Moses Intercedes for the People
14: 5-19

Moses intercedes for the people DIG: Why did Joshua and Caleb tear their clothes? What is the significance of the Sh’khinah glory here? What was Moshe’s main argument against ADONAI? Why was it such a good argument? Do you think God’s anger with the Israelites was justified?

REFLECT: In what ways do you suffer the sins of your parents and grandparents? Take a moment to intercede and pray for those who are now under God’s judgment. Ask Him to open their eyes to the truth before it is too late. Thank the Lord that He is willing to forgive us for our sins.

Yes, discipline the people for their sin if You must,
but please don’t totally destroy them for Your Name’s sake.

In the midst of this riot of rebellion, only a few voices still spoke of God’s grace and remembered His power. The Torah mentions four such people: Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. These were the only ones mentioned as not being part of the larger, rebellious community. I suspect that they are listed because of their prominence in the central story. But I also suspect that they were not, in fact, the only ones in the entire community who were faithful to YHVH. In any period of great apostasy, we (and Scripture) tend to focus on the majority of the rebels and to forget about the righteous of the TaNaKh. ADONAI always has a remnant of faithful believers. Certainly this was the experience of Elijah on Mount Carmel (First Kings 19:10, 14 and 18). Yet, the only voices of reason and faith we hear in the text are those of Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua.

The words of the faithful (14:5-10a): Moshe and Aaron fell on their faces before the entire assembled community of the people of Isra’el, half in anticipation of the divine wrath about to explode upon the people and half in prayerful intercession for Ha’Shem’s forgiveness. It was a national rebellion! Joshua and Caleb, from those who had explored the Land, tore their clothes in a ritual symbolic of mourning. They tried to dissuade their countrymen from their foolishness, countering the lies of the majority report, saying: The land we passed through in order to spy it out is an outstandingly good land . . . their protection (Hebrew: tzillam, meaning shade) has been removed from them. In the hot and arid regions of the Middle East, the concept of shade is a symbol of grace and mercy, a relief from the searing heat (Psalm 91:1). YHVH had served as a protecting shadow for the peoples of the land of Canaan; but now that protection was gone. God was with His people. The faithful declared: ADONAI is with us! Don’t be afraid of them! If ADONAI is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this Land and give it to us — a land flowing with milk and honey (14:5-9).²⁴⁸

Finally, they got to the theological heart of what was at stake: Just don’t rebel against ADONAI. And don’t be afraid of the people living in the Land – we’ll eat them up! The question was not who was taller or who had the larger fortifications or who had more weapons. Ultimately, all such reliance on human power and estimates was irrelevant. The issue was trusting in the power of Isra’el’s God. He could be trusted to make good on His promises and bring the Israelites into the Promised Land. That fact should have been enough to strengthen their confidence, but the whole community chose insurrection over submission as they passed the word to gather stones to kill their faithful leaders in whom they had lost confidence. Despite the pleas of Joshua and Caleb and the prostrate forms of Moshe and Aaron, the people were deaf to mercy and blind to truth. They were determined that all four of them should be stoned to death (14:10a).²⁴⁹

The threat of Ha’Shem (14:10b-12): YHVH considered obliterating Isra’el there on the spot. Just then, the Sh’khinah glory appeared in the Tabernacle to all the people of Isra’el (14:10b). When Ha’Shem appeared, He did not thunder against the people; instead, He spoke directly to His servant Moses about their outrageous behavior. His words had a sense of disbelief: How much longer are these people going to treat Me with contempt? As we think of God’s promise to bless those who bless Isra’el and to curse the one who treats the people with less than a sense of dignity and respect (Genesis 12:3), we wonder what must be in store for the one who holds YHVH in contempt! How much longer will they not trust Me, this unbelief was the root of the problem (to see link click Bz – Faith and Obedience), especially considering all the signs I have performed among them (14:11)? Since God was able to defeat the Egyptians, He could certainly defeat the Canaanites. Ha’Shem’s anger against His people was at fever pitch. He declared: I am going to strike this rebellious people with a plague, destroy them, disinheriting them from the covenantal promises of the Land (see the commentary on Genesis Eg – I AM the LORD, Who Brought You Out of Ur of the Chaldeans to Give You This Land). And God could begin again. With a plague the people could be reduced to a believing remnant. Moshe could be the new “father;” he could be Abraham brought back to life, as it were. Therefore, God said: I will make from you a nation greater and stronger than they are (14:12)! For the second time since the Exodus, YHVH speaks of starting over with Moshe in order to create a new people faithful to Himself (Exodus 32;10). But Moses refused to take the offer that God gave him.

Moses intercedes (14:13-19): To the extent that the expression of the wrath of Ha’Shem was a test of the character of Moshe, we see in his response one of his greatest moments. Not for a second did he mull over the possibility of a new people of God, “the children of Moses!” Instead, zealous for the protection of the perception of the character of YHVH among the nations, Moshe couldn’t contain himself, “When the Egyptians hear about this – [and they will] – because it was from among them that You, by Your strength, brought this people up – they will tell the Canaanites. It seems that the Egyptians had been keeping track of the migration of the Israelites, hoping that they would eventually return as their slaves. They have heard that you, ADONAI, are with this people; that you, ADONAI, are seen face to face; that Your fire-cloud stands over them (see Bk – The Pillar of Cloud and Fire); that You go ahead of them in a column of cloud by day and a column of fire by night (14:13-14).

For Moses, there was something far more important than his own pride and destiny, something even more important than the people themselves . . . this was the reputation of God! If You kill off these people at a single stroke, then the nations that have heard of Your reputation will say that the reason ADONAI slaughtered these people in the desert is that He wasn’t able to bring them into the Land which He promised to give them. So now, please, let ADONAI’s power be as great (14:15-17).

Even more compelling, Moshe invoked ADONAI’s twelve attributes. God is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in lovingkindness (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed) and truth; showing grace to the thousandth generation, forgiving offenses, crimes and sins; yet not exonerating the guilty, but causing the negative effects of the parents’ offenses to be experienced by their children and grandchildren, and even to the third and fourth generations (Numbers 4:18 quoting Exodus 34:6-7). So, yes, discipline the people for their sin if You must (see the commentary Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children), but please don’t totally destroy them for Your Name’s sake.

Then, armed with the twelve attributes of God’s essential character, Moshe pleads: Please! Forgive the offense of this people according to the greatness of Your grace, Your covenantal faithfulness, just as you have forgiven this people from Egypt until now (14:19).²⁵⁰

Moderns who have rejected the message of the TaNaKh have often done so on the basis of faulty biblical teaching. They have been taught through popular culture and through misinformed teachers that “the God of the Old Testament” is a God of wrath, whereas “the God of the New Testament” is all mercy and grace. It is to YHVH’s attribute of lovingkindness (see chesed above) that Moshe appeals in his plea to ADONAI not to destroy Isra’el (14:18-19).

Moses knew the LORD intimately. He knew Him as a consuming fire; he also knew His warm embrace. We tend to focus on the flashes of God’s wrath. Moshe reminds us that while the wrath is real, it is long delayed. The most remarkable feature of God’s exercising His wrath is how much frustration He tolerates before He finally acts in righteous judgment. I suspect that there are occasions when we all have wished that Ha’Shem would “zap” this evil or reach out and destroy that evil. But the fact that He has not yet done so is a loving reminder that He may extend the same patience with us as well.²⁵¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your wonderful attributes that You described to Moshe. Then ADONAI passed before him, and proclaimed, “ADONAI, ADONAI, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth, showing mercy to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means leaving the guilty unpunished, but bringing the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7). Meditating on your outstanding characteristics brings such peace and joy!

To Abram You called Yourself, God Almighty. When Abram was 99 years old, Adonai appeared to Abram, and He said to him, “I am El Shaddai. Continually walk before Me and you will be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). As my Almighty Father there is no reason for me to worry about any “giant problem.” Your presence is always with me (Hebrews 13:5) to help me, and is so much greater and more powerful than any problem! You are the Great King who, by the breath of His mouth, can “fix giant problems” (Revelation 19:15).

Gracious and compassionate Heavenly Father, You fixed the giant problem of my sin by sending Yeshua the Messiah as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) to suffer and die as my substitute, then you conquered the giant of death by rising victoriously (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20-21)! Thank You for being such a wonderful Heavenly Father that can always be relied on and trusted! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Faith and Obedience
Numbers 14:1-4 and Hebrews 3:7-4:13

Faith and Obedience DIG: Within reach of the Promised Land, the Israelites now pull back from their goal. Why do you think they did this? In their desire to return to Egypt, what were the people really expressing? What is a midrash (see glossary)? How was entering into the Promised Land similar to entering faith in Yeshua Messiah?

REFLECT: Have you ever found yourself grumbling and complaining about your spiritual leaders or the situations that God has placed in your life? Why is it a serious matter to grumble and complain about God’s purposes? Who do you know that has not stepped over the line from knowledge to faith in Yeshua Messiah? How can you pray for them this week?

The people’s rebellion and failure to enter the Promised Land
is the subject of a midrash in Hebrews 3:7 to 4:13.

Utterly disheartened by the spies’ evil report (to see link click By – The Report of the Spies), the children of Isra’el fell into despair. They cried out in dismay and wept all night long. The lies of the ten spies had their intended effect. Moreover, all the people of Isra’el became afraid and began grumbling against Moshe and Aaron. The whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! or died in this wilderness (soon they will get their wish)! Why is ADONAI bringing us to this land, where we will die by the sword?” They made no mention of the supposed greater danger that awaited them in a land which, they alleged, devours its inhabitants. They used their women and children as pretense for their lack of faith. Our wives and our little ones will be taken as booty! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” Then, the Israelites spoke words that completely destroyed their covenant relationship with YHVH as they said to each other, “Let’s appoint a leader (which Nehemiah 9:17 tells us they actually did) and return to Egypt” (14:1-4). They lacked both faith and obedience.

In a series of a few brief lines, the Israelites rejected all that Ha’Shem had done for them. They rejected all the promises that the LORD had made since first calling Abraham and Sarah to leave their homeland and to go to the land of Canaan. There, God had promised Abraham and Sarah, “To your offspring I will give this Land” (Genesis 12:7). Therefore, their faithlessness was inexcusable. They had experienced the revelation of Heaven unlike any generation before or after them. They saw the ten plagues and the dividing of the Sea of Reeds. They saw the Sh’khinah glory. They had heard the Voice at Mount Sinai and seen the fire. They had seen the Tabernacle filled with glory, and they had seen the fire leap out and consume the sacrifices upon the bronze altar. They had Moshe to speak directly on God’s behalf. They witnessed provision of manna, water, and quail. They should have been as fearless as lions. But all of these gracious acts and gifts of God were forgotten and discarded. Their failure is inexplicable. They tested and tried My patience, even though they had seen My work (Psalm 95:9).

Lack of faith (Psalm 95): Hebrews 3:7-4:13 (see the commentary on Hebrews Ar – The Superiority of Messiah in the Rest He Gives) is primarily a midrash on Psalm 95, which is regarded as a Sabbath psalm. In the synagogue service today, it’s the psalm used to welcome in the Sabbath on Friday evenings. Furthermore, it is regarded as a psalm about the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom). Every Shabbat is a foretaste of that great Sabbath of rest and peace. Come, let’s sing to ADONAI! Let’s shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation! Let’s come into His presence with thanksgiving; let’s shout for joy to Him with songs of praise (Psalm 95:1-2).²⁴⁵

But the psalm also contains a warning against the mistakes of their forefathers, and is introduced with urgency: If only today you would listen to His voice, “Don’t harden your hearts, as you did at Meribah (meaning quarreling, see the commentary on Exodus Cu – Strike the Rock and Water Will Come Out of It), as you did on that day at Massah (meaning testing) in the desert, when your fathers put Me to the test; they challenged Me, even though they saw My work. For forty years I loathed that generation; I said: This is a people whose hearts go astray, they don’t understand how I do things” (Psalm 95:7b-10). For forty years YHVH struggled with the Exodus generation. Like Pharaoh before them, how many times did they need to see God work before they understood? Did they not see that God had their best interests at heart? How tenderly and patiently He had shepherded His flock, but they had disappointed and angered Him. In their hearts they had wandered from Him, and had never learned from His gracious ways. The psalm ends abruptly: Therefore, I swore in My anger that they would not enter My rest (Psalm 95:11).²⁴⁶

Sabbath rest for God’s people: Psalm 95 is quoted extensively in Hebrews 3. The writer of Hebrews is obviously aware of both Sabbath and Messianic Kingdom interpretations of Psalm 95 as he employs them both. Furthermore, he derives his own lesson from the words: Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts . . . (Hebrews 3:7-8 quoting Psalm 95:7-8). Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). He warns the believers reading his letter that just as Ha’Shem did not spare the Exodus generation of the wilderness, neither would He spare the current generation. He compares entering into the Promised Land to entering faith in Yeshua Messiah. Both require faith and obedience. The writer of Hebrews says: Those who disobeyed . . . were not able to enter because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).

But what is the “rest” which they were not able to enter? The writer to the Hebrews points out that God’s rest began on the Sabbath following creation, but it has never ceased. He did not go back to work on Monday. Therefore, the Sabbath rest of YHVH is more than the seventh-day Sabbath, it is an eternal Sabbath rest. It is the rest of the World to Come (see the commentary on Revelation Fq – The Eternal State). Seeing that the Exodus generation did not enter this eternal rest, the writer of Hebrews deduces that some will, namely those who do not disobey. That is why the Psalm warns us not to be like them, but rather to listen to God’s voice “Today.” On the day we hear His voice (obeying Him), we will enter “Today” (the Sabbath rest of God). This is essentially the same interpretation the Oral Law (see  The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) gave for Psalm 95; the Sabbath rest is a picture of the World to Come, and the disobedient will not enter it.

In the book of Hebrews, the Exodus generation is used as a midrash example. The writer of Hebrews says: For we also have had the Good News proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed (Hebrews 4:2). From the perspective of the writer of Hebrews (a First Century Jewish believer writing to other First Century Jewish believers) the situation is similar to that of the Exodus generation about to enter the Land. The entrance into the Promised Land and the message of the Messiah are similar because, just like the Promised Land, Messiah is the culmination of the whole Torah. Everything had been leading up to that point. Just like being poised on the edge of the Promised Land, those believers in the diaspora that he was writing to were poised on the edge of the World to Come in Messiah. It is the World to Come that we speak (Hebrews 2:5).

He writes to the disenfranchised believing community which was tempted to turn away from Messiah, just as the Exodus generation in the wilderness was tempted to turn away from the Promised Land. All those Jewish believers needed to do to be accepted back into mainstream Judaism with full Temple rights and privileges was to walk away from Yeshua. All they had to do was to say, “He’s not the Messiah.” All they had to do was to turn their back on Him. The writer to the Hebrews tells his generation, “Don’t make the same mistake that the Exodus generation did when they walked away from the Promised Land and never entered God’s rest. It was right in their grasp. They could have gone in, but instead they turned their back on it. Those in the diaspora were in the same place. He said, “Don’t turn your back on Messiah. For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their work just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:10-11).

How do we enter that rest? When is that rest? When is it “Today?” Where is this rest we enter into? When is Messiah? It is when we hear His voice; it is if we will obey Him.²⁴⁷

The Report of the Spies
13: 26-33

The report of the spies DIG: What kind of report do you think the people were expecting? What is the significance of the word “however” at the beginning of 13:28? How did Caleb attempt to silence the people? With their history of victories (Exodus Ch 7- 15), why and how do you think Isra’el should have been able to overcome the giants?

REFLECT: Does the promise of God come without struggle? What are some of the obstacles you had to overcome to see the promise of God fulfilled in your life? Have you ever trusted human wisdom and experience more than God’s promises? How does ministry suffer when it is based on human wisdom? Ask God to give you Caleb’s perspective.

And the unfaithful ten spread an evil lie about the Land they had spied out.

According to the Torah, the wilderness wanderings were marked by two egregious sins; the apostasy of the golden calf (Exodus Chapters 32-34) and the faithlessness of the spies (Numbers Chapters 13-14). Only these two sins are singled out for special mention in the survey of the wilderness journey given by Deut 1:19-45 and 9:1-24; and only in connection with these two sins does God threaten the annihilation of Isra’el and the fulfillment of the patriarchal promise through Moshe (Exodus 32:10; Numbers 14:12).²³⁶

Forty days later, they returned from spying out the Land and immediately went to Moshe, Aaron and the entire community of the people of Isra’el at Kadesh-barnea in the Pa’ran Desert, where they brought back word to them and to the entire community and showed them the fruit of the Land (13:26). The sages teach that this took place on the Ninth of Av (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD).What they told Moses was this: “We entered the Land where you sent us, and indeed it does flow with milk (good for grazing) and honey (good for agriculture) – here is its fruit, the grapes, the pomegranates and the figs (13:27)!

Nevertheless (Hebrew: ephes), this term denotes human impossibility. This one word revealed their unpardonable offense. Had they simply said that the people of Canaan were mighty and the cities fortified, they would merely have stated a fact and thus discharged their duty. But in that one word, ephes and in describing the mighty people guarding the frontiers, they gave their own verdict that it was beyond Isra’el’s power to conquer the Land.

Nevertheless, the people living in the Land are fierce, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the giant descendants of Anak there (13:28). We can’t attack those people, because they are stronger than we are (13:31). They were notoriously large warriors, and according to later biblical accounts, remnants of those giants remained west of Canaan in the Philistine regions of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:21-22). Four of those giants were killed by David’s men (see the commentary on the Life of David Eg – David’s Heroes), and the great giant Goliath of Gath was slain by the young warrior David with a slingshot (see the Life of David Al – David Kills Goliath)

The Amalekites live in the area of the Negev; the Canaanite Hittites, the Jebusites and the Amorites live in the hills; and the Canaanites live along the Mediterranean coastal plain and the Jordan Valley (13:29). The Canaanites were the indigenous population of Canaan. The Amorites had entered Canaan from northeast Aram (Syria) sometime before 2000 BC, had driven the Canaanites out of the hill country, and taken their place there. The Hittites originated in central Anatolia (modern Turkey) about 1800 BC and slowly spread south and southeast, probably identifying with the Amorites in Canaan. Nothing is known of the Jebusites except that they were centralized in Jerusalem. They remained in control of Jerusalem until 400 years after Moses, when David drove them out, capturing the City, and making it his capital in 1003 BC (see the Life of David Co – David Conquers Yerushalayim).²³⁷

The sight of the Amalekites did not dishearten Caleb and Joshua at all. Caleb silenced (Hebrew: vaiyahas, an imperfect verb) the people toward Moshe. This imperfect verb tells us two things. First, the spies’ report that was given to Moses was also in earshot of the people. It was negative enough to cause a verbal stir among them. Second, it tells us that the report evoked such a strong response that Caleb had to continually attempt to keep them quiet enough for him to speak. Interestingly enough, it says that Caleb had to silence the people “toward Moshe.” This indicates that already there was another rebellion brewing among the people.²³⁸

The suspense builds. Will the Israelites be encouraged by the reports and evidence of the Land’s fertility? Will the good news about the Land overcome their fears about the great size and strength of the enemy in Canaan? There was apparently some muttering among the Israelites until Caleb quieted the people and said: We ought to go up immediately and take possession of it; there is no question that we can conquer it (13:30).²³⁹ Though Caleb and Joshua saw the same things that the other ten spies had seen, their assessment of the situation was completely different. They looked at the Amalekites and the Canaanites through the eyes of faith.

There is a difference between a blind faith and a seeing faith. Blind faith is uninterested in the data. “Don’t confuse me with the facts.” A seeing faith sees the real world with all of its problems, but it interprets that world in steadfast confidence. It is an unquenchable spirit of optimism, a confidence in God’s ability to utterly transcend each and every obstacle. In the end, the dreaded Amalekites fell before Joshua and Caleb. At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakites from the hill country: from Hebron, Debir and Anab, from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Isra’el. Joshua totally destroyed them and their towns. No Anakites were left in Israelite territory; only in Gaza, Gath and Ashdod did any survive (Joshua 11:21-22).

The city of Hebron was inherited by Caleb. Moshe declared: Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed ADONAI faithfully (Deuteronomy 1:36). Hebron was the first place in the Land that his foot had stepped (see Bx – Spying Out the Land). The very city which had so frightened the other ten spies on their entry into the Promised Land came to be his own possession. So, Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. Therefore, Hebron has belonged to Caleb ever since, because he followed ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, wholeheartedly. Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites (Joshua 14:13-15). The dreaded Anakites came to nothing.²⁴⁰

Caleb tried to encourage the people to go into the Land. But the balance tipped when all the spies except for Joshua and Caleb, lied about both the Land and its inhabitants, making them seem like primordial monsters. Bypassing Moshe and Aaron, they spread an evil (Hebrew: dibbat, this term contains within it the idea of negativity, falsehood, and strife) and lied about the land they had spied out for the people of Isra’el. When Numbers 14:27 adds the word evil (Hebrew: ra, meaning bad, evil): How long am I to put up with this evil community who keep grumbling about Me? it merely clarifies what is already implicit. Their report was, then, false and negative – designed to produce strife. This means that the whole intent of the spies from the start was to present a negative picture and a false report to the people of Isra’el. The content of their report shows that they were using exaggeration to sway the people. It was no longer a land flowing with milk and honey, but a land that devoured its inhabitants. A lie. All the people we saw there were giants. A lie (13:32)!²⁴¹

We saw the Nephilim (see the commentary on Genesis Ca – The Sons of God Married the Daughters of Men), the descendants of Anak, who made us look like small grasshoppers by comparison, and we looked that way to them too (13:33)! A lie. The Nephilim, who were destroyed by the Flood, were so named because they caused those who saw them to fall down (Hebrew: nafal) in fear for their lives. There were descendants of Anak there, but there were no Nephilim there. It was just something they threw in to bolster their case.²⁴²They even stooped so low as to use their children as an excuse not to go in, saying that they would be taken from them as booty (Numbers 14:3 and Deuteronomy 1:39).

The evil report prevailed. And in doing so, they renounced God’s promise to accompany them with His awesome Presence, to grant them decisive victory in what seemed, humanly speaking, to be overwhelming odds, and therefore, to give them their rightful inheritance as the people of God – a homeland of abundant prosperity. But the full possession of the Promised Land in freedom was, and always will be, dependent upon the people’s faithfulness.²⁴³

To an unbelieving world, it’s unreasonable for anybody to trust a God they’ve never seen or heard, but we have all the evidence we need to convince us that ADONAI is dependable and has the power to accomplish what He says He will do. What He promises. He is able to perform, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised (Romans 4:21). Isra’el had seen what YHVH did to the Egyptians and to the Amalekites (see the commentary on Exodus Cv – The Amalekites Attacked the Israelites at Rephidim), and they had every assurance that He would never fail His people.

Unbelief is serious because it challenges the character of ADONAI and rebels against the will of God. But without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). For whatever is not of faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Moses reminded the people of what God had already done for them (Deuteronomy 1:29-33), but they wouldn’t stop complaining. They were sure that the best thing to do was return to Egypt and go back into bondage.²⁴⁴

Spying Out the Land
13: 17-25

Spying out the Land DIG: What were the spies looking for? What did they find? After being gone forty days, what should be the people’s reaction to all this? Why should the cluster of grapes have brought the spies great joy? Why didn’t it?

REFLECT: Where are you in your exploration of the abundant life in Messiah? Are the “grapes” still as big, getting even bigger, or going sour? What has God done recently, to keep you on the growing edge of your faith? Who can you share that with?

The cluster of grapes should have brought them great joy, but it only brought fear.

When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said: Go up through the Negev (referring to all the desert of southern Canaan, especially the area from Beersheba south), and ascend into the hill country, consisting of the mountains of Judah, north to the hills of Ephraim, and all the way to the heights of Galilee (13:17).  This implies a totality of the Land. In Moses’ time, the hill country was populated primarily by the Amorites, and the plains and valleys by the Canaanites.²³² When the spies returned, they were able to report: Amalek lives in the area of the Negev; the Hitties, the Jebusites and the Amorites live in the hills; and the Canaanites live by the sea and alongside the Jorden (13:29).

Moshe didn’t send the spies out to determine whether or not Isra’el should enter the Land. That was a natural assumption. He only sent them out to determine the best way to do it. For forty days the twelve spies traveled throughout the Promised Land to see what it was like. To see whether, militarily, the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land (13:18-20a). They were to investigate the cities to determine if they were walled, fortified or open for seizure. In addition, they were to assess the quality of the Land, the topography, soil and vegetation. They were even to bring back samples.²³³

So, they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin, above the wilderness of Para, as far as Rehob, near Lebo Homath (13:21). The journey of the spies began in the southernmost extremity of the Land (the Desert of Zin) and took them to the northernmost point (Rehob, near Lebo Hamath). This journey of about 250 miles in each direction took them forty days (13:25).

As they ascended in the Land, they entered the Negev from Hebron. Moshe mentions that it had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt to emphasize how old it was. Zoan was the capital of the Hiksos pharaohs and considered one of the oldest cities in the ancient Middle East. So Hebron was a very ancient city. The first city the spies came to was Hebron. At Hebron, Abraham had purchased the Macphelah cave at Hebron lay Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah (except for Rachael). Yet, the knowledge that they stood in the presence of their forefathers did not bring the spies any comfort. Instead of looking at the patriarchs and their promises, the spies only noticed the size of the buildings and the height of its inhabitants.

It was at Hebron that the spies encountered the tribes of Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak (13:22). It was apparently this initial encounter at Hebron that so utterly discouraged the spies. The Anakites were giants (First Samuel 17:4; Deuteronomy 2:21, 3:11, and 9:2). When reporting back to Moses and the Israelites, the spies declared: The people living in the land are fierce, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there (13:28). The spies regarded them as nothing less than Nephilim (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ca – The Sons of God Married the Daughters of Men), even though it would have been impossible for them to have survived Noah’s flood.

Though the Negev is semi-arid, it must have seemed like paradise after the harsh wilderness of Sinai. The spies would have observed fields, grazing lands, and soil that could be cultivated. North of the Negev, they would have begun the ascent into the hill country of Judah where sufficient rainfalls allowed for vines and orchards. The ascent into the orchards and vineyards of the hill country must have been like stepping into Eden to them.²³⁴

It was the season for the first ripe grapes, or late spring around June (13:20b). It had been a long time since the Israelites had tasted wine. When they reached the Valley of Eshkol (meaning cluster) they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there (13:23-24). The grapes they brought back were wine grapes, of course. Therefore, those grapes were a symbol of joy the Land would provide for them. As is well known, the present state of Isra’el uses the logo of the two men carrying an immense cluster of grapes on a pole as the symbol of the Department of Tourism. The Bible does not specify which of the men carried the grapes; but the modern tourism department identifies them as Caleb and Joshua!

At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the Land (13:25). Sadly, the size of the cluster those spies brought back to the camp produced fear for the faithless. Such a large cluster of grapes was intimidating and demoralizing to them. However, it ought to have intoxicated them with joy; instead, they were drunk with paralyzing terror.²³⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that no matter how many “giant problems” I face, You are always more powerful than the problem, and always right there with me to help and to guide. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5c). Thank You so much that You not only paid the great price to rescue me from sin’s deadly powers; but You also live within me. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home within him (John 14:23). Living within means that You are right there with me at all times. How wonderful!

Praying and trusting in You are the wisest actions to take when trouble rears its ugly head. Thank You so much that as I pray according to Your will, you both hear each of my prayers and You promise to answer in Your way and Your time.  Now this is the confidence we have before Him – that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have the requests we have asked from Him (First John 5:14-15). You are such a fantastically wonderful Heavenly Father! I bend the knee in loving worship of You and look forward to praising Your great Name throughout all eternity! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Selection of the Spies
13: 1-16

The selection of the spies DIG: Isra’el was on the brink of realizing their dream of the Promised Land. How do you think they felt? Why send out spies to explore the Land (see Deuteronomy 1:20-23)? Why do the names of the ten faithless spies become markers of sadness? Who stands out in the list of names? Why did Moshe change Hoshea’s name to Joshua?

REFLECT: Isra’el was on the edge of an adventure in Canaan. Where are you in your exploration of the Promised Land? Thank God that He is always faithful to His promises. What encourages your faith in God? Who can you tell about it this week? Have you ever been selected to participate in a ministry? How did you handle it? What did you learn?

Parashah 36: Sh’lach L’Cha (Send on your behalf) 13:1 to 15:41
(See my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People are Moshe, one spy from each tribe (Caleb, Igal, Hoshea, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geuel), Amalek, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Canaanites, Nephilim, the whole nation of Isra’el, Aaron, and a Shabbat wood gatherer.

The Scene is the Desert of Paran, Canaan from the Desert of Zin to Rehob, Hebron, the Valley of Eshcol, Kadesh, the Tent of Meeting, and Hormah.

The Main Events include sending spies, a bad report, God’s desire to destroy the nation, Moshe intervening, the 40-year delay, changing minds too late, defeat, mitzvot about offerings, a man stoned for gathering wood on the Sabbath, and tsitisit (a fringe that was put on a garment) to remind the Israelites to follow the commands of ADONAI.

The twelve spies discovered nothing that God hadn’t already told them.

There are several turning points in Isra’el’s history. The parashah before us is one that gives an account of one of these times. It is one of the most famous stories in the Torah; but it is also one of the most tragic. For, in this parashah, we find Isra’el on the threshold of the Promised Land.²²⁶ After long weeks of travel through the scorched wilderness, the children of Isra’el arrived at Kadesh in the Paran Desert. It was a vast wasteland of dry and choking land, but Kadesh was a well-watered oasis of life in its midst. Several springs burst forth with a generous supply of water. At Kadesh, the wilderness was green.

The oasis of Kadesh was poised to the southwest of the Negev, between the Arabah and the coast. From there, several options were open to Isra’el. They might have moved up directly into the Negev and began to occupy and settle the Land at once. They might have swept over to the Mediterranean coast and begun the assault on the fortified coastal cities, establishing them as a base from which to take the higher lands of the hill country and Galilee. They might have crossed the Arabah into the Transjordan, encountering Edomites, Amorites, and Moabites. All of those options were possible. Which was best?

ADONAI didn’t expect Isra’el to enter the Land unprepared or to take it by blind faith. Rather, they were to spy it out, assess the strategic situation and create a plan for conquest. The faith component was to trust in God for the victory – and even this was not blind faith. They had seen Pharaoh’s army destroyed. They had seen Amalek defeated. Ha’Shem is a warrior (Joshua 5:13-15). His Sh’khinah glory was a visible presence in their midst (to see link click Bk – The Pillar of Cloud and Fire). Theirs was not a blind faith at all.²²⁷

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Send men on your behalf to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Isra’el (13:1-2). This is all in keeping with the Abrahamic Covenant (see the commentary on Genesis Eg – I AM the LORD, Who Brought You Out of Ur of the Chaldeans to Give You This Land). Years after these events, Moses reflected on them. As he recounted the story in his speech in Deuteronomy to the sons and daughters of those who lived the account, he filled in some details this chapter omits. Moshe’s words to the people were to rise up, to go up, to begin the attack, and to seize the Land (Deuteronomy 1:21). But the people petitioned him first to send in spies to discover the best routes for making their assault successful. Basically, Moses basically got talked into it by the people (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Am – Sending in the Spies). Why did they need to investigate what YHVH had already given to them? They should have known better. Ha’Shem had taken them out of Egypt, through the Sea of Reeds and given them the Tabernacle and the priesthood. The Canaanites should have been afraid of THEM like they were forty years later (Joshua 2:9-11)!

But when we return to Numbers 13:1-2, we see that the command to send the men was also made by YHVH. It is likely that Deuteronomy 1:21-23 presents the story from the point of view of the people, and that Numbers 13:1-2 presents the same account from the divine perspective. When the people requested that the men be sent, Moses decided, on the basis of the will of God, to grant their request. Both accounts melt into one. What we gain from putting the two accounts together, however, is the idea that sending men to scout out the Land was a further example of the LORD’s grace to the people.²²⁸

From each ancestral tribe send someone who is a leader in his tribe.” Moshe dispatched them from the Paran Desert as ADONAI had ordered; all of them were leading men among the people of Isra’el (13:3). As in the records of the first ten chapters, the story begins with the compliance of Moses with the will of YHVH. He did just as God commanded in selecting one worthy individual from each tribe to represent his people on the scouting mission. The names mentioned here in verses 4-15 are different from those given for the tribal leaders in Chapters 1, 2, 7, and 10. Presumably the tribal leaders in the four earlier lists were older men. The task of the special agents called for men who were younger and could endure the rigors and dangers involved in spying out the Land. However, as physically capable as they might have been, their lack of spiritual maturity proved to be fatal to the Exodus generation when they refused God’s gift of the land of Canaan (see By – The Report of the Spies).

The twelve spies traveled about five hundred miles during the forty days of the survey of Canaan, but they discovered nothing that God hadn’t already told them! They already knew the names of the pagan nations that lived in the Land (Gen 15:18-21), that it was a good land (Ex 3:8), and a rich land flowing with milk and honey (3:8 and 17). They saw the incredible fruit of the land and brought back a huge bunch of grapes for the people to see. They even visited Hebron, where the patriarchs of Isra’el were buried with their wives (Numbers 13:22; Genesis 23:2 and 19, 49:29-31, and 50:13). But, did the reminder of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph encourage their own trust in God? For ten of the spies, the answer was a resounding “No!”²²⁹

There is a symmetry in this chapter, as we have seen in other occasions. The whole impression is orderly and straightforward, thus granting a sense of importance and dignity. The travel of the spies begins in the Desert of Paran (in verse 3), and it was to that wilderness that they returned (in verse 26). The text comes full circle geographically. But the men who came back were not the same as the men who left. Presumably they left in confidence, with a spirit of adventure; but they returned in fear, groveling before mere human beings and no longer trusting in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Here are their names: We meet Caleb for the first time in 13:6, but he will be mentioned thirty-one more times in the TaNaKh. He and Hoshea (Joshua) were the only members of the Exodus generation to enter the Promised Land. The rest of them died in the wilderness. Thus, because of the failure of the majority, their names become markers of sadness, as do the names of the places of Isra’el’s judgment. For example, Tev’erah (11:3) meaning burning because ADONAI’s fire broke out against them, and Kivrot-HaTa’avah meaning graves of greed, because there they buried the people who were so greedy (11:34).²³⁰

from the tribe of Reuben, Shamua the son of Zakur;
from the tribe of Simeon, Shafat the son of Hori;
from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
from the tribe of Issachar, Yig’al the son of Yosef;
from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;
from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Rafu;
from the tribe of Zebulun, Gadi’el the son of Sodi;
from the tribe of Joseph, that is, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gadi the son of Susi;
from the tribe of Dan, ‘Ammi’el the son of G’malli;
from the tribe of Asher, S’tur the son of Mikha’el;
from the tribe of Naphtali, Nachbi the son of Vofsi; and
from the tribe of Gad, Ge’u’el the son of Makhi (13:4-15).

These are the names of the men Moshe sent out to spy out the Land. Moshe gave to Hoshea the son of Nun the name Joshua (13:16). The particular significance of Joshua is noted here. We have already discovered that Joshua was an attendant of Moses from his youth and was especially concerned about his master’s reputation when it seemed threatened by the independent prophesying of Eldad and Medad (11:27-28). Here, we learn that Joshua’s name was first known as Hoshea, but Moses changed it to Joshua. This parenthetical statement anticipates the later prominence of Joshua. The reader is altered to the significance of this name among those of the spies; here is a man of great destiny. The Hebrew word Hoshea means salvation; the new form of the name Joshua means ADONAI saves. So the new name tells us who is actually responsible for this salvation. Both forms are foundations of the Hebrew spelling for the name of Yeshua.

Moshe’s act of changing Hoshea’s name to Joshua was a mark of a special relationship between the two men. This change of name, which is slight – something of a play on words – is a fatherly action on Moses’ part; it is also a prophetic action. It is as though Moshe had adopted his young aide and marked him for greatness. We are reminded of the way the LORD changed the name of Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17). The names are related, but in the changing of the name, a new relationship results.

It is notable that the two agents who gave a report that was faithful to the promise of God represented the two tribes that would later become the most prominent in the Land. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe that would become dominant in the north; and Caleb was from the tribe of Judah, the dominant tribe in the south. There is something helpful in this fact as well – the two men who stood for faithfulness in God came from prominent tribes.²³¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for always being faithful! Your love, ADONAI, is in the heavens, Your faithfulness up to the skies (Psalms 36:5). What a comfort it is, Your promise to always care for me. Cast your burden on ADONAI, and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalms 55:22). What a joy that You tell me to not be anxious, but to give You my requests with thanksgiving. Do not be anxious about anything – but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).

When I pray with thanksgiving before requesting anything, the thanksgiving readjusts my view so the problem seems smaller and my heart is comforted by knowing that You, my all-powerful and all-wise Heavenly Father, have control over all situations. Amazing that not only do You hear my requests but You, the Sovereign Almighty Ruler of the world, promise to accomplish Your will in me. Now this is the confidence we have before Him – that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have the requests we have asked from Him (First John 5:14-15). Thank You for being such a wonderful and loving father who can easily conquer any giants in my life! In the holy Name of Messiah Yeshua and the power of His resurrection. Amen

The Sin of Kadesh-barnea
13:1 to 14:45

The decisive rebellion.

The spy story in Numbers 13-14 plays a crucial role within the unifying literary and theological structure of the book. It is closely and directly linked to the two census lists in Numbers Chapter 1 and Numbers Chapter 26 and is recalled as important ways in the second half of the book in Chapters 32 and 34. The spy story is explicitly linked to the first census list in Numbers Chapter 1 through its use of the specific age formula, every single one of you who were included in the census over the age of twenty (14:29). The same phrase is used repeatedly as a formula throughout the numbering of the twelve tribes in the first chapter of Numbers. The spy story is also explicitly tied in with the second census list in Chapter 26. An addendum at the end of the census in 26:63-65 reads: These are the ones counted by Moshe and Eleazar the priest, who took a census of the people of Isra’el in the plains of Mo’av by the Jordan across from Jericho. But there was not a man among them who had also been included in the census of Moshe and Aaron the priest when they enumerated the people of Isra’el in the Sinai Desert; because Adonai had said of them, “They will surely die in the desert.” So there was not even one of them, except Caleb and Joshua.

The addendum clearly alludes to the spy story of Numbers Chapters 13 and 14 in which the definitive judgment of the Exodus generation occurred. The spy story has clear associations with the two pillars of the structure of the book of Numbers, that is, the first census list in Chapter 1 and the second census list in Chapter 26. The theme of the spy story plays a pivotal role in the central narrative in defining the theme of the book of Numbers as a whole – the death of the Exodus generation and the birth of a new generation of hope on the edge of the Promised Land. We will note other references to the spy story later in Chapters 32 and 34, further strengthening the argument for its central place in the theme and structure of Numbers.²²⁵

These verses are displayed in a chiastic fashion (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Chiasm and introversion). The inverted symmetry of this section of Scripture is clear. The selection of unfaithful spies led to the defeat by the Amalekites (A-A), God allowed the ten tribes to spy out the Land in His grace (B-B), but the report of the spies was negative so Moshe had to intercede (C-C). Faith and obedience are the main points (D).

A The selection of the spies (13:1-16)

B Spying out the land (13:17-25)

C The report of the spies (13:26-33)

D Faith and obedience (14:1-4)

C Moshe intercedes (14:5-20)

B Gods Response: discipline, not wrath (14:20-38)

A Defeat by the Amalekites (14:39-45)

The Rebellion of Miryam and Aaron
12: 1-16

The rebellion of Miryam and Aaron DIG: Where did Aaron and Miryam go wrong? What was their real objection? Why was Miryam disciplined and not Aaron? What is a prophet? What distinguished Moshe from all other prophets? What is humility? What does it mean when it says that Moshe was more than any man who was on the face of the earth?

REFLECT: Is there anything in Chapters 11 and 12 about complaining, discouragement or meekness that is relevant to your life? How so? How does God speak to you? How can the object lesson here help you to be more like Moses and less like Miryam and Aaron? Ask ADONAI to give you greater acceptance for the ministry He has given you.

The rebellion spread to the inner circle.

Moshe’s Ethiopian wife (12:1-2): Miryam and Aaron, Moses’ began criticizing (Hebrew: watedabber, meaning to speak against) Moshe (12:1a). The chapter begins with the feminine singular form of the verb watedabber, indicating that Miryam was the instigator of the rebellion. Aaron was the high priest of Isra’el, brother of Moses. He was simply following his sister’s lead out of a weak will, which tended to be Aaron’s character (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Gq – The Golden Calf Incident). We have heard less of Miryam, but she appeared earlier in key roles in the Exodus. She was the sister of Moshe and named as a prophetess in Exodus 15:20-23. Miryam led the women of Isra’el in song, dance, and praise of God after the successful flight out of Egypt and the defeat of Pharaoh and his army (see Exodus Cj – Songs of the Sea). Tradition also associates Miryam with the unnamed older sister of Moshe who kept a lookout as the infant Moses floated down the river in a basket (see Exodus Ak – A Man of the House of Levi Married a Levite Woman). Finally, Micah 6:4 lists all the gracious gifts which YHVH gave Isra’el during its journey through the desert, including Isra’el’s three leaders: I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miryam. Thus, Miryam was a leader of the people, a prophetess, a singer of praise of God, a courageous savior of baby Moshe, and a sister to both Aaron and Moses.²¹⁰

On account of the Cushite woman he had married, for he had in fact married a Cushite woman (12:1b). Moshe had evidently divorced Zipporah (see Exodus Az – Surely You are a Bridegroom of Blood to Me) or she has died. Moses’ current marriage could not be criticized unless it were a case of bigamy (for which there is no evidence) for the Cushites were not among those whom Israelites might not marry (Exodus 34:11 and 16). The Cushites were not necessarily a different color since they existed in early times in Arabia as well as Cush proper (what is today southern Egypt, Sudan, and northern Ethiopia). Possibly Miryam, who apparently led this part of the challenge, saw in Moshe’s new wife a threat to her own standing as the major female figure in Isra’el’s leadership.²¹¹

The mention of the Cushite woman, however, was just an excuse. The real reason is clear from Miryam and Aaron’s question. She asked: Is it true that ADONAI has spoken only with Moshe? Hasn’t he spoken with us too (12:2a)? Envy, perhaps simmering for a long time, now came to the surface. It is not unlike that in Exodus 2:23-25, where four verbs are used of YHVH’s understanding to His purposes: He hears, He sees, He remembers, and He knows.

The gravity of Miryam and Aaron’s objection can be seen in the terse, ominous, conclusion to the verse. And ADONAI heard them (12:2b). The writer is well aware that Ha’Shem “hears” everything. This special notice means that the LORD heard with an intention of acting, of intervening on behalf of His servant.

The humility of Moshe (12:3): And the writer himself made the remarkable statement that such envy was totally uncalled for since he was not arrogant but was, in fact, very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth. The narrator’s parenthetical comment instantly undercuts Miryam and Aaron’s complaint, and seeks to persuade the reader to stand with Moses in his defense against his siblings.²¹²

There is a teaching in Judaism that contrasts humility against pride in a person’s relationship to God. A prideful person is called “yeish,” that is a “somebody.” He is like a container filled with the essence of himself. There is no room for God within him. Opposed to that, there is a “bitul,” or a person of such total humility that he is like a container with nothing in it. Since the container is empty, it can be filled with God. A person of self-abnegation is transparent, allowing the essence of God to fill him and flow through him. A person who is prideful is opaque. A person of total humility is one through whom a full expression of godliness could be expressed. Such is our Righteous Messiah who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the Name which is above every name (Philippians 2:8-9).²¹³

The defense of Moshe by ADONAI (12:4-9): God also immediately appears in defense of Moses. Suddenly, ADONAI told Moshe, Aaron and Miryam, “Come out, you three, to the Tabernacle.” The three of them went out and the Sh’khinah glory of ADONAI (see the commentary on Isaiah Ju – The Glory of the LORD Rises Upon You) came down and stood at the entrance to the Tabernacle. He summoned Aaron and Miryam, and they both went forward (12:1-5). 

Next is an example of introversion in poetry (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Chiasm and introversion). The first half describes how God communicates with other prophets (ABC), the second half, describes His unique communication with Moshe (CBA). Verses 6 and 8 each contain sixteen syllables and balance each other perfectly. The pivot sets Moses apart and declares that YHVH confides in Moshe alone.²¹⁴

Introduction: Then ADONAI said: Listen to what I say:

A. When there is a prophet among you (12:6a). A prophet in the biblical context is not someone who can read minds. This is an occult practice called divination, also forbidden by Torah. A prophet is someone who can hear ADONAI speaking and is commissioned by God to speak on His behalf. The prophetic formula we always find in Scripture is: ADONAI spoke saying, “Speak to so-and-so and say . . .” During the Dispensation of Torah (see Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah) they had the singular role of bringing God’s Word – instruction and warnings directly to His people. Thus, they were expected to speak the perfect, inspired Word of God; if not, they were condemned as a false prophet (Jeremiah 14:14-16) and stoned to death (Deut 18:20).

There were prophets in the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace) as a ministry to the Church. Agabus (Acts 11:27-28, 21:10-11); Ana the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38); Barnabas, Simon called Niger and Lucius the Cyrene (Acts 13:17); Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32); the four daughters of Philip who prophesied (Acts 21:9); and the apostle John who prophesied in the book of Revelation. Prophets foretold either near historical events or far eschatological events. Once the last book in the Bible was written, the canon of Scripture was closed and there was no need for any further revelation. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh has equipped believers with everything we need to live a victorious life, and thus prophecy has passed away. There is no continuous revelation.

B. I, ADONAI, make Myself known to him in a vision (12:6b). There are many examples of visions in the TaNaKh (Exodus 15:1; Second Samuel 7:17; Isaiah 1:1; Jeremiah 24:1; Ezeki’el 1:1 and 8:3-4; Obadiah 1:1; Nahum 1:1; Habakkuk 2:2-3; Psalm 89:20; Proverbs 29:18; Dani’el 2:19; First Chronicles 17:15).

C. I speak with him in a dream (12:6c). Dreams are mentioned alongside of prophecy as authentic vehicles of God’s revelation (Deut 13:2,4,6), and there are several examples of this: Abimelech (Genesis 20:7), Jacob (Genesis 31:10-13), Solomon (First Kings 3:5-14), and Job (Job 33:14-18).

D. But it isn’t that way with my servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in My entire household (12:7). God did speak through other prophets, but only in the veiled form of visions and dreams (First Samuel 9:9 and Deuteronomy 13:7 for example). Moses, however, was different. He was God’s servant, entrusted with all of God’s House. Ha’Shem’s words strain to describe the intense intimacy of Himself and His servant.²¹⁵

C. With him I speak face to face (literally in Hebrew mouth to mouth) and clearly (12:8a). Exodus 33:11 had earlier stated that ADONAI used to speak to Moshe face to face, without fear, as one speaks to a friend. Deuteronomy 34:10 underlines the uniqueness of Moses as it describes his death outside the Promised Land: Never since has there arisen a prophet in Isra’el like Moshe, whom ADONAI knew face to face.²¹⁶

B. Not in riddles (12:8b). Communication between God and Moses was clear, direct, and unmediated. No riddles. No dark sayings. No dreams to be interpreted and figured out. Instead, amazingly, God spoke directly to him. He heard the audible voice of YHVH. Whenever Moses had a question about something, he could just ask God and God would answer him. Moses had access to the Most Holy Place. He could enter behind the inner veil anytime he wanted, any time of year, he could simply stop in on God and ask a question and receive a direct answer. Earlier in Numbers we are told: Now when Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak to YHVH, he heard the Voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the covenant, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him (Numbers 7:8-9).²¹⁷

A. He sees the image of ADONAI (12:8c). The terminology related to the image (Hebrew: temunah) of YHVH used here is also echoed in Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8 of the image the Israelites were forbidden to make of their God. Similarly, in Deuteronomy 4:12, 15-16, 23, and 25 it describes that image of God that the people had not seen, as had Moses, and therefore should not make as a visible representation of their God. Yet David, in a state of righteous yearning, prayed that he might see this image of his God (Psalm 17:15). Moses had indeed been granted a special relationship with the LORD, to see that which Isaiah saw (see the commentary on Isaiah Bo – In the Year King Uzziah Died). Moshe had seen plainly and openly, more than any other human had ever imagined. Ha’Shem had spoken face to face as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). This does not mean that Moshe literally saw God’s face, for if he had done so he would have surely died (Exodus 33:20). But, Moses did see the back side of God’s Sh’khinah glory as He passed by His servant, who was positioned in the cleft of the rock (see the commentary on Exodus Gz – When My Glory Passes by I Will Put You in the Cleft). Only Yeshua, the Incarnate Son of God, had seen the Father in the fullness of His glory. He became what even Moshe would have longed to see. Messiah said: If you have seen Me, You have seen the Father (John 14:8-9).²¹⁸

Conclusion: So why weren’t you afraid to criticize My servant Moshe? In light of God’s special relationship with Moses, they should have been extremely afraid to challenge his authority, even if he was their younger brother. The anger of ADONAI flared up against them, and he left (12:8d-9). What we see here is the spreading rebellion against God from the mixed multitude (see Bp – Complaining at Tav’erah) the people to the inner circle.

The punishment of Miryan (12:10-16): When we read that God’s anger flared up against them and then departed, we expected dead bodies to be left after the dust settled. But when the Sh’khinah glory was removed from above the Tabernacle, Miryam had leprosy, as white as snow (see the commentary on Leviticus Cg – The Test of M’tsora). Aaron looked at Miryam, and she was as white as snow. Here, the repentance of Aaron is both touching in its intensity and in his concern for his sister. Aaron said to Moshe, “Oh, my lord, please don’t punish us for this sin we committed so foolishly. Please don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, with its body half eaten away when it comes out of its mother’s womb” (12:10-12)! This would have rendered her permanently unclean and untouchable, such was the case in Second Kings 15:5 and Second Chronicles 26:19-21. This was an ironic confirmation of what Aaron and Miryam had earlier denied, Moshe’s unique relationship with YHVH. And unlike the golden calf incident in which Aaron never acknowledged his sinful role in the idolatry (see the commentary on Exodus Gq – The Golden Calf Incident), here, Aaron accepts responsibility along with Miryam. Although not fully dead, Miryam’s life had been reduced to that of a stillborn baby. She waited to be reborn.²¹⁹

Then, Moshe cried to ADONAI, “Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her” (12:13). As Miryam had saved Moses as a baby in Exodus 2, now Moshe returns the favor and intercedes to save his sister in Numbers 12. The Mitzvot concerning skin disease in Leviticus required a seven-day period of quarantine (Leviticus 13:5), and then a seven-day right of purification (Leviticus 14:1-20). However, the seven days do not appear to be a period of quarantine or ritual purification in accordance with the mitzvot in Leviticus; the seven-day banishment was a sign of the shame she had brought upon herself by rebelling against Moses, and thus against YHVH Himself. Like a parent spitting in a child’s face is a sign of shame (Deuteronomy 25:9; Isaiah 50:6), so God ordered that Miryam bear her sin by being shut out of the camp for a week.²²⁰ The response of YHVH was graciousness mingled with sobriety. She was defiled, rebuked, and shamed publicly, as if spat upon by her father. So let her be shut out of the camp for seven days; after that, she can be brought back in.” Miryam was shut out of the camp for seven days, and the people did not travel until she was brought back in. So, Miryam caused a delay in the progress towards the Promised Land. Afterwards, the people went on from Hatzerot and camped in the Pa’ran Desert (12:14-16).²²¹

Why did Miryam alone suffer the punishment of leprosy and not Aaron, when he was clearly as involved as Miryam in their rebellion against Moses? But the necessity of ritual purity (see the commentary on Leviticus Bj – The Mitzvot of Purification) while he served as high priest needed to be spared. Ultimately, Miryam will be treated equally with her two brothers, co-leaders of the people of Isra’el. They will all join with the rest of the Exodus generation and die outside the Promised Land. The judgment will be all-inclusive, including men and women over twenty-years of age.²²²

We now come to the last section of commentary on this portion. The text of Numbers 12 focuses attention of Moshe’s life, especially on those things that made him a great leader. Let us do the same now and see how many godly characteristics of Moses, the leader, we can discover. When we do so, we can safely assume that just as ADONAI molded this man to walk after Him, He also does the same with us. Those things which characterized this leader also characterize the new creation believer. Why was Moshe such a great leader?

He took His problems to God. When you lead almost three million people, there is hardly ever a moment when you are not facing a problem. Our text relates that one of the habitual problems of the Israelites happened to have been rebellion, both against God and against Moshe, God’s appointed leader. Such a problem is usually the end of most leaders if it is not handled properly. But, Moses was not your typical leader. We read continually that when problems arose, Moshe took all of them directly to YHVH, sometimes even in the privacy of the Most Holy Place where fellowship between them was the most intimate. A leader cannot afford to handle his or her problems in any other way. They may choose to share the wisdom gained with others. But, ultimately, they must be shared openly and honestly with the only One Who is full of wisdom and truth.

He was honest with God. When confronted with the new rebellion about food (see Br – Quail and Manna from ADONAI), Moses had had enough (not of food, but complaints)! He was ready to quit. He said that he would rather die than continue in such a leadership position. And, the Bible tells us that he went right to Ha’Shem with how he felt and thought. When he did so, while not being disrespectful, he, nevertheless, was completely honest with his feelings and thoughts to the Holy One. He knew and trusted the LORD well enough to know that even if he did sin, God is faithful and just to forgive sin and to cleanse of all unrighteousness (First John 1:9).

He was willing to sacrifice for the good of the people. ADONAI endowed Moses with two spiritual gifts; leadership and prophecy (see the commentary on Romans Dc – Responding to the Mercies of ADONAI). In fact, Moses demonstrated his leadership ability when he willingly shared his leadership with the seventy elders, but actually asked for a plurality of leadership to be put in place (see Bt – ADONAI’s Response). In addition, the Torah states that the prophetic office of Moshe would serve as a model for the prophetic office of Messiah Himself (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Dk – A Prophet Like Moses). He also was willing to share his prophetic ministry. Can you imagine the pressure of being the only one? At least that’s what Miryam and Aaron thought. But Moses didn’t regard his gift of prophecy as something for only himself. In Chapter 11 when Eldad and Medad were freely prophesying around the camp, Moshe’s chief aid, Joshua, tried to stop them. Rather than being threatened by the public demonstration of the gifts of the Spirit, Moshe replied, “Are you so zealous to protect me? I wish all of ADONAI ’s people were prophets! I wish ADONAI would put His Spirit on all of them” (11:29).

He did not act defensively. Many leaders, when challenged in any of their decisions or ideas, sometimes act in a defensive manner. They do so, perhaps, out of insecurity. If they are trying to derive personal worth and identity from what they do and say, they are easily prone to such behavior. When it comes out, it usually manifests itself in short curt answers, haughty attitudes, judging the one who challenged them, or just plain lack of kindness. Moshe was not like that. When challenged by his family, those who were supposed to know him best, he responded in love and kindness by interceding for his sister, crying out to ADONAI, “Oh God, I beg you, please, heal her” (12:13).

He heard from God in an intimate way. One thing that certainly characterized Moshe’s leadership was his intimate relationship with YHVH. In fact, I would say that this was the one thing which caused the rest of his positive characteristics to show themselves. When Miryam and Aaron challenged him, God Himself came to Moses’ defense. He said a most remarkable thing about His servant. He said: Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you, I, ADONAI, make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. But it isn’t that way with My servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in My entire household. With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of ADONAI. So why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe (12:6-8)? God said that Moshe was the most trusted one in all Isra’el because they (Moses and God) met each other in an intimate way.

Summary: Moshe was more humble than anyone else! If there was one word that would characterize Moshe both as a man and as a leader, it would be humility. This is what God Himself said: Now Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth (12:3). How else could Moshe have walked in the essential characteristics of leadership described above, if he were not a humble man? A key to his leadership was that Moses was not self-serving; he was the servant of YHVH. He was the only one who was faithful in God’s entire household (12:7). If a leader has his mind on himself, his image, his well-being, his goals and aspirations, he will inevitably walk in the flesh and the sheep would not be able to feel safe around him. But if he has his thoughts centered on serving God and His sheep, then he will be a safe leader. This is the godly leader; this is how Yeshua Messiah Himself walked. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).²²³

Haftarah B’ha‘alotkha: Zechariah 2:14 – 4:7
(see the commentary on Deuteronomy Af – Parashah)

God comes to Jerusalem! Sing, daughter of Tziyon; rejoice! For, here, I am coming; and I will live among you,” says ADONAI. When that time comes, many nations will join themselves to ADONAI. “They will be my people, and I will live among you.” Then you will know that it was ADONAI-Tzva’ot who sent me to you (Zechariah 2:14-14). The journey that had begun in the wilderness ends at the Temple. Joshua the high priest is made pure – cleansed of the sin that caused the destruction and exile (Zechariah 3:4). He is commanded to walk with ADONAI and await ADONAI’s servant, Tsemach (the Branch). Not by might, nor by power, but by God’s Spirit shall the work be accomplished (Zechariah 4:6). The menorah will no longer require the vigilance of the priests to work through the night because it will receive an unending supply of olive oil straight from the olive oil trees in the Land! All the nations will acknowledge the exalted role of Isra’el among the Gentiles. YHVH will level the mountain to make room for a special gift of grace. All will see the Temple on the mountain, shouting Grace! Grace (Zechariah 4:7)!

B’rit Chadashah B’ha‘alotkha: Revelation 11:19

What begins with the Tribulation Temple (see the commentary on Revelation Bx – The Tribulation Temple), and the mission of the two witnesses (see Revelation Dc – I Will Give Power to My Two Witnesses to Prophesy), culminates in the rescue of the remnant (see the commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah). Judgment begins and the Temple of God opens to the eyes of those on earth. The ark of the covenant becomes visible in a Sinai kind of experience witnessed by all (see Revelation Dx – The Seventh Trumpet: God’s Temple in Heaven)! Miracles leap from the text! The two witnesses have the power to shut up the skies, causing famine for three-and-a-half-years (Revelation 11:3). This event comes as the nations have the power to trample the outer court for the same time period (11:2). The two witnesses are slain and lay unburied for three-and-a-half-days; but then are raised to life and raptured into heaven, in full view of those who celebrated their deaths (see Revelation Dm – The Resurrection of the Two Witnesses). The stage is set for the spiritual journey to culminate with heaven coming to earth!²²⁴

Dear Heavenly Father, praise you for Your faithful love that allows me to come to You with my problems. One thing that made Moshe great was that he took his problems to God. Moses had some very big problems, but no problem is too big for You. You desire me to always run to You and fellowship with You, not just about problems but also offering plenty of praise, for You are always good!

You desire to use my problems to bless me. Your heart is so gracious and kind that You can even turn hard times into times of eternal blessing. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:7). I can’t imagine how anything could be better than living forever in Your eternal perfect heaven, but more than that, You even promise that You will reward those who serve You with a faithful and loving heart (First Corinthians 3:11-14). You are so worthy to receive all worship and praise! I praise You my Holy, Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Wise, Forgiving Savior and Loving Father. I look forward to praising You thru out all eternity! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His Resurrection. Amen

ADONAI’s Response
11: 16-35

ADONAI’s response DIG: How did God respond to Moses’ complaint of “I can’t do it?” How did God equip the seventy elders? How did Joshua fight against what ADONAI was doing? How would God’s varied responses to Isra’el and Isra’el’s memorial death camp, help them succeed in their journey throughout their wilderness wanderings?

