Parashat
Shelakh L'kha

(Numbers 13:1 - 15:41)

2. "Send [shelakh] men for yourselves, and they shall explore the land of Kanaan, which I am giving to the descendants of Israel. You shall send one man for each tribe of their ancestors, each one [being] a leader among them."

Send: G'hazi had often acted as a representative of the word of Elisha, his master, but in 2 Kings 5 he acted on his own while claiming he was sent by his master. He stood before Naaman as Elisha, not as G'hazi, and he betrayed the trust of the one who had sent him by misrepresenting his will. This is how we must understand Yahshua's words, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." (Yochanan 14:9) This does not mean he is the Father (as the Roman church taught us) any more than his 12 disciples were. We cannot look at his words with a Greek mind. It is the same as when he told his students, "He who receives you receives me." (Mat. 10:41ff) Whenever we go anywhere, we are representing him, and upholding or ruining his reputation. Yahshua made it clear that he did not act on his own authority, and even that his will was different from the Father's, but he submitted his will to the Father's and perfectly represented YHWH's heart--and he expects us to do the same. He said his works proved it. What works? The Torah, which he walked out perfectly as well. Explore: search out, spy out, or basically just meander about--to see what the Land itself says to you. Deuteronomy's recounting, which gives additional details, suggests that it was the people's idea to send the "spies". (1:20ff) But the wording here ("you shall" or "you may") could tell us that YHWH was giving them the option of doing so if they felt they needed to. YHWH had already told them not to fear anything they might find there, but they may have thought they would have less to fear if they could see what was around the corner. But Moshe's idea was more logistical--which roads would be best to take millionis of people down, where there was most shade, etc. The Hebrew word is tur, and it indeed means much the same as the English word "tour". They were to learn as much about the Land as possible, and bring that experience back to the rest of the nation. But as used in 15:39, tur means to "follow after" with one's heart. I.e., they were meant to "fall in love with" the Land, let it capture their hearts, and let that motivate them to take all the risks that they would need to take on its behalf. Kanaan: a son of Kham who molested his grandfather Noakh (Gen. 9:24ff), and was therefore cursed with having to be a slave to both Shem and Yafeth about 1,000 years before this. From the time Avraham and Shem himself (Melkhitzedeq) were in the Land, giving them the open door to learn better ways, until Israel finally entered the Land was 490 years--70 times 7--yet they did not change their ways. Therefore time was up for them; their cup was full. Their Land would be given to more worthy tenants.

4. and these are their names:

Each one's name and often his father's name equipped him for his calling. It was the perfect set-up for them all to be in the heroes' hall of fame, for their names to be loved as well as Y'hoshua's and Kalev's. But each one's name has a negative side as well. The outcome would depend on which side of their name they chose to give credit to. It's up to these tribes to again use their names wisely.

Shammua could have been renowned if he had been mindful of the right things. But his name can also mean "stunned, deserted, shocked, desolate, appalled", and indeed YHWH would abandon him if he misrepresented His Land.

He could have judged rightly, had he only realized that the kings of some of these peoples would one day be holed up in a cave and unable to escape. But his name can also mean "he has condemned", and he did condemn all of Israel to its 40-year sentence because of his doubt.

More will be said about Kalev later. Since he did turn away from acting like a dog (kelev, which he was probably nicknamed since Y'funeh was a Kenizzite, a descendant of Esau, and therefore not originally an Israelite. Kalev's name can be positive for Israel either way you look at it, because it can mean "forcible attack dog", and this held true in his later battling. But his choice here proved that his name really should be read as "ka-lev" (like the heart, or like-hearted). He in essence received the same commendation David did--that he was a man after YHWH's own heart. He confirmed YHWH's choice of Yehudah as a leader among the tribes. Like the "sent one" that he was (see note on v. 2), he refused to trust his own heart or his own eyes, but saw through YHWH's eyes instead. He took his job seriously as representative of a people who were yearning for a Land. We represent the Torah, so we must see everything through it. Does YHWH's heart go with us when we venture forth?

He had the potential to act as a kinsman-redeemer and bring the rest of his fellows back around when they started to look at the negative side of the Land.

He could indeed be Israel's savior if he did the right thing. Nun means fish, but the root word means "re-sprout", "increase", "posterity" or "progeny". Sea creatures were the first commanded to "be fruitful and multiply." (Gen. 1:20ff) Yaaqov prophesied that the tribe of Efrayim would literally "proliferate like fish". (Gen. 48:16) This links with the Messiah's multiplication of the loaves and fishes. He said he had come for the "lost sheep of the House of Israel", which were led astray by the tribe of Efrayim.

Palti could indeed heal the land of its corruption and bring deliverance to the people if he would have confidence in YHWH and not consider it more important to deliver himself from danger than to help the whole nation fulfill its calling.

Gaddiel was well-equipped with a name like this, and could know YHWH's provision if he made room for it. But his name can also mean "my good fortune is elohim". If he would not know YHWH in an intimate way and accept counsel from those who knew Him well (as his father's name implies), he would be left only to his chancy luck.

He could attack as swiftly as a horse; swiftness is the emphasis of the word for horse, but Yoseyf's name can also mean "to do again", and Gaddi's, "my luck". If he looked at troops and horses rather than YHWH (contrary to the command in Dt. 20:1), all of Israel would have to "add" many instances of "do it over" until it wore them out. In Revelation 7:6-8, Efrayim is counted as the tribe of Yoseyf, because Menashe is mentioned in addition to Yoseyf. One gives us Yoseyf's viewpoint (Gen. 48:18), and the other Yaaqov's, for Yaaqov counted Efrayim as his firstborn. (48:19-20) Although Efrayim's name was sullied by the evil king who came from that tribe and led the northern ten tribes astray, Yoseyf had another son to preserve his reputation.

Ammiel's name can also mean "my people is judge", and indeed Israel was sent to judge Kanaan. But if he were to let the people judge whether or not they wanted to do their job rather than simply obeying orders rather than using the maturity represented by the root meaning of his father's name, YHWH would recognize him as a kinsman as well.

If he remembered his father's name, he would realize that they were indeed traveling through the Land unnoticed (concealed by YHWH), despite the presence of giants. But S'thur can also mean to hide away, and if he chose to be fearful, this is all his name would mean.

If he did not realize the wealth he had in being part of YHWH's people, he would be tempted to withdraw from this challenge and lead Israel to do the same.

His name means what Moshe said in his song at the Red Sea: "YHWH …has triumphed valiantly!" He could have demonstrated YHWH's triumph in an even bigger way if he had not gone the way of his father. Note that no one was chosen from Levi; that tribe was distinct from all the others, belonging directly to YHWH. It is the tribe of YHWH rather than being one of the tribes of Israel as such.

This seems a strange statement in this context. He changed his name from merely "the one who delivers" (a strong name in itself) to the more specific "YHWH is the one who delivers", since the first, though true on the human level, stopped short of the full truth. His parents gave him a wonderful name, which already had much expectation attached to it. It almost made him sound like a messiah, and in a way he was one. But Moshe was not satisfied, because this did not reflect the fullness of the attitude Hoshea already lived by, so he added the numerical value of 10 (for the letter "yod") to his name. 10 is the number of a complete congregation, so we can say that to salvation he added a "people" for YHWH as well. Our Messiah's name is also Y'hoshua. So there is a significance for our own day in this change of names. Y'hoshua's father's name meant "fish", and the fish has been the symbol of Christianity since the time the Romans were oppressing Yahshua's followers. The "fish" gave Yahshua a reputation that obscured the father's role. Some versions of the story even made it sound like the Son was the Father, collapsing them into one entity. That was influenced by the ancient account of Nimrod being reborn as his own son, Tammuz, and YHWH wanted His people to have nothing to do with that story. (Y'hezq'el/Ezek. 8:14) Yahshua emphasized his subordination and inferiority to the Father (Yochanan 14:28) It is the Father who raised him from the dead. (Acts 13:30) As the time to retake His Land approaches, again Moshe (who represents the Torah) is restoring the right perspective to who Yahshua is. Only in the context of the Torah can the mystery of who Yahshua is--and what salvation is--be properly comprehended. He made a way for us to return to His Father, and thus made YHWH the real focus, whereas the Church put all the focus on "Jesus". Its most common catchphrase is "Jesus saves." But while our agenda is very definitely to enthrone Yahshua as Messiah and King, he cannot replace YHWH. (Compare 1 Cor. 15:24) The difference is not in who does the work, but whose work is being done. Moshe emphasizes that YHWH is the one who saves; He "owns the company", and though He hires whomever He wants to do the job, the credit is ultimately His. YHWH has brought salvation to Israel many times, and we lost it nearly as often. He chose both men named Y'hoshua as His representatives, but salvation belongs to YHWH and no other. Yahshua is the Father's "deputy", enforcing His will. And if you do not know the Torah, there is no way you can even have the right idea of what salvation is. It is not about going to "heaven". Salvation is part of our national covenant, and is very much tied to the Land that is being explored here. The Torah says that if we get kicked out of it, there is hope that He will give us salvation again if we repent. Many who go there mainly visit the mostly-spurious sites where Yahshua supposedly did this or that. But we should go to explore who we are. A tour of the Land should not be for entertainment, but to get in touch with our heritage as exiled Israelites, for we are told that one day it will again be our Land. Thankfully, many who go to the Land as Christians begin to feel the tug of Yerushalayim on their hearts, and before long, they are keeping the Sabbath and entering into more and more aspects of Torah. Salvation is not a personal matter; it is ultimately about all the lost sheep of the House of Israel being gathered back together with Yehudah to form a Kingdom for him to rule over under the direction of the Torah, with YHWH's presence again in our midst. If we do not have that, we are not yet "saved". Nothing else will take men's chains off of us. It is those who view their salvation as for YHWH's sake rather than chiefly for their own sake who will make up the Kingdom He wants to rule over.

