beyond the Yardĕn,
Siḥon and Oḡ, whom you put under the ban. - Having got clear of the officers, she comes up to them
to the roof of the house where they lay hid, finds them perhaps somewhat
dismayed at the peril they apprehended themselves in from the officers, and
scarcely recovered from the fright, but has that to say to them which will give
them abundant satisfaction.
She
saved them, and by them sends to Yahoshua and Yisrael, all the encouragement
that could be desired to make their intended descent upon Canaan. This was what
they came for, and it was worth coming for.
She
lets them know that the report of the great things YAHVEH had done for them had
come to Jericho, not only that they had an account of their late victories
obtained over the Amorites in the neighboring country, on the other side of
the river, but that their miraculous deliverance out of Egypt, and passage
through the Red Sea, a great way off, and forty years ago, were remembered and
talked about in Jericho, to the amazement of every body.
Jos 2:11 “And when we heard, our hearts melted, and there was no
spirit left in anyone because of you, for יהוה your
Elohim, He is Elohim in the heavens above and on earth beneath. - This Yahoshua and his fellows were men wondered at,
Zec. 3:8. See how YAHVEH makes HIS wonderful works to be remembered (Ps.
111:4), so that men shall speak of the might of HIS terrible acts, Ps.
145:6.
She tells them what impressions the tidings of
these things had made upon the Canaanites: Your terror has fallen upon us
verse 9; our hearts did melt. If she kept a Inn, this would give her an
opportunity to hear from the numerous travelers an understanding off the sense
of various companies and of travelers from other parts of the country, so that
they could not know this any way better than by her information.
It
would be of great use to Yahoshua and Yisrael to know it; it would put courage
into the most cowardly YIsraelite to hear how their enemies were dispirited,
and it was easy to conclude that those who now fainted before them would
infallibly fall before them, especially because it was the accomplishment of a
promise YAHVEH had made them, that he would lay the fear and dread of them
upon all this land (Deu. 11:25), and so it would be an earnest of the
accomplishment of all the other promises YAHVEH had made to them.
Let
not the stout man glory in his courage, any more than the strong man in his
strength; for YAHVEH can weaken both mind and body. Let not YAH’s Yisrael be
afraid of their most powerful enemies; for their YAHVEH can, when YAHVEH
pleases, make their most powerful enemies afraid of them. Let none think to harden
their hearts against YAHVEH and prosper; for HE that made man’s soul can at any
time make the sword of HIS terrors approach to it.
She
hereupon makes profession of her faith in YAHVEH and HIS promise; and perhaps there
was not found so great faith (all things considered), no, not in
Yisrael, as in this woman of Canaan. who believes YAH’s power and dominion
over all the world verse 11: "YAHVEH your EL, whom you worship and call
upon, is so far above all gods that HE is the only true Elohim; for YAHVEH is
EL in the heavens above and in earth beneath, and is served by all the
hosts of both.’’ A vast distance there is between heaven and earth, yet both
are equally under the inspection and government of the great YAHVEH EL- Elion.
The Heavens is not above HIS power, nor is earth below HIS cognizance.
Jos 2:12 “And now, please swear to me by יהוה, since I have shown you kindness,
that you also show kindness to my father’s house, and shall give me a true
token, - She believes YAHVEH
promise to HIS people Yisrael verse 9: I know that YAHVEH hath given you the
land. The king of Jericho had heard as much as she had of the great things
YAHVEH had done for Yisrael, yet he cannot infer thence that YAHVEH had given
them this land, but resolves to hold it out against them to the last extremity;
for the most powerful means of conviction will not of themselves attain the end
without divine grace, and by that grace Rahab the harlot, who had only heard of
the wonders YAHVEH had wrought, speaks with more assurance of the truth of the
promise made to the fathers than all the elders of Yisrael had done who were
eye-witnesses of those wonders, many of whom perished through unbelief of this
promise. Blessed are those that have not seen, and yet have believed; so
Rahab did. O woman, great is thy faith!
Jos 2:13 and shall spare my father, and my mother, and my
brothers, and my sisters, and all that they have, and shall deliver our lives
from death.” - She engaged them to take
her and her relations under their protection, that they might not perish in the
destruction of Jericho.
It
was evidence of the sincerity and strength of her faith concerning the
approaching revolution in her country, that she was so solicitous to make an
interest for herself with the Yisraelites, and courted their kindness. She
foresaw the conquest of her country, and in the belief of that bespoke in time
the favor of the conquerors. As Noah, being moved with fear, prepared an
ark to the saving of his house, and the condemning of the world, Heb. 11:7.
Those who truly believe the divine revelation concerning the ruin of sinners,
and the grant of the heavenly land to YAH’s Yisrael, will give diligence to
flee from the wrath to come, and to lay hold of eternal life, by joining
themselves to YAHVEH and to HIS people.
The
provision she made for the safety of her relations, as well as for her own, is
a laudable instance of natural affection, and an intimation to us in like
manner to do all we can for the salvation of the souls of those that are dear
to us, and, with ourselves, to bring them, if possible, into the bond of the
covenant. No mention is made of her husband and children, but only her parents,
and brothers, and sisters, for whom, though she was herself a housekeeper, she
retained a due concern.
Her
request that they would swear unto her by YAHVEH is an instance of her
acquaintance with the only true Elohim, and her faith in HIM and devotion
towards HIM, one act of which is religiously to swear by his name.
Her
petition is very just and reasonable, that, since she had protected them, they
should protect her, and since her kindness to them extended to their people,
for whom they were now negotiating, their kindness to her should take in all
hers.
It
was the least they could do for one that had saved their lives with the hazard
of her own. Those that show mercy may expect to find mercy. She does not demand
any preferment by way of reward for her kindness to them, though they lay so
much at her mercy that she might have made her own terms, but only indents for
her Life, which in a general destruction would be a singular favour.
Therefore
YAHVEH promised Ebed-Melech, in recompense for his kindness to Jeremiah, that
in the worst of times he should have his life for a prey, Jer. 39:18.
Yet this Rahab was afterwards advanced to be a princess in Yisrael, the wife of
Salmon, and one of the ancestors of Messiyah, Mt. 1:5. Those that faithfully
serve Messiyah and suffer for him he will not only protect, but prefer, and
will do for them more than they are able to ask or think.
Jos 2:14 And the men said to her, “Our lives for yours, if you do
not expose this matter of ours, then it shall be, when יהוה has given us the land, that we
shall treat you in kindness and truth.” - They solemnly engaged for
her preservation in the common destruction: "Our life for yours. We
will take as much care of your lives as of our own, and would as soon hurt
ourselves as any of you.’’ They imprecate YAH’s judgments on themselves if they
should violate their promise to her.
She
had pawned her life for theirs, and now they in requital pawn their lives for
hers, and (as public persons) with them they pawn the public faith and the
credit of their nation, for they plainly interest all Yisrael in the engagement
in those words, When YAHVEH has given us the land, meaning not
themselves only, but the people whose agents they were.
No
doubt they knew themselves sufficiently authorized to treat with Rahab
concerning this matter, and were confident that Yahoshua would ratify what they
did, else they had not dealt honestly; the general law that they should make no
covenant with the Canaanites (Deu. 7:2) did not forbid them to take under their
protection a particular person, that had heartily come into their interests and
had done them real kindnesses. The law of gratitude is one of the laws of
nature. Now observe here. The promises they made her. In general, "We
will deal kindly and truly with thee.
Jos 2:15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for
her house was on the city wall and she dwelt on the wall. – The manner in which we rescue other will
eventually be the very means of our own salvation.
Jos 2:16 And she said to them, “Go to the mountain, lest the
pursuers come upon you. And you shall hide there three days, until the pursuers
have returned, and afterwards go on your way.” - She also directed them which way to go for their own
safety, being better acquainted with the country than they were. she directs
them to leave the high road, and escape by the way of the mountains till the pursuers returned,
for till then they could not safely venture over Jordan. those that are in the
way of YAHVEH and their duty may expect that Providence will protect them, but
this will not excuse them from taking all prudent methods for their own safety.
