Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
If you’re reading this Torah portion you’re probably looking forward to the vastly interesting story of the 12 spies (and how they could fail so badly!).
But alas no, sometimes it’s good to focus on those bits that might otherwise slip us by.
So we’re going to focus on Number 15, we’re going to suss it out, learn a thing or two about Messiah and basically see what this part of the Bible has to say for itself.
The topics for include;
Additional laws for grain and drink offerings
Additional laws for unintentional and presumptuous sin
Penalty for violating the Sabbath
The tassles (tzit tzit on garments)
To be honest, I don’t have much to offer you with regard to the first couple of topics.
What I will say though is that these laws are mainly laid out for us in the book of Leviticus.
Here, God teaches us that certain offering require some additional aspects ‘when you enter the land’.
Meaning, for example, if you wanted to offer a ‘burnt offering’ in Israel during a festival, then you had to do so with an accompanying grain offering and libation offering.
Out of the land these extras weren’t necessary.
Inside the land, and for some of the sacrifices, these extras are part of the deal.
What I will say though is that these laws are mainly laid out for us
Much can be said about the grain and libation offerings but I think what needs saying can be said elsewhere, like when we’re studying Leviticus.
What I will point out though is that these things form part of the inspiration and foundation for Shabbat meals and other Hebrew customs that exist today.
Things like the wine and breaking of bread together with a meal mirror the sacrifice, grain and libation offering of the Temple.
Within Jewish thought much of the process they follow serves to remind us of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Some people don’t like that, I think it’s pretty nifty.
We can see some of this play out in the language and custom of the New Testament.
Yeshua alludes to the libation offering (which was poured out over the alter) when he says;
Shed for many?
Let’s try again.
‘Ekchuno’ (no idea how you would pronounce that…) can be translated as meaning ‘to pour forth’, ‘to spill’ or something that is ‘gushed out’.
So, ‘this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many’.
It’s not just a somewhat violent allusion to the spilling of Messiah’s blood, it’s an allusion to the Temple libation offering which ultimately speaks of Messiah who was ‘poured out’ for humanity.
Interesting that these additional laws stress that they are for the native born and the stranger.
Perhaps this alludes that Messiah is for all people who choose Him.
Though his blood must be spilled ‘when you are in the land’ (i.e.
Israel), it’s implications go far beyond its borders.
There are other allusions to this in the NT;
When writing to the Philippians, Paul compared his ministry as a drink offering,
When writing to the Philippians, Paul compared his ministry as a drink offering,
Interesting how the offering is synonymous with the ‘service of your faith’ (the true sacrifice) and how it’s synonymous with being ‘glad’ and ‘rejoicing’.
So ultimately Messiah is our joy, so be glad.
His is the true service of faith poured out for many.
Later, when anticipating his death in Rome Paul wrote;
‘When you have come into the land’
When we drink the cup we would do well to remember this.
Also, that the true offering is the ‘service of our faith’.
Messiah is our joy so be glad; His is the true service of faith poured out for many.
Violation of the Sabbath.
The Sacrificial Stuff
I do want to move forward to the Sabbath breaker but I think this is a neat little tid bit.
opens with;
I don’t really have much to say about this.
It’s fascinating because the previous time we heard from God part of what He said included this;
He condemns the generation older than 20 to death.
What I find fascinating with this is that this ‘death sentence’ included Moses himself.
I know, I know, later in the Torah Moses hits the rock twice and God says Moses won’t enter then.
But the only exceptions to God’s sentencing here is Caleb and Joshua (and their families by the way).
Moses is not included in the ‘exceptions’, he’s also older than 20, therefore, call me a genius, Moses is included in the death penalty here.
Later in the Torah we will explore this properly.
But I will just quickly say that this is very much connected to the suffering servant who on a rather esoteric level refers to Moses himself.
He, like Messiah, was sentenced to death for sins he did not commit.
At any rate, I want to stress that Moses’ death penalty occurs in which is why it’s startling for me to find that God’s next words; to Moses no less, are;
‘when you enter...’.
Except for the ‘WHEN YOU ENTER THE LAND.’
You could say ‘clearly, Jason, God is referring to the next generation who would be doing the entering’.
That would be correct in the plain historical meaning but God doesn’t specify that.
He says, tell the ‘children of Israel’, which continued to be a designation for all of Israel (including the condemned ones), ‘when you enter the land...’
So drop down a level with me and smell the roses.
All of Israel will enter the land.
Either in this life or in the resurrection.
‘When you enter the land’ is not a historical statement said to ‘those Jews’ back then, but to all of us, the children of Israel.
So it’s not when you enter the land, but when YOU enter the land.
The wine libation is akin to the blood of Messiah being poured out.
It is a sacrifice that all are welcome to participate in.
Ezer and Ger explained.
This is the weight of the opening to Numbers 15;
Violation of the Sabbath.
Jumping ahead we learn a vital lesson with regard to keeping the Sabbath.
The lesson is this;
The lesson is this;
Don’t do it man (it’s not worth it!).
God doesn’t like it when you break the Sabbath.
He dislikes it so much that the Sabbath violator here was stoned to death.
They even asked Him what should happen.
God thought about it, and the guy was still stoned.
It was hardly an emotional reaction.
People might not be getting stoned these days but read the vibe, keep the Sabbath, and it will go well for you.
On a serious note though this episode is quite confronting.
It’s not blatant idolatry, the bloke wasn’t sacrificing children or fornicating with Moabites; the violation was for gathering wood.
It bears some study and I will do what I can.
Firstly, let’s look at the incident itself.
What was he doing?
‘Gathering sticks’.
The Hebrew is ‘meqqoses’; its probably related to ‘qas’ which means ‘straw’ and means ‘to gather’ or to ‘bundle’ (i.e.
like to gather straw or similar into a bundle).
When they found him, they put him under guard.
When they found him, they put him under guard.
This can only be paralleled by the incident with the blasphemer in .
He too was caught, apprehended and then stoned.
This is interesting because apprehension (i.e.
prison) was not part of the ancient world’s legal system.
It only ever occurred during sentencing.
You were simply awaiting your outcome in ancient prisons during this period as prisons tended to not be the punishment.
It certainly isn’t in Biblical law.
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