Go up: The Negev (the southern desert) is not high ground, but it is always an ascent when we enter YHWH's Land, even if we come from a higher altitude. Hill country: They followed the ridge that runs the length of most of Israel like a backbone. From such a vantage point they could see the breadth of the Land quite well on a clear day, so this was the most strategic and efficient way to see it all. They were to go through both the hot and dry and the high, cool territory. We need to get the big picture and get a feel for the whole Land--the valleys as well as the peaks. Until it is time to physically live there and implement the fullness of the covenant, we need to "bring back" all the aspects of the Torah and look at it from all angles so that we will be able to live there in the right context. It is important that we explore every aspect of what it means to be Israel. There is Yom Kippur as well as Sukkoth. What keeps the money flowing in churches is the prosperity doctrine, but while there are many blessings in YHWH's covenant, it includes being at peace in our own Land and many responsibilities as well. We do not want to be just tourists, but at home there. If we stay focused on a personal relationship with YHWH, we will never see it all. It is intended to be a place of safety, but it will not be that until we see it from the right viewpoint.

Inspect: as Gide'on's 300 men inspected the water before they drank it to see what was really there instead of just swallowing whatever came with it. Living in it: temporarily, for it is a living Land that spits out inhabitants that defile it. By the time Y'hoshua would reach the Land, its inhabitants did indeed lack courage. (Y'hoshua 5:1)

20. "And [see] how the land is--whether it is robust or lean, and whether or not there are trees in it. And you may strengthen yourselves and take [some] of the fruit of the Land." (Now [at] the time [it] was the season of the first-ripening grapes.)

Whether or not there are trees: Today there is a real question whether there are trees in it. But then this was just a setup for them not to expect much, so they'd be pleasantly surprised. Contrast those modern Zionists who went back to the Land with a whole heart even when it was still nothing but desert and malarial swamp. Most of the trees had been cut down by the Romans or by those who were taxed by the Ottoman Turks based on how many trees were on their property. Because these brave, hardy souls brought out its potential, it is easier for the rest of us to see how beneficent the Land really is. Strengthen: needed because of what we see in v. 23. These people only saw one season, but the view changes with every season, and we inherit the life of shepherds, who are very much in touch with all the seasons. There is no other way we will be able to keep the balance that comes with keeping all of the Torah, each part at the right time. The first grapes would be ripe in the late summer, which is also when the pomegranates and figs grow. (v. 23) The grape harvest should have reminded them from the start that YHWH promised safety in the Land to those who would trust Him and follow His orders, for the grape harvest is listed as part of this blessing. (Lev. 26:3-7) They were eating the food of the Land that belonged to YHWH, not the inhabitants of the Land. If "we are what we eat", they were taking that Land into themselves and making it part of them. This is like "tasting the powers of the world to come", from which some shrank back (Hebrews 10). These men were already leaders (v. 2), and they all "ascended" (v. 21, 22, 30, 31), and thus were held responsible for what they knew. If they are to take on this challenge, they know they will have to draw closer to YHWH, or they will fail. Even before we arrive there, we can learn all we can about the Land, and stay abreast of its events through a reliable source like Arutz Sheva.

Went up: entering the Land today is still always considered an ascent from wherever one is. Hamath: Very close to Damascus, it is also Kanaanite (Gen. 10:18). Its "entrance" (Levo-Hamath) is beyond the pass that begins just north of the city of Dan and leads through the otherwise difficult to traverse mountains of Levanon. Thus they went all the way to the northernmost border of the Land YHWH was giving to Israel, and even a bit further. Rekhov was an Aramean center that supplied the Ammonites with troops in David's time. It was near the source of the Yarden River in some kind of "wide-open space", as its name means. Levo-Hamath is thought to be modern Lebweh, NNE of Baalbek, Lebanon, at the watershed of the Beqaa Valley near the source of the Orontes River. The Negev (v. 22) was its southernmost limit except under King Shlomo, when it extended all the way to the tip of the Red Sea as it does today.

Sons of Anak: Deut. 9:2 tells us they were very tall and no one had been able to defeat them. Seven years before ... Tzo'an: Tzo'an means "place of departure", and is more commonly known as "Tanis", which was founded around 1720 B.C.E. Sometimes the name came to mean Egypt as a whole. They had just come out of Egypt and thus were more familiar with it. But in Scripture and tradition, Hevron is a picture of Heaven, being the city of the highest elevation in Israel. David began his reign there seven years before entering Jerusalem, as Yahshua also will. Thus Tzo'an was built in the eighth year, when the Kingdom on earth begins, hence it represents earthly things. All the references to Tzo'/an (Ezk. 30:14; Isa. 19:11; 13:34) have to do with judgment and destruction for separating the wisdom of YHWH from the folly of man. Tzo'an means "wandering". This verse includes the bare fact that they arrived at Hevron, what they noticed there (giants), and what Moshe had to say about it. He focused on the fact that it was a very old place--even more ancient than the Egypt they had just departed. When they came as far as Hevron (which means "close association" or "great friendship") they should have been strengthened by the fact that Avraham, Yitzhaq, Yaaqov, and all of his sons except Yoseyf were buried here--this was indeed their own heritage. They do not seem to even have noticed the huge ancient terebinth trees under which Avraham had pitched his tent or the altar he had built there. They looked only at the danger! It is like the many in Yehudah who are not going back home, though they can, though we are chafing at the bit to live there. Contrast the "settlers" who stay where terrorists fire on them daily and the government will not protect them at all.

Could this have been Y'hoshua and Kalev? They came from the only two tribes whose blessings from Yaaqov related to grapes, vines, and fruitful branches. (Gen. 49:11-12, 22) The Valley of Eshkol is in the southern Sh'felah, not too far from Lakhish and Tziqlag. They must have descended partway from the mountains to have a closer look. Grapes: In the context of harvest, it is significant that the vineyard is mentioned first. It is a picture of the holy community. Some grapes are cast off; some branches are grafted into the vine. The word "Nazir" means "untrimmed vine". Grapes are tied to the winepress of YHWH's wrath. They are also necessary for the Temple, since there is a wine libation brought with every sacrifice (ch. 15). The Song of Solomon speaks often of wine. It is tied to everything Hebraic. Along with pomegranates and figs, they tell the whole story of the Land: the vine and fig tree speak of the Kingdom (Micha 4:4), the pomegranate of royalty, fruitful posterity, and priesthood, since pomegranates (which are full of seeds) decorated both the Temple and the hem of the priests' garments. The only piece of archaeology that is undeniably from Solomon's Temple is a model of a pomegranate from a priest's scepter. The two who were enthusiastic about the Land used these things as a pep rally; the other ten only saw them as something to eat in order to stay alive, for their focus was mere survival. Carried it on a pole between them: reminiscent of Aharon and Chuwr upholding Moshe's hands while Y'hoshua fought Amaleq. The only mentions of this type of pole are in reference to carrying the menorah and the bronze altar, so these grapes bear some relation to them. Alt., "carried it on a double bar", perhaps indicating an even larger cluster than a single pole could bear. But a double pole links us with the two sticks of Efrayim and Yehudah (the tribes from which the two spies who gave a favorable report came). Thus the "yoke of Y'hudah and Efrayim" is to "bear the fruit of Israel".

