Parashah 106 (Part of Beha'alotekha)

Overview

I’m going to give a brief overview of the readings for today. There’s no way I can cover everything in just a few minutes, but I hope to hit some of the highlights, point out a few things that would interest you for further study, and impart at least a little knowledge of the Word.

This section begins with Numbers 9:22-23, which ends the chapter with noting how the people of Israel would stay encamped as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. And when the cloud lifted, they would follow.

This is followed by all of chapter 10, which we can summarize as follows:

The two silver trumpets

Leaving the wilderness of Sinai on 20d-2m-2y. Note: the “first time they set out” (vs. 13). The Tabernacle was erected a month prior.

Divisions of the tribes, which clan of Levites carried which of the Tabernacle furnishings, etc.

Moses attempts to convince his brother-in-law (Reuel, the Midianite’s son) Hobab, to go to the land of Canaan with the Israelites. He invited him to join the covenant people (evangelizing). It doesn’t say here if they actually went or not.

The chapter ends with the verses that are traditionally said during the Synagogue Torah service, when the aron kodesh, the “holy ark” is open and the Torah is lifted up. These words are:

Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version Chapter 10

Whenever the Ark would set out, Moses would say:

“Arise, ADONAI! May Your enemies

be scattered!

May those who hate You flee

from before You!”

36Then whenever it came to rest, he would say:

“Return, ADONAI, to the myriad

thousands of Israel!”

Haftarah: Isaiah 27:7-13 (end of the chapter)

Judgment pronounced on Leviathan

Foretelling of the redemption of Jacob

Regathering of the exiles

B’rit Chadasha: Revelation 8:1-6

Opening of the 7th seal

Seven trumpets blown by seven angels

Vs. 5: 5Then the angel took the incense burner and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there were clashes of thunder and rumblings and flashes of lightning and earthquakes.

Commentary on Torah

A brief couple comments. On the note of the silver trumpets, we find that it was commanded to blow them, and also states that it was for the kohanim, the Priests, the sons of Aaron:

Summoning the community

Telling the camp when to set out (and in what order)

Summoning only the heads of the tribes

When in the Land, sound short blasts when going to war, and God will remember and deliver from enemies

At the days of rejoicing, feasting, and new moons, blow the trumpets over the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a reminder before YHWH

The preceding verses inform us how and when the people would set out. God would move (as in, the cloud over the Tabernacle), and the people would follow. But it wasn’t just that. The cloud would move (so they would see it), and the trumpets would be sounded (so they would hear it). It’s interesting to note that seeing and hearing are the same two senses that are dulled, allegorically speaking, when people are unable to hear YHWH. Jeremiah 5:21:

The New Revised Standard Version The Utter Corruption of God’s People

Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,

who have eyes, but do not see,

who have ears, but do not hear.

Isaiah 6:9

The New Revised Standard Version A Vision of God in the Temple

And he said, “Go and say to this people:

‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend;

keep looking, but do not understand.’

10 Make the mind of this people dull,

and stop their ears,

and shut their eyes,

so that they may not look with their eyes,

and listen with their ears,

and comprehend with their minds,

and turn and be healed.”

Yeshua said in Matthew 13:13:

Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version Chapter 13

13For this reason I speak to them in parables,

because seeing they do not

see,

and hearing they do not hear nor do they

understand.

He then goes on to quote Isaiah. Isaiah which, multiple times throughout the book, refers to the blind and deaf; to those unable to see or hear.

These two senses are used, Biblically, to define following the God of Israel.

I believe the Torah gives us the answer here. Remember that Israel has been in the wilderness here since receiving the Torah. And when YHWH first started to give them the Torah, we find in Exodus 20 that all the people “saw the smoke” and “heard the sound of the shofar.”

Seeing and hearing. So perhaps keep that in mind when you see / hear the phrase “eyes to see” or “ears to hear.”

When God spoke the Ten Words (or ten commandments), it was their first real encounter with the Almighty. Moses had previously spoken and interacted with God. But the people had not, only via the plagues and the word of Moses. Now things were stepping up a notch. This was how the people themselves encountered God, albeit form a distance.

You’ll notice the tie-in for today’s reading in Revelation being the blowing of the trumpets, followed by lightning and thunder.

Our portion from the prophets in Isaiah 27 describes the regathering of Israel. God will bring the people back. Isaiah 27 is generally considered part of a larger section beginning in Isaiah 13 and ending here in 27. The preceeding chapters contain:

Prophecy of the end of Babylon

Taunt of the king of Babylon

Restoration of Israel

The infamous “Lucifer, son of the morning” passage

Prophecy against Philistia

Prophecy against Moab

Prophecy against Damascus (Assyria)

Ethiopia will bring tribute

Judgment on the idols of Egypt (though Egypt will know YHWH), with an altar to YHWH in the middle of Egypt

Chapter 20 (it’s kinda weird; just read it)

Again, judgment against Babylon

Prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem

Shaking Tyre and Sidon

Prophecy of the empty city

Prophecy of Judgment “in that day”

Prophecy of deliverance “in that day”

The tie-in, I believe, with the Torah portion is related to the regathering of the people of God, and in verse 13 it says a great trumpet (shofar, technically) will be blown. I would also note the parallel to Matthew 24:30-31:

Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version Chapter 24

30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the land will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. 31He will send out His angels with a great shofar, and they will gather together His chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Just as God introduced Himself to His people with the sound of the trumpet, so He will when He regathers them. The sound of the trumpet will be to call His people to assemble. And that’s what we look forward to in the future with His return.

When discussing the resurrection and the coming Kingdom of God, Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:

The New Revised Standard Version The Resurrection Body

51 Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed