Beha’alotcha “when you set up”
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-
Beha’alotcha is the Hebrew word for “when you set up” or “when you mount”, this is the name for the weekly Torah Portion reading for the Numbers starting in chapter 8 verse 1 and going through chapter 12 and verse 16.
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 Zechariah in chapter 2 verse 10 through chapter 4 verse 7.
The gospel readings incorporated with the weekly Torah portion readings come from the book of Matthew in chapter 14 with verses 14 through verse 21.
Torah Portion Overview-
In this torah portion we get the commandments for the lampstand and the seven lamps. The torah portion then shifts focus to the Levites. The sons of Levi are cleansed and a sacrifice is offered. Next something interesting happens! The Levites are “waved” before the Lord as an elevation offering. This is fascinating because it is usually an offering that is waved. However, this seems to be symbolic, that they are offered as an offering which means that they belong to the Lord. The Levites belong to the Lord in place of the firstborn, which He took when He redeemed the firstborn at Passover. Not only do the Levites belong to the Lord, but they are given as a gift to the priests. In this way they mirror the food that is waved to the Lord and then given to the priests to eat (Exodus 29:26-28, Leviticus 7:29-38). The point of the portion that was waved of the peace offering was that it was for provision for the priests. So too the Levites were to provide service to the priests. The Levites serve from age 25 to 50. After the service of the Levites the second Passover is kept by Israel. It was during this time that the commandments are given for the second month Passover, a provision for those who are unable to keep it during the first month. The glory of Yahweh covered the Tabernacle in the form of a cloud during the daytime and a pillar of fire by night. When the glory of the Lord would stay Israel knew that they were staying. When the cloud would raise up they knew that it was time to move on. As part of the communication of travel Moses commanded the creation of two silver trumpets. Having received the instructions on how to leave in order, Israel at last departs mount Sinai. Israel begins to complain against the Lord again and Moses is so overwhelmed he wishes for death. Perhaps seeing that the stress of leading an entire nation is getting to him, the Lord instructs Moses to have the elders of Israel gather. The 70 elders are anointed with some of the anointing that was on Moses and prophecy (once). God promises to provide for the people to end their complaining by providing quail. The quail comes for an entire month, however, those who complained died while eating the meat. Lastly, Miriam and Aaron become jealous of Moses status because he married a Cushite (Nubian?) and speak against him. The Lord hears it and gives Miriam leprosy for 7 days.
Today I want to focus on the leadership of Israel, specifically the 70 elders that God anointed to assist Moses with the leadership. Moses came to a time in his journey that he was just overwhelmed, and who wouldn’t be?! I can’t imagine the responsibility of leading an entire nation, let alone a nation that is always rebelling and complaining. It would be wearying! And so the Lord anointed 70 other men from the tribes that could assist with the leadership.
“So the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting and have them take their place there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people along with you so that you will not bear it all by yourself… So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered seventy of the elders of the people and placed them all around the tent. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders, and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.
Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his spirit on them!” And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.”
Numbers 11:16-17, 24-30 (NRSVue)
70 was an important number to Israel, and indeed, to the church today. When they left Egypt, the family of Egypt numbered 70. The known nations also numbered around 70. Thus, it is my opinion that Jacob’s family being 70 represented the idea of the seed of Abraham that would be a blessing to the nations! This number carried forward, the 70 person total growing to a family of tribes that was so large it had 70 elders. It is curious that 70 is not divisible by 12. Thus, each tribe did not have the same amount of leaders. It is likely that tribes that were larger had more leaders, and tribes that were smaller had less leaders.
The important thing to remember is that the 70 were representative of the whole. The 70 elders represented the nation of Israel, who was in turn supposed to represent the nations. However, Israel failed in this task. Israel did not draw the nations to the God of Israel. Instead, Israel separated itself from the nations. Just as the temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations, but was instead the place of prayer for Jews, so too Israel was supposed to be a blessing to all nations but instead was separated to itself.
Yet there was a promise that this separateness would not continue. There would come a day when Yahweh’s Spirit would be poured out on all nations, all flesh! The 70, when they were anointed had prophesied once, but here the promise of the Spirit was that they would continue to prophecy, dream dreams, and see visions. This was the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit of prophecy, that is, the Holy Spirit!
“Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female slaves, in those days I will pour out my spirit. I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.”
Joel 2:28-31 (NRSVue)
This prophecy remained unfulfilled until after the Messiah had died and resurrected. Jesus promised that He would send the Holy Spirit.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”
John 15:26 (ESV)
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
John 16:7-13 (ESV)
And so after his resurrection He commanded the Disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, their new baptism of fire. And so the Disciples, as well as other disciples, gathered together in Jerusalem and waited on the Holy Spirit.
“While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:4-5 (NRSVue)
John had even prophesied that the Messiah would baptize with fire. However, we know that Jesus did not ever baptize with water (John 4:2). Instead His baptism was with the Holy Spirit, this was the baptism of fire!
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:11-12 (NRSVue)
When the day of Pentecost had come the Holy Spirit did come! He came down on the disciples and there appeared over them a flame of fire. Not only this, but the sound of a wind filled the house.
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability… No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
Acts 2:1-4, 16-21 (NRSVue)
Why is this important? The wind entering the room represented the cloud that was above the Tabernacle and the fire above their heads represented the pillar of fire. This sign showed that the Twelve Apostles, and later all Christians, were, and are the new Temple. The anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the giving of prophecy, not only linked back to the seventy elders, but also to the Tabernacle itself. This is why Paul says that we should all desire to prophecy, because we are the Temple of God. The outpouring the Holy Spirit is the outpouring of prophecy.
“Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do not speak to other people but to God, for no one understands them, since they are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. But those who prophesy speak to other people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues but even more to prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”
1 Corinthians 14:1-5 (NRSVue)
However, it is important to understand, not all Christians will prophecy. When a Christian does prophecy, this does not mark them a prophet (although I am not saying that prophets don’t exist), but shows that they have the Holy Spirit. In other words, since all Christians have the Holy Spirit, when a Christian prophecies this does not mean that they are special at all. Instead, it is just a way to serve the body. A person should not be exalted because of or in prophecy, instead, the good of the body should be sought and seen. Many false prophets (and prophetess) have arisen over the years. They seek their own good, they seek their own exaltation. A true prophet is one who is humble, who does not exalt himself but instead seeks to decrease himself so that God may be glorified (John 3:30).
And so, as this Pentecost is here, let us seek the Holy Spirit. Let us desire to prophecy, so that the body of Christ may be helped. But above all, as the verse above indicates, let us first pursue love. This is the greatest gift. Left us seek to serve the Lord and honor Him. Let Him and Him alone be glorified. Amen.
Torah Portion Scriptural Highlights-
Numbers 8:1 The lampstand and the seven lamps.
Numbers 8:5 The Levites are cleansed, a sacrifice is offered and the Levites are presented as an elevation offering and the Levites shall belong to Yahweh in place of the firstborn.
Numbers 8:14 The Levites shall serve Yahweh and are given as a gift to the priests. They shall serve from age 25 to 50.
Numbers 9:1 Israel keeps the second Passover.
Numbers 9:6 The commands for the second month Passover.
Numbers 9:15 The cloud by day and fire by night cover the Tabernacle and it’s presence dictates the movement of Israel.
Numbers 10:1 Moses commanded to make two silver signal trumpets.
Numbers 10:11 Israel leaves Sinai.
Numbers 11:1 Israel complains against the Lord and Moses is overwhelmed.
Numbers 11:16 70 elders are anointed with some of the anointing of Moses and God promises to send the people quail to eat.
Numbers 11:31 The quail comes but the people who complained die while eating the quail.
Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron become jealous of Moses status because he married a Cushite (Nubian?) and speak against him. The Lord hears it and gives Miriam leprosy for 7 days.
Haftarah (Prophets) Scriptural Highlights-
Zechariah 2:10 Yahweh will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and chose her and many nations will choose Yahweh.
Zechariah 3:1 Satan is accusing Joshua and Yahweh rebukes him and clothes him in fresh clothes and promises to remove the iniquity of the land just as He did with Joshua.
Zechariah 4:1 The vision of the golden lampstand and the two olive trees.
Brit (Gospel) Scriptural Highlights-
Matthew 14:14 Jesus feeds 5,000 men (and more women and children) from five loaves and two fishes.
To Watch an overview of this week’s Torah Portion CLICK HERE