"Gave...the name": The obedient were allowed to name it. All of these are sweet things, whereas the things they complained about having had in Egypt were all savory or salty: leeks, onions, etc. But the others saw the food as having to be big to feed those giants! They all came out of Egypt, but not all came out of bondage. They were liberated--given the freedom to choose. But as Paul describes in Romans 6-8, many chose to remain in slavery to the "elemental principles of this world" (Colossians 2) rather than being excited about the limitless possibilities of what they had seen YHWH could do. Like Adam and Chavvah, they chose predictable knowledge rather than an ongoing relationship that could surprise them with joy at every turn. Where they went wrong was that the first territory they passed through was that of Amaleq--and the spirit of doubt, chance, and mere coincidence took hold of them,so that, after all the miracles they had seen, they still thought, "How do we know what YHWH did for us wasn't just a fluke? How do we know He will deliver us again?" They could have dealt with anyone else had they not encountered him first. Because they did not have faith, they could not enter His rest.

Forty days: always a time of testing and transition in Scripture. Something is about to change. Now they have seen the Land; now they must make their choice of whether they are on YHWH's side or not.

To the whole congregation: Moshe let them give their report in front of all of the people before he screened their message. Y'hoshua learned from this, and when he sent out spies later, he told them to come directly back to him first, and we will see why. Qadesh may have been near today's border with Egypt on the western side of the Negev, thought to be the place called Eyn Qudeirot today, for the spring there had ample water to support a camp.

This: Undoubtedly, at this point they unveiled the cluster of grapes to highlight how large it was.

"However": the sense is much like, "It is no use; we should forget it", being rooted in a word meaning "end" or "brought to nought". It has a note of finality--that they were giving up and going no further. These men acted like the institutional church, which uses the same Scriptures and cannot deny what is there, but changes the focus. They took their eyes off the best news about the Land and the fruit which was supposed to be their focus, and usurped Moshe's position by changing the decision that he had already made. Fierce: or firm. They were hoping for reassurance before they got there that everything would be easy when they arrived. But YHWH hates those who go to fortune-tellers to learn about the future, because this seems to remove the need to trust Him. And they were not willing to take their children where it was not safe. (14:31) What is too easy is not taken seriously and treated as of little value.

Thus far they had said nothing untrue, but they should have stopped with verse 27. Giving all the information is not always helpful. Moshe was the only one who needed to hear this part of the report, because YHWH had already promised to go with them and that they would overcome their enemies. He only needed reconnaissance. There was no profit in telling it to anyone else, for the smallest seed of fear can grow into a great tree, so YHWH hates pessimism, since it dampens the inclination toward faith. In fact, Hamath (v. 21) was one of only seven Hittite strongholds that remained; the Hittite empire had long since declined. They had promised to listen to YHWH's words and obey, and He held them to this. As men disappoint us, it looks less possible for the lost sheep of the House of Israel to be unified than when we first realized this was the agenda of the day, but YHWH has promised it will take place, so if we are faithful and full of faith no matter how things appear, we will see His arm bring the victory again. Had Moshe set them up for this by giving them too much of a choice of how to think about the Land? (v. 17-20) Could he have at least worded it better--"Go see how weak the people are"--to influence them to have a more positive outlook? The Hittites especially inhabited the area around Hevron. (Gen. 23) The Y'vusites were specifically at Yerushalayim and had little else that we know if. Y'hezq'el 16:3 says that Yerushalayim was inhabited by the offspring of the Hittites and Emorites. The Emorites (known in Akkadian as Amurru and in Sumerian as Martu, are described in contemporary Akkadian writings found at Mari (in which their name is a word for "west") as having their headquarters near Mt. Basar, near Tadmor or Palmyra. Hammurapi was an Emorite. So were Sikhon of Heshbon and Og of Bashan, and they inhabited the cities of Ay, Yarmith, Lakhish, and Eglon. The unspecified Kanaanites lived in the low-lying regions, just like Amaleq, as fits the meaning of their name also.

Kalev's name appears to be rooted in the word for "dog" (literally "one that yelps"). Since he did turn away from acting like a dog (kelev, which he was probably nicknamed since Y'funeh was a Kenizzite, a descendant of Esau, and therefore not originally an Israelite. But those who choose to be part of Israel are often more zealous than those born into it. Kalev's name can be positive for Israel either way you look at it, because it can mean "forcible attack dog", and this held true in his later battling. But an alternate reading is "like the heart", because he indeed proved to be "a man after YHWH's heart"--and even Moshe's. His choice here proved that he really was "like-hearted". He in essence received the same commendation David did--that he was a man after YHWH's own heart. He confirmed YHWH's choice of Yehudah as a leader among the tribes. He refused to trust his own heart or his own eyes, but saw through YHWH's eyes instead. He took his job seriously as representative of a people who were yearning for a Land. Within each of us is an inclination to be like a whining dog, and within each of us is the potential to be "like-hearted" with YHWH. At every crossroads, we have to decide which we will turn out to be. Which side will we magnify? YHWH had only told them it flowed with milk and honey, and he now knew that was an understatement that did not do the Land justice. It is almost as if the spies had gone to two different places, and they had! For where you go depends on your point of view. Our words can strengthen. (Just watch a sports coach at half-time.) But words can also debilitate, and talk people out of trusting YHWH. It is a leader's responsibility to put the right "spin" on things. We need to know how to cut out a cancer while still leaving the muscle intact. If we make YHWH's point of view our own, it will become our reality. If they had even just reversed the order, giving the bad news first and the best last, we could have ended up in the right place. Kalev was rewarded in that His ambition did not wane for the next 40 years. (Y'hoshua 14:10)

Kalev and Y'hoshua (who would support his position) were outvoted by ten men--a symbol of the entire congregation, and indeed the whole body did go their way (ch. 14). But later the two kingdoms of Israel; were named after their two tribes (Yehudah and Ephraim). This was the same as the first "sieve" Gide'on used to narrow down his army to the few whom YHWH could use: FEAR. Yes, they are stronger than we are, but they are not stronger than YHWH! And He said He would be with us, so if they overpower us, it is only because we allow them to. It was bad enough that they themselves were fearful, but they went on to instill the same fear in the whole congregation. Doubt is like a corrosive acid in the spirit world, rendering us unusable.

Evil report: literally, they slandered the Land. They gave it a bad name. Now they were stretching the truth with a political agenda, which is only a form of lying. Though Kalev had tried to nip it in the bud, they now let it out where no one could control it any longer. Though it was a sweet, loving mother that nourishes its children, they spoke against it as Miryam had spoken against Moshe. So YHWH provided the remedy in advance by giving commands that would demonstrate that this assessment was not true, because His Land is generous not only to the poor, widows, and orphans who live there, but even to foreigners passing through it. All the people? Actually, only a few were giants, and Kalev would single-handedly challenge them! They had the wrong point of view, and therefore saw the wrong things. How did they ever survive for 40 days and make it out not only alive, but laden with luscious fruit, if the Land devoured people? If we looked through the eyes of oil barons, the media, or bleeding-heart "humanitarians", we would think the same way about Israel, but if we incline our hearts to YHWH's words, we will find them true every time.

Nefilim: apparently the unnatural offspring of the unions of "sons of the elohim and the daughters of men" in Gen. 6:2ff, which multiple ancient cultures seem to refer to in their stories of the "demi-gods". Their proliferation was a major catalyst for the Great Deluge of Noach. But they saw through the grid of how they saw themselves, assuming everyone else saw them the same way. In actual fact, the people of the Land were terrified of Israel, as we see in ch. 24 and in the account of Rahav and the spies in Y'hoshua. Despite all the people's complaints, YHWH had been ready to let the people into the Promised Land if they would just buckle down this once, but they "blew it" by actually becoming the cowering "grasshoppers" they at first had only let themselves think they were--as if they only came up to the big toes of the Anaqim! If we do not think we can do it, who will? YHWH had said He would go before them; what match is He for giants? Soon He will again give us the occasion to be what Israel is meant to be, but we must stop being both slack and stiff-necked, or the outcome could again be the same. If their enemies had really noticed them and been hostile, would they have even made it out of the country with that huge bunch of grapes on it?

CHAPTER 14

They let someone's mere words take the wind out of the sails when YHWH had already told them they were on the verge of seeing YHWH's promise of a home. Fear and panic are always contagious, but removing someone's courage is a grievous sin in Israel. There are still those who say keeping the Torah is too heavy an obligation to take on, but Yahshua said the mountain (Sinai that hung over the nation while the covenant was being ratified) can be removed simply by faith. (Mat. 21:21) As with Esau (Gen. 27:34), YHWH did not even respond to their whining.

Our fear was all their fault! How dramatic! They would not have had to be eaten slowly by cruel giants! But if they had died in Egypt, they would have been among the firstborn who died there. Indeed, YHWH called Israel His firstborn, yet now they wanted to be counted with the Egyptians. Were they now saying that the death of the firstborn was Moshe's fault as well? Those who had died in the wilderness were the rebellious, so those who are left are those who had been obedient up to this point. Now they are saying, "We're the righteous ones! Why do we now have to face this threat? The others had it easier; at least they are dead! It seems we just can't please this YHWH." From a distance, it is easy to make claims of holiness: "We did not worship the golden calf!" But when they are up close is the real test of commitment. Yet when the wicked flourish, it means YHWH is letting their cup fill up with the evil they find easier to perpetrate when prosperous, so that it is obvious to all that He is justified in destroying them. (Gen. 15:16) He is patient until the equation balances, and they believe they are getting away with their deeds. But this just means He has given up on them; those whom He loves, He corrects; the obstacles are His way of training us. Like weeds, it is easier to poison them more effectively after they grow to a certain size. If He leaves us to our own devices, it means He considers us illegitimate sons, who have no inheritance. (Heb. 12:5ff) We should rejoice when He is putting us back on the right track. The other side for the Kanaanites is that YHWH was filling their cup up with blessing, yet they were thanking someone else. And our exile is an advantage to us, because when we are under YHWH's obvious blessing, we do not try very hard, but when trouble comes, we start buckling down. How we respond to the tough times will demonstrate whether we are children of YHWH or still allied with the Egyptians. They have let their fear ground them, so YHWH is looking at these people and saying, "They are not really My children."

YHWH had never said any of them would die if they followed His directions. He promised to clear the way for them. After all they had seen Him do thus far, they should have known this was another test and another occasion to demonstrate His power. It should have seemed like an adventure, not a threat. They had seen Him defeat the greatest military power in the world without them ever picking up a sword, but now that they will actually have to, they are chickening out. They simply did not believe Him. The same spirit that had affected Miryam shortly before now reared its head again: "Your leader doesn't know what's best; you do!" But who had elected Moshe? No one but YHWH. Who had chosen the other leaders? Moshe (who represented the Torah; those who lead in Israel are not those who are elected by men's preferences, but by how mature they are in their understandinhg of YHWH's Torah, or instruction.) But once we experience YHWH's blessing and then turn back to whatever He brought us out of, it would have been better for us to never have known the truth. (1 Kefa/Peter 2:20ff) It is like a pig returning to its own vomit. (Prov. 26:11) They wanted to be Gentiles again! But while it is easy in retrospect to ask why they didn't simply trust YHWH, do we trust Him in equivalent situations? Or are there ways we think it was better in our "Egypt"? In the world, did we feel freer to indulge ourselves? In the Church, were there fewer strictures on us? Could we just come and go as we pleased? Yet as seen with Egypt, what YHWH brings Israel out of, He is preparing to judge heavily. Egypt is no place for an Israelite. They had already been out of Egypt for nearly two years; it should never even have come to mind anymore. What we've left behind we need to put out of our minds. Don't look back; remember Lot's wife. YHWH could not judge S'dom until Lot was disengaged from it. It had his covering over it, and this prevented YHWH from bringing the deserved justice. Do we need to make YHWH drag us away as He did with Lot? (Gen. 19)

They were not satisfied with the one YHWH had chosen. The Church did the very same thing--appointed a "vicar" in place of the Messiah, the "Head" who was "like Moshe" (Deut. 18:18). But they were not really appointing a leader, because they had already decided where they wanted to go; they were just choosing a figurehead whom they could tell what to do. Someone they could control--or fire. They needed a scapegoat to blame it all on when it fell apart. They really need someone who knows the ways of Egypt better than he knows the Torah. Back to Egypt: Some information has come to light in the last 60 or 70 years that adds even more weight to the fact that their wish to go back to Egypt was just foolish. Immanuel Velikovsky, of catastrophism fame, also wrote a book on the chronology of world history called Ages in Chaos. Historians had great difficulty synchronizing the events of the many nations that archaeology was bringing to light until Velikovsky determined that the chronology of Egypt, which was traditionally used as an orientation point for other histories, was off the mark by about 600 years at some places! The conventional system made it sound like Egypt was very prosperous right after the Exodus, when the Scriptural account implies enormous cataclysms that would ruin the nation for many years. When he recognized that the Papyrus Ipuwer contained an Egyptian view of the plagues of Moshe's day, and that some of what was thought to be an unbroken series of dynasties actually involved some duplication told in different ways, he was able to realign the rest of the chronology with the records of the other ancient nations, especially the Biblical accounts. (He was Jewish and even lived in the Land for a while.) One of the biggest things he then recognized had to do with the Hyksos, previously only known to be Semitic "shepherd-kings" and often even confused with the Hebrews. What he found is that what was known about them lined up very nicely with the Arabian accounts of the Amaleqites, descendants of Esau's grandson who left Mecca amidst catastrophic floods and plagues, and invaded the Negev (see v. 25, 43) as well as Egypt just after the Israelites escaped, and ruled there with great cruelty for 500 years until they were finally expelled just before the time of King Sha'ul, at which time they moved back into the Negev area and began making raids on Israel again. They were on their way into Egypt when Israel encountered them "accidentally". (They took the opportunity to invade Egypt as soon as they had heard it was weakened.) Psalm 78:49 speaks of a band of "evil angels" punishing Israel in the wilderness. That phrase is mal'akhey ra-im--very similar to malakhey-ro'im--"shepherd-kings!" In Egypt they were called the Amu, and they enslaved the Egyptians in a most barbarous manner (in Manetho's terms). Their graves clearly show them to be warriors, as they were buried with their weapons. Ipuwer, an Egyptian, chronicles their atrocities, as they overran Egypt without any resistance, and burnt down the cities and demolished their temples. The names of their first and last kings were read as Apop. Based on a theory about how the hieroglyphics should really have been pronounced, Velikovsky suspected they could be identified with the two kings named Agag (Numbers 24:7; 1 Shmu. 15:8). So if the Israelites had gone back to Egypt as they wanted to here, they would have gone "from the frying pan into the fire"--right into the merciless hands of the Amaleqites, and they most certainly would have gotten their wish and "died in Egypt".

It is as if they ducked to avoid the judgment they by now knew would follow! Or they were doing their utmost to plead with the people to repent of such foolishness, or simply begging YHWH to deal with them.

While Moshe and Aharon act as if they may feel they are too old to deal with such constant whining, the next generation stands up and shows their anger in a way Moshe rarely did. These are the heroes, and like a fighter trying to intimidate his opponent, they bare their chests. They decide to deal with this rebellion face to face rather than lying down. They remained standing, yet carried out a ritual that also signified mourning. For whom? Moshe and Aharon, whom the congregation had as much as "killed" with their complaining words and lack of trust. Moshe symbolizes the Torah, and Aharon symbolizes YHWH's proper order, both of which Israel tends to do. Yahshua chided the P'rushim for "killing Moshe and Aharon" by putting their traditions ahead of Torah and doing things their own way. How much more when the Church said both were done away with? Yet it is Y'hoshua (a prototype of Yahshua) and Kalev (the one with a "heart like His") who are the ones to stand up and defend the Torah (Moshe) and the priesthood (Aharon). How do we know if our heart is like Yahshua's? We stand up for the Torah and the Temple.

They are begging the people to stick with YHWH's original plan, not an alternative, and hoping the people will recognize that they are not very pleasing to YHWH at this point. Likewise, Yahshua came to renew YHWH's original covenant, not start another religion. The other ten "went to explore" it (v. 38), but after the fact, they are called "those who brought a bad report" (v. 37). Y'hoshua and Kalev are called the ones who explored it, because they did fall in love with the Land. They knew an excellent thing when they saw it, and it must have far surpassed even Egypt's greenery at that time. But democracy took its toll. There was no other reason to believe the ten than that there were more of them than the two who had confidence in YHWH. There seems to be a natural proclivity toward majority rule in times like this, because one can blame the fact that usually more people are fearful than are not. But that's all the more reason to doubt the majority's opinion.

