Pinchas “Phinehas”
It is customary for religiously practicing Jews to read from an annual cycle of weekly Old Testament readings called Torah Portions. This is said to be the same reading schedule that was taught every Sabbath in the Synagogues during the times of Jesus in the first century.
As Christians exploring the Torah portion cycle we must maintain a balance of including the Old Testament, the prophets, and the gospels in our weekly bible study.
Torah Portion Name and Readings-
Pinchas is the Hebrew word for the name “Phinehas”, this is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Numbers starting in chapter 25 verse 10 and going through chapter 29 and verse 40.
Prophets and New Testament-
It is also important to point out that along with the Torah portion readings and teachings, there are what are called Haftarah portions which are readings from the Bible in the books of the prophets. This week’s haftarah readings come from the book of Jeremiah in chapter 1 verse 1 through chapter 2 verse 3.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Luke in chapter 13 with verses 1 through verse 10.
Torah Portion Overview-
In this torah portion we get the result of the actions of Phinehas, for he, seeing the sexual idolatry of an Israelite and Midianite woman being performed at the Tabernacle, rose up and slew them with a spear. Because of this the plague which had started among the people was stopped and so he showed himself faithful to protect the sacred space of Yahweh. Because of this Phinehas was given a covenant of peace from Yahweh, that he and his descendants afterwards would have a perpetual priesthood. In response to Midian’s great sin the Lord commanded Israel to attack and defeat them. Moses is commanded to take a second census of Israel of the second generation, which totaled 601,730. When we compare to the original census of the first generation at 603,550 we see that the number of Israel decreased slightly during the wilderness years. Moses is then commanded to divide the land by lot according the size of each clan. This would avoid favoritism and infighting between the tribes. Being separate from Israel, because they belonged to the Lord, a second census was taken of the second generation of the clans of Levi and the family of Moses and Aaron which had grown to 23,000. They had increased in the wilderness compared to the original census of the first generation at 22,000. Next a question of inheritance came up. Traditionally the land would be passed to the sons. However, the daughters of Zelophehad came forward and explained that they had no brothers. The Lord instructed that they should inherit as if they were sons, so that the family inheritance would not be lost. The Lord also gives general inheritance laws if there are no sons. Next comes the commissioning of Joshua, the leader chosen by God to replace Moses. He is given some of Moses’ authority, but he is subordinate to Eleazar the High Priest. This is of great interest, for until the prophet who would rise up like Moses, no other Israelite was to have authority of the High Priest (although there is some debate as to whether the Kings had more authority later on). Next we get commandments for the offerings and sacrifices; the commandments of the daily offerings, the Sabbath offerings, the New Moon offerings, the Passover offerings, the Feast of Weeks offerings, the Feast of Trumpets offerings, the Day of Atonement offerings, and lastly the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) offerings.
Today I want to focus on the daily offerings. The daily offerings were made up of four parts; the male lambs, 1/10th of an ephah of fine flour, and 1/4 of a hin of oil, as well as wine for the drink offering (salt would also be offered).
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the Israelites, and say to them: My offering, the food for my offerings by fire, my pleasing odor, you shall take care to offer to me at its appointed time. And you shall say to them: This is the offering by fire that you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs a year old without blemish, daily, as a regular offering. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; also one-tenth of an ephah of choice flour for a grain offering, mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil. It is a regular burnt offering, ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD. Its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in the sanctuary you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. The other lamb you shall offer at twilight with a grain offering and a drink offering like the one in the morning; you shall offer it as an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the LORD.”
Numbers 28:1-8 (NRSVue)
Jay Sklar, Numbers, ed. Tremper Longman III and Scot McKnight explain in their commentary on Numbers (Zondervan 2023) that 1/10 of an ephah of fine flour is about 8.8 to 16.3 cups of flour and 1/4 of a hin of oil is about .24 to .43 gallons of oil. Obviously not all the oil would be used to make bread. According to my quick Google search, this much flour would make about 40 to 80 servings of unleavened bread and use about a cup of oil. Joachim Jeremias estimates in his book Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus: An Investigation into Economic and Social Conditions during the New Testament Period (Fortress Press 1975) that about 50 priests served daily. However, I could not find a direct answer as to whether the bread was served to be eaten or offered on the altar instead. Because there was so much more oil offered with the fine flour I believe that it was offered and not consumed.
The daily offering was seen as food offered on the table of God (the altar), meat, bread, and wine. It represented daily fellowship with Him. Thus, when the enemy sought to pervert or destroy this fellowship the daily sacrifices were targeted.
“Forces sent by him shall occupy and profane the temple and fortress. They shall abolish the regular burnt offering and set up the desolating sacrilege.”
Daniel 11:31 (NRSVue)
“From the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the desolating sacrilege is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred ninety days.”
Daniel 12:11 (NRSVue)
However, today we do not have a temple or sacrificial system. There are no longer any daily offerings offered! So what does this mean to us? I have written many times on this blog that we are priests, serving under the Messiah who is the High Priest. We are commanded to offer our bodies as a spiritual sacrifice to God.
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.”
Romans 12:1 (NRSVue)
Paul further testifies that when we do ministry we are pouring ourselves out like a drink offering (of wine).
“But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the service of your faith, I rejoice, and I rejoice together with all of you;”
Philippians 2:17 (NRSVue)
We can see then that we are, in a sense, a offering to God. We live our lives in such a way that we are pleasing to Him. This makes our daily actions of great value, for what we do we are to do it unto the Lord!
“So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NRSVue)
Thus, it is not just “ministry” that is ministry! Our daily actions, our lives that we live are ministry! When we spend time with our family, it is ministry, when we take care of our house, it is ministry!
This is important because often in ministry there is a temptation to focus on “ministry” and neglect the family. This is why there is such a bad reputation of “pastor’s kids”. It’s not because they are bad people, it is because often large ministries require so much time that the children are neglected. If instead of this neglect we see our first ministry as to our family, this will not be an issue.
But there is even another way to look at this. Remember that the early church would gather for communal meals daily to worship the Lord and fellowship.
“Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:46–47 (NRSVue)
This daily gathering together, this fellowship with one another, can be seen as a type of “daily sacrifices”. When we gather together to worship and fellowship we are performing acts of worship that are seen as this daily offering!
“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NRSVue)
This is why we must not neglect to gather together. For when 2 or 3 of us are gathered together Jesus is there with us.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Matthew 18:20 (NRSVue)
Yet there is one more way to look at this. We have the opportunity to offer up worship and prayer daily, twice a day, to act as a kind of “daily sacrifice”! Because of time zones, if every Christian did this the world would always have prayer and worship going up 24/7! How beautiful is this!
“Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:15-16 (NRSVue)
Let us seek therefore to live as a sacrifice, to gather together in worship to Jesus and to pray and worship daily as a sacrifice! Let us see the earth filled with the Glory of the Lord!!
“But the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Habakkuk 2:14 (NRSVue)
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Numbers 25:10 Yahweh grants Phinehas a covenant of Peace for a perpetual priesthood.
Numbers 25:16 Israel is commanded to attack the Midianites and defeat them.
Numbers 26:1 Moses is commanded to take a second census of Israel (for the second generation) for a total of 601,730, compare to the original census of the first generation at 603,550.
Numbers 26:52 Moses is commanded to divide the land by lot according the size of each clan.
Numbers 26:57 The clans of Levi and the family of Moses and Aaron was 23,000 compared to the original census of the first generation at 22,000.
Numbers 27:1 The daughters of Zelophehad inherit because they have no brother. The Lord also gives general inheritance laws if there are no sons.
Numbers 27:12 Joshua is commissioned as the leader of Israel to replace Moses and is given some of Moses’ authority, but he is subordinate to Eleazar the High Priest.
Numbers 28:1 The commandments of the daily offerings.
Numbers 28:9 The commandments for the Sabbath offerings.
Numbers 28:11 The commandments for the New Moon offerings.
Numbers 28:16 The commandments for the Passover offerings.
Numbers 28:26 The commandments for the Feast of Weeks offerings.
Numbers 29:1 The commandments for the Feast of Trumpets offerings.
Numbers 29:7 The commandments for the Day of Atonement offerings.
Numbers 29:12 The commandments for the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) offerings.
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Jeremiah 1:1 Prologue to the book of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 1:4 Jeremiah is called as a prophet by God.
Jeremiah 1:11 Jeremiah prophecies disaster from the north.
Jeremiah 2:1 Jeremiah prophecies to Jerusalem that God remembers her when she was a young bride.
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Luke 13:1 Unless we all repent we will perish.
Luke 13:6 Jesus tells a parable about a fig tree that does not produce any fruit in 3 years and shows itself to be barren. The fig tree owner gives it one more year to produce fruit and then if not He will destroy it.
Luke 13:10 Jesus teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath.
References-
Jay Sklar, Numbers, ed. Tremper Longman III and Scot McKnight, vol. 4 of The Story of God Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2023), 212–213. [This reference was found using Logos Bible Software AI search]
Joachim Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus: An Investigation into Economic and Social Conditions during the New Testament Period, trans. F. H. Cave, C. H. Cave, and M. E. Dahl (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1975), 203. [This reference was found using Logos Bible Software AI search]
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