Jos 2:17 And the men said to her, “We are released from this oath
of yours which you have made us swear, - YAHVEH will keep us, but then we must not willfully
expose ourselves. Providence must be trusted, but not tempted. Their charge to
Rahab to keep this matter secret, and not to repeat it, was intended for her
safety, lest she, boasting of her security from the sword of Yisrael, should,
before they came to protect her, fall into the hands of the king of Jericho and
be put to death for treason: thus do they prudently advise her for her safety,
as she advised them for theirs. And it is good advice, which we should at any
time be thankful for, to take heed to ourselves.
Jos 2:18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of
scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring
your father, and your mother, and your brothers, and all your father’s
household to your own home. – Covenants
must be made with care, and we must be careful when we swear in judgment, lest
we find ourselves perplexed and entangled when it is too late after vows to
make inquiry Those that will be conscientious in keeping their promises
will be cautious in making them, and perhaps may insert conditions which others
may think frivolous.
Their
promise is here accompanied with three stipulations, and they were necessary
ones. They will protect Rahab, and all her relations always, provided, That she
tie the scarlet cord with which she was now about to let them down in the
window of her house.
This
was to be a mark upon the house, which the spies would take care to give notice
of to the camp of Yisrael, that no soldier, how hot and eager soever he was in
military executions, might offer any violence to the house that was thus
distinguished. This was like the blood sprinkled upon the door-post, which
secured the first-born from the destroying angel, and, being of the same
color, some allude to this also to represent the safety of believers under the
protection of the blood of Messiyah sprinkled on the conscience. The same cord
that she made use of for the preservation of these Yisraelites was to be made
use of for her preservation. What we serve and honor YAHVEH with we may expect
he will bless and make comfortable to us.
That
she should have all those whose safety she had desired in the house with her
and keep them there, and that, at the time of taking the town, none of them
should dare to stir out of doors.
Jos 2:19 “And it shall be that anyone who goes outside the doors
of your house into the street, his blood is on his own head, and we are
innocent. And anyone who is with you in the house, his blood is on our head if
a hand is laid on him. – We will not only be kind
in promising now, but true in performing what we promise; and not only true in
performing just what we promise, but kind in out-doing thy demands and
expectations.’’ The goodness of YAHVEH is often expressed by his kindness and
truth (Ps. 117:2), and in both these we must be followers of him.
In
particular, "If a hand be upon any in the house with thee, his blood
shall be on our head,’’. If hurt come through our carelessness to those
whom we are obliged to protect, we thereby contract guilt, and blood will be
found a heavy load.
The
provisos and limitations of their promises. Though they were in haste, and it
may be in some confusion, yet we find them very cautious in settling this
agreement and the terms of it, not to bind themselves to more than was fit for
them to perform.
Jos 2:20 “And if you expose this matter of ours, then we shall be
released from your oath which you made us swear.” – Like wise in a marriage covenant, the covent
become nul-and-void when the terms of the covenant is broken.
Jos 2:21 And she said, “Let it be according to your words.” And
she sent them away, and they went. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window. – She then took effectual care to secure her new friends,
and sent them out another way,
James 2:25. Having fully understood the covenant they made with her, and
consented to it, she then let them
down by a cord over the city wall verse 15, the spiritual situation of
her house cause the two spies to escape: it was a similar situation Paul made
his escape out of Damascus, 2 Co. 11:33.
Jos 2:22 So they left and came to the mountain, and stayed there
three days until the pursuers returned. And the pursuers sought them in all the
way, but did not find them. - We have here the safe
return of the spies Yahoshua had sent, and the great encouragement they brought
with them to Yisrael to proceed in their advance upon Canaan. Had they been
disposed to discourage the people, as the evil spies did that Moses sent, they
might have told them what they had observed of the height and strength of the
walls of Jericho, and the extraordinary vigilance of the king of Jericho, and
how narrowly they escaped out of his hands; but they were of another spirit,
and, depending themselves upon the divine promise, they animated Joshua
likewise.