It hardly mattered how well-armed or muscular the soldiers were; the deciding factor is whether YHWH is pleased with us. And that's the question. Modern Christianity tries to remove all the "ifs" from our relationship with YHWH, but though we cannot leave Egypt without His hand, it is up to us to make ourselves pleasing to Him. He is under no obligation to take us into His Home if we do not act according to what is appropriate there. Psalm 51 says that what pleases Him is truth in our innermost being, and a broken and contrite spirit--giving up our own ways so He can give us His.

One of the keys to going to the Promised Land is to follow the leader YHWH has put in place, for to rebel against Moshe is to rebel against YHWH. What drives rebellion is fear, so as soon as they finish correcting the lies that the other ten told, they bring words of encouragement. Don't be afraid: literally, neither be inspired to awe nor respect for them. Bread: a play on words, for the root word in Hebrew means to consume in a battle context. These people had been put there to give Israel something to fight against, for if there is no resistance, we cannot become strong, as any body-builder knows. We should run toward it once it begins to attack, looking forward to the end result. Will our enemies--depression, fear, feeling sorry for ourselves, discouragement--be our food, or will they devour us? We may eat grasshoppers (Deut. 11:22), so we should not look at ourselves as such, like they did. They are to be our grasshoppers, so we can get nourishment from them. Their protection: Y'hoshua and Kalev probably knew it was gone because there was no cloud there, or maybe just because YHWH had said He was with Israel, and He obviously couldn't be fighting for both sides. Thus we deduce that it was YHWH Himself that covered them previously, since the cup of the Emorites' perversion was not yet filled up. (Gen. 15:13) Even the wicked Amaleqites were kept from judgment until the Emorites' covering was removed. They were not quite eveil enough for YHWH to have a "rock-solid case in court". But now, though they appeared intimidating, they had no true advantage in their favor except the Israelites' fears. They let fear be their motivator, saying that if they are afraid of something, they clearly should not be doing it. What are we not doing because we are afraid? What do we not stop doing because we are afraid to stop? In chapter 32, Moshe referes back to the fear in this chapter as a sin, so the next generation will not repeat it. But Y'hoshua and Kalev knew--probably having heard from Moshe--that the covering would only last four generations, and this gave them confidence. One can never make it Home if he insists on security, for there are battles; it is dangerous for those who are fearful. If we do not know YHWH, we are likely to get killed. He could just kill our enemies with a plague, but He puts a sword in our hand because He wants us to trust Him. Who doesn't want his wife to trust him? The enemies are there because we cannot overcome them, but YHWH can.

People still try to silence those who stand up for the Torah. But at that crucial moment, YHWH made His presence visible to strike terror in the hearts of those who would destroy His chosen. What possessed the people to prefer the pessimistic view and not even want to hear the positive report? It was all backwards. Those who recognize the liberty in the perfect Torah are treated the same way: "Why would you want to go back under the Law?!" Though it simplifies things immensely, they'd rather have the contradictions if that seems to let them off the hook. Did they just not want to fight? Had they become so flabby from not being enslaved for over a year? Had they lost their edge? Or do people just tend to have a morbid hunger for bad news, because it gives them an excuse to complain?

Spurn: He is a scorned lover, for His wife wants to go back to her former lover, though he used to beat her and would leave her empty-handed. She is also a contentious wife, which Proverbs says is like a constantly-dripping faucet, telling Him He does not know what is best. He takes it personally; it is not Moshe they do not trust, but Him! And it is the same when people say, "Let's do away with the Torah and have Jesus instead!" That, too, is rejecting YHWH.

YHWH essentially wants to divorce them and get remarried! This must have been a tempting offer to Moshe. Yet we hear no more about the sons he already has. After all, a mighty nation must be based on the Torah, and all YHWH needs is one obedient man. He knew YHWH could do this. His wife must have been old, but hardly as old as Sarah when she bore Yitzhaq. Why do some people who hover around their Israelite heritage still work or go to school on Shabbat, when they can see so many examples already today? How many are there on one level, but not on the rest? So many people have their eyes partway open, but they're not all on the same page! Will it take a plague--an economic collapse, maybe?--to make them finally decide which side of the watershed to be on? To make them concentrate on the pearl of great price and put all their eggs in that basket? Will they still have the option then? Why aren't more people eager for the Land? Since the whole nation had failed the test, He now tested its leader, saying, "This could all be yours", much as Yahshua was tempted, but, also like Yahshua, He gave it all back to YHWH instead:

14. "and they will inform the inhabitants of this Land, who have heard that You are in the very midst of this nation--that You are seen eye to eye! You are YHWH, and Your cloud remains over them, and You go ahead of them in a pillar of cloud in the daytime, and a pillar of fire by night.

15. "If You put this whole people to death as [if they were] one man, then the nations who have heard of Your renown will say,

One man: He does not actually ask YHWH not to kill them off, but just not all at once.

Many say this proves how much Moshe loved Israel. He certainly does, or he would not have put up with so much. But his chief concern is for YHWH's reputation to be upheld. The King's will may be to execute the rebels, but Moshe appeals to His "Father heart", as Yahshua does for us when we sin. (Rom. 8:34) Because one man did show concern for His Name, He relented.

18. "'YHWH is slow to anger and abounding in mercy, lifting away crookedness and trespassing, though certainly not acquitting [the guilty], bringing punishment for the ancestors' sins upon their descendants to the third and fourth [generation].'

An interesting midrash says that when Moshe went up the mountain, YHWH told him that He was slow to anger. Moshe asked, "Toward the righteous?", to which He replied, "No, even to the wicked." Moshe replied, "But the wicked should perish!" But YHWH said, "You'll need this someday." When YHWH wanted to punish them, Moshe reminded YHWH of this: "Didn't You tell me You were slow to anger?" (Sanhedrin 111a)

20. So YHWH said, "I have pardoned, as you have said.

21. "However, as I live, the whole world will be filled with the weightiness of YHWH,

22. "because all the people who are witnesses to My authority and the signs which I have exhibited in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the proof-test--this is ten times--and have not listened to My voice,

Ten righteous people is enough to prevent a city from being destroyed, so ten times is enough to seal the fact that this people's heart was unchanging. He had kept count, and they could not be left unpunished even if He did not rescind His covenant. But there were also ten spies. They all becamse vessels of dishonor so YHWH could pour all ten of these times into and destroy them.

24. "But My servant Kalev--since there has been a different spirit with him, and he is following Me to the fullest--him I will bring into the Land into which he has entered, and his descendants will inherit it

The one they call a dog is the one who will inherit the Land while they do not. He does not believbe the situation in front of him, but breathes the air of the Land to which he is going; the words of YHWH are his only reality. The account of the exciting fulfillment of this promise can be found in Y'hoshua 14:6-14.

Or, "Since the Amaleqite and Kanaanite are living in the valley, tomorrow [you must] turn…"-- i.e., off the intended path and into the period of wanderings which is their punishment. He takes them another way so they will not see war, since they are afraid of it. But notice that He had already put in place a way to kill them all off; he brought these two armies to lie in wait for them in case they would respond as they did.

27. "How long [is there] for this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints which the descendants of Israel are lodging against Me.

He reiterates His displeasure, for He is still annoyed by His people's penchant for complaining.

29. "'"Your corpses will fall in this uncultivated land. As many of you as were mustered, up to the full count, from twenty years and up, who have grumbled against Me.

They had asked to die in the wilderness. (v. 2) We must be careful what we ask for. Twenty years and up: those YHWH considered accountable for their lack of faith. Though the children were not punished for their parents' sins, though, they would bear the consequences of having to wait until their parents died off. We, too, inherited the exile our ancestors got us into, though we were not the perpetrators as such, and like them, we are being called to renounce our ancestors' lack of faith. (Compare Yirmeyahu 16:19.) They had signed up to be in the army, yet are sh owing that they had only joined the army to get an education!

Yet these two could not go home until the rest had paid the price; no matter how "gung-ho" they were, they were part of this nation and had to carry all the dead weight of those of whom they were a part.

