Discover how a “boring” census in the opening chapters of Numbers, a mysterious river in Ezekiel 47, and the parables by Yeshua (Jesus) in Luke 15 all tell one unified story: God counts every name, pursues every lost one, and turns spiritual deserts into places of living water. This study weaves together Torah, Prophets and Gospel to confront lone‑wolf faith, expose our ideas of holiness and reveal why Heaven refuses to accept “acceptable losses” in the family of God.
Why would the Tabernacle be covered with the skin of an unclean animal? Why would God call Himself by the name of a pagan god? Here are answers to such questions from the Torah reading בְּמִדְבַּר Bemidbar (“in the wilderness,” Num. 1:1–4:20).
Genealogy is a very popular hobby in our time. Many want to learn their origins. Some use insights history to understand where they are going. A springboard for such insights is the seemingly dull genealogical census in Torah reading בְּמִדְבַּר Bemidbar (“in the wilderness,” Num. 1:1–4:20).
The stories of our ancestors — whether recent such as those who served in World War 2 or ancient Spiritual ancestors in the Bible — can teach us to stand for what is right, even if we have to stand alone, instead of staying silent when the world is careening into evil.
One of the last warnings Heaven has for Earth is that it has serious commitment and infidelity issues. The people don’t know the Maker because of cultural drift over decades or eons, or the people have had a relationship with the God revealed through Israel but want something else.
As the annual Feast of Weeks (Shavuot, aka Pentecost) approaches quickly (May 17 this year), we are focusing in this study on the opening chapters of the Bible book of Hosea. One of the themes of Shavuot is the “marriage” of Israel and Heaven at Sinai with the giving of the Ten Words (aka Ten Commandments, Exodus 19-20) and the joining of the nations to the Holy One (Acts 2). And Hosea begins with an extended living parable for Israel through the prophets dysfunctional family.
https://hallel.info/wp-content/uploads/190608-Parashat-Bamidbar-Numbers-1v1-4v20.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:18:25 — 31.4MB)Subscribe: RSSWhat are we going to eat? What are we going to wear? What’s going to protect us from the elements? Where do we belong? These four important questions are behind the census of ancient Israel described in Torah reading בְּמִדְבַּר Bamidbar (“in the wilderness,” […]
The lesson of the Torah reading בְּמִדְבַּר Bamidbar (“in the wilderness,” Num. 1:1–4:20) is the family of God started with Abraham, then his son Yitskhak (Isaac), his grandson Ya’akob (Jacob) and Jacob’s 12 sons. From that small family, the knowledge of God has spread all over the world.
It is the job of the Messiah — Yeshua (Jesus) — to find and gather all those who want to be adopted as God’s sons and daughters until He returns again. There will be no Gentiles in the Kingdom of God. All those who come in become part of Israel.
Numbers 1 told us the names of the leaders of the tribes of Israel and the numbers of their fighting men. Numbers 2 places them in rank and shows us how they were strategically camped around the Tabernacle and in what order they are to move in case of danger or battle. The names of these men not only shows us how the Messiah fights His own battle but how God’s army is going to fight His battle.