REFLECT: How important is the Ruach in your ministry, in the ministry of the Church? Have you ever fought against the purposes of YHVH because you didn’t understand it? What did you learn in this chapter about the importance of contentment? How do you think God feels when we complain about our life?

A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart.

Moshe was now at the place spiritually where ADONAI wanted him (to see link click Bs – Moses’ Complaint about the People). He was ready for his next step of growth. For his own good, and for the good of Isra’el, the leadership needed to be shared. This is a critical lesson many spiritual leaders, rabbis and pastors need to learn. Sharing the spiritual leadership not only enhances the well-being of the sheep, it also protects the leader. That’s what Sha’ul seems to imply in First Timothy Chapters 3 through 5, when he teaches that the leadership of God’s people should not be one man, but a plurality of godly leaders.¹⁹⁵

Spiritual leadership (11:16-17): ADONAI responded to Moshe’s frustration with a remedy for leadership. He instructed him to select seventy godly leaders to assist him in the spiritual oversight of the camp. Moses already had leaders to help the people settle their personal disputes (see the commentary on Exodus Cy – Moses Chose Men from All Isra’el), but these new leaders would have more of a spiritual ministry to the people. After all, the heart of every problem is a problem of the heart, and unless people’s hearts are changed by the Lord, their character and conduct will never change.¹⁹⁶ Thus, God said to Moses, “Bring me seventy of the leaders of Isra’el, people you recognize as experienced leaders of the people and officers of theirs. Bring them to the Tabernacle, and have them stand there with you in a supportive role. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit of God which rests on you and put it on them. Then they will carry the burden of the people along with you, so that you won’t carry it yourself alone.”

In the B’rit Chadashah, the seventy-member Great Sanhedrin was the equivalent of the Jewish supreme court (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). Most of its members were guilty of handing Yeshua over to the Romans to be crucified. So, it is absolutely true that in the days of the apostles, it was misguided and mostly wicked. Yet, we must also remember that the vast majority of Israelite history is similarly tainted by corrupt leadership. Wicked kings rose and fell throughout Judah and Isra’el’s history, but we do not demonize the institution of kingship because it was occupied by wicked kings. Also, the Christian Church has a sordid history of antisemitism (see the book The Anguish of the Jews, Twenty-Three Centuries of Antisemitism by Edward H. Flannery, a Stimulus Book, 1985), yet we do not demonize the Church as all bad. All of this is to say that we need to re-examine the institution of the Sanhedrin and acknowledge that it is a biblical institution with God-given authority. Here in Numbers, a portion of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh was empowered into it simply on the basis that it was the ruling body over Isra’el. Thus, Caiaphas, as the high priest and head of the Great Sanhedrin, unwittingly prophesied regarding the Messiah, “Do you not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish” (John 11:50).

The punishment of abundance (11:18-35): There is a popular proverb that says, “Be careful what you wish for . . . because you might get it.” Such was certainly the case with Isra’el in the wilderness. Their disdain for manna and their longing for the familiar led them to cry out for meat. While on the way to Mount Sinai, the children of Isra’el raised a similar cry, which the LORD answered by sending quail into their midst (see the commentary on Exodus Cs – That Evening Quail Came and Covered the Camp). But that was only a one-time event. A year later the Israelites had grown to despise the manna that God had given them, and they longed for the quail once again.¹⁹⁷

Tell the people, “Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat; because you cried in the ears of ADONAI, “If only we had meat to eat! We had a good life in Egypt!” The contrast between the true source of blessing is emphasized further when the people proclaimed that they had it better in Egypt. When the people were preparing to leave Sinai, Moses told Hobab that God had promised good things for Isra’el (10:29). But now they claimed things were better for them in Egypt. To attribute goodness to the land of bondage, oppression, and despair was blasphemous, evidence of their brazen rebellion against YHVH. They had rejected His goodness. Now He would turn that which was formerly a means of great blessing into a means of cursing. All right, ADONAI is going to give you meat, and you will eat it. You won’t eat it just one day, or two days, or five, or ten, or twenty days, but a whole month! – until it comes out of your nose and you hate it! – because you have rejected ADONAI, who is here with you, and distressed Him with your crying and asking: Why did we ever leave Egypt (11:18-20)?¹⁹⁸

The principle was not meat, of course. ADONAI explained to Moses that the real issue was that the people had rejected Him! He was near in grace, but they had turned their back on Him. He was in their midst, and they wished He were not so close. He had come down, and they wished He would go away. The issue was not just failure to demonstrate proper gratitude to God, who was in their midst and who was their constant source of good; it was turning from Him entirely and resentfully rejecting His many acts of mercy on their behalf. I suspect the only fitting comparison for us today would be to consider who has made a profession of faith in Messiah to say, “I wish You had not died for me! Leave me alone!” Only in these terms can we sense the enormity of the impact in the language of this verse.¹⁹⁹

But Moshe, with his head still reeling from the declaration that the LORD would provide meat for all the people for a month, reminded God of the numbers involved, saying: Here I am with six hundred thousand men on foot, and yet you say, “I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!” But the fact that the people were merely looking for an opportunity to complain about their lot in life, he noted: If whole flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would it be enough? If all the fish in the sea were collected for them, would even that be enough” (11:21-22)? The familiar level of dialogue between Moshe and YHVH highlights the level of trust and relationship that Moses, God’s servant, had with His LORD.

In his grief and disbelief, Moshe had challenged God’s ability to meet the needs of the people in the wilderness. But Ha’Shem quickly and tersely responded with a rhetorical question: Has ADONAI’s arm grown short? Had the right arm of YHVH, which had delivered the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt and brought them through the Sea of Reeds on dry ground, somehow been reduced in power and capability. Absolutely not! Now you will see whether what I said will happen or not (11:23)! So now the reluctant Moshe and the disobedient people were about to experience once more the magnitude of God’s power. In spite of the numerous life illustrations the Israelites had experienced, they had not yet come to the realization of the promise Paul later echoed in Philippians 4:9, “My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Messiah Yeshua.”²⁰⁰

Moshe went out and told the people what ADONAI had said. Then he collected seventy of the leaders of the people and placed them all around the Tabernacle. ADONAI came down in the fire-cloud (see Bk – The Pillar of Cloud and Fire), spoke to Moses, took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy leaders. When the Spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied – then, but not afterwards (11:24-25). The Ruach Ha’Kodesh was given temporarily in the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of Torah). David pleaded: ADONAI, don’t take Your Spirit from me (Psalm 51:11). Therefore, when those men prophesied, it was not a permanent gift, but a temporary one. All that was necessary was for their ministry to be publicly authenticated so the whole community could see that they possessed the same spiritual qualifications and authority as Moses himself.²⁰¹

To show that the bestowal of the Spirit was an act of God unrelated to Moshe’s presence, ADONAI placed the Ruach Ha’Kodesh on two men, Eldad and Medad, who had not joined the others at the Tabernacle. They were among those listed to go there, but they hadn’t done so, and they continually prophesied in the camp. In fact, they prophesied so much that Joshua, thinking that something was out of order ran and told Moshe, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” Joshua, the son of Nun, who from his youth up had been Moshe’s assistant, answered, “My lord, Moshe, stop them!” Joshua’s alarm was motivated by his loyalty to Moses. Here the true spirit of Moses is demonstrated. Rather than being threatened by Edad and Medad’s spiritual gifts, Moshe replied, “Are you so zealous to protect me? I wish all of ADONAI ’s people were prophets! I wish God would put His Spirit on all of them!” This verse is a suitable introduction to the inexcusable challenge to the leadership of Moshe in Numbers 12. Then Moshe and the leaders of Isra’el withdrew from the entrance to the Tabernacle and returned to the camp (11:26-30).

After the seventy had been selected and properly validated the LORD punished the people for their dissatisfied nature by sending an abundance of quail. The manna was withheld, and the people were given a month’s supply (11:20). ADONAI sent out a wind (Hebrew: ruach) which brought quails from across the sea and let them miraculously fall around the camp. The normal flight pattern of these quail to this day is northeasterly, from the interior of Africa. The wind must have come from the southwest, a most unusual phenomenon, and drove the birds northwest across the Sinai.²⁰² Not only that, but when they got to the camp, God caused them to fly about three feet above the ground so the people could capture them or club them to the ground. The amount of quail was so widespread that they could be found about a day’s trip away on each side of the camp and all around it. Soon after the people began their orgy of lustful gluttony. The scene must have been similar to a riot: people screaming, birds flapping their wings, everywhere the chaotic movement of a meat-hungry people in a sea of birds.²⁰³

The people stayed up all that day, all night and all the next day gathering the quails – the person gathering the least collected ten heaps or about sixty bushels of meat. The rabbis teach that each person gathered more than 300 gallons or a little over 1,000 pounds of quail. Then they spread them out for themselves all around the camp (11:31-32). Their sin was, in effect, a rejection of ADONAI and His generous provision in favor of an uncontrollable appetite. As Paul later said of the enemies of Messiah: Their god was their stomach (Philippians 3:9). These figures are staggering! In some ways it reminds us of the great provision of Yeshua in the feedings of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21) and the four thousand (Matthew 15:29-39). In those cases the feeding of many from God’s plenty was a demonstration of God’s grace; in the instance here, it was a demonstration of God’s wrath.

When YHVH really wants to judge people, He lets them have their own way (Romans 1: 24, 26, and 28). So God gave them what they asked for, but He sent a plague along with it (Psalm 106:15). The word plague (Hebrew makka, meaning blow or stroke) is used in this sense in seven other places in the TaNaKh. In Deuteronomy 28-29 the term parallels words for sickness or disease. In First Samuel 4 the term describes the plagues of Egypt. The similar verb occurs in Exodus 3:20 and 9:15 to describe these plagues. In the present context (a large supply of meat), the most natural conclusion is some sort form of food poisoning.²⁰⁴

The drama of the scene is superb: But while the meat was still in their mouth, before they had chewed it up, the anger of ADONAI flared up against the people, and ADONAI struck the people with a terrible plague (Numbers 11:33; Psalm 78:23-31; First Corinthians 10:10). Like so many places in Isra’el’s history, the names of places reflected their experience with YHVH. As Bethel (house of God) derived from Jacob’s encounter with God in the central hill country, and Tav’erah (burning) reminded the Israelites of God’s fiery holocaust, so now the graves of the ravenous would become a memorial to the results of the rebellion against the LORD their God.²⁰⁵ Therefore, that place was named Kibroth-Hattaavah [graves of greed], because there they buried the people who were so greedy (11:34). Perhaps the people doubted the adequacy of the provision and rushed in a greedy manner upon the quail, each one trying to get more than his neighbor. Greed is clearly sinful (Romans 1:29; Ephesians 5:3). Yeshua called for contentment (Luke 3:14) and warned, “guard against every form of greed” (Lk 12:15).²⁰⁶ After a month of quail, those surviving were probably longing for manna.

ADONAI had warned Isra’el that the way they treated their daily manna would be a test of their obedience to His Word (Exodus 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:3). By rejecting the manna, Isra’el was really rejecting the LORD (11:20), and it was this rebellious attitude that invited the judgment of Ha’Shem. This reminds us that the way we treat God’s Word is the way we treat the Lord Himself. To ignore the Word, treat it carelessly, or willingly disobey it is to ask for the discipline of God (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Instead of feeding the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life that bring death (First John 2:15-17), we need to cultivate an appetite for the holy Word of God (Job 23:12; Psalm 1:1; Jeremiah 15:16; Matthew 4:4; Luke 10:38-42; First Peter 2:1-3).²⁰⁷

In our lives we often experience the same dynamic. We find ourselves punished with abundance. Abundance is not always a blessing. Materialism and greed are quick to follow. A culture with too much food eats too much and becomes obese and insensitive. A family with too much income begins to spend foolishly and finds it increasingly difficult to give the same proportion of work to the Kingdom of God. It is far easier to labor for the Kingdom when things are lean. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God (Mt 19:24). The Master tells us that instead of seeking to store up treasure on earth (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Bv – Solomon’s Treasure), we are to merely ask for our daily bread. That is to say, we should be asking that the Lord provide for us according to His measure of good purpose, even as He provided bread from heaven for Isra’el while they were in the wilderness.²⁰⁸

No doubt terrified from their experience, the people moved from Kibroth-Hattaavah to Hatzerot (11:35). Moses had been given assistance from the seventy elders, and we think perhaps they will be able to help Moshe keep the community on track and avoid any further rebellions. Or at least the rebellions would be confined to the outer fringes of the camp. That hope is soon dashed as we move to Numbers 12.²⁰⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that when I focus on eternity, there is great peace and joy. Life on earth will always be full of problems and trials, but the problems will soon be over. It is so much better to focus on Your awesome characteristics and Your unending love, than to mull over hard and painful times. Thank You so much for turning around the pain of hard times to bring eternal joy when I face the problems with a Godly attitude. Thank You that You both redeemed me from Satan’s grip and You bless me with rewards for my heart attitudes! For no one can lay any other foundation than what is already laid – which is Yeshua the Messiah.  Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear. For the Day will show it, because it is to be revealed by fire; and the fire itself will test each one’s work – what sort it is.  If anyone’s work built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward (First Corinthians 3:11-14)

The coming glory of heaven will be so great. I cannot even begin to imagine how wonderful heaven will be. So, I choose to turn from complaints to praising You, my Great Savior. Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind- these things God has prepared for those who love Him (First Corinthians 2:9). When hard times come, I will choose to bless and praise You for my wonderful redemption. In the power of Yeshua Messiah’s holy Name and Mighty Resurrection. Amen

Moses’ Complaint about the People
11: 10-15

Moses’ complaint about the People DIG: Why do you think the people’s attitude changed between 9:15-23 and 10:11-36? Why do you think their attitude deteriorated so rapidly? Why did Moshe become discouraged? Did Moshe consider their complaints valid? Would you? Why or why not? How does Moses display lack of faith here? In his despair and frustration, what did he ask ADONAI to do?

REFLECT: When are you, like Moshe, most likely to become discouraged with your lot in life? When discouraged, do you listen more to people’s complaints, to God’s provision, or inner doubts? Ask the LORD to forgive you for the times when you have complained about His purpose for your life. Ask God to teach you to be more content with what He has provided. What complaints damage your fellowship with God?

The burden of leadership.

Anyone who has served any length of time leading a congregation of God’s people is familiar with the frustration Moshe feels as he cries out to ADONAI. Even when things are going well, and there are no real crisis situations, and the leadership is well-liked, discontentment can begin to seep in and spread throughout the congregation. It is the way of human beings born with the disease of sin. We do not need legitimate complaints; we will always find something to complain about. This is true for any leader in a position of responsibility over a business, political, or social organization. But it is far more stressful and painful for leaders placed over a congregation because issues of spirituality, faith and relationship inevitably become entangled with discord.

As people of the Torah, we should learn from the book of Numbers. If Moshe was so distressed with leadership responsibilities that he felt suicidal, how much more so our congregational leaders. We need to take a cue from this. We need to become proactive about defending our leadership and silencing the voices of discontentment and antagonism which so quickly spread throughout the congregation. We need to encourage our congregational leaders and stand by them, even if they do turn out to be merely human beings and make mistakes like the rest of us.¹⁸⁸ Moshe heard the people crying, family after family, each person at the entrance to his tent (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Gy – Moses and the Tent of Meeting); the anger of ADONAI flared up violently; and in mirroring the feelings of YHVH, in the eyes of Moses it was evil (11:10). This brought pressure on Moshe, and depressed, he asked God:

Here is an example of introversion in a speech (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Chiasm and introversion). This structure clearly shows that although Moses’ complaint seemingly stresses his need for assistance in administration (ABC and CBA), his main concern is expressed in the pivot (D), where his whining discloses his questioning whether God will enable him to provide Isra’el with meat.¹⁸⁹

A. Why are you treating your servant so badly (11:11a)? Moshe’s selfless concern for his people had apparently evaporated. Instead of turning to the LORD to ask that he might understand the substance of their complaint, Moses turned to the LORD to ask why he was given such an ungrateful people to lead. There is a human touch in all of this; Moshe is caught off guard, as it were – ill-prepared for the magnitude of the problem he faced in leading such a sinful group of people.¹⁹⁰

B. Why haven’t I found favor in your sight, so that you put the burden of this entire people (rather than my people) on me (11:11b)? In other words, if You really love me, You wouldn’t burden me with these people. Knowing, as we do, how ungrateful and hardheaded the people of Isra’el were, it is amazing that Moses wasn’t discouraged more often!¹⁹¹

C. Did I conceive all these people (12:a)? Was I their father, so that You should say to me, “Carry them in your arms, like a nurse carrying a baby, to the land you swore to their ancestors?” The Hebrew emphasizes the “I,” that is, “I am not the father of these people – but, God, You are! After all, it is YHVH who has conceived these people. It was He who gave them birth. He was their nurse, their mother in the wilderness. He has promised them their Land. The people were screaming at Moses; but, ultimately, they were ranting against God.¹⁹²

D. Where am I going to get meat to give to all the people? Because they keep pestering me with their crying and saying, “Give us meat to eat” (11:13)! Moses does not justify the murmuring of the people, and was doubtless conscious of their sinfulness. At the same time, however, he displays a spirit of discouragement to the point of despair, at God’s dealings with himself; and appears to treat the demand of the Israelites for meat as not being altogether unreasonable.

C. I can’t carry this entire people by myself alone – it’s too much for me (11:14)! The problem is that Moses feels alone in his responsibility, which weighs heavily on his shoulders. The stress pushes him over the edge. Moses lost his perspective and got his eyes off the LORD and onto himself, something that’s easy to do in the difficult experiences in life.¹⁹³

B. Finally, in resignation, he declares: If you are going to treat me this way, then just kill me outright (11:15a)! Moses’ despair concerning his life’s lot parallels those of other notables in Isra’el’s history. Job cursed the very day of his birth in the midst of his season of suffering (Job 3:1-4); after Elijah put the prophets of Ba’al to the sword, he became very depressed and wanted ADONAI to take his life (First Kings 19:3-4); and Jeremiah likewise bemoaned his birth in the midst of the shame he experienced in being beaten and imprisoned by Pashur in Jerusalem (20:14-18)! At this point in his leadership ministry, Moshe faced a crisis of faith and dependency, preferring death as a favor from God rather than continue to have the responsibility of directing such a rebellious people.

Notice how Moses argues with YHVH. You will recall that, after the golden calf incident (see the commentary on Exodus Gq – The Golden Calf Incident), Moshe argued for covenant renewal on the basis of the favor he had found with YHVH. Moses had prayed: Now if I have found favor in Your sight, ADONAI, I pray, let the LORD go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your possession (Exodus 34:9). Now, however, in his despair, he argues against having to lead the people any further, and distances himself from the Israelites.

A. Please, if you have any mercy toward me! – and don’t let me go on being this miserable (11:15b)! This makes this whole passage an outpouring of Moshe’s self-pity, climaxed by this final remark. Since Ha’Shem is the author of Moses’ wretchedness, He might as well finish the job – and take his life. ADONAI responded with grace and yet also with judgment (see Bt – ADONAI’s Response). Moses would get some relief, but in the long run this was just the beginning of troublesome years to come.¹⁹⁴

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that the number of troublesome years on earth will soon be over and there will be an eternity of peace and joy for all who love You. We all long for good times with family and respect from our work, but sometimes that does not happen. We need to keep in mind that a relationship of love with You is so much better than anything life can offer and your love lasts for all eternity. Day to day problems and personal conflicts sometimes seem to weigh us down, but there is way so much better than complaining to solve the problems. I thank You that as I pray, asking You to give me wisdom, my heart is lifted. I praise You for Your loving care in my life. It is so much better for me to appreciate You than to complain. Prayer is the first thing to do when a problem comes. How wonderful that You listen to my prayers and promise to answer me (John 5:14-15)! I love You Father God and delight in praising You for Your awesome love and indwelling presence in my life (John 14:23) – even when times are hard. You are worthy of all our love and praise! I look forward to praising You thru All eternity! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Quail and Manna from ADONAI
11: 4-9

Quail and manna from ADONAI DIG: Who were the rabble? Were there any believers among them? What was the real reason for their complaining? How does complaining show our lack of trust in God and His purposes? What is the attitude of the Israelites in this chapter compared to Exodus 16? Have you ever complained about God’s purpose for your life?

