Haftarah Conclusion – Yirmayahu (‘Jeremiah’) 2:2-28, 3:4, 4:1-2.
No citations in the RCS
Torah – Haftarah Connection
As we point out in our teaching; the primary mission function purpose of a prophet is not prophecy about the future. Rather, when Israel turned from the LORD or from His Torah – or if leadership took advantage of the disadvantaged, not treating them as the Torah says – then the LORD raises up a ‘channel’ through whom He speaks!
A prophet is raised up to turn the People back to the LORD. This is why in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul hopes God would raise up prophets among the Corinthians. Not to predict the future for them but rather, if the Corinthians got off the Way and in their worship acted as they did when they belonged to pagan cults and religions, a prophet would be raised up to call this out and implore the people to turn back to a godly way.
The reading from Yirmayahu (‘Jeremiah’) speaks of the time when Israel turned from the LORD who saved them from serving Egypt, and gave them His Torah and the Land of Israel, a land of physical sustenance. That Land would be maintained by embracing and doing what the Torah proscribed in all areas of life.
Instead, Israel decided to pursue other gods; this caused Israel’s God to deeply mourn and cry out about it. The Torah reading of course summarizes Israel’s Journeys with the LORD through the wilderness. Israel is repeatedly warned – do not turn to other gods (in Hebrew literally ‘after gods’) – and do not turn to the Nations, because they will lead you to other gods, and to the corrupt and morally bankrupt ways of those peoples!
Keys To The Reading
As we emphasized in our audio teaching Getting More from The Book of Numbers, the Book is really about the Israelites’ experiences with the LORD in the wilderness, how He sustained them, and, their Journeys with Him.
Israel’s route from ‘Constraint’ (the Hebrew meaning of Egypt) to the Yarden ‘Jordan’ River.
There is a dual dynamic to the Israelites’ Journeys in the wilderness. These journeys were not just their physical travel through the wilderness; they were also very much about their spiritual journey as they head towards what will become the Land of Israel.
We are all on a spiritual journey together with the LORD and with His Son Yeshua. In some cases this journey may involve physical travel as a result of the spiritual journey. In other cases there may be no physical travel component to it.
‘Fulfilling of which leads to fullness of life’, as we repeatedly repeat in our teaching, is part of a deeper meaning of the Hebrew word translated ‘commandment’, as the Israelites prepare to enter the land of K’naan ‘Canaan’ (‘Low’?), that will become the Land of Israel.
The Israelites are given the boundaries of the Land.
Cities are assigned to the Levi’im ‘Levites’ (from the verb ‘to fasten, to attach’). Note – given the role that the Levi’im were assigned by the LORD, they did not receive an allotment of land, as did the other tribes.
Cities of Refuge – cities where someone who had accidentally killed someone could flee to to be safe from what is called in Hebrew kinsman redeemer (of) blood. That is, a blood relative of someone killed who sought the person who killed their relative. It should be noted; these were not cities for murderers to escape to!
Rather, these were cities where someone who would killed someone accidentally could flee and be safe from the kinsman redeemer of blood, not indefinitely, but rather until the one accidentally killed someone could be brought before the congregation.
We cannot stress strongly enough just how extremely emotional the Middle East is! It was so in the days of the Bible and it still is very much today!
We should note that it is reiterated again from Exodus that someone cannot be condemned to the death penalty on the basis of one witness. Rather, there had to be at least two witnesses.
Muslims in the Middle East today still practice what are known as honor killings. We once had a Bedouin Muslim in the Judean Wilderness in Israel tell us very matter of fact while also very much practicing traditional hospitality to visitors, that if we insulted him he merely killed us. If we insulted his wife or his mother he would kill us and four of our family members.
Former Queen Noor of Jordan had as a major part of her platform trying to stop the practice of honor killings. Jordan incidentally is 70% Palestinian.
It must be remembered, going back to Exodus 21, that the LORD gives specific and detailed instructions regarding civil laws, in the context of providing not legalistic laws; but rather a model framework of how the Israelites society was to practically function.
Laws pertaining to female heirs are reiterated.
Chapter 33
The entire wilderness route of the Israelites is reported.
The rabbis astutely point out that there were extended periods of rest for the Israelites. The Torah shows that the Israelites encamped along the way 42 times in 40 years. The Israelites were not continuously on the move. In fact, eight of the 42 Journeys were in the last year, the 40th year.
The rabbis also astutely point out that between the time of the spies and Aharon’s death, there were only 20 Journeys in the last 38 years of the 40 years of Journeys.
This shows the LORD’S compassion for the Israelites, because they had extended times of rest.
This is another way Christians learn from the Torah – if looked at closely – that what they learn of the LORD’S graciousness and compassion in the RCS (Renewed Covenant Scriptures; please see our Glossary on the Home page above the weekly Torah teaching for more, if you haven’t already), is first found in the Torah!
The Israelites very much have it stressed to them at the end of the chapter – they absolutely must drive out the inhabitants of the land! This is not only because of these people’s idol worship, but also their totally morally bankrupt society and conduct.
The Israelites are very directly warned and in classic Hebrew fashion a physical metaphor is used to illuminate a great spiritual truth. The Israelites are told that the inhabitants of the land will be like pins in their eyes and thorns in their sides if they don’t eliminate them!
Chapter 34
The boundaries of the Land of Israel are delineated.
The LORD tells Moshe the names of the men in leadership who will take possession of the land.
The tribes of Reuven, Gad, and half of Manasseh received their heritage of land on the east side of the Yarden, Jordan River, as they requested.
Chapter 35
Cities for the Levi’im (Levites) are assigned and as the Torah consistently does, things are laid out in detail.
Cities of Refuge (see above) are explained.
The specific circumstances as to whether a killing is accidental or not and that a murderer is not to be condemned to death on the testimony of a single witness but that there must be witnesses is reiterated. This is called a Hebrew a statute of justice.
As we pointed out in our audio teaching on statutes cf the reading of Chukas Numbers 19, statutes provide parameters around which certain physical activity can take place. This avoids the extremes of complete abstinence or complete Indulgence.
In this instance in Numbers 35, the LORD provides a parameter within which justice takes place; this avoids people taking matters into their own hands. You can have a godly functioning society if it submits to and operates within the parameters set by the LORD.
Chapter 36
The question of tribal intermarriage, specifically by the tribe of Manasseh, comes up. This is out of concern that a heritage that is now allowed to go to the daughter if there are no sons will cause a loss of the tribe’s land if a daughter marries outside the tribe. Moshe tells them that the Word of the LORD is that the daughters may marry whom they like, but it must be a member of their tribe.
This will prevent a problem of their being an imbalance of the land that each tribe has, through tribal intermarriage.
The Book of Bamidbar ends referring to the Yarden River by Yericho (Jericho). Yericho is about a mile or so northwest of the northwest corner of what’s called in Hebrew the Salt Sea, known to the world as the Dead Sea. The Yarden is nearby and flows into the northern end of the Salt Sea.
Yeshua passed through Yericho on his way to Jerusalem and healed a fellow Jew who was blind. If you are in Yericho and face west a bit off in the distance you will see some rugged hills. This is thought to be the wilderness area where Yeshua underwent his Temptations. Yericho is about 18 miles east of Jerusalem.
Jewish pilgrims from the Galil (‘Galilee’) to Jerusalem typically went south from the very southern end of the Kinneret the Hebrew name of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea is named after the kinnor, the small harp King David carried and composed his Shine Forth Songs of Praise, the Hebrew name of the Psalms. (Psalms is from the Greek ‘Psalmois’, ‘Songs’). The Sea of Galilee is shaped like David’s harp, hence the Hebrew name.
To go directly south from Natzeret (‘Nazareth; today is also in the hands of the Palestinians) to Yerushalyim was far too physically difficult, as a mountainous range runs from the Galil through to Yerushalyim. (Natzeret is about 5 miles west of the city of Tiberias, which is on the western shore of the Kinneret, halfway between the southern and northern ends of the Sea).
Travelers from the Galil to Jerusalem would typically go from the southern end of the Kinneret and head south through the flat Jordan River Valley. At Yericho they would turn west and then head up an 18-mile steep ascent to Jerusalem.
It was a longer journey but far far easier physically to traverse.
Today, Yericho is in the hands of the Palestinians.
The last word in the Torah, at the end of Devarim (‘Words’), known to the world from its Greek name Deuteronomy (Second Law; which is not what Devarim is about) is, ‘Israel’.
Mussar – Ethics Morals Discipline Commitment
My ancestors (meaning the Jewish People) were not free from Egypt in order to then go and do their own thing their own way!
Being the People of God did not mean Israel primarily focusing on a 10-point set of doctrinal positions; but, lacking godly character, integrity and conduct – especially as it pertains to others! Moshe did not give the Israelites a set of theological abstractions or doctrinal positions. He gave them what they needed to be and do as the Specially Chosen People who accepted and embraced the Torah – and all that that actually means, at Mount Sinai.
As we repeatedly repeated in our teaching; there are several hundred uses of the Greek ginomai ‘be/become’ and poio ‘make/do’. 60+% are in the Good News. Yeshua emphasizes what we are to ‘be/become’ and what we are to do!
Yeshua gave instructions on how to deal with someone who sins against you. The idea of next having two or three witnesses about the situation is of course drawn directly from the Torah. At that point if they still don’t listen one is to tell the assembly. Unfortunately I’ve seen too many instances where someone legitimately questioning where leadership was taking the congregation or had questions about the assemblies finances, being falsely accused. I’ve also seen where people were coerced into witnessing against someone in this regard
How to deal with things within an assembly is first found and rooted in the Torah. Yeshua’s coming does bring an end to acting with justice towards others!
Chizik – Strengthening & Encouragement
The Body of Mashiach should be strengthened and encouraged by learning of the Journeys of Israel in the wilderness with the LORD. We should be encouraged to see just how close the LORD was with Israel. That He sustained them over there 40 years of Journeys. Also; as we pointed out above the Israelites were not constantly On the move physically, so that they didn’t get worn out.
However they were constantly on the move and needed to be so spiritually. Whether our spiritual journey is easy or difficult we should be strengthened and encouraged to know that the LORD is there with us on our journey. It is also not just our own personal journey but very much the journey of the Body of Mashiach. However it is really not our journey; but rather it is following Him, doing what He instructs and the journey – and the ultimate goodness – that results from that!