Refused: despised or rejected, loathed, or let flow right by you (forfeited). He took seriously their initial revulsion at His costly gift, which merely needed some cleaning up in order to show its full worth. He would save those they said would die, and let those who were trying to save their lives die. (Mat. 16:25) Fear is not natural in a child; we must teach them to fear the right things, and not fear the wrong ones. Our exile is for the purpose of learning to trust YHWH and fear nothing but Him.

33. "'"And your children will be shepherded through this wilderness for forty years and bear [the weight of] your harlotries until your corpses are [totally] spent in the wilderness--

Harlotries: strayings or defections from their Husband by virtue of fearing other things. Spent: wasted away, wholly used up, come to an end. Shepherded: under His watchful protection, for they were meant to be raised in the Land, and would be preserved until they arrived. Their children would also have 38 years to be trained to be pleasing to YHWH (v. 8), under the tutelage of Y'hoshua, who was stricter with them than Moshe. The exile would bring them to maturity, as it has been intended to do for us.

My alienation: from a root meaning "frustrating" or "hindering" (keeping them deliberately back from entering the Land). All He wants is the respect and commitment of a mate who will take Him into consideration in every decision. When she does not, it is "measure for measure"--but look! It takes a whole year to balance out a day of fear! It costs far too much to do things our own way.

The Epistle to the Hebrews details how we each face this crossroads daily and have to be careful not to repeat their error. But in our own time, when the Land is being offered to us again in a very real way it has not been offered since the return from the first exile, we must be especially alert to this danger.

Caused a bad report to go forth: or gave the Land a bad name. He promised not to destroy them all at once, but would destroy the whole rebellious generation gradually, and the perpetrators at once.

Though He forgave the congregation as a whole, part of His mercy on the rest of Israel was to stop the debilitating influence of these men from going any further--or affecting the next generation, whose faith had to be nurtured and preserved at all costs.

Even those who silently disagreed with the majority and favored Y'hoshua and Kalev had to die, because they did not speak up.

40. They even got up early in the morning and came up to the top of the mountain, saying, "Here we are! We will go [ahead] up to the place which YHWH told [us about], because we have gotten off track!"

Top of the mountain: or ridge. It appears that they were at the last ridge before the entrance to the Land and it lay openly before them. It is funny how "You will all die" will change someone's mind! But did they really become brave overnight? They thought it was just a matter of having made a mistake, and that all they needed to do was change their minds, with no consequences for having made such a horrible choice.

Though YHWH had spoken with a grave finality (v. 35), they still tried to get around it. They were willing to admit their sin (after the punishment was revealed), but did not accept the rebuke. They were sorry, but not repentant. They thought it was enough to try again. Or perhaps they though that if they left the wilderness, they couldn't die there after all. They are now acting on their own behalf. Perhaps due to seeing fresh evidence of YHWH's power in the plague, they have a burst of energy early in the morning before doubt has been able to settle in. Now they are optimistic: "We can do it!" But it was too late. They should have thought about this possibility before opening their mouths. They had missed their one open window. Now their cup was full (v. 22), and nothing could turn back the effects of their ill-chosen words.

It is too late. Waiting on YHWH is not the same as hesitation; the latter originates from fear and a mere day cost them the Kingdom.As at Yom Kippur, the gate closes within just one day. The decree has been laid down and there is no higher court to overturn it. He forgave them, but took repentance off the table. What a hand to be dealt! If we forgive those who will not repent, it means we do not actually love them. This one they cannot fix, and that is really something to be afraid of! Moshe writes hardly anything about them for the next 37 years, because there is nothing worth writing about; YHWH is not with them.

The spies' prophecy proved self-fulfilling, for without YHWH's presence, their enemies were indeed more powerful than they. Moving out of YHWH's time includes acting too early as well as too late--and they were doing both. They thus had no protection, just like the people of the Land in verse 9. There was no miraculous power to ride on. Now it was natural strength against natural strength, and the Israelites were no match for giants. They had minimized the weight of this one critical factor, and so do we every time we worry about what looks threatening.

Proceeded: went defiantly, asserting their own might. The cloud did not move ahead of them this time. The Torah did not accompany them, but like modern Christians, they believe they do not need it; this "new arrangement" is, contrary to YHWH's words, based on mere confession and forgiveness, and, after all, they had said they were sorry!

Hormah: between Arad and Be'ersheva in the southern desert several miles into the Land from the mountains that rim what constituted the southeastern border at that time. They had gone from Qadesh (13:26), which means nearly the same as Hormah--"set apart". The Arabic word "harem" (to be closed off or secluded) is from the same root as Hormah. But in Hebrew it denotes being set apart unto destruction. The difference is immense. Will we be set apart to YHWH, or set apart from Him? Today is a day of decision; the middle ground is disappearing quickly. Even if we do not agree with the evil report, if we keep silent, we will be on the side of the enemy. All of those over 20 died because they did not speak up.

CHAPTER 15

2. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, and tell them, 'When you come into the Land where you will settle, which I am giving to you,

When you come: Thus those who had disobeyed and received the sentence of not being able to enter the Land were no longer counted as Israel, though they still had the protection of the camp while they lived out their days. But the instructions He was now giving were not for them. They could not be carried out for 38 years, but during that interval the children had to be trained to become fit to inhabit His Land. We, the descendants of another generation who forsook Him and His Land, are also getting back to the business of preparation to enter the Land, and it is up to us to show Him that we are not like our rebellious ancestors. This was written over 3,000 years ago, but is still very much alive and is intended to instruct us as well. "Settle" here also means "sit down", and can even mean "settle down" in the sense of getting married, as in English. The document of engagement was given at Sinai, but this is about when we come to actually live with Him. YHWH was hoping for a short engagement period, but was now forced to accept a long one. In this vein, Yahshua says, "In my Father's household are many bridal chambers." (Yochanan 14:2) This Land is our bridal chamber. There have been times where our relationship with YHWH has been wonderful, and times where we "cheated" on Him, but as Hoshea showed, He wants us back now.

When: As surely as He expects us to come into the Land, He has expectations of His bride. He is writing our vows for us here! For the Hebrew word for fire offering can, without vowel points, also read "wife", for the purpose of all of these procedures is indeed to prepare a bride to ascend to YHWH. This is how He expects it to be accomplished, both through the offerings and what they point to. Our evil inclination must be killed off in order to do so, and indeed our daily choice is, as worded here, to ascend or be slaughtered, for no one else may have His wife. This is how He woos His bride; He told us from the start that He was jealous. He is not abusive, but just. The only place of safety is close to Him. He is what we might call overly inclined to mercy, but if we do not uphold our side, we will get what we are asking for. Christianity led us to believe there was part of the wedding covenant that we had to fulfill, but as in any marriage, the wife has responsibilities, and because we did not fulfill them, we were divided into many pieces like the offerings for the altar. (There may be some connection here to the story of the wayward concubine in Judges 19 and the tearing to pieces in Mat. 7:6ff.) An ascending offering is one that all goes up in smoke, but as we rise higher, this is also an offering to YHWH. An extraordinary vow is a form of thanks offering, in response to something awesome that YHWH has done. A freewill offering is one compelled by a volunteering heart, even if we do not yet know specifically why we are bringing it. The offerings are voluntary, yet He prescribes the "how".And the appointed seasons are times specifically set apart to Him so we can get to know our Husband better despite all the other demands on our time. The marriage must come even before the children, for if we do not tend the tree, the fruit will also be bad. All of these are ways of approaching that are a pleasing, relaxing smell to Him. We have to know what it means to be married to a "Jew", or we will certainly bring Him things He does not want. Here in the presence of the whole assembly, He told us how to please Him. Any man would want to receive these things from his wife, for who would have better advice on how to be a better spouse than our Creator? Sin and guilt offerings are not listed here, because they have nothing to do with what YHWH desires. These are the offerings having to do with intimacy with Him. And if we are paying attention to Him, we should not miss the target anyway. He does not want His wife to approach Him with complaints or even requests when He first comes home. He will naturally take care of our needs if our desire is toward Him, but these offerings are not about Him taking care of our problems, but about us loving Him. We need to "come before Him with thanksgiving" first, trusting Him to take care of the other things. How do we do this now, while we do not have a Temple to bring these slaughterings to? Any time we are generous to His people, we are being trained for this. A husband is even more satisfied with his wife when he knows she is properly caring for his children. Our exile is not chiefly for the sake of punishment but to allow us a safer place to learn and practice what He really wants so that we will not be hurt by doing it wrongly again, for the complainers have already been barred from the Land, while those who approach Him the right way receive an inheritance. The Sabbath is also where we learn to do this--that is, to be intimate with Him.

