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“’Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:19–20 NASB)
Go where the Creator sends us. That’s a lesson from the Torah reading שְׁלַח Shelakh (“send,” Numbers 13–15). Our faith forefathers in Yisrael had to learn trust after the LORD freed them from Mitsraim (Egypt) then told them to conquer seemingly unvanquishable foes in the Promised Land.
And that’s the kind of faith Yeshua the Mashiakh’s sent ones (apostles or shelakhim) had to learn during His earthly ministry and after He returned to Heaven.
Moshe (Moses) picks 12 spies (Numbers 13:4–15) from each tribe of Israel to go into the land and report back to him about the land and its people:
- From Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur
- From Shimon (Simeon), Shaphat son of Hori
- From Yehudah (Judah), Keleb (Caleb) son of Yephunneh
- From Issachar, Igal son of Yosef (Joseph)
- From Ephraim, Hosea (Joshua) son of Nun
- From Ben-Yamin (Benjamin), Palti son of Raphu
- From Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Saudi
- From Dan, Ammiel son of Gamalli
- From Asher, Setur son of Michael
- From Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi
- From Gad, Geuel son of Machi
Moshe wasn’t the only one who sent out “spies” into to Land. Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) also chose 12 apostles (and later 70 disciples) to prepare the people of Israel for the revelation of the Messiah.
Yeshua picks the Twelve (Matthew 10:2), who were witnesses of His words, deeds, death and resurrection:
- Shimeon (Simon), who is called Peter
- Andrew his brother
- Ya’acob (James) the son of Zebedee
- John his brother
- Philip
- Bartholomew
- Thomas
- Matthew the tax collector
- James the son of Alphaeus
- Thaddaeus
- Simon the Zealot
- Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him
The LORD rewarded the faith of Keleb and Yehoshua (Joshua) by promising to let them enter the Land and giving Hebron to Keleb (Deut. 1:36).
The Anakim and cities that frightened the other 10 spies were among the first to fall to Yehoshua and Keleb (Josh. 11:21–22; 14:13–15).
Similarly, Yeshua sent His 12 new leaders of Yisrael to spy out the strongholds of the Adversary among Israel, first in teams of two then to work alongside the Master (Matthew 10:1–11:1; Luke 10:1–24). Note that Yeshua expanded the shelakhim to include 70 more (Luke 10:1).
Yeshua gave the Twelve instructions for their mission (Mark 6:7–13; Matthew 10:1, 5–42):
- Dominate the strongholds (unclean spirits).
- Demonstrate the power of Heaven is behind you and the goal of the mission (anoint the sick to heal them).
- “Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)
- Depend on the provision of Heaven and the work of the Spirit on the hearts of the hearers.
- Don’t take extra provisions.
- Don’t fear persecution.
- Judge the unrepentant (“shake the dust off your feet” Mark 6:11; “better for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment” Matthew 10:14–15, 40–42).
- Communicate Yeshua’s teachings.
- “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). It’s in the “here and now” and “not yet” at the same time.
It is perfect timing that year’s reading of Shelach coincides with the annual commemoration of the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. We can look at the maps of all the cities the D-Day planners wanted to conquer. You have probably seen documentaries on why the D-Day invasion occurred between Portsmouth and Normandy, rather than from Dover to Calais, which would have been the shorter distance.
The D-Day invasion worked on the classic military truism of “divide and conquer.” Trumpets and marching in formation are not considered great military strategy, but at Yericho (Jericho) God went before them and put a great fear of Israel into the people. Rahab testified of that to the two spies sent to that city 40 years after the first scouting.
In 1944, the bunkers the Nazis set up along the Normandy coastline were basically fortified cities. The reason that the Allies were successful at D-Day is in part due to the arrogance of the Nazis. They had faith in their own strength.
General Eisenhower spoke to the troops face to face and he knew that many of them weren’t going to make it and the soldiers themselves knew they might not come back, yet they followed through with the plans the leaders made.
When the men hit the beaches of Normandy they h ad to follow their lieutenants but many of those leaders were killed off first and the men were left without leaders and had to follow through on their own. They had to find new leadership very quickly.
When Moses and Yeshua picked the 12, they knew they were choosing people to carry on the mission after they were gone. Those who were chosen had to think very deeply about their role and their responsibility.
The Israelites had to decide whether to listen to the 10 spies who told them the cause was hopeless or to the two faithful spies who were full of confidence in the Lord.
The promised land was occupied by big, tall, formidable people, just as the beaches of Normandy were occupied by healthy, tall and powerful Germans but the Israelites and the Allies had God on their side. Because of the work of the first wave of invaders at Normandy and their successes, the larger wave who came up behind were able to continue the mission.
The lesson here in Torah, the Writings, the Prophets and the New Testament were real life. Human nature has not changed, which is why history repeats itself.
Israel is the people and the One who leads and instructs them. God sends them teachers and prophets and His Son, The Messuah Yeshua to lead them.
Summary: Tammy