REFLECT: Slowly, the people had become so accustomed to the miracles of ADONAI in their lives that they began to take Him for granted. Does that sound familiar? The Israelites’ long journey is so much like ours. Sometimes, too much like ours! Thank the Lord that He knows what is best for us and provides us with all we need to accomplish His purposes.

A second rebellion.

The rabble with them had an intense desire for meat (11:4a). This account appropriately begins with the rabble (Hebrew: ‘asafsuf, sometime translated riffraff, appears only here in the TaNaKh), an appropriate term for the Gentiles who followed the Hebrews out of Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ca – At the End of the 430 Years, to the Very Day). This term points to a recurring source of complaints and trouble in the camp (see Bp – Complaining at Tav’erah). Those who did not know YHVH and His mercies too easily incited those who did know Him to rebel against Him. But, however the complaining began, it soon spread throughout the camp of Isra’el. It only takes a little sin to leaven the whole lump (First Corinthians (5:6-7). It is likely that familiar texts on the need for separation from people who do not share biblical faith have their genesis in this account. We can see this in the Torah (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Dy – Israelite Distinctiveness), and also in the B’rit Chadashah (see Second Corinthians Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers). Yet, not all the people termed rabble (or who began as rabble) were unbelievers! That is, we may expect that many Gentiles would have come to faith in God in view of their daily contact with Hebrews who did believe (Exodus 14:30-31). Among the non-Hebrew people we may presume had come to faith in Ha’Shem was the Kushite (African) wife of Moshe (Numbers 12:1-2).

Whatever their origin, the rabble caused Moshe and the people of Isra’el a great deal of trouble. A similar group is creating problems for us today. In the parable of the wheat and the weeds (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ev – The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds), Yeshua taught that whenever ADONAI plants His true children, the Adversary comes along and plants counterfeits. Satan is an imitator and an infiltrator (Jude 4:2; Second Peter 2:1-2), which explains why Paul warned the Church about some who pretended to be believers (see the commentary on Galatians Ax – False Brothers slipped in to Spy Out our Freedom in Messiah), are false ministers (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bz – Servants of Satan) and practice a false Gospel (see Galatians Aj – No Other Gospel).¹⁸¹

How did their complaining lead to rebellion? They complained about the lack of meat. The quail provided in Exodus 16 had apparently been a one-time treat. But their complaining eventually spread to the Israelites, who started wailing and joined in and declared: If only we had meat to eat! First, we suspect that meat wasn’t common food of the slaves in Egypt; secondly, it wasn’t true that they had no meat to eat. They had both flocks and herds. In Exodus 12:38 we learn that a mixed multitude also went up with the Israelites, with a great number of both flocks and herds. When they arrived in the Land forty years later, they still had flocks and herds because Numbers 32:1 tells us that the descendants of Reuben and the descendants of Gad had vast quantities of livestock. So, the question remains, what were they complaining about?

Then, they changed their minds and wanted fish. We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost. Let’s see . . . fish in the wilderness! It seems that the riffraff was so miserable that they were just making stuff up to complain about. But when the Israelites joined in with the rabble in their complaining, the Hebrews forgot the very reason they left Egypt. They were slaves only a year ago! The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard labor – digging clay, making bricks, all kinds of field work; and in all the toil they were shown no mercy (Exodus 1:14). How did they go from being shown no mercy to cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic (11:4-5)? They were romanticizing the past because “the-good-old-days” were really “the-bad-old-days.” This is where the heart of mankind leads to when God is absent, never being grateful for what they had. Always wanting more. Just as a circle can never fill a triangle, so that heart of greed is never satisfied.

We need the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to lead us.

But then, like petulant children, they said: We have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna (11:6). After all their complaining, they didn’t want to eat anymore. What was the real issue? Verse 4 tells us that the rabble with them had greedy desires. This was beyond food, which they used as an excuse, because they could not have been hungry. Like Eve, who had all the fruits of the Garden except one, the riffraff had convinced themselves that ADONAI was withholding good things from them. So, in the end, their complaining was actually telling God that His provision did not measure up to their desires. A complaining tongue reveals an ungrateful heart. We are to be like Paul when from prison he said: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances (Phil 4:11). He understood that everything he had was from God.¹⁸²

Numerous naturalistic explanations have been given to the account for the provision of manna by those who have traveled in the Sinai. Some point to a secretion of the tamarisk tree of small, yellow/white balls that have a sweet taste. Others believe this secretion is not the product of the tree but is the excreta of certain scale insects made on the leaves of these trees during June in some areas of the Sinai. But like the Flood (see Genesis Cj – The Waters Rose and the Ark Floated on the Surface of the Water), there are no naturally occurring events that fit the plain reading of the text.¹⁸³ The miracle was that the manna was found in such giant quantities. To feed two million people, they would have needed about nine million pounds of manna per day; that equals about forty-five hundred tons per year, or about a million tons annually for forty years. All very remarkably scheduled every morning! So any natural cause would seem to be quite a stretch.¹⁸⁴

The Spirit of God then defended the manna by telling us how marvelous it was. Manna was the perfect food. Even without the rabbi’s descriptive embellishments, there was food provided directly from heaven. It was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. It was not boring! They could cook it in a pot or make it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. In Exodus 16:31 the taste of manna cakes was also compared to honey. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down (11:7-9). According to the rabbis, the dew coated the manna, the bottom layer protecting it from the sand while the top layer protected it from being eaten by insects and flies. The manna appeared in the early morning, blown in from the heavens during the night so that enough could be gathered for the daily consumption. Yet, the Israelites had begun to long for foods they once knew. In fact, there was nothing wrong with the manna except that it wasn’t meat, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic! Because manna was not what they desired, they rejected it, even though it was given to them by God.¹⁸⁵

Manna as bread from heaven points to the coming of Jesus as the true bread from heaven, the bread of God, and the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:32-33 and 51), all in a spiritual sense (John 6:63). Yeshua, as both the bread of life (John 6:35 and 48) and the source of the water of life (Revelation 21:6, 22:1 and 17), can therefore say to us: He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 6:35). However, Messiah made a clear distinction between manna and Himself when he said: Our forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever (John 6:58). We will live forever when we believe in Him (John 6:40).¹⁸⁶

Therefore, manna is a type of Messiah: The Sh’khinah glory was connected with the giving of the manna (John 1:14); it came down from heaven (Ephesians 4:10), it was a free gift from God (John 3:16), the manna was sent to Isra’el (Matthew 15:24), people had to gather their own manna, it was to be a personal experience (John 1:12), they were to be fed daily from it (Psalm 69:19); the manna was despised by those who were not God’s children (Numbers 11:4-6; Revelation 16:8-11), manna did not decay on the Sabbath day (Psalm 16:8-10), and it is now hidden, something you see but you don’t understand (Revelation 2:17).¹⁸⁷

Dear Heavenly Father, praise You for always being such a gracious giver! You gave the gift so that people might have a life full of abundant joy.  I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10c)! Just as it was a personal experience to gather the manna, so salvation is a personal experience of being united to Messiah faith For, if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

You so graciously choose the path of salvation to be made holy by being in Messiah. He chose us in the Messiah before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love (Ephesian 1:4). The blood of Messiah removes trespasses. In Him we have redemption through His blood – the removal of trespasses – in keeping with the richness of His grace (Ephesian 1:7). All who love You, You promise to make holy by their being in Messiah. Your desire is to save people from hell, but it is a personal choice, just as gathering manna was a personal choice. Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. (Ephesians 1:9-10).

What an absolutely wonderful gift You gave to deliver me from sin’s awful penalty of death by Messiah’s painful death, and then to transfer all of Messiah’s righteousness to my spiritual bank account so I could come and live with You in heaven.  He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21).

What a costly and loving gift You chose to give, knowing how much pain and shame it would cost You! You are so worthy of all my love! It may cost me a little to live for You in this world, but it is far worth the cost so that we may spend all eternity in heaven with You! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). I fix my eyes on pleasing You in all we do, say and think. I have an audience of One! Trials and problems will come, but my heart will be fixed on doing Your will. You are my wonderful and loving Father, and the gracious gift-giver of eternal life! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Graves of Greediness
11: 4-35

We observe with sadness that the memory of the cause of the burning at Tav’erah (to see link click Bp – Complaining at Tav’erah) seems to have been lost quickly. It was followed directly by another, even more serious attack on God’s mercy in the people’s rejection of manna, the bread of heaven. It is possible that there was a considerable lapse of time between the complaining that led to the burning (11:1-3) and the complaining that led to the plague of quail (11:4-35), but the placement of these stories in abrupt linking suggests that the time lapse was insignificant. It seems that this new rebellion transpired during the next stop along the march.

There is symmetry in these narratives of rebellion in the TaNaKh. The scream for “real food” rather than the divine provision of manna takes us back to the initial complaint about food in Exodus (see the commentary on Exodus Cq – If Only We Had Died by the LORD’s Hand in Egypt), where God began to provide His people with the wonder of manna; it also carries us forward to the last rebellion about food near the end of the generation in the wilderness, where the people rejected the manna as detestable, only to be forced to focus on the image that was truly detestable, the serpent (see Di – The Healing Snake), who was their only means of escape from God’s plague.

Indeed, ADONAI’s provision of food for His people (and their common actions of ingratitude for His mercy) is one of the dominant motifs in the Bible. This began in the Garden of Eden teeming with all kinds of food (Genesis 2); eating the forbidden food led to expulsion from Paradise (Genesis 3). And the Bible ends with a great banquet (see the commentary on Revelation Fg – Blessed Are Those Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb). Along the way, on the journey from the paradise of Eden to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, the provision of food is a mark of God’s love and care for His people. He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever (Psalm 111:5). But there is more to eating than food for the stomach. This is why we must bless God (Psalm 103:1-2), especially at meal times. Eating a satisfying meal provides the believer a wonderful reason to praise YHVH, who gives good gifts (Deuteronomy 8:10). Similarly, to blame God for a shortage of food, or for a lack of variety, is a cowardly act of irreverence. So, here, we learn the story of the graves of greediness in 11:4-35.¹⁸⁰

These verses are displayed in a chiastic fashion (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Chiasm and Introversion). The inverted symmetry of this section of Scripture is clear. ADONAI punishes the people’s complaint (AA) and that of Moses (BB). In c, the divine reply of condemnation to both complaints, is pivotal, anticipating the punishment. Moshe’s panicky outburst bordering on heresy, is the main point.

A. The people’s complaint: meat (11:4-9)

B. Moses’ complaint: assistance (11:10-15)

C. ADONAI’S response to both complaints (11:16-23)

a. ADONAI’s response: superficially positive (11:16-20)

c. Moses’ response: lack of faith (11:21-22)

b. ADONAI’s response: restrained (11:23)

B. ADONAI assisted Moses by authorizing the elders (11:24-30)

A. ADONAI judged the people by supplying meat (11:31-34)

From Kivrot Ha’Ta’avah the people traveled to Harzerot, and they stayed there (11:35)

Complaining at Tav’erah
11: 1-3

Complaining at Tav’erah DIG: Why are the Israelites complaining here such a shock? How had it become a pattern of destruction? What was the spark that lit the fire? Who were the mixed-multitude? What did they have to complain about? What does the B’rit Chadashah have to say about complaining? What six things does the LORD hate?

REFLECT: What struggles have you had to face in your life since you were saved? What was your response to those struggles? How does complaining show your lack of trust in God and His purposes for your life? Do you think that your complaining stumbles unbelievers who know about your faith? Why? Why not? Who puts out your fires today?

The first rebellion became a pattern of destruction.

There is a cyclical nature to Isra’el’s rebellions against God – stubborn people tend to repeat the sins of the past. The first rebellion of the redeemed people came on the third day of the march from Egypt to Mount Sinai after their miraculous crossing of the Sea of Reeds (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Cn – When They Came to Marah the Water was Bitter). Now, three days out on their triumphal march to Canaan from Mount Sinai, they fell back into their complaining behavior. Nothing in the first ten chapters of Numbers has prepared us for this verse; rather, those chapters have emphasized over and over again the complete obedience of Moses and the people to the dictates of YHVH. Moses, the narrator of Numbers, has arranged his materials so carefully that this sudden outbreak of renewed pettiness against God seems unprecedented, unexpected – unbelievable. How, we wonder, with all the preparation for a holy walk, could there come such stumbling so soon?¹⁷⁴

Now the people became like those who complain of adversity (Hebrew: ra, meaning evil, distress, misery or calamity) in the hearing of ADONAI (11:1a). Here we have the first act of rebellion on the journey from Mount Sinai. God’s Word tells us that there was a group of complainers on the outskirts of the camp, and this revolt took little to reveal itself. And the complainers, Egyptians who left with the Israelites, were mixed in among the people. Complaining was, and is, contagious and the Israelites fell into that trap. Only a spark is needed to start a fire, you need only a few people to start complaining to start a rebellion.

God’s people had lost sight of what He had done for them already. He had set them free from the bondage of Egypt and the cruelties of that nation toward them. He had opened the hearts and hands of the people of Egypt to bless them with much wealth as they left, so they could build the Tabernacle at Sinai. He had given them victory over Pharaoh’s army. He had opened the Sea of Reeds for them so they could walk across on dry ground. He had placed His Presence among them and led them personally, step-by-step, through the desert. He provided them with food to eat every day so that they were not hungry. But now, Isra’el was complaining about ADONAI. They had failed to appreciate what He had already done for them.¹⁷⁵

The B’rit Chadashah has much to say about this problem for it never disappeared. The heart of mankind has not changed since the time of Adam (see the commentary on Romans Bm – The Consequences of Adam). For this reason, Paul urges us not to complain, as some did, and they were destroyed by the Destroying Angel. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (First Corinthians 10:10-11). Paul learned to find contentment and joy in the Lord rather than in his external circumstances. I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am (Philippians 4:11). That is why, for Messiah’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (Second Corinthians 12:10). To Timothy, he confided that godliness with contentment is great gain (First Timothy 6:6). As the people of God, we must learn from the mistakes of the generation in the wilderness and commit ourselves not to repeat them. We must put aside our complaining spirits and learn the art of gratitude.¹⁷⁶

Based upon the stories of the book of Numbers, it would appear that few things irritate Ha’Shem more than a negative attitude. There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict among brothers (Proverbs 6:16-19). Thus, when ADONAI heard it, His anger flared up, so that fire from ADONAI broke out against them and consumed the outskirts of the camp (11:1b). In God’s mercy, it did not affect Moses, Aaron, the priests, the Levites, nor the Tabernacle. Now the exact nature of the judgment is unclear, but it obviously caused a severe burning of some kind.

In the midst of His wrath YHVH remembered His mercy. Then the people cried out to Moshe, Moshe prayed to ADONAI, and the fire stopped (11:2). This is one of the ongoing themes of Scripture and thus emphasized in Numbers. The people truly deserved God’s considerable wrath. But the survivors of this outburst of His anger cried out to Moses for help on their behalf before the LORD. Moshe prayed and the fire subsequently subsided.¹⁷⁷ If Moshe had not been there, the fire would not have stopped. And Moshe is not here today, so how are our fires stopped? This is the type of question this chapter will ask of us, and it will point to the One Mediator who speaks to God on our behalf: Yeshua Messiah.

Because of the raging fire of Ha’Shem, the people named that place of awful memory Tav‘erah [burning, like hell] because ADONAI’s fire broke out against them (11:3). Two similar stories immediately follow this parashah (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Af – Parashah). The rejection of the Promised Land (see By – The Report of the Spies), and Korah’s rebellion (see Co – The Rebellion of Korah) are also based upon the same pattern as we see here.¹⁷⁸

Therefore, the unspecified complaint in Numbers 11:1-3 becomes a basic outline for the complaint stories that follow: The people complain; God’s anger is kindled; Moses intercedes; and the punishment is stopped. Ha’Shem’s anger here is hot, and the punishment was in the form of fire that broke out against them (11:1). But the fire only consumed the outskirts of the camp. Moshe prayed to ADONAI on behalf of the people and the fire stopped. The name of the place was then called Tav’erah, which in Hebrew means burning. At this point in the narrative the reader may wonder if this is only a minor, temporary, setback, since the fire only torches the fringes of the camp. Perhaps there will be a return to the blissful obedience that was the theme in Numbers 1-10. Well, we do not have to wait long to find out that such an optimistic scenario is not in the works; we quickly arrive on the heels of another story of rebellion (see Br – Quail and Manna from ADONAI).¹⁷⁹

Even when life seems all messed up and not going the way we had hoped, You are still the wise and loving Almighty Sovereign of the world who holds the keys to eternal life in heaven. We need to remember that our time on this earth is actually only for a blink of time compared to eternity. When we leave earth, all will have an eternal existence, because of our faith in You. We praise You for opening heaven’s door to those who love You by Your gift of Messiah’s righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21). There are never any complaints in heaven; and on earth, we choose to praise You – even when it is hard for You are worthy. This life will be over soon and then heaven will be for all eternity! I will love You forever in Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Abrupt Slide into Rebellion
Chapters 11 to 20

The first ten chapters of Numbers could be called the Book of Obedience. We read phrases like: Thus, the children of Isra’el did all that ADONAI commanded. But, Numbers 11 marks a dramatic shift from the positive tone of the first ten chapters. There, the people looked forward to the Promised Land and the Israelites were assured of God’s care and protection (10:29). Numbers 11:1-3 recounts the first instance of the people’s discontent and complaining against YHVH in the book so far. But the motif of the people’s complaining to Moshe and God in the wilderness is not new; a number of complaint or murmuring stories occur in the book of Exodus before the giving of the Ten Words (see the commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Bk – The Ten Words) and the covenant at Mount Sinai, and before the golden calf incident. Yet, the complaints that Isra’el made in Exodus are treated as legitimate needs: the people needed water (Exodus 15:22-26), the people needed food (Exodus 16), and the people again needed water (Exodus 17:1-7). In each case, God took their complaints seriously and fulfilled the needs of the Israelites by turning bitter water into sweet water, by providing manna and quail for food, and by causing water to flow from a rock.

In the book of Numbers, however, the Israelites raise their voices in complaint about similar needs, but here things turn out differently. The complaints are treated as acts of unfaithfulness. The whining of the Israelites rouses Ha’Shem’s anger and punishment, which is mitigated only by Moses’ aggressive intercession. The contrasts between the parallel sets of narratives before Sinai in Exodus and after Sinai in Numbers raises the obvious questions that beg to be answered. What happened in the interim that caused this shift from divine accommodation in Exodus 15-18 to divine punishment in Numbers 11-20? What happened in between is that ADONAI had established a covenant with Isra’el at Mount Sinai.

Before Sinai, Isra’el was like a newly adopted child who did not yet know the rules of the household. Thus, God, the divine Parent, bent over backwards to satisfy the legitimate needs of Isra’el immediately out of Egypt. But by the time we reach Numbers, the Israelites knew their responsibilities in the commandments and were answerable for its relationship to YHVH. Moreover, Isra’el had already rejected the LORD once in the dramatic golden calf incident in Exodus 32. God nearly abandoned Isra’el then. His powerful and holy presence in the midst of sinful Isra’el was a divine concession to Moshe’s urgent pleas in Exodus 32-34. But the holiness of ADONAI cannot tolerate unfaithfulness and rebellion without deadly consequences for Isra’el as a people. Isra’el knew the commandments and was accountable for it, beginning with the first and most important of the Ten Words: You shall have no other gods before Me.

Throughout Numbers 11-20, God’s people continually rebel, and He punishes them with plagues and military defeats. The LORD offers signs of forgiveness and compassion, but the people in each case resume their rebellious ways. First, there is the general rebellion of the people in Numbers 11. Next, in Numbers 12, there is a rebellion for the first time in the wilderness by two leaders of the people. This is followed in Numbers 13-14 by the most serious revolt against YHVH – the spy mission into the Promised Land. The spy story defines the central theme and structure of the entire book of Numbers as a tale of the death of the Exodus generation and the birth of a new generation of hope on the edge of the Promised Land. After a word of hope is offered in Ch 15, the people, and even the Levites, resume the cycle of revolts and disobedience. The spirit of rebellion and unfaithfulness extended even to Aaron and Moses in the narrative of Chapter 20. The death of Aaron the high priest and the succession of his son Eleazar as the new high priest in Numbers 20:22-29 is a precursor to the end of the entire Exodus generation, and the dawning of an entirely new generation of hope.¹⁷³

Leaving Sinai
10: 11-36

Leaving Sinai DIG: As the Israelites begin their journey from Sinai to the Promised Land, what impressions do you get about the journey from this passage? Who’s in charge? How well do they mobilize the people for this trip? Despite such preparations, what problems are they likely to encounter in the wilderness?

REFLECT: Isra’el had been comfortable at Sinai, but God soon said to move on. In what area of your life are you comfortable, but you sense God is telling you to move on? What adventure has God prepared and mobilized you to do? How have you prepared for this? What problems do you anticipate?

Let the march begin.

Newlyweds spent a year together before going to war (Deuteronomy 24:5), so Isra’el remained at Mount Sinai for nearly twelve months. They arrived there in the third month after their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 19:1), and it was now the second month of the second year. During that time, the Torah had been announced and the Tabernacle had been constructed and dedicated. Moshe had also dedicated the priests and the Levites, counted the soldiers, and organized the tribes. Isra’el was now a nation ready for action.¹⁶⁴

Throughout these early chapters of Numbers there is a topical presentation rather than a chronological arrangement of the material. They have been telling us the story of the Israelite’s preparations to leave Mount Sinai. In the first four chapters of Numbers, they took a census (to see link click An – The Levitical Census) and assigned the Levites to their various tasks (see Ar – The Four Camps of Levites). Numbers 7-10 is a flashback and relates how Isra’el was ready to depart from Mount Sinai. Chapters 9 and 10 tell of the final preparation before the departure from Sinai as a flashback on the twentieth of the second month of the second year (10:11); the observance of the second Passover six days earlier (9:1-14); the pillar of cloud and fire as a guide (9:15-23); the trumpet signals for assembling the people and its leaders and for breaking camp (10:1-10); the order of march (10:11-28), and a narrative relating a different marching order (10:29-36).¹⁶⁵

These verses describe the actual inauguration of Isra’el’s march and the events of the first three days. The holy camp of God’s people sets out for the first time in the wilderness of Sinai to the wilderness of Paran. The first three days of the journey go smoothly and without incident. All seems to be moving according to God’s plan and desire. But, the favorable impression will linger only for a short time, ending abruptly when we come to Chapter 11.¹⁶⁶

The march begins (10:11-13): The silver trumpets (see Bl – Two Silver Trumpets) were meant to create a sense of awe and splendor, like the court of a great king. In fact, as the children of Isra’el finally broke camp and left Mount Sinai, the entire scene is layered in dramatic pomp and pageantry. The fire-cloud (see Bk – The Pillar of Cloud and Fire), the silver trumpets, the camps, the banners were all intended to evoke images of the great and regal procession of a royal host. We are meant to imagine the Sh’khinah glory , a fire by night, a pillar of cloud by day, rising from the Tabernacle. We are meant to hear the staccato blasts of the silver trumpets, clear and inspiring, like the fanfare of a king. We are meant to imagine each camp breaking and setting out in order, each beneath its own splendid, tribal banner. On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year since the Exodus, five days after the Second Passover (see Bi – Pesach in the Wilderness). So, they had been at Mount Sinai for eleven months and twenty days. The fire-cloud was taken up from over the Tabernacle. Here we have the first movement of the Sh’khinah glory since it had come over the Tabernacle in Exodus 40 (see the commentary on Exodus Hh – The Glory of the LORD Filled the Tabernacle). And the people of Isra’el moved out in stages from the Sinai Desert. The fire-cloud stopped in the Paran Desert, at the border of the Promised Land, as we will see later in 12:16. So, they set out on their first journey, in keeping with ADONAI’s order through Moshe. As they set out, they moved as the army of ADONAI.¹⁶⁷

The grand procession of tribes and Levites (10:14-28): In the lead was Moshe, Aaron and the priests, and the banner of the camp of the descendants of Judah, whose companies moved forward; over his company was Nachshon the son of ‘Amminadav (see Am – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el). Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Issachar was Nethan’el the son of Tzu‘ar. Over the company of the descendants of Zebulun was Eli’av the son of Helon (10:14-16).

Then the Tabernacle was taken down; and the descendants of Gershon (see Au – The Clan of Gershon) and the descendants of Merari (see Av – The Clan of Merari) set out, carrying the Tabernacle (10:17). When the fire-cloud stopped, they would have time to set up the Tabernacle so that the Kohathites could set the holy things in it.

Next, the banner of the camp of Reuben moved forward by companies; over his company was Elitzur the son of Sh’de’ur. Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Simeon was Shlumi’el the son of Tzurishaddai. Over the company of the descendants of Gad was Elyasaf the son of De‘u’el (10:18-20).

Then the Kohathits set out (see At – The Clan of Kohath), carrying the holy objects so that [at the next camp] the Tabernacle would already be set up before the Kohathites arrived to set up the holy objects (10:21).

Next, the banner of the camp of the descendants of Ephraim moved forward by companies; over his company was Elishama the son of ‘Ammihud. Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Manaseh was Gamli’el the son of P’dahtzur. Over the company of the descendants of Benjamin was Avidan the son of Gid‘oni 10:22-24).

The banner of the camp of the descendants of Dan, forming the rearguard for all the camps, moved forward by companies; over his company was Achi‘ezer the son of ‘Ammishaddai. Over the company of the tribe of the descendants of Asher was Pag‘i’el the son of ‘Okhran. Over the company of the descendants of Naphtali was Achira the son of ‘Enan. Then Moshe gives the summary: This is how the people of Isra’el traveled by companies; thus, they moved forward (10;25-28).

Hobab the Midianite (10:29-32): Here a new person is suddenly introduced. His presence is very instructive because he offers us a solid glimpse of the Gentile in the midst of Isra’el. His name was Hobab. He was Moshe’s brother-in-law (Hebrew: chothen) and the son of Reuel the Midianite (also known as Jethro, which is a title like king or pharaoh, in Exodus 3:1, 4:18). By that time it very well could have been that Jethro could have died, and if so, Habab would have been the patriarch of the Kenite branch of the Midianites. Apparently, after Jethro left for Midian (see the commentary on Exodus Cw – Moses and Jethro), Hobab had stayed with Moses until the present time. Now although the Sh’khinah glory would lead the people through the wilderness, Hobab with expert knowledge of the wilderness lands of Sinai, would be a significant aid in locating water and pastures in regions unknown to Moshe. As a result, here we have a great example of divine leadership and human wisdom.

Therefore, Moshe said to Hobab, “We are traveling to the place about which ADONAI said: I will give it to you. Come with us, and we will treat you well, because ADONAI has promised good things to Isra’el.” Paul says the same thing in Romans 11 with regard to the olive tree (see the commentary on Romans Cz – The Illustration of Isra’el’s Future). Even though the B’rit Chadashah is made with Isra’el, it doesn’t mean that it is only for Isra’el: For Messiah Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us (Ephesians 2:14 NLT). Hence, the New Covenant is not two Covenants, one with Isra’el and one with the Church. It is only one Covenant, but with two “participants,” Isra’el and the Church (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el: The Church’s Relationship to the B’rit Chadashah). Gentiles are not absorbed into any tribe, in other words, they don’t become Jews (see  Galatians Ak – The Hebrew Roots Movement: A Different Gospel).¹⁶⁸

But Hobab replied, “I will not go; I would rather go back to my own country (not far from Mount Sinai) and my own kinsmen.” Moshe continued, “Please don’t leave us, because you know that we have to camp in the desert, and you can serve as our guide. If you do go with us, then whatever good ADONAI does for us, we will do the same for you.” In a sense this urging was an act of evangelism. Hobob did not come easily. But subsequent biblical texts indicate that at last, he did come. In that regard, he was just like Ruth, who, leaving all behind, joined Naomi in route to the Promised Land with the promise of something ahead that was of more value than anything left at home. To come with Moses was not just to change Hobob’s address, but to change his family. To come with Moshe was to gain a New Land. To come with Moses was to believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (see  Ruth An – Your People Will Be My People and Your God My God).

Judges 1:16 indicates that Hobab accepted Moses’ requests to be the “eyes” for the Israelites in the wilderness, as his descendants received a share in the Land. But he himself did not share in the Promised Land. Presumably, the sadness of Isra’el’s impending rebellion against ADONAI included Hobab in judgment (see Bz – Faith and Obedience). He experienced God’s goodness in the same way that the rest of the Israelites did, in the providential care that YHVH gave His erring people in the inhospitable wilderness of their banishment. Hobab must have been an invaluable aide to Moshe. However, the anticipated journey of a few weeks turned out to be a lifetime for him.

The three-day procession behind the Ark (10:33-36): So, they set out from ADONAI’s mountain and traveled for three days. Ahead of them on this three-day journey went the ark of ADONAI’s covenant, searching for a new place to stop. The contradiction with 10:21 and 2:17 is obvious. Probably during the initial stage, the ark did precede the marchers because the people feared the dangers of the wilderness. The Sh’khinah glory of ADONAI was over them during the day as they set out from the camp (10:33-34). Eleven months earlier the people of Isra’el had emerged as a rag-tag group of former slaves, gathered in the wilderness in the first rush of deliverance, but unorganized and unruly. Now they were prepared for the march, the battle, and the anticipated victory.¹⁶⁹

The ark of the covenant led them into battle. These words function as a conclusion to the whole passage concerning departure and, in a sense, to the whole Sinai narrative (Exodus 19 to Numbers 10). This passage functions in a way parallel to the Aaronic blessing (see Bb – The Aaronic Blessing). Its language is elevated prose at the least with a good deal of parallelism.¹⁷⁰

Introductory prose line (five Hebrew words): When the ark moved forward, Moshe made a call for God to rise up and scatter His enemies: Arise, ADONAI! May your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” This was essentially a war cry. It was as if he was the general shouting on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief to all of His enemies, “Here we come, you better run for your life!”

Introductory prose line (five Hebrew words): When Moses stopped, he called for God to rise up and bless His people: Return, ADONAI of the countless thousands of Isra’el (10:35-36)!¹⁷¹ When “the battle” was finished, the general was able to tell his Commander-in-Chief that because of His brilliantly orchestrated victory, He may now rest peacefully in the victorious camp of His army. The ark going forward at the head of Isra’el’s tribes typified Ha’Shem in front of His people protecting them, helping them, and leading them on to final victory (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh).

Thus, in these words of Moses we have a shout of victory based solidly on the faithfulness of ADONAI to His covenantal promise to the patriarchs. The people were on their way to Canaan; soon Canaan would be the land of Isra’el, or so they thought, based on these words of high-spirited confidence in YHVH. Significantly, David used these same words of Moshe in the beginning of his triumphal song in Psalm 68.¹⁷²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for your wisdom in guiding me. Sometimes after being in one place in life for a while, it gets comfortable and I don’t want to move on; but it is very reassuring to know that when You tell me to move, You have already gone ahead of me to prepare the situation and You go with me! All praise and glory to Your gracious presence and guidance of all the details of my life! In Messiah Yeshua holy Name and His power of His resurrection. Amen

The Journey from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea
10:11 to 12:16

The chronology of the first two months of the second year after the Exodus is as follows:

1. The setting up of the Tabernacle (7:1) was declared to be completed on the first day of the first month of the second year (Exodus 40:2). On this day, the Sh’khinah glory covered the Tabernacle, as we have already seen (9:15-23). Then, in response to the visible manifestation of God over the completed Tabernacle, also on that day the first of the gifts from the twelve leaders of the tribes was given to the LORD (7:3-17). The presentation of the gifts from each tribe continued until the twelfth day of the first month.

2. The setting apart of the Levites (8:26) presumably followed immediately after the twelve days of gifts, perhaps on the thirteenth day of the month. It seems unlikely that the setting apart of the Levites would have been on the same day as the last of the tribal gifts; to have another significant action on that day would have minimized the importance of gifts of Achira, leader of the descendants of Naftali (7:78-83).

3. The Second Passover was celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month (9:5).

4. The census began on the first day of the second month (1:1-2).

5. Those who were ritually unclean at the time of the Second Passover were permitted to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month (9:11).

6. Then, the Sh’khinah glory lifted from the Tabernacle and the march from Sinai began on the twentieth day of the second month (10:11).¹⁶²

The Israelites were about to begin a new phase in their journey to the Promised Land. Their place of rest. The Tabernacle had been set up, the priests had been ordained, and everything was in its place. We have seen the order, discipline and obedience of the people, and how they responded to the commandments of ADONAI. How they listened to Him. Therefore, up to this point, things seemed to be going perfectly. However, the honeymoon didn’t last long. In the words of the Messiah: You have abandoned your first love (see the commentary on Revelation Az – The Church at Ephesus). Then things began to fall apart. If they had kept their trust in YHVH, they would have reached their place of rest in less than ten days. But about three-thousand-five-hundred-years later, they are still looking for this rest. They are in the Land, but there is no rest. The rest will only come when Yeshua comes back. Isra’el’s journey also speaks to us today. So many begin well, filled with joy and excitement, but sometimes in time (and for some a very short time), they begin to forget the promises of God and His presence in their lives. And they look elsewhere for their rest. They began to look back and long for Egypt (or for us today, the world).¹⁶³

Two Silver Trumpets
10: 1-10

Two silver trumpets DIG: What were the purposes of the trumpets in the life of God’s people in the past? What will the trumpet’s purpose be in the future? How will these trumpets help the Israelites journey through the wilderness? What does it say about God that He is concerned with such details?

REFLECT: What aspects of your own life has ADONAI shown special concern for lately? Just how does he show His concerns? What does this teach you about Him? About yourself? When God wants to get your attention and give you marching orders, what “trumpet blast” does He use?

When the trumpets were sounded with short blasts,
it signaled that it was time to follow the fire-cloud and move the entire camp.

We now have come to the preparation for the march. At God’s command, the trumpets sounded and the people assembled in marching formation. Thus, the use of the trumpets was Isra’el’s response to the divine signal given by the fire-cloud (to see link click Bk – The Pillar of Cloud and Fire). The image of the fire-cloud and God’s leading of the people in Numbers 9, is complemented by the leadership and guidance provided by the sons of Aaron through the blowing of silver trumpets.

Throughout these early chapters of Numbers there is a topical presentation rather than a chronological arrangement of the material. They have been telling us the story of the Israelite’s preparations to leave Mount Sinai. In the first four chapters of Numbers, they took a census (see  An – The Levitical Census) and assigned the Levites to their various tasks (see Ar – The Four Camps of Levites). Numbers 7-10 is a flashback and relates how Isra’el was ready to depart from Mount Sinai. Chapters 9 and 10 tell of the final preparation before the departure from Saini as a flashback on the twentieth of the second month of the second year (10:11); the observance of the second Passover six days earlier (9:1-14); the pillar cloud and fire as a guide (9:15-23); the trumpet signals for assembling the people and its leaders and for breaking camp (10:1-10); the order of march (10:11-28), and a narrative relating a different marching order (10:29-36).¹⁵²

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Make two trumpets; make them of hammered silver. Use them for summoning the community and for sounding the call to break camp and move on” (10:1-2). The trumpets were not rams’ horns, or shofarim. They were two silver trumpets. The message depended on how the trumpets were blown. When there was a long blast with both trumpets the entire assembly of Isra’el would meet at the Tabernacle. When only one trumpet sounded, only the leaders would meet. When the trumpets were sounded with short blasts, it signaled that it was time to follow the fire-cloud  and move the entire camp. Furthermore, a series of short blasts of both trumpets was to be sounded during times of war. In addition, the trumpets were to be blown during the festivals. When they are blown, the entire community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tabernacle (10:3).

The two likely were slightly different size and produced varying tones; two trumpets were blown for the assembly of the people and one for the assembly of the leaders. The trumpets were blown with varying tones and lengths of blasts. The Hebrew words used in our text to describe the kinds of sounds which were to be made with the trumpets are also the same words used to describe the kind of sounds the modern shofar blower is to make on Rosh ha’Shanah. Hence, when there was to be a long blast, the Hebrew word is tekiah. The blast can be represented by a long, continuous, straight line, (_________). If only one is sounded, then just the leaders, the heads of the clans of Isra’el, are to assemble before you. When you sound an alarm, the camps to the east will commence traveling because they are in the lead. A short blast is the Hebrew word teruah. It can be drawn with nine dots, (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _). The remaining sound of Rosh ha’Shanah is called shevarim. This one is not in this passage of Torah. It can, however, be pictured by a series of three short, short staccato blasts (_ _ _). Thus, on Rosh ha’Shanah, the main pattern for the sounding of the shofar is as follows: tekiah, shevarim, teruah, tekiah, (_________, _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _________).¹⁵³ The different sounds would tell the people what the sound is for and what to do. When you sound a second alarm, the camps to the south will set out; so the principle is that they will sound alarms to announce when to travel (10:4-6).

The two functions are outlined by way of summary in 10:7, and in 10:8 the priests are given the responsibility for sounding the trumpets. However, when the community is to be assembled, you are to sound; but don’t sound an alarm (10:7). It will be the sons of Aaron, the high priest, who are to sound the trumpets, and as such were Temple dependent (10:8a). In the ancient Near East, priests were an integral part of a military force (Deuteronomy 20:2-4; First Samuel 23:9 and 30:7). Basing themselves on Deuteronomy 20:2, the rabbis speak of a special priest “anointed for war.” The War Scroll of the Dead Sea sectarians goes into great detail concerning the high priest, the “priest chosen for the day of revenge.”¹⁵⁴

The trumpets are said to be given as a permanent regulation for you through all your generations (10:8b). This term is used elsewhere in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers to refer to a legal enactment that is underlined as particularly relevant or important. Other perpetual ordinances deal with matters such as the Passover (Exodus 12), Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16), and the ritual of the red heifer (Numbers 19), all of which concern the priests in a special way, although the people were also involved.¹⁵⁵

When you go to war in your Land against an adversary who is oppressing you, you are to sound an alarm with the trumpets (Joel 2:1 and Zephaniah 1:16); then you will be remembered before ADONAI your God, and you will be saved from your enemies because of God’s intervention (10:9). The trumpet blasts also serve as a prayer whose efficacy is recorded in the war between Abijah and Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 13:12-16). The Dead Sea War Scroll prescribed trumpets named “trumpets of remembrance” to be used “when the battle intervals open for the skirmishers to go forth” and bearing the inscription “vengeful remembrance at the appointed time of God.” However, trumpets used as instruments of prayer appear to be unique to Isra’el.¹⁵⁶

As in the case of battle, it appears that the blowing of the trumpets was a means of knowing that the people were remembered by ADONAI. Also, on your days of rejoicing, at your designated times (see the commentary on Leviticus Dw – God’s Appointed Times) and on Rosh-Hodesh (a new month), you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; these will be your reminder before your God (10:10a). The trumpets were used singly or together for administrative, military (2 Chronicles 13:12-14) purposes, but also for worship, and, as this verse points out, they were solely occasions for joy, verified by the ample examples of the trumpet in the Bible: in coronations (2 Kings 11:4; Psalm 98:6); the installation of the ark in David’s tent (1 Chronicles 16:6 and 42); the dedication of Solomon’s Temple (2 Chronicles 5:12-13); the rededication of the bronze altar and covenant under Asa (2 Chronicles 15:8-15); the purification of the Temple by Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:37); the laying of the foundation of the Second Temple (Ezra 3:10); and the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 12:35).¹⁵⁷

In the Second Temple era, the priests used the trumpets to signal the opening of the huge Temple gates, the beginning of Shabbat, the beginning of holy days, the pouring out of the water during Sukkot (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gp – On the Last and Greatest Day of the Feast), and other significant events in the Temple. In recent years, an inscription from the debris of the Second Temple was found. It is a plaque which was probably once on a Temple tower from which the priests sounded the trumpets. It reads, “For the House of the Trumpeting.”¹⁵⁸

The concluding phrase: I am ADONAI your God (10:10b), states in profoundly plain terms the sovereignty of God over the nation. He is the supreme LORD and ruler of His people Isra’el. The nation is the visible expression of His existence, personality, and saving power. Without Him they are meaningless, but they have been chosen specifically out of His abundant love to be a witness to the surrounding nations (Genesis 12:3) because of their being a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6).¹⁵⁹

In many American Messianic congregations, trumpet blowing has become an end in itself. Biblically speaking, neither the trumpet nor the shofar was used as a layman’s worship instrument with which to punctuate a praise service. The trumpet of the Torah was the given and carefully ordered element of the liturgical service of the Levitical sacrificial system. Except for the shofar of Rosh ha’Shanah, trumpet blowing was a function of the Aaronic priesthood. Unfortunately, trumpets and shofars have become cliché’s of the Messianic movement. Probably the exotic look and sound of the shofar has endeared itself to the movement, but when it is blown at every function, it loses any real significance.¹⁶⁰ Believers should be encouraged to hear the shofar blown on Rosh ha’Shanah (see the commentary on Leviticus Ee – Rosh ha’Shanah: Trumpets), but the mitzvah of the two silver trumpets belongs exclusively to the priesthood and the Temple.

Like the righteous of the TaNaKh during the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah), the children of God today are awaiting “the sound of the trumpet” that signals our gathering together to Yeshua as well as Ha’Shem’s declaration of war against the wicked world ready for judgment (see the commentary on First Corinthians Dw – The Rapture: Victory Over Death). Until that time, we remain a pilgrim people in this wilderness world, following His Word and serving Him faithfully.¹⁶¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that you will someday sound the trumpet to call your children to move from this life into their eternal home in heaven. For this we tell you, by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air – and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words (First Thess 4:15-18). As I focus on moving soon to my eternal home of peace and joy, I am encouraged and burdens are lifted. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). Soon the trumpet will sound, calling me and all those who love you to move to our eternal home in heaven, where there will be no tears or sadness. (Revelation 21:4). We wait in anxious anticipation for the trumpet sound and we wisely use our time on earth for Your eternal glory. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Pillar of Cloud and Fire
9: 15-23

The pillar of cloud and fire DIG: Why were there no atheists in the camp of Isra’el? How does the pillar of cloud and fire symbolize the Word of God? How many times and ways does this passage refer to the fire-cloud above the Tabernacle? How would this fire-cloud help Moshe lead the people?

REFLECT: Are you patient enough to wait on the Lord? Or do you rush ahead? How is that working for you? What does it mean to “walk in the light” and “walk in the darkness?” How important is it to stop and remember the goodness of God? How does ADONAI guide spiritual leaders today?

Just as the Cloud marked a new chapter in Isra’el’s life in the Exodus,
so too the appearance of the Cloud motif after the Second Passover
marked a new and pivotal transition in the life of Isra’el.

Throughout these early chapters of Numbers there is a topical presentation rather than a chronological arrangement of the material. They have been telling us the story of the Israelite’s preparations to leave Mount Sinai. In the first four chapters of Numbers, they took a census (to see link click An – The Levitical Census) and assigned the Levites to their various tasks (see Ar – The Four Camps of Levites). Numbers 7-10 is a flashback and relates how Isra’el was ready to depart from Mount Sinai. Chapters 9 and 10 tell of the final preparation before the departure from Saini as a flashback on the twentieth of the second month of the second year (10:11); the observance of the second Passover six days earlier (9:1-14); the pillar cloud and fire as a guide (9:15-23); the trumpet signals for assembling the people and its leaders and for breaking camp (10:1-10); the order of march (10:11-28), and a narrative relating a different marching order (10:29-36).¹⁴⁵

As the Torah prepares us for the departure from Mount Sinai, we are reminded about the pillar of cloud and fire that led them through the wilderness. The Sh’khinah glory was the visual manifestation of YHVH. It is the same Presence that led them forth from Egypt, interposed itself between the Egyptians and the Israelites at the Sea of Reeds, and led them to Mount Sinai. It is the same Cloud that descended upon Mount Sinai, out of which they heard the voice of God and into which Moshe ascended when he climbed that mountain. When the Tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month, the Sh’khinah glory descended from Mount Sinai and settled upon the Tabernacle, signifying that the Divine Presence had taken up residence within the Tabernacle. No one doubted that God was in their midst.

The book of Exodus ended with elevated prose, expressing the excitement of the moment, regarding the Cloud of glory. In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, they would set out. But if the fire-cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted. So the fire-cloud of ADONAI was over the Tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the houses of Isra’el during their travels (Ex 40:36-38). This elevated prose is now expanded upon in Numbers 9. It is as if the interlude which began with Leviticus 1 has been completed, and we are now able to return to the subject we left off with in Exodus 40. When YHVH deemed it was time to break camp; disassemble the Tabernacle and move forward, He signaled His intent by lifting the pillar of cloud and fire from upon the Tabernacle.¹⁴⁶

In this anticipatory passage (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Anticipatory Passages) Isra’el’s guidance in the wilderness by God’s Presence as condensed in the pillar of cloud and fire has already been anticipated in the Second Book of Moshe (see the commentary on Exodus Hh – The Glory of the LORD Filled the Tabernacle), and later explained on by Isaiah (see the commentary on Isaiah Ay – A Cloud of Smoke by Day and a Glow of Fire by Night). To see a short video of this pillar of cloud and fire click here.

On the day the Tabernacle was put up, the cloud covered the Tabernacle, that is, the Tent of the testimony. And in the evening, over the Tabernacle was what appeared to be fire, which remained until morning. So, it was continuously, cloud by day and it looked like fire at night (9:15-16). It must have been an extraordinary sight – that mystic cloud, that fiery heaviness, that enveloping Presence. God led Isra’el in its wilderness march not by His voice commands, but by His appointed sign, a cloud-imbedded with fire. During the day only the cloud was visible, the fire, presumably dimmed by the sunlight. But night rendered the cloud invisible, and the luminous fire could be clearly seen.¹⁴⁷ These were symbols one would not . . . could not ignore. They were awesome and eerie, unnatural and unexpected, comforting and protective. This was a very practical function for the fire-cloud. During the daytime, the cloud provided essential protection from the dangerous brilliant desert sun beating down upon the fragile elderly and the vulnerable young. At night, the fire would provide much needed heat from the cold chill which characterizes such arid climates. Ha’Shem thinks of everything!¹⁴⁸

Whenever the fire-cloud was taken up from above the Tabernacle, the people of Isra’el continued their travels; and they camped wherever the fire-cloud settled (9:17). Two significant verbs are used to describe its presence as the symbol of God’s nearness. One is the verb meaning to cover in verse 15 above; the other is the verb meaning to settle. The expression wherever the fire-cloud settled uses the significant verb sakan, which gives us the basis for the idea of the Sh’khinah glory. Surprisingly, Sh’khinah is not a biblical word. It is built on the verb meaning to dwell, the idea of the abiding presence of ADONAI among His people. The Hebrew text rings with the sound of sakan as this verb is also the basis for the term Tabernacle, miskan. This phrasing symbolizes both God’s nearness and His remoteness. He is present as a cloud, but He hovers above; He is near as a fire, but one cannot get too close. For He is YHVH!

The Sh’khinah also appeared in the B’rit Chadashah. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby [Jerusalem], keeping watch over their flocks at night. Some were probably dozing, a few were watching, when the night sky was unexpectedly split apart. Heaven and earth seemed to merge when suddenly an angel of ADONAI appeared to them, and the Sh’khinah glory of the LORD, the visible manifestation of His presence, shone around them. It was brighter than day, more like staring at the noon sun; and the sleeping shepherds awakened and, in fear, hid their eyes in the folds of their coats because they were terrified (Luke 2:9). Sensing this, their sheep may have begun to run in circles because they too were afraid. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today, in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah (Luke 2:8-11).

The Sh’khinah also reappeared during His life affirming that Yeshua is the Messiah. We can see this in the transfiguration (see The Life of Christ Gb – Jesus went up a High Mountain where He was Transfigured). As Jesus was praying the appearance of His face changed and shone like the sun (Luke 9:29a). This is very similar to the experience of Moshe on Mount Sinai (see Exodus Hd – The Radiant Face of Moses). The difference was that the shining of the face of Moses was a reflection, like the shining of the moon is a reflection of the sun. In this case Messiah is the Sh’khinah glory (see Isaiah Ju – The Glory of the LORD Rises Upon You). As a result, the shining of His face was much greater than Moses’ face. Christ’s veiled glory was unveiled. And when the three apostles . . . saw His glory (Matthew 17:2b; Luke 9:29b and 32b). And out of the cloud, that same cloud, the bat-kol, a divine voice, literally “daughter of a voice” said: This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased (Matthew 17:5b).

From the wilderness in Numbers, to the Gospels, there is a great truth that we should not miss. This cloud, the Sh’khinah glory of ADONAI, is coming back. But when? For the Lord Himself will come down with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Messiah will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the cloud, this same Sh’khinah glory, to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (First Thessalonians 4:16-17).¹⁴⁹

At the command of ADONAI, the people of Isra’el traveled; at the order of ADONAI, they camped; and as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle, they stayed in camp (9:18). The phrase at the command of ADONAI, is more literally, by the mouth of ADONAI. The fire-cloud was one of the ways in which the LORD spoke to His people. The identification of the lifting and settling of the fire-cloud and the command of ADONAI was made sure in this and the following verses. The fire-cloud was the means God used to direct the movements and the resting times of His people Isra’el.

Even when the cloud remained on the Tabernacle for a long time, the people of Isra’el did what ADONAI had charged them to do and did not travel. The movement of the cloud-fire was unpredictable. This was to impress on the people the sense that it was Ha’Shem who was leading them, not some force of nature. Sometimes the fire-cloud was a few days over the Tabernacle; according to ADONAI’s order, they remained in camp; and according to ADONAI’s order, they traveled. Sometimes the fire-cloud was there only from evening until morning; so that when the cloud was taken up in the morning, they traveled. Or even if it continued up both day and night, when the cloud was up, they traveled. Whatever the duration, the people were to move or encamp based on the movement or settling of the fire-cloud. Whether it was two days, a month or a year that the fire-cloud remained over the Tabernacle, staying on it, the people of Isra’el remained in camp and did not travel; but as soon as it was taken up, they traveled (9:19-22). Both the Israelites then, and us today, need to wait on the Lord and be patient.

They obeyed ADONAI’s order, they camped; and at ADONAI’s order, they traveled – they did what ADONAI had charged them to do through Moshe (9:23). This is a beautiful illustration of a people following their God, they obeyed ADONAI’s order. The repetitious nature of this file enhances the expectation of continued obedience to the sure direction of the LORD in Isra’el’s movements through the wilderness. The role of Moses is mentioned for balance. Moshe was God’s agent who interpreted the movement of the fire-cloud as signaling the movement of the people. The level of the tragedy of their subsequent disobedience is heightened by this paragraph of great obedience.¹⁵⁰

It is interesting to note that the miraculous pillar of cloud and fire brought light to the Israelites but darkness to their enemies. Next, the Angel of ADONAI, who was going ahead of the camp of Isra’el, moved away and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved away from in front of them and stood behind them. It stationed itself between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Isra’el – there was cloud and darkness here, but light by night there; so that the one did not come near the other all night long (Exodus 14:19-20). In this respect, it symbolizes the Word of God, because those who don’t know Messiah by faith simply can’t understand what the Word is saying (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Aw – Veiling and Unveiling). In order to know the mind of YHVH, we must submit to the will of God, and the first step is to put saving faith in Yeshua Messiah (Ephesians 2:8-9). Then you move out of the darkness and into God’s wonderful light (John 3:18-21; First Peter 2:9; Second Corinthians 4:6, and Colossians 1:13).

The priests, who lived near the Tabernacle, probably assigned Levites to keep watch day and night so they would know when the pillar of cloud and fire was moving. If we sincerely want to do the will of God, we must keep our eyes open and be alert at all times. The B’rit Chadashah word for this attitude of alertness and expectancy is watch (Matthew 24:42 and 25:13; 1 Corinthians 16:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; First Peter 4:7).

Yeshua called Himself the light of the world (John 8:12), and He promised those who had faith, trust, or belief (Greek: pisteo) in Him that they would never walk in darkness. It’s a great privilege to walk in the light and enjoy fellowship with God and His people (First John 1:4-10). To walk in darkness means to be out of the will of Ha’Shem, apart from the blessing of God, and in danger of the discipline of the LORD (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Why live in the shadows or in darkness when you can have ADONAI’s smiling face shining on you (Numbers 6:24-26).¹⁵¹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You so much for not only saving me from sin’s punishment, but You also so graciously are always there within me to guide me. Your guidance is always the wisest thing to do, for You are all wise and omniscient, seeing clearly all that will happen in the future (Dani’el Chapters 2 and 7). Your wisdom extends to the details of life, putting events and people together. No detail misses Your attention, just as Your careful attention to the creation of huge galaxies and also to the tiny atom’s parts with microscopic electrons, protons and neutrons. No worry for You to guide me. You are both Sovereign Ruler of the world (Isaiah 7:7, 25:8, 28:16, 30:15, 40:10, 38:16, 49:22, 50:4,5,7,9, 51:22, 52:4, 56:8, 61:1,11, 65:13,15) ; and live within me to see and understand all that is happening to me. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Your abiding presence (John 14:23) is such a comfort even in the hardest of times! I love You and seek to follow closely Your guidance in Your Word and by Your Spirit. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Preparation for the Departure
9:15 to 10:10

Throughout these early chapters of Numbers there is a topical presentation rather than a chronological arrangement of the material. They have been telling us the story of the Israelite’s preparations to leave Mount Sinai. In the first four chapters of Numbers, they took a census (to see link click An – The Levitical Census) and assigned the Levites to their various tasks (see Ar – The Four Camps of Levites). Numbers 7-10 is a flashback and relates how Isra’el was ready to depart from Mount Sinai. Chapters 9 and 10 tell of the final preparation before the departure from Sinai as a flashback on the twentieth of the second month of the second year (10:11); the observance of the second Passover six days earlier (9:1-14); the pillar cloud and fire as a guide (9:15-23); the trumpet signals for assembling the people and its leaders and for breaking camp (10:1-10); the order of march (10:11-28), and a narrative relating a different marching order (10:29-36).¹⁴⁴

Pesach in the Wilderness
9: 1-14

Pesach in the wilderness DIG: Who feels excluded from this festival? Why would this first celebration of Passover since Egypt be so important to the Israelites? The first thing Moshe did to prepare for conquest was to celebrate the Pesach. Why was this an important thing to do?

REFLECT: Is your place of worship flexible in how things are done? Can you think of some examples? Can your place of worship be too flexible? How might either extreme hinder your relationship with God? How important is it that we stop and take time to remember the goodness of God?

God works with us where we are.

Throughout these early chapters of Numbers there is a topical presentation rather than a chronological arrangement of the material. They have been telling us the story of the Israelite’s preparations to leave Mount Sinai. In the first four chapters of Numbers, they took a census (to see link click An – The Levitical Census) and assigned the Levites to their various tasks (see Ar – The Four Camps of Levites). Numbers 7-10 is a flashback and relates how Isra’el was ready to depart from Mount Sinai. Chapters 9 and 10 tell of the final preparation before the departure from Saini as a flashback on the twentieth of the second month of the second year (10:11); the observance of the second Passover six days earlier (9:1-14); the pillar cloud and fire as a guide (9:15-23); the trumpet signals for assembling the people and its leaders and for breaking camp (10:1-10); the order of march (10:11-28), and a narrative relating a different marching order (10:29-36).¹³⁶

Pesach in the wilderness (9:1-5): The Torah is not necessarily in chronological order. The book of Numbers begins with the census on the first day of the second month, two weeks after the Egyptian Passover (see the commentary on Exodus Bv – The Egyptian Passover). Numbers 9 begins several days before the second Passover. ADONAI commands them to keep the Passover. Why was it necessary for him to give this commandment when they have already received the instructions for Pesach in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23? The Exodus passage made the celebration of the Passover seem as if it is contingent upon the children of Isra’el entering the Promised Land. And it will come about when you enter the Land which ADONAI will give you, as He has promised, that you shall observe this rite (Exodus 12:25). The Israelites had not yet entered the Land. One might say that they were running behind schedule. The incident with the golden calf had already cost them eighty additional days, so they were more than two months behind where they ought to have been. By all rights, they should have already been in the Promised Land, preparing to celebrate their second Passover. Instead, they were still encamped at Mount Sinai.

ADONAI spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert in the first month of the second year after they had left the land of Egypt; he said, “Let the people of Isra’el observe Pesach at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, denoting that period of time between sunset and true darkness, which starts the fifteenth day of the month because the Jewish day starts at dusk, you are to observe it – at its designated time (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ke – Go and Make Preparations for the Passover). You are to observe it according to all its regulations and rules.” Moshe told the people of Isra’el to observe Pesach. So, they observed Pesach at dusk on the fourteenth day of the month in the Sinai Desert; the people of Isra’el acted in accordance with all that ADONAI had ordered Moshe.

What we learn here is the difference between God’s perfect will and His permissive will. Ideally, the Israelites should have been already in the Land of Isra’el celebrating their second Passover. However, they were still at Mount Sinai. Possibly some would have said, “There is no point in celebrating the Passover this year because we are not in the Land.” But God works with us where we are. Presently, the world is an imperfect place, and we are imperfect people. We rarely find ourselves in ideal circumstances.

The Torah worldview is idealistic, but it is also very practical. Those living according to the Torah’s teaching are much better equipped for dealing with God’s permissive will than those who continually are continually legalistic. Life is full of detours and unanticipated delays. As some have said, “Life happens!” Things rarely work out the way we planned or imagined. Therefore, we follow Torah to the extent that we are able. If we cannot celebrate Pesach in the Land, we will keep it the wilderness. If we cannot keep the Sabbath in its fullness, we will keep it to the extent that we are able. Learning to be flexible and working with any situation that arises is a valuable coping skill for life in general, but it is a crucial talent for navigating the topsy-turvy world of Messianic Judaism. In a very real sense, all of our Passovers are in the wilderness. We will not celebrate any of the festivals according to the perfect will of God until Messiah comes.

Pesach Sheni (9:6-13): This section raises an issue not covered by the original Passover mitzvah of either Exodus or Leviticus. But there were certain people who had become unclean because of someone’s corpse, so that they could not observe Passover on that day. They had become ritually unclean, and one who was in that state was not allowed to make a sacrifice or eat the meat of a sacrifice (see the commentary on Leviticus Bk – Ritually Clean and Unclean Animals). So, they came before Moshe and Aaron that day and said to him, “We are unclean because of someone’s corpse; but why must we be kept from bringing the offering for ADONAI at the time designated for the people of Isra’el” (9:6-7)? In essence they were saying, “Why should we be left out.”¹³⁷

Moshe answered them, “Wait, so that I can hear what ADONAI will order concerning you.” We may observe that Moses’ response to the genuine needs of believing people is a mark of his spiritual leadership, his humility before God, and his desire to be the spokesman not only for ADONAI to the people but also for the people back to ADONAI. In this scenario we have not only a historical instance but also a template for how such decisions should be made. Another dramatic example of this process is found later regarding the problem of the estate of a father who has daughters, but no sons (see Ey – The Daughters of Zelophehad).