Their
return in safety was itself an encouragement to Joshua, and a token for good.
that YAHVEH provided for them so good a friend as Rahab was in an enemy’s
country, and that notwithstanding the rage of the king of Jericho and the
eagerness of the pursuers they had come back in peace, was such an instance of
YAH’s great care concerning them for Yisrael’s sake as might assure the people
of the divine guidance and care they were under, which should undoubtedly make
the progress of their arms glorious. He that so wonderfully protected their
scouts would preserve their men of war, and cover their heads in the day of
battle.
Jos 2:23 Then the two men returned and came down from the
mountain, and passed over. And they came to Yehoshua son of Nun, and related to
him all that had befallen them. – When the two witnesses finish there ministry here on earth, they
will return to YAHVEH to give an account of there ministry.
Jos 2:24 And they said to Yehoshua, “Truly יהוה has given all the land into our
hands, and also, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away because of us.” - The report they brought
was much more encouraging: "All the inhabitants of the country,
though resolved to stand it out, yet do faint because of us, they have
neither wisdom to yield nor courage to fight,’’ whence they conclude, "Truly
YAHVEH has delivered into our hands all the land, it is all our own; we
have nothing to do, in effect, but to take possession.’’ Sinners’ frights are
sometimes sure presages of their fall. If we resist our spiritual enemies they
will flee before us, which will encourage us to hope that in due time we shall
be more than conquerors.
Brit
Chadasha
Hebrew 3:7 – 19
In
these verses we have the application of the doctrine laid down in the close of
the last chapter concerning the priesthood of our Messiyah Yahushua.
How fervent and affectionate a manner
the Apostle exhorts Messiyanic to have this High Priest much in their thoughts,
and to make Hm the object of their close and serious consideration; and surely
no one in earth or heaven deserves our consideration more than He. That this
exhortation might be made the more effectual, observe.
Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Set-apart Spirit
says, “Today, if you hear His voice,
- Here
the apostle proceeds in pressing upon them serious counsels and cautions at the
close of the chapter; and he recites a passage fro Ps. 95:7. What he counsels
them to do, to give a speedy and present attention to the call ofMessiyah.
"Hear His Voice, assent to, approve of, and consider, what YAHVEH in
Messiyah speaks unto you; apply it to yourselves with suitable affections and
endeavours, and set about it this very day, for to-morrow it may be too late.’’
Heb 3:8 do not harden your hearts as in
the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, - What
he cautions them against, hardening their hearts, turning the deaf ear to the
calls and counsels of Messiyah: "When he tells you of the evil of sin, the
excellency of holiness, the necessity of receiving Messiyah by faith as your
Saviour, do not shut your ear and mind against such a voice as this.’’ The
hardening of our hearts is the spring of all our other sins.
Heb 3:9 where your fathers tried Me,
proved Me, and saw My works forty years.
– Whose
example he warns them by, that of the Yisraelites their fathers in the
wilderness: As in the provocation and day of temptation; this refers to
that remarkable passage at Massah Meribah, Ex. 17:2-7. Days of temptation are
often days of provocation.
To
provoke YAHVEH, when he is trying us, and letting us see that we entirely
depend and live immediately upon him, is a provocation with a witness.
The
sins of others, especially our relations, should be a warning to us. Our
fathers’ sins and punishments should be remembered by us, to deter us from
following their evil examples. Now as to the sin of the fathers of the Jews,
here reflected upon.
The
state in which these fathers were, when they thus sinned: they were in the
wilderness, brought out of Egypt, but not got into Canaan, the thoughts should
have restrained them from sin.
The
sin they were guilty of: they tempted and provoked YAHVEH; they distrusted
YAHVEH, murmured against Moses, and would not attend to the voice of YAHWEH.
The
aggravations of their sin: they sinned in the wilderness, where they had a more
immediate dependence upon YAHVEH: they sinned when YAHVEH was trying them; they
sinned when they saw his works, works of wonder wrought for their deliverance
out of Egypt, and their support and supply in the wilderness from day to day.