An offering, no matter what size, must be brought with bread, a picture of community. (1 Cor. 10:17) If your intimacy with YHWH is only for your own sake--even if we are capable of bringing a bull--it will not be accepted. It must be done for the sake of all Israel. Tenth [of an eyfah]: one omer, the quantity that symbolically represents one person. Hin: approximately one gallon, so this would be approximately one quart or one liter. No matter how expensive the offering, it is not acceptable without the tenth of the eyfah, which is used by the priests to make bread. Bread represents community, and when drawing near, we must come as one part of the congregation, not as a lone individual. Only in the whole can He again fellowship with Avraham, His friend. We must approach in His way to be accepted. Remember how even Queen Hadassah (Esther) could not approach the king on her own terms. Oil requires much labor to extract from olives, and we must build the tools to do so. As this oil goes on the read, so our labor must be for the sake of the community of Israel. If we fail to come into His presence, we are not bringing Him the bread He wants; we can look at this as a "snack for the wedding chamber".

Drink offering: often a libation to be poured out, but some of these offerings were eaten by the priests, and they needed the carbohydrates and the medicinal value of the wine to complement the protein of the meat. Wine is a picture of joy, and YHWH wants us to be cheerful givers. He does not accept what is given grudgingly, but we also do not have the choice not to bring it. He does not want our gift if we are going to complain about having to bring it. A positive attitude is absolutely required. Otherwise, all we are doing is murdering an animal. The government would not allow us to put our taxes in a savings account and pay them only after we have reaped some interest from them. How much less can we change the rules when approaching the Creator of the universe? (Compare Mal'akhi 1:8) But if we are in fact drawing near to YHWH, no matter what we leave behind, we have lost nothing.

Two tenths: thus a ram counts for twice what a lamb does. The more it costs us to draw near, the more of ourselves we still need to give as well, for the more we draw near, the more we are required to be part of the "bread" to be served up to Him.

The first mention of an offering being a soothing aroma to YHWH is in Gen. 8:15-22, after Noakh had obeyed YHWH and was thanking Him for His protection through the deluge. He certainly wanted YHWH to remain near him as he ventured out with the whole habitable earth before him.

9. "'then he shall bring near to [go with] son of the herd, three tenths mixed with half a hin of oil,

Son of the herd: a young bull. Three tenths: three times the value of a lamb.

We are to be like the fragrance of the Messiah to YHWH. (2 Cor. 2:15) In the Song of Songs, Shlomoh and his beloved speak of one another in terms of their fragrance eight times, for intimacy has it own scent that is relaxing in itself. There was a specific fragrance He wanted in His Temple, which is His innermost chamber--the bridal chamber indeed.

We must come in the prescribed way each time. Once is not enough. We cannot remain where we are and still get closer to YHWH. We cannot say, "I did it for the community last time; this time it will be for my own sake." Even Aharon could not bring himself to eat of the offering at a time when there would be no joy in it. (Lev. 10:16-20)

14. "'Also, if a sojourner staying among you, or whomever may be among you in [any of] your generations, prepares a fire offering as a soothing fragrance to YHWH, whatever you do, he shall do in the same way.

15. "'The assembly [has] one prescribed custom for [both] for you and for the sojourner staying among you [as] an eternal enactment throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the sojourner be, before YHWH.

No one gets to do it his own way if he wants to truly enter YHWH's presence. There are no second-class citizens, but they are also all held to the same standard of responsibility. No one is taxed extra to approach YHWH just because he is a foreigner, but neither is he given a special dispensation to leave out part of the offering because he is a guest in the Land. If you want to approach YHWH, you must do it as Israel does. We all entered somewhat as strangers, but we cannot come in and still do our own thing. Anyone is allowed to join in, but he must "sign on the dotted line" that he will abide by the rules; contracts are a part of Israel. Legal procedure: or ruling--i.e., a decision enacted by the community that goes beyond the generalities of Torah to uphold it and fit it to a specific situation. This too must be obeyed by the guest among us for the sake of solidarity and to avoid confusion and dissipation of focus.

Instruction: Hebrew "Torah"; there is not a different "law" for those who "hang around the edges as spectators". If you are in the camp of Israel, you will abide by these rules, or be punished as any Israelite would be. It may not seem fair, but it actually could not be more fair. In fact, at some point one is no longer a sojourner among Israel, but must decide to either be a part of Israel or not be a part. Paul told the Ephesians that they were no longer estranged [those among them who were descendants of Israel] or sojourners [those who were not of Israelite blood, but who joined the community]. Now they were part of Israel. Once one decides to make an offering to YHWH, as Cornelius did through his alms to the Jews, he is Israel because he is acting as Israel. This equality goes the other way as well, for those who join the community after others have done the hardest work are still rewarded if they work. (Mat. 20)

18. "Speak to the descendants of Israel and tell them, 'When you enter the Land to which I am bringing you,

When your enter: The particular form of the term here means "as soon as you arrive there" and eat of its bread; every other place it says "when you come", it refers to after we inherit the Land and settle in it. Here, it means, "before you take any of its bread for yourself, bring the priest his portion, for he is eating on behalf of YHWH and this is the only way we can actually give back to YHWH.

To make dough we need not just flour, but water, salt, and yeast at the very minimum; if you want it to be special, it requires even more ingredients, and who would want to bring YHWH something that is not special? This is in addition to having already left the corners of our field for the stranger and widow, offered the tithe and firstfruits of the grain. This is giving some to the priests again when the grain is in the state from which it can actually be made into bread. Since bread represents community and the Land is made up of the "dust" (descendants of Avraham), this is saying that as we partake of and benefit from the community life of Israel, we must also make our contribution by offering ourselves and our resources back to it as raw material for further community. We need to be ready to teach others how to give.

Dough: or "kneading-trough". First: can also mean "best". Lift off: or "set aside" as the firstfruits at the beginning of the harvest; linguistically related to the word for "contribution". Until the grain is on the threshing floor (where it is also winnowed and threshed, we have nothing to eat. The tithe of the threshing-floor is given before one takes the grain home, so it can never be considered our own. The same applies for the firstfruits of every part of ourselves that we offer to YHWH. Since we do not have the Temple intact at present, the only way we can bring things to YHWH is by bringing them to our local congregation, being faithful now in what is least so He will give us more when the time comes. We cannot say we are putting YHWH first if we do not put His people first. We owe our time, energy, talents, knowledge, finances, and submission to those who serve us for YHWH's sake, for Yaaqov already offered YHWH a tithe of all he had, which especially included his descendants.

Contribution: from the word for raising up, for it will do that to us if we give it with the proper attitude. It is eesntially a "required gift", but we must see it not as a tax but as something we lift from being merely earthly produce to being something for YHWH. It is no longer mundane, but elevated to a higher plane. It is required that everyone bring something, but whether we give a little or a lot depends on where our hearts are, just as with how large the corners are that one leaves on his field for the needy.

23. "'that is, all that YHWH has commanded you under the direction of Moshe, from the day when YHWH gave the command onward throughout your generations--

24. "'then, if it has been done inadvertently, away from the eyes of the community, then the whole congregation shall prepare one son of the herd as an ascending [offering] as a soothing aroma for YHWH, along with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the legal ordinance, as well as one kid of the goats as an offering for the guilt incurred.

The whole congregation...one [bull]: not one for each person, but one for the whole congregation. Away from the eyes: The whole nation is looking at the wrong thing. (See note on v. 39.) The church later made a similar error by shifting its focus from gathering the lost sheep of the House of Israel to reaching the lost in general, feeding the poor, etc. However worthy the motive, these are not our job description per se, and it is merely a natural inclination. We may be feeding those who will only survive to oppose Israel. Away from the eyes: i.e., if no one else noticed to warn him of what he was doing wrongly. An alternate reading is, "due to the eyes of the community"--that is, a wrong ruling is made that affects many, and the elders later realize it interfered with the keeping of another commandment in an unforeseen way. (Rashi)

This refers to the offering brought every year at Yom Kippur whether we need it or not--though there has probably never been a time we did not. It may have been brought more often if something was so serious it could not wait until Yom Kippur, but we have no record of whether this was done or permitted. Things must be done in season, even if the willingness to repent is present in one's heart the moment one recognizes his error.

This is a corporate mistake. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." If one part of the community is not right, it affects the whole. We have inherited errors from our ancestors, and we must confess this as well, but it cannot stop there. We must also repent, and the price must be paid for what was broken to be repaired.

Had one been thinking, one could have avoided this. But mistakes will sometimes occur. Still, this is no excuse; there is still a proce to pay, because missing the target is missing the target, no matter what the reason. Though he sinned alone in this case, every wrongdoing somehow affects the whole community, so he must still bring a tangible token of his repentance.

29. "'whether [he is] native-born among the descendants of Israel or a sojourner staying among them; you shall have one instruction for the one who acts in ignorance.

This is the rule for when one has done something he did not know was a sin, and later finds out it was. He is still responsible to make amends for it.

High hand: in intentional defiance, i.e., when he knows better, having been taught, and still does what is wrong. He is "shooting himself in the hand". Being a reproach: literally, "cutting into", so he will be "cut off". The same holds true in the Renewed Covenant. (Hebrews 10:26) Nothing has changed just because we who were in exile already were granted initial amnesty due to where we had to start out. Remember Hananyah and Sapphirah. (Acts 5) Being cut off from Israel can take several forms: it may mean being killed, as it did in their case, or being put outside the protection of the camp. The rabbinic writings say that in this case it meant one's children, if they survived, would not live as Israelites.

The earlier sins were "by accident"--not due to stubbornness, laziness, or even lack of training. They are simply things that a person with some level of maturity knows are wrong, but he slips up and does due to an old habit or ignorance of a particular factor. He simply misses the target. Rebellion means he does not even acknowledge that there is a target that he is required to hit. He knows better, but does ity anyway. If it is done on purpose, there is no remedy, no way to fix what one broke. (Compare Hebrews 10:26-29.) "Cut off": maybe in a permanent way, maybe only temporarily. It may mean one is executed, depending on how the court rules. Or it may mean that YHWH ensures that one's children die before he does, so that he has no posterity and thus his name does nfot continue.

They were not even in the Land yet, but the very first test YHWH gave in the wilderness before the Torah was given was also about the Sabbath. It is often the litmus test for who gets to remain in YHWH's congregation. Day: If it were at night, he might have the excuse that he was cold or could not find his way, but in the daytime, clearly no excuse held up. This might seem extreme since he never even got to the point of disobeying the command to not kindle a fire on the Sabbath (Ex. 35:3), but that had to be his intention. Even if he was not planning to light the fire until sunset, we are not promised tomorrow; his mind was on what came after the Sabbath rather than giving YHWH the day that is His due.

Jewish tradition says he was warned to stop but did not.

What he had been told was to do no ordinary work and not to start a fire. It was wise that they did not simply jump to a conclusion, but brought him to those whom YHWH had constituted as authorities for a ruling. They had to know how to read his intentions. Was he going to build a fire on the Sabbath, or was he only preparing for after the Sabbath? Yet the Sabbath is a set-apart time, and not the time to make preparations for what it outsid of it. They were not sure which way YHWH would want him cut off. However, YHWH confirmed their initial impression:

It looked like wrongdoing, even if it was not, so YHWH said to go ahead and kill him. He had stood at Sinai and had noble examples, so he was responsible for the truth he had heard. It had to be seen as acting with a high hand. Stones: from the word for "building materials ", which represent the components of the House YHWH is building (1 Kefa/Peter 2:5). Those who are building up His house had to destroy the one who was tearing it down through his disobedience. This was not just a matter of working on the Sabbath. In Psalm 1:3; 92:12; Yirmiyahu (Jer.) 17:8; Daniel 4; Matt. 3:10; 7:17, and many other scriptures, men are compared to trees. (Wood generally represents the usefulness yet corruptibility of men, especially in the Temple furniture.) And sticks are particularly used as a picture of the two kingdoms of Israel (Y'hezq'el/Ezek. 37:16-19), which Yahshua was sent to gather. (Yeshayahu 49:6; 56:8; Mat. 15:24). So gathering sticks is the right thing to do--in the right season. But the Sabbath is a picture of the seventh millennium, when the Messiah will establish his Kingdom. Going out to gather men into the Kingdom after it has already begun might seem easier, but we have had six "days" to do that; everyone's position in the Kingdom will be sealed before it begins. (Rev. 22:11) Not until we become the people of Israel will the King be sent, this time. Once it begins, it is too late; the opening to be rulers rather than subjects will not be offered again. The Torah will go forth as an edict; the nations will have no choice but to obey His rod of iron: they must come up to Yerushalayim or not receive rain (Zecharyah 14). The day of willing obedience is now, while it is still a true test of our loyalty. Only the Counterfeit Messiah--and, at its end, haSatan (Rev. 20:8)--will be gathering men "in that day". So this man was a picture of them, not of Yahshua, the King of that age.

No one knew which stone killed him. Everyone participated, especially the wrongdoer's family, so no one could come back later and say, "You all killed my brother!" At least a representative from each household had to throw a stone. Whether they liked it or not, the whole community had to be part of the punishment, for we are all responsible for each other's obedience to Torah. This must have been very traumatic, especially for the children who watched. But it worked, for it is extremely rare to read of this occurring again anywhere in Scripture. The thought of it or the memory of having seen it once was a deterrent for the rest. The stones were not boulders or huge rocks, but stones of a size that would be used to build a house. Pelted: after throwing him off a cliff to stun hi m and possibly knock him unconscious, the community piled the stones up over him to make of these building materials a But as if this huge "witness heap" that looked like a ruined house was not enough, YHWH institutes another form of reminder while the memory of having to kill someone for apparently forgetting the commandments was fresh in mind:

Make for themselves: or use. Braided tassels: or "fringes". The Hebrew word is tzitzith. (See note on v. 39.) Extremities: or "corners"; literally "wings", because the garment spoken of here is a square outer garment that fits over the other clothing so that the tassels hang conspicuously below the outer garment. Twisted thread: tied in with the others, which are white. Sky blue: to remind one of heaven, and by association, YHWH's throne, and identify one as someone belonging to Him. Yet this very command was set aside. Though it only tells what color the thread must be, the Rabbinic rulers decided that if the ancient source of the dye was not know, it was better to wear only white tzitziyoth. Now, though two sources have been found, the excuse is that they are not sure which one is correct--but any blue is closer than white, which does not catch attention as well.

Reminder: the same word as "braided tassel" in v. 38, but is the doubled form of the word tzitz, which means "to shine brightly, gleam, or stand out like a blossom ", hence to be an eye-catching ornament that would remind him of who he was every time he looked down, and especially in times of temptation. We cannot be reminded of what we never learned; we need to hide His Word in our heart to give the Holy Spirit raw materials to bring it back to mind. Explore: the same word used in 13:2 for exploring the Land, and it carries the connotation of being drawn in by what one sees--which was what YHWH intended by showing them how good the Land was, despite its dangers and difficulties. Explore after: with the sense of following what one sees or feels. (Compare 13:25. The Midrash Tanchuma 15 says the eyes are the scouts or spies for the body. The eye sees, the heart covets, and the body commits the transgression.) Here, linked with one's own heart or eyes, it connotes learning or finding out how to do something, and our heart is not the correct source for that (since it is deceitful, Yirmiyahu 17:9) nor are our eyes, which can find new objects of lust (Mat. 5:28); YHWH's commandments are. Your eyes will lie to you; what seems obvious may not actually be in line with Torah. Compromise merely puts off the inevitable; Torah must win. Following one's own heart is why Christianity is in the lawless state it is in today. Go astray: the word usually has the connotation of committing harlotry, i.e., cheating on YHWH. They were "hooked" by the wrong thing. Our own ambitions do not count unless it is for the sake of the Kingdom; the "way that seems right to a man" ends in death. (Prov. 14:12; 16:25) Rather than allowing us to look for evidence that it is okay to continue to look at things the way we see them, YHWH tells us how we are to feel; if your emotions dictate your actions, you are in trouble. The only way to learn how YHWH sees things differently is through intimacy with the Torah. He HAS been around forever! He made us, so He knows how we work best, and this is the owner's manual.

He is still speaking to His bride. Here He is saying, "Do these things and you will experience My wedding chamber." And once you experience that, nothing else will matter.

He repeats the last phrase because it is by obeying His Torah that we come to know who He is--and to emphasize that He is our Elohim, and we are not!