ADONAI said to Moshe, “These people are right to ask. They can have their own Passover. But do it next month. The grace of the LORD can be seen, not only in the words of His response to Moses, but also in that He responded at all. We need to grasp again the concept of the audacity of faith: by what right, excepting only God’s great grace, did Moshe dare to go before YHVH, the Creator of the universe, and request a provision for exception from His demands? All God’s actions and words to His people were gracious, undeserved, and unmerited. That He spoke at all, was a mark of His condescension; that He spoke favorably in response to the request of Moses was astonishing. Throughout this section we have a sense of the ongoing wonder and grace.¹³⁸ Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘If any of you now or in future generations is unclean because of a corpse, or if he is on a trip abroad, nevertheless he is to observe Pesach. But he will observe it in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk. They are to eat it with matzah and bitter herbs, they are to leave none of it until morning, and they are not to break any of its bones – they are to observe it according to all the regulations of Pesach’ (9:8-12).”

The rabbis disagree how far away from the Temple an Israelite must live in order to be exempt from observing the Passover on its appointed date in the first month. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yose apply this exemption to anyone who cannot reach the Temple threshold, whereas Rabbi Akiba (more logically according to Ramban) applies to anyone living beyond the city of Modin (the home of the Maccabees), that is, a radius of 28 kilometers or 17.5 miles.¹³⁹

But the Torah also warns that Pesach Sheni was not to be used as an alternative Passover except by those who were unclean or unable to make it to the Tabernacle/Temple. In the context of the last plague in Egypt, the penalty for failing to observe the Passover was death at the hands of the Destroyer (see the commentary on Exodus Bx – He Will See the Blood and Pass Over that Doorway). The person who is clean and not on a trip who intentionally fails to observe Pesach will be cut off from his people; because he did not bring the offering for ADONAI at its designated time, that person will bear the consequences of his sin (9:13).

As far as being cut off from his people, rabbinic literature calls the penalty karet, or being “cutting off.” In priestly literature, the penalty of karet was understood to include a series of related punishments at the hand of God, ranging from the immediate death of an offender, as in 20:17, to his premature death at a later time, and even to the death of his descendants. In Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6 and Mishnah Keritot 1:2, this penalty was characterized as mitah biydei shamayim, or “death at the hands of heaven.” Since in 7:20-21 karet is mentioned as childlessness, there is the implication that it took that course as well.¹⁴⁰

Historically, the application of Pesach Sheni occurred during the reign of Hezekiah (Second Chronicles 30:1-27). After the reestablishment of worship in the Temple, messengers were sent throughout Judah and the Israelite territories to the North inviting the Israelites of all the tribes to celebrate the Passover. Matters of purification and distance are both cited in the text as the reason some were unable to celebrate Pesach in the first month. An adequate number of ritually pure priests were not available to carry out the festival, and many people were so remote when the initial invitation was sent out that they were unable to travel to Jerusalem in time. Thousands of Jews gathered in Jerusalem, and the priests were enlisted to carry out their duties for those who were not ritually clean. Hezekiah prayed that ADONAI would bless the people who ate the Passover, and God responded faithfully.¹⁴¹

Some Messianic communities have begun hosting a special event on Pesach Sheni to remember the mitzvah of Nicodemus and Joseph of Aramathea (see The Life of Christ Lx – The Burial of Jesus in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea). They were the two secret believers among the Great Sanhedrin who removed the Master’s body from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus then wrapped the Lord’s body with the spices, in strips of clean linen cloth. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. They washed the body as best they could before placing it in the tomb.

But, by touching the body of the Master, both men rendered themselves ritually unclean. As a result, neither of them would have been allowed to partake of the Passover that evening. Both Nicodemus and Joseph were men of prestige and influence. They both could have sent servants to take care of the burial of Yeshua so as not to forfeit their Passover Seders that evening. However, those two obscure disciples of the Master showed their love and devotion by attending to His body personally.

One month later, somewhere in Jerusalem, on the fifteenth day of the second month, Nicodemus and Joseph of Aramathea sat down to make their Seders. Perhaps, as they reclined at a table together, they lifted the third cup (see The Life of Christ Kk – The Third Cup of Redemption) and gave thanks to the resurrected One.

The foreigner and Pesach (9:14): If a foreigner is staying with you and wants toobserve Pesach for ADONAI, he is to do it according to the regulations and rules of Pesach – you are to have the same mitzvah for the foreigner as for the citizen of the land. Gentiles were forbidden to make a Passover sacrifice or to eat from the Pesach sacrifice unless they were circumcised. An uncircumcised Gentile might still participate in the other elements of the Seder; in other words, the bitter herbs, the matzah and the wine, but he would not be able to eat the Pesach lamb. This prohibition is, of course, irrelevant in a world without a Temple or sacrifice on the bronze altar.¹⁴²

This was the last Passover the Jews celebrated until Joshua led them into the Promised Land nearly forty years later (Joshua 5:10). Because of their unbelief and rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea (see Bv – The Sin of Kadesh-barnea), the people twenty years old and older were rejected by Ha’Shem during Isra’el’s wilderness wanderings. After their forty year trek when they reached the Promised Land for the second time, the Passover was celebrated at Gilgal after the circumcision of the males born in the wilderness. When Joshua led the new generation into Canaan, the males received the sign of the covenant (see the commentary on Genesis En – Every Male Who Is Eight Days Old Must be Circumcised), and ADONAI restored His people into His good favor (Joshua 5:2-9). It was a new beginning for Isra’el in their new Land.¹⁴³

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your love in passing over those covered by the blood at the Passover. Thank You for Messiah Yeshua’s great offer of sacrificing Himself as the Lamb of God (John 1:29) so you can pass over those who love You. Your gift to those who love you, of Messiah’s death, satisfied the demands of death because of sin (Romans 6:23). So graciously You then bestow Messiah’s righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:21) on Your children so they can enter into Your holy heaven and have a relationship with you living in them. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Just as the first thing Moshe did to prepare for conquest was to celebrate the Pesach, so the first thing Your children should do to prepare for conquering temptation and problems, is to prepare their hearts to celebrate Messiah’s death and resurrection so You could pass over our sins and bestow Messiah’s righteousness on those who love You. In Messiah Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Separation of the Levites
8: 5-26

The separation of the Levites DIG: What does it mean to be “set apart?” What were the responsibilities for the Levites? How were they set apart? How do people today get chosen and ready for spiritual service? What role has God given you in His Kingdom? Have you been faithful in what He has called you to do? How does this setting apart of the Levites compare with how the Nazirites were set apart in Chapter 6.

REFLECT: What are the dangers of becoming isolated from the real world? When we feel competitive, prideful, or shameful in our spiritual service, what can we learn from God’s choice of the priests and Levites? What role has God given you in His Kingdom? Ask the Lord to show you what role He has for you, and how to be faithful in that role. How can we keep a balance between separation and involvement?

The entire tribe of Levi was to assist the priests in their ministry.

Throughout these early chapters of Numbers there is a topical presentation rather than a chronological arrangement of the material. They have been telling us the story of the Israelite’s preparations to leave Mount Sinai. In the first four chapters of Numbers, they took a census (to see link click An – The Levitical Census) and assigned the Levites to their various tasks (see Ar – The Four Camps of Levites). Numbers 7-10 is a flashback and relates how Isra’el was ready to depart from Mount Sinai. The setting aside of the Levites (8:26) presumably followed immediately after the twelve days of gifts by the twelve tribes (see Be – Gifts of the Twelve Tribes), perhaps on the thirteenth day of the month.

The Levites had redeemed the Israelite firstborn (see Ap – Redeeming the Firstborn) and had been assigned other duties of guarding (3:14-39) and removing (4:1-33) the Tabernacle. But before the Levite workforce is permitted to dismantle and handle the holy things, they must be ritually qualified, which requires that it be purified of impurities such as contact with the dead. This purification, however, should not be compared with the ordination ceremony of the priests (Lev 8:1-36), who were consecrated with anointing oil (see the commentary on Exodus Ge – The Dedication of Aaron and His Family), in order to gain a holy status so that they could have access to the sacred objects, that is to officiate at the bronze altar and enter the Sanctuary. The Levites, on the other hand, were forbidden to enter the Sanctuary or officiate at the bronze altar (18:3-4). Their ministry was only to assist the priests in their duties, to guard the Tabernacle, and transport it and its sacred objects after they were covered by the priests.¹²⁸

These verses are displayed in a chiastic fashion (see Ac – Numbers from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Chiasm and introversion). This section of Scripture is symmetrically balanced (AB-BA), with the singular rationale (C) placed in the center. Though the rationale is traceable to a previous source (3:9-13), a new element is added – the Levites as a ransom for the Israelites (3:19), a factor that will play a crucial role in defining the Levitical responsibilities in the Sanctuary (18:23).

A. Introduction (8:5-7a): ADONAI said to Moshe, “Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Isra’el and make them ceremonially clean.” During the dedication of the bronze altar, the Levites did not bring any gifts. But here, we realize that they themselves were to be the gift. The entire tribe of Levi was to assist the priests in their ministry of the temporary covering of sin at the bronze altar.

B. Set procedure (7b-15): Their purification service began when they were sprinkled with purification water and ashes from the red heifer (see De – The Red Heifer). Then, like the leper at the outset of his purification, all their hair was shaved off of their entire body (14:8). The shaving was a purification ritual, apparently intending to insure that every inch of his flesh would be washed in the mikvah. But it may also have added significance of symbolizing the start of their term of dedication to ADONAI. We learned in the mitzvot of the Nazarite (see Ba – The Nazarite Vow) that the length of one’s hair while under a vow was indicative of the length of service one had devoted to YHVH. Most likely, Nazarites began their vows with a clean head. Perhaps a similar reason is behind the Levitical shave. It was a sign of the start of their new life of service and dedication. Finally, clean-shaven and rather newborn like, they were to wash their clothes and immerse in the mikvah.¹²⁹

The sacrifices for the appointment of the Levites consisted of two bulls. Then they are to take a young bull for a burnt offering (see the commentary on Leviticus Ao – The ‘Olah Offering: Providing Access to God), with its accompanying grain offering (see Leviticus Ap – The Minhah: Assuring People of God’s Acceptance), which is to be fine flour mixed with olive oil; while you take another bull for a purification offering (see Leviticus Aq – The Chatta’th Offering: Communicating God’s Forgiveness) (8:8). 

A bull was ordinarily brought only for the purification offering made on behalf of the priesthood or the whole community of Isra’el (Leviticus 4:3-20). Purification offerings made on behalf of the community, but not including the priesthood, were typically goats (the bull and goat combination of Yom Kippur represented the priesthood and the community, respectively). Why, then, were the Levites required to bring a bull for a purification offering? Wouldn’t a goat have sufficed?

To understand why the Levites required a bull for a purification offering, we must first understand the two roles that the Levites played on behalf of the community. We have already learned that the Levites were offered to God as a substitute for the firstborn of the sons of the twelve tribes. But in addition to that, the Levites were to represent all Isra’el in matters pertaining to the holy things of the Sanctuary (see 8:18-19 below). You are to present the Levites in front of the Tabernacle, and assemble the entire community of the people of Isra’el (8:9). 

Because the Levites were to represent all Isra’el in their service in the Tabernacle, all Isra’el needed to lay their hands on them to transfer that corporate identity to them. You will present the Levites before ADONAI, the people of Isra’el will lay their hands on the Levites (8:10). How this actually happened is hard to imagine, it was probably done by individual leaders of the twelve tribes. But the meaning is clear. In the sacrificial system, a man or a woman laid their hands on the head of the animal they meant to sacrifice in order to transfer their identity to the animal, that it may be accepted for [the offeror] to make atonement on [the offeror’s] behalf (Leviticus 1:4). The animal sacrifice was meant to go to the bronze altar instead of the person offering it. The same principle applied to the Levites. The representatives of all the people laid their hands on the Levites, thereby transferring the identity of all Isra’el to them. Thus, the Levites could minister in the Tabernacle on behalf of the entire nation.

Since the Levites were invested with the identity of all Isra’el (including the priesthood which is, technically, a part of the Levites), a bull was required for their purification offering, for it was not only on their behalf, but on behalf of the whole nation. As a result, the representatives of the people laid their hands on the Levites, and the Levites laid their hands upon the bull.

As the Levites were presented as a gift to ADONAI on behalf of all Isra’el (see below), Aaron and Moshe were instructed to offer the Levites before ADONAI as a wave offering from the people of Isra’el, so that they qualify to do ADONAI’s service. The Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; the one you will offer as a purification offering and the other as a burnt offering to ADONAI to make atonement for the Levites. You are to place the Levites before the priesthood, Aaron and his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to ADONAI (8:11-13). A wave offering was traditionally understood to entail lifting an object before YHVH and waving it in six directions: East, South, West, North, up, and down. It is difficult to understand how Moshe and Aaron accomplished such a service with the whole tribe of Levi. Rather tongue in cheek, the Midrash Rabbah comments on the amazing strength required to wave all those Levites. “When Aaron waved the Levites, he lifted 22,000 of them in one day? How did he wave them? Forward, backwards, upwards, and downward? This proves that he was a man of great strength (Leviticus Rabbah 1:26).

We don’t know the method by which Aaron actually waved the Levites. One suspects it was a token waving on behalf of the whole tribe. We do, however, know what waving represents. As we compare the sacrificial instructions, we see a variety of items that receive waving. The gold and bronze contributed for the Tabernacle were waved (Exodus 38:24 and 29); the barley sheaf of the omer and two loaves of Shavu’ot bread were waved (Leviticus 23:11-17); the memorial portion of grain offering was waved in the ritual of the suspected adulteress (Numbers 5:25); and in every instance the priestly portions (breast and right thigh) of the peace offerings (see the commentary on Leviticus Ak – The Peace Offerings: At Peace with God) were waved. So, the items waved before ADONAI seem to be those things which were withheld from the bronze altar. In other words, the wave offering was a substitute for offering something up on the altar of sacrifice. Sacrificial elements were ordinarily withheld from the bronze altar because they were the priest’s portion of the sacrifices (see Cy – The Portion for the Levites).

This interpretation makes sense in Numbers 8. First, the Israelites laid hands upon the Levites as they would upon a sacrifice. As stated above, the Levites were designated as the sacrificial substitutes of the people. Then Aaron and Moshe waved at the Levites. They were not to be sacrificed. Instead they were to be the property of the priesthood. The Levites were withheld from the bronze altar just as the breast and right thigh of the peace offering was withheld from the altar of sacrifice. Immediately after their waving, the head of the clans of Levites (Kohath, Gershon, an Merari) would lay their hands on the two bulls which were to go to the bronze altar of sacrifice instead of the Levites. By means of that symbolic waving, the Levites were separated. In this way you will separate the Levites from the people of Isra’el, and the Levites will belong to me. After that, the Levites will enter and do the service of the tent of meeting. You will cleanse them and offer them as a wave offering (8:14-15).¹³⁰

C. Rationale (8:16-19): Because they are entirely given to me from among the people of Isra’el; I have taken them for Myself in place of all those who come first out of the womb, that is, the firstborn males of the people of Isra’el. For all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el are mine, both humans and animals; on the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I set them apart for myself (8:16-17). But I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the people of Isra’el, and I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron (just as believers are a gift from Yeshua to the Father as seen in John 10:29) and his sons from among the people of Isra’el to do the service of the people of Isra’el in the Tabernacle and to make atonement [as a substitute] for the people of Isra’el, so that no plague will fall on them in consequence of their coming too close to the Sanctuary” (8:18-19). As the Levites laid their hands on the sacrifices, so Isra’el laid their hands on the Levites, as if they were a living sacrifice (Romans Dc – Responding to the Mercies of ADONAI). Like the Levites, we cannot save other people, but we can lead them to our High Priest, Yeshua Messiah. In this anticipatory passage the need for the Levites to make atonement for the people (8:19) is resolved in 18:23.¹³¹

B. Set Procedure (8:20-22a): This is what Moshe, Aaron and all the community of the people of Isra’el did to the Levites. The people of Isra’el acted in accordance with everything that ADONAI had ordered Moshe in regard to the Levites. The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes (see De – The Red Heifer). Then Aaron offered them as a holy gift before ADONAI and made atonement for them in order to cleanse them. After that, the Levites came to do their service in the Tabernacle in front of Aaron and his sons. These verses are presented in the standard structural pattern. Moses (the leader-prophet), Aaron and the Levites (the priests and their assistants), and all Isra’el (the people) are pictured in harmony as they fulfill God’s commands concerning the dedication and separation of the Levites.

A. conclusion (8:22b): They acted in accordance with ADONAI’s orders to Moshe in regard to the Levites. This verse serves two purposes: it reports the completion of the act of separation as a literary device; it also reports the obedience of the people as a mark of their initial compliance to the will and work of YHVH.¹³²

The age of their service (8:23-36): The final section of mitzvah regarding the Levites in the book of Numbers gives the age limits for the Levitical labors. These figures have already been stated in the Levitical census of Chapter 4. However, the present passage is essential not only because it informs us that the Levite must cease from the arduous task of breaking down and setting up the Tabernacle when he reached the age of fifty, but also because it stipulates that he does not withdraw into retirement but continues to perform guard duty and teach the people, other duties of the Levites.¹³³

ADONAI said to Moshe, “Here are instructions concerning the Levites: The rabbi’s understood that when they reach the age of twenty-five they would start their apprenticeship. Then, when they were thirty (4:3), they began performing their duties serving in the Tabernacle. Yeshua also began His ministry about thirty years old (Luke 3:23). David began to reign as king over Judah at the age of thirty (Second Samuel 5:4). And Joseph was thirty when he entered the service of Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46). And when they reach the age of fifty, they are to stop performing this work and not serve any longer. The Hebrew literally reads, “Return from the warfare of the work.” In 4:3 we learn that the Levites were to serve from thirty to age fifty. For believers today, we never stop using our spiritual gifts to build up the Church. They will assist their brothers in guarding the Tabernacle, but they themselves will not do any of the physical work. This is what you are to do with the Levites in regard to their duties.”¹³⁴

Basically, the Levites worked under the supervision of the priesthood (Aaron’s sons Eleazar and Ithamar), and that the work of the priests and Levites was different. The priests functioned primarily inside the Sanctuary with the holy things and the Bronze Altar; while the Levites assisted the priests by guarding the outside of the Tabernacle from any encroachment by any Israelite in the camp, carrying the holy things on the march, teaching the people the Torah, being gatekeepers, singers, and also serving as judges in the cities of refuge. ADONAI knew that the priests would need reliable helpers who could assist them in their duties.

What we have seen from Genesis to Numbers is a narrowing selection from many to one. This took place in four stages. First, out of all nations, the nation of Isra’el, was chosen; secondly, out of the nation of Isra’el, the Levites were chosen; thirdly, out of all the Levites, the descendants of Aaron were chosen, who are to be the priests; and fourthly, out of all the priests, only one is chosen to be the high priest.¹³⁵

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being such an extraordinarily wonderful, loving and just Heavenly Father! Thank You also that after Messiah died and rose, You make those who love you to be Your priests. You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house – a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:5). It is such a deep joy and pleasure to bring a sacrifice to You. Thank You for making a way that all those who love You, though they are not of the Levitical line nor have taken the Nazarite vow, can offer sacrifices up to You.

The answer to life’s trials and problems is in the focus of our heart. When we choose to praise You for how wonderful You are, it brings great joy and peace to our whole bodies! We praise You that for all eternity, those who love You will have great joy in living with You in Your eternal home of peace and joy. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).  What a comfort to know that Messiah Yeshua is preparing a place in heaven to bring those who love Him.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:2-3).

It is a delight to offer You daily a sacrifice of praise. Beginning the day with thoughts of praise to you and ending our day remembering Your Almighty power and love, is a great way to fill us up with Your peace. We choose to focus on You and not on our problems. BIG PROBLEM – small God, but BIG GOD small problem – Yes! You are our Big God who is also our loving Father to whom we love to offer up many sacrifices of praise! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen