Bamidbar (Numbers)
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Meaning
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Day Six
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5.
Numbers 18:15-32(NASB)1
15 "Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they offer to the LORD, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16 "As to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17 "But the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the LORD. 18 "Their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh. 19 "All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD to you and your descendants with you." 20 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel. 21 "To the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting. 22 "The sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die. 23 "Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 "For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they offer as an offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, 'They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.' " 25 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 "Moreover, you shall speak to the Levites and say to them, 'When you take from the sons of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present an offering from it to the LORD, a tithe of the tithe. 27 'Your offering shall be reckoned to you as the grain from the threshing floor or the full produce from the wine vat. 28 'So you shall also present an offering to the LORD from your tithes, which you receive from the sons of Israel; and from it you shall give the LORD'S offering to Aaron the priest. 29 'Out of all your gifts you shall present every offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the sacred part from them.' 30 "You shall say to them, 'When you have offered from it the best of it, then the rest shall be reckoned to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor, and as the product of the wine vat. 31 'You may eat it anywhere, you and your households, for it is your compensation in return for your service in the tent of meeting. 32 'You will bear no sin by reason of it when you have offered the best of it. But you shall not profane the sacred gifts of the sons of Israel, or you will die.' "
The rains continue intermittently. These two mornings have been a welcome respite from the very warm temperatures to our heat-sensitive folks, (of which I am not one!) The rain is beneficial for all the gardens in our region. But as soon as we 'dry out' when these rains are done, there are areas on the homestead where the grass must be cut. All this rain makes it grow exponentially, and we're a tad behind with the grass upkeep. I chased a juvenile garter snake out of the coop one evening. That's the second one in eleven years. The first one, I discovered one evening, in the lip of the threshold of the door and it vacated satisfactorily. This one was in the unoccupied section of the coop. I used the shovel to shoo it out at the door threshold. The head on that snake looked a bit small to be able to swallow any eggs but I'll certainly be watching for it again! If the grass and the snake are the biggest problems we have, then we're doing alright. Today I start up on the hamster wheel once again with the shopping for the Monday lunch at the Golden Age Club. I require much less pain medication for the osteoarthritis and this too, shall pass. I've not had to use Michael, the cane, and so things are, as they say, “looking up”!
The list of details that pertain to the priesthood continues in our text. We've seen the population of Israel be somewhat divided into several classes of organization. Moses was the big macher or boss. Aaron and the priests served God and had charge of the tabernacle and the holy areas of the structure. The remaining clans of the Levites were their support staff who did all the “heavy lifting”. Then there was the rest of the population who used the tabernacle served jointly by the priests and the Levites. The priests and Levites weren't more important than the rest of the population, but in the years between Moshe and Messiah, the priests, and Levites (scribes and lawyers among them) eventually came to see themselves not as servants of God and the people, but as leaders. Pride entered in. We know that by the time of Messiah, He felt that they had turned into a pretty arrogant and self-serving segment of the society. We also touched on the fact that as the years went on and the temple fell into disuse with the idolatry of the people, the income of the priests and Levites suffered. The people were not giving their designated portions to the temple as God had instituted in the days of Moses and so their incomes dwindled terribly until they looked to raising livestock or some other work in which to supplement their income and support their families. It would truly have been a sweet set-up had they been faithful and it remained as the Lord had started it.
A descendant of Aaron was present in the days of the rebuilding of the temple under Ezra and Nehemiah—and that descendant was the “Ezra” mentioned! According to the book of Ezra, he purports his lineage to be that of Aaron the high priest.
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest: 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Ezra 7:1-6. (Underlining and highlighting are mine in this passage.)
One thing we need to remember in our study is that “sons” (or daughters) of a certain person also included grandsons and great-grandsons down the line. In those days they didn’t break it up as we do today and even sons-in-laws’ were included as sons of a certain person. Here below is an example of how new information arrived at my computer doorstep when I simply used a search engine. We discover that Ithamar came through into the land of promise as well as his brother Eleazar and that descendants of Ithamar also had a part in the priesthood many years after. The fact that these came through gives me hope that others did as well who weren’t part of the priesthood or the Levitical group. They would have been very old by the time they did cross over, but can you imagine what kind of Godly resources and role models they were to those of the younger ones?
4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers. 1 Chronicles 24:4.
This week started with an insurrection by Korah, who failed to realize that God is the only one Who can truly measure one’s worth and significance in the Kingdom. The significance of service comes neither from the size of a task nor the importance of that task. We go down a road with disastrous outcomes when we are focused on what others think when we perform a task to impress man (or ourselves), instead of God. If we could only be as focused as Messiah, on the tasks at hand.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. John 4:33-34.
It is a mark of maturity to know and accept one’s position in the Kingdom. There is absolutely nothing wrong with “knowing our place” or “staying in our lane”. I daresay that those who are in the public eye, who are gifted beyond the scope of most, who minister and bless many, who would gladly step down for an opportunity to simply minister behind the scenes. The one who stands and sparks a revival in some church building is no more important than the one who cleans the restrooms in the same building. It is maturity that appreciates the positions of others and recognizes their worth in God’s economy. Korah just didn’t get it! Rabbi Danny Gimpel says this about the folly of Korah:
“Korach's mistake was that he thought that everyone's ways and means to achieve fulfillment through sanctity are the same. This would mean that everyone would assume the same roles in society, but we know that society requires the fulfillment of many different roles working symbiotically in order to function effectively. Our sages tell us that just as our faces aren't similar one to the other, so too our minds aren't similar, meaning that everyone of us has his or her own identity.”
Indeed! Paul’s message to the Philippians was this:
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world… Philippians 2:14-15.
Let’s face it; the flesh wants to play the biggest part! Strive for the mind of Christ! The message of taking their ministry seriously applies to the Levites. They would be receiving the nation’s tithes but they were also responsible for their tithes to Aaron.
28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest. Numbers 18:28.
The message was the same to ALL Levites: Handle sacred objects with care! We can learn from the trials and tribulations of early Biblical Israel. Sacred objects for us today might be more spiritual as opposed to physical. There is sacredness in: mentoring another believer, integrity, personal obedience, and following the chain of command that God has laid down. I’m sure that you could add much more to this list. I conclude today’s offering with a tidbit from Dr. Randall Smith, who wrote in 1999 regarding the Korah incident:
“The Hebrew term for leaders, nasi, is often translated as "prince" in the Scriptures. It is derived from a term that means to lift up or raise up, as in smoke or mist that rises. It is a tragic irony that these who were raised up ("princes," verse 2) ended their lives by sliding into the pit of the earth. It is a valid reminder to all who read the story that the way up (importance) is the way down (servant-hood), and the way down (destruction) is the way up (self-importance)!”
Yeshua himself echoed this important Torah truth:
The list of details that pertain to the priesthood continues in our text. We've seen the population of Israel be somewhat divided into several classes of organization. Moses was the big macher or boss. Aaron and the priests served God and had charge of the tabernacle and the holy areas of the structure. The remaining clans of the Levites were their support staff who did all the “heavy lifting”. Then there was the rest of the population who used the tabernacle served jointly by the priests and the Levites. The priests and Levites weren't more important than the rest of the population, but in the years between Moshe and Messiah, the priests, and Levites (scribes and lawyers among them) eventually came to see themselves not as servants of God and the people, but as leaders. Pride entered in. We know that by the time of Messiah, He felt that they had turned into a pretty arrogant and self-serving segment of the society. We also touched on the fact that as the years went on and the temple fell into disuse with the idolatry of the people, the income of the priests and Levites suffered. The people were not giving their designated portions to the temple as God had instituted in the days of Moses and so their incomes dwindled terribly until they looked to raising livestock or some other work in which to supplement their income and support their families. It would truly have been a sweet set-up had they been faithful and it remained as the Lord had started it.
A descendant of Aaron was present in the days of the rebuilding of the temple under Ezra and Nehemiah—and that descendant was the “Ezra” mentioned! According to the book of Ezra, he purports his lineage to be that of Aaron the high priest.
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest: 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Ezra 7:1-6. (Underlining and highlighting are mine in this passage.)
One thing we need to remember in our study is that “sons” (or daughters) of a certain person also included grandsons and great-grandsons down the line. In those days they didn’t break it up as we do today and even sons-in-laws’ were included as sons of a certain person. Here below is an example of how new information arrived at my computer doorstep when I simply used a search engine. We discover that Ithamar came through into the land of promise as well as his brother Eleazar and that descendants of Ithamar also had a part in the priesthood many years after. The fact that these came through gives me hope that others did as well who weren’t part of the priesthood or the Levitical group. They would have been very old by the time they did cross over, but can you imagine what kind of Godly resources and role models they were to those of the younger ones?
4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers. 1 Chronicles 24:4.
This week started with an insurrection by Korah, who failed to realize that God is the only one Who can truly measure one’s worth and significance in the Kingdom. The significance of service comes neither from the size of a task nor the importance of that task. We go down a road with disastrous outcomes when we are focused on what others think when we perform a task to impress man (or ourselves), instead of God. If we could only be as focused as Messiah, on the tasks at hand.
33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. John 4:33-34.
It is a mark of maturity to know and accept one’s position in the Kingdom. There is absolutely nothing wrong with “knowing our place” or “staying in our lane”. I daresay that those who are in the public eye, who are gifted beyond the scope of most, who minister and bless many, who would gladly step down for an opportunity to simply minister behind the scenes. The one who stands and sparks a revival in some church building is no more important than the one who cleans the restrooms in the same building. It is maturity that appreciates the positions of others and recognizes their worth in God’s economy. Korah just didn’t get it! Rabbi Danny Gimpel says this about the folly of Korah:
“Korach's mistake was that he thought that everyone's ways and means to achieve fulfillment through sanctity are the same. This would mean that everyone would assume the same roles in society, but we know that society requires the fulfillment of many different roles working symbiotically in order to function effectively. Our sages tell us that just as our faces aren't similar one to the other, so too our minds aren't similar, meaning that everyone of us has his or her own identity.”
Indeed! Paul’s message to the Philippians was this:
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world… Philippians 2:14-15.
Let’s face it; the flesh wants to play the biggest part! Strive for the mind of Christ! The message of taking their ministry seriously applies to the Levites. They would be receiving the nation’s tithes but they were also responsible for their tithes to Aaron.
28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest. Numbers 18:28.
The message was the same to ALL Levites: Handle sacred objects with care! We can learn from the trials and tribulations of early Biblical Israel. Sacred objects for us today might be more spiritual as opposed to physical. There is sacredness in: mentoring another believer, integrity, personal obedience, and following the chain of command that God has laid down. I’m sure that you could add much more to this list. I conclude today’s offering with a tidbit from Dr. Randall Smith, who wrote in 1999 regarding the Korah incident:
“The Hebrew term for leaders, nasi, is often translated as "prince" in the Scriptures. It is derived from a term that means to lift up or raise up, as in smoke or mist that rises. It is a tragic irony that these who were raised up ("princes," verse 2) ended their lives by sliding into the pit of the earth. It is a valid reminder to all who read the story that the way up (importance) is the way down (servant-hood), and the way down (destruction) is the way up (self-importance)!”
Yeshua himself echoed this important Torah truth:
11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 14:11.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified.
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