They continued thus to sin against YAHVEH for forty years. These were heinous
aggravations.
(The
source and spring of such aggravated sins, which were:
- They erred in their
hearts; and these heart-errors produced many other errors in their lips
and lives.
- They
did not know YAH’s ways, though HE had walked before them. They did not
know HIS ways; neither those ways of HIS providence in which HE had walked
towards them, nor those ways of his precept in which they ought to have
walked towards YAHVEH; they did not observe either his providences or his
ordinances in a right manner.
Heb 3:10 “Therefore I was grieved with
that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have
not known My ways.’ – The just and great resentment YAHVEH
had at their sins, and yet the great patience he exercised towards them: Wherefore
I was grieved with that generation.
§ All sin, especially sin
committed by YAH’s professing privileged people, does not only anger and affront
YAHVEH, but it grieves him.
§ YAHVEH is loth to destroy
HIS people in or for their sin, HE waits long to be gracious to them.
§ YAHVEH keeps an exact
account of the time that people go on in sinning against HIM, and in grieving
HM by their sins; but at length, if they by their sins continue to grieve the
Spirit of YAHVEH, their sins shall be made grievous to their own spirits,
either in a way of judgment or mercy.
Heb 3:11 “As I swore in My wrath, ‘If they
shall enter into My rest...’ ”1 Footnote: 1Ps. 95:7-11. – The
irreversible doom passed upon them at last for their sins. YAHVEH swore in HIS
wrath that they should not enter into his rest, the rest either of an earthly
or of a heavenly Canaan.
§ Sin, long continued in,
will kindle the divine wrath, and make it flame out against sinners.
§ YAH’s wrath will discover
itself in its righteous resolution to destroy the impenitent; HE will swear in
his wrath, not rashly, but righteously, and HIS wrath will make their condition
a restless condition; there is no resting under the wrath of YAHVEH.
Heb 3:12 Look out, brothers, lest there be
in any of you a wicked heart of unbelief in falling away from the living
Elohim, - What use the apostle makes of their
awful example. He gives the Hebrews a proper caution, and enforces it with an
affectionate compilation statement; the word is, Take heed, blepete, look to it.
"Look about you; be upon your guard against enemies both within and
without; be circumspect.
You
see what kept many of your forefathers out of Canaan, and made their carcasses
fall in the wilderness; take heed lest you fall into the same sin and snare and
dreadful sentence. For you see Messiyah is the Head of Yisrael, a much greater
person than Moses, and your contempt of Him must be a greater sin than their
contempt of Moses; and so you are in danger of falling under a severer sentence
than they.
The
ruin of others should be a warning to us to take heed of the rock they split
upon. Yisrael’s fall should forever be a warning to all who come after them;
for all these things happened to them for ensamples (1 Co. 10:11), and
should be remembered by us. Take heed; all who would want to get safely into
the holy of holies must look about them.
He
enforces the admonition with an affectionate compilation: "Brethren,
not only in the flesh, but in Messiyah; brethren whom I love, and for whose
welfare I labor and long.’’ Here Paul enlarges upon the matter of the
admonition: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart
of unbelief in departing from the living Elohim.
A
heart of unbelief is an evil heart. Unbelief is a great sin, it hardens the
heart of man.
An
evil heart of unbelief is at the bottom of all our sinful departures from
YAHVEH; it is a leading step to apostasy; if once we allow ourselves to
distrust YAHVEH, we may soon desert him.
Yisraelite
brethren have need to be cautioned against apostasy. Let those that think
they stand take heed lest they fall.
Heb 3:13 but encourage one another daily,
while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened by the deceivableness
of sin. – He opened to good counsel
to the caution, and advises them in that which would be a remedy against this
evil heart of unbelief, that they should exhort one another daily, while it
is called to-day.
We
should be encouraging one another while we are together, which will be but a
short and uncertain time. Since to-morrow is none of ours, we must make the
best improvement of to-day.
If
Messiyanics do not exhort one another daily, they will be in danger of being
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. There is a great deal of
deceitfulness in sin; it appears fair, but is filthy; it appears pleasant, but
is pernicious; it promises much, but performs nothing.
The
deceitfulness of sin is of a hardening nature to the soul; once sin allowed
prepares for another; every act of sin confirms the habit; sinning against
conscience is the way to sear the conscience; and therefore it should be the
great concern of every one to exhort himself and others to beware of sin.
Heb 3:14 For we have become partakers of
Messiyah if we hold fast the beginning of our trust firm to the end, - He comforts those who not
only set out well, but hold on well, and hold out to the end: We are made
partakers of Messiyah, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast to
the end.
The
saints’ privilege: they are made partakers of Messiyah, that is, of the Spirit,
nature, graces, righteousness, and life of Messiyah; they are interested in all
that is Messiyah’s, in all that He is, in all that He has done, or can do.
The
condition on which they hold that privilege, namely, their perseverance in the
bold and open profession and practice of Messiyah and Yisrael unto the end. Not
but they shall persevere, being kept by the mighty power of YAHVEH through
faith to salvation, but to be pressed to it is one means by which Messiyah
helps His people to persevere. This tends to make them watchful and diligent,
and so keeps them from apostasy.
The
same Spirit with which Yisrael set out in the ways of YAHVEH they should
maintain and evidence to the end. Those who begin seriously, and with lively
affections and holy resolutions and humble reliance, should go on in the same
spirit.
There
are a great many who in the beginning of their profession show a great deal of
courage and confidence, but do not hold them fast to the end. Perseverance in
faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of our faith.
Heb 3:15 while it is said, “Today, if you
hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” – The
apostle resumes what he had quoted before from Ps. 95:7, etc., and he applies
it closely to those of that generation. While it is said, To-day if you will
hear, etc.; as if he should say, "What was recited before from that
scripture belonged not only to former ages, but to you now, and to all who
shall come after you; that you take heed you fall not into the same sins, lest
you fall under the same condemnation.’’
Heb 3:16 For who, having heard, rebelled?
Was it not all who came out of Mitsrayim, led by Mosheh? – The
apostle tells them that though some who had heard the voice of YAHVEH did
provoke him, yet all did not so.
Though
the majority of hearers provoked YAHVEH by unbelief, yet there were some who
believed the report.
Though
the hearing of the word be the ordinary means of salvation, yet, if it be not
hearkened to, it will expose men more to the anger of YAHVEH.
YAHVEH
will have a remnant that shall be obedient to HIS voice, and HE will take care
of such and make mention of them with honor.
If
these should fall in a common calamity, yet they shall partake of eternal
salvation, while disobedient hearers perish forever.
Heb 3:17 And with whom was He grieved forty
years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? – The
apostle puts some queries upon what had been before mentioned, and gives proper
answers to them: But with whom was he grieved forty years? With those that
sinned. And to whom did he swear? .
YAHVEH
is grieved only with those of his people who sin against HIM, and continue in
sin.
YAHVEH
is grieved and provoked most by sins publicly committed by the generality of a
nation; when sin becomes epidemic, it is most provoking.
Though
YAHVEH grieves long, and bears long, when pressed with the weight of general
and prevailing wickedness, yet HE will at length ease HIMSELF of public
offenders by public judgments.
Heb 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they
would not enter into His rest, but to those who did not obey? – Those who have heard the word and continue in the sin will never reach
Maturity. Those who sin and learn from their mistake are the wise virgins.
Those who sin and continue in their sins are the foolish virgins. The foolish
virgins were not invited to the wedding feast.
Heb 3:19 So we see that they were unable to
enter in because of unbelief. Unbelief (with rebellion
which is the consequent of it) is the great damning sin of the world,
especially of those who have a revelation of the mind and will of YAHVEH. This
sin shuts up the heart of YAHVEH, and shuts up the gate of heaven, against
them; it lays them under the wrath and curse of YAHVEH, and leaves them there;
so that in truth and justice to Himself HE is obliged to cast them off forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment