Torah Portion Numbers 1:1-4:49
Halph Torah Portion Hosea 2:14-23
Brit Hadisha Revelation 7:1-17
Opening this Torah Portion YHVH calls the leaders of Israel to stand with Moses by name. In Numbers 1:5 – 17, YHVH summoned 12 men from the tribes of Israel, these were not everyday men they were the leaders of thousands. These same men YHVH appointed as Generals of the armies of Israel. They had shown that they were capable men.
This was an exciting time, yet it was very sorrowful. YHVH was separating from the children of Israel the warriors and then He placed the assignments of the Tabernacle between the sons of Levi. This should have served as a very strong message to them, but from what is written they showed little to no remorse for what they had done.
It revealed their hard heart and lack of concern for what YHVH was doing. There were tears no mourning as to what was going on. Their only concern was that YHVH called out their Generals and leaders by name.
What happened then is still going on today, how so? It is the willful stubbornness attitude that is in their heart. Oh, they say that they are serving YHVH and yet, their actions prove otherwise. What does it profit a man when he sells his soul? What will he gain when he refuses to hear the voice of the King?
Eze 9:2-11 MKJV
(2) And behold, six men came from the way of the Upper Gate which faces north, and each had his shattering weapon in his hand. And one man among them was clothed with linen, and a writer’s inkhorn by his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
(3) And the glory of the God of Israel had gone on from the cherub, where it was on it, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed in linen, with the writer’s inkhorn by his side.
(4) And Jehovah said to him, Go through in the midst of the city, in the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and are mourning because of all the abominations that are done in her midst.
(5) And He said to those in my hearing, Go over in the city after him, and strike. Let not your eye spare, nor have pity.
(6) Fully destroy old men, young men and virgins, and little children and women. But do not come near any man on whom is the mark. And begin at My sanctuary. And they began at the old men who were before the house.
(7) And He said to them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out! And they went out and killed in the city.
(8) And it happened as they were slaying them, and I remained, then I fell on my face and cried, and said, Ah Lord Jehovah! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel in Your pouring out of Your fury on Jerusalem?
(9) And He said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is great, and the land is full of blood, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, Jehovah has forsaken the land; and, Jehovah does not see.
(10) And even I, My eye shall not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will put their way on their head.
(11) And behold, the man clothed with linen, with the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as You have commanded me.
Even as much destruction as Ezekiel saw in the vision God gave him. In the mist, he cried out and asked will YHVH destroy the whole house? The answer is no there are those who listen and do what YHVH said for us to do.
What the children of Israel need to do is fall on our faces with broken hearts and weep before Him. Can’t you hear the passionate call of the King, the Messiah, as He calls out day by day? His arms are open to you so that you will run to Him in repentance as the Prodigal son goes home the way he left and runs to the Father and before one word came from his mouth the Father forgave him.
Luk 15:11-32 MKJV
(11) And He said, A certain man had two sons.
(12) And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that is coming to me. And he divided his living to them.
(13) And not many days afterward, the younger son gathered all together and went away into a far country. And there he wasted his property, living dissolutely.
(14) And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land. And he began to be in want.
(15) And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
(16) And he was longing to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, and no one gave to him.
(17) And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father abound in loaves, and I perish with hunger!
(18) I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you
(19) and am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.
(20) And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
(21) And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you, and am no more worthy to be called your son.
(22) But the father said to his servants, Bring the best robe and put it on him. And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
(23) And bring the fattened calf here and kill it. And let us eat and be merry,
(24) for this my son was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.
(25) And his elder son was in the field. And as he came and drew near the house, he heard music and dancing.
(26) And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
(27) And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him safe and sound.
(28) And he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and entreated him.
(29) And answering he said to his father, Lo, these many years I have served you, neither did I transgress your commandment at any time. And yet you never gave me a kid so that I might make merry with my friends.
(30) But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you have killed for him the fattened calf.
(31) And he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
(32) It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
The key here is that we were dead and lost in our sin against Him. If we are willing to repent for what we have done. That is with a broken and humble spirit. He is more than willing that we should return that before we are finished repenting, He showers us with His love and compassion.
This is what He wanted the children to do, but we are stubborn and stiff-necked people who have an unyielding spirit that does not want to listen to what He has to say. We are so busy with the noise and images of this world that we can not even begin to understand or hear His voice. The voice that says come home to me.
Jer 31:18-26 MKJV
(18) I have surely heard Ephraim mourning to himself, saying, You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bull not broken in; turn me, and I shall be turned. For You are Jehovah my God.
(19) Surely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was taught, I struck on my thigh. I was ashamed, yea, I even blushed, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.
(20) Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? For as often as I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still. Therefore My heart is troubled for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says Jehovah.
(21) Set up waymarks, make sign posts for yourself. Set your heart toward the highway, the way you went. Turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these your cities.
(22) How long will you turn to and fro, O faithless daughter? For Jehovah has created a new thing in the land; a woman shall enclose a man.
(23) So says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, Again they shall speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I shall again bring their captivity: Jehovah bless you, O home of justice and mountain of holiness.
(24) And farmers, and those going forth with flocks, shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities of it together.
(25) For I satisfy the weary soul, and I fill every sorrowful soul.
(26) On this I awoke and looked up; and my sleep was sweet to me.
Where is the repentance today? Where is there forgiveness towards our fellow man? We turn a blind eye to the needy and the lost. We ignore the voice of the King and we neglect the widow, orphan, and the poor. Showing no mercy on those who ask for forgiveness. We are a hollow man a shell of what was. If we are unforgiving towards the people, we can see, who is a reflection of God then what does that say about how we treat God whom we cannot see?
Back to the Torah Portion, if the children of Israel would have fallen on their faces and sought YHVH it may have been a different result. They have seen the actions of God as an official rebuke that the firstborn of all of Israel was to be a priest. This should have been a day of mourning and repentance rather it was just another day for them. They were unconcerned that the Levites were the ones given the honor of transporting the Holy things of YHVH.
How much more so as we are able to handle the living breathing Torah of GOD who came in the person Yeshua. In this whole study let us consider the price that was paid in order for us to enter the Kingdom Of YHVH. We are faced with the same question as they had will you love me with your whole heart, soul and our entire being? They were unaware of what they traded that is to be a kingdom of priest, a chosen people, when they sinned at the golden calf
