Why did the soldiers atone for their souls with valuable objects?

Mattot 42-5

Tribes

Numbers 31:42-54

Then the officers who were over the units of the army—the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds—went to Moses and said to him, "Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing. So we have brought as an offering to the LORD the gold articles each of us acquired—armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings and necklaces—to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.

Num. 31:48-50 NIV)

Why did the soldiers atone for their souls with valuable objects?

The prohibition of counting the people of Israel is based on the promise made to our father Avraham that his descendants couldn't be counted. However, the Eternal taught the people a system to be able to be counted without a plague coming to them, that's the system of the half shekel (Ex. 30:12). Each male gave a coin of half a shekel and instead of counting the people the coins were counted. The coins were given afterwards to the tabernacle as a memorial and thus the people weren't harmed for having been counted.

In this case, they didn't use the method of the half shekel for the census of the 12000 and that brought guilt upon them before the Eternal. The delivery of the valuables would then be a reward for their fault.

The second reason for the delivery of the spoils, the jewels they got in the war, was that when entering the tents of the Midianite women and when they grabbed the jewels from their corpses, they couldn't help having impure thoughts; and for having those impure thoughts they were guilty before the Eternal. The surrender of the jewels would serve as a sign of repentance.

The third reason we can deduce from this text is that they had an immense feeling of gratitude, not only for having survived the war, but also for having received all those riches from the spoils. They wanted to thank the Eternal because He preserved their lives and gave them such material wealth. Their hearts' gratitude had to be shown in a practical way and the giving of valuable objects is a good way of saying thanks.

Beloved chosen ones from among the nations: be grateful to the Eternal all your days because He has saved you so many times from death during your life. How many times have you been in danger of death? For sure many more times we have been closer to death than we thought! Thanks to His protection we are alive. Besides He provides us with more material goods than we deserve. Let's thank Him for that in a practical way; let's give some money and valuables to a good cause that also helps the advancement of the Kingdom among us.

Blessings,

Ketriel 

Can the pure be mixed with the impure?

Mattot 42-3

Tribes

Numbers 31:13-24

Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.

(Num. 31:13 NIV)

Can the pure be mixed with the impure?

The 12000 soldiers had touched the dead during war. That’s why they were all ritually impure and couldn’t enter the camp of the sacred people. Therefore, Moshe, Eleazar, the high priest and all the chiefs of the congregation went out to receive them.

The impure couldn’t enter the pure camp, but the pure ones could come out to receive the impure ones without being contaminated. Even though the high priest was the most sacred person of Israel and couldn't be in contact with death, he could come out where the impure were and instruct about how they had to get purified in order to enter the pure area. This teaches us that the impure can't be introduced in the pure. But the pure can influence over the impure to purify it.

What a beautiful scene! Men can't enter in the sacred presence of the Eternal due to their state of impurity and mortality. But the sacred comes out from the Eternal's presence to purify it and grant it immortality so men can enter His sacred presence and remain there forever.

Blessed be the Eternal for having come to encounter us to rescue and purify us!!

Ketriel

Why did a priest go to war?

Mattot 42-2

Tribes

Numbers 31:1-12

Moses sent them into battle, a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary and the trumpets for signaling.

(Num. 31:6 NIV)

Why did a priest go to war?

When 12000 of the sons of Israel were sent to carry out the Eternal’s vengeance against Midian, Pinchas, Aharon’s grandson who received the priesthood because of the zeal he showed when part of the people fornicated with the idolatrous women, was also sent. Pinchas shared the feeling with the Eternal regarding the Midianites that’s why he was able to lead the people in this war.

However, the most important thing in this case is that Pinchas was in charge of taking some of the tabernacle’s sacred utensils and the silver trumpets to sound the trua’h – תרועה – alarm. According to Rashi, the sacred utensils were the ark and the high priest’s gold head plate. These objects were taken to confront the spirit of impurity behind the Midianites. This war was sacred, commanded by the Eternal to execute his vengeance. Therefore, the divine presence and the angels had to come with them in war.

Pinchas the priest was there to activate the Eternal’s supernatural forces in the moment of war. When the silver trumpets were played, the Eternal sent orders to His angels to protect and strengthen the 12000 soldiers who were fulfilling His orders. In that way their mission was very prosperous.

When you enter in battle, make sure of three things: that you are fulfilling a divine order, that the Eternal’s presence is with you and that you walk in sanctity. That’s how you will prosper in battle.

Blessings,

Ketriel

What are the tassels for?

Daily manna from the Torah by Dr Ketriel Blad

Shelach Lecha 37-7 Send for you Numbers 15:27-41 What are the tassels for? The tassels that Jewish men wear on their four cornered garments are a reminder of the commitment they have with the Eternal and His commandments. When the eyes want to go astray after impurity, the tassels are there as a reminder that the Jew is sacred and that helps him avoid sin. The tassels are also a reminder of the departure from Egypt which means that the sons of Israel are not slaves anymore, not even of their eyes' desires; so, they are able to overcome their bad instincts with the help of the Eternal. The desire to be pure has to do with the certainty that the Eternal is my Elokim and that I live for him, I am sacred. Jews who live in real sanctity, not a fictitious one, will be the future teachers of the gentiles that will look for them eagerly when they see that the Almighty is with them in every aspect, also supernaturally. The moment in history will come, not far from now, when ten men from the nations will take hold of the hem of a Jew's garment – where the four tassels are – and will ask for help to walk with him, as it's written in Zechariah 8:23: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'” (NIVUK) What will these men want? To walk with the Jew. But, why? Because they've heard that Elokim is with the Jews. They don't want to try walking apart from the Jews anymore, following their own interpretations of the Scriptures, away from the Hebrew origins and the oral instruction. By holding the tassels they are acknowledging that the Torah was given to the Jew and the Jew has the authority to teach Torah to the nations. They are also acknowledging that the Eternal is with the Jews who fulfill the commandments and wear the tzitzit –ציצת – tassels. The Jew received the written and oral Torah, that's why he is the only one able to teach the non-Jew how it should be fulfilled correctly so he can also walk with Elokim. To walk with a Jew who walks with the Almighty is a practical issue. It has to do with specific commandments and a disciplined conduct in all aspects of life. This doesn't mean that the non-Jew will have to fulfill all the commandments of the Torah, but that he is willing to be taught by the Jew about the commandments for him and how to obey them. Heaven-fearing based discipline is one of the conditions for the supernatural to be present constantly. The Jew who knows how to fulfill the commandments correctly knows his Elokim (G-d) and He is with him. That divine presence is attractive and it is the one that will eventually be able to help people from the nations to walk properly. Shabbat shalom, Ketriel

Can parents' words influence over their children for many years?

Shelach Lecha 37-4

Send for you

Numbers 14:26-15-7

So tell them, 'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I heard you say: In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me... Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert.

(Num. 14:28, 29, 33 NIV)

Can parents' words influence over their children for many years?

The tongue has the power of death and life. Those who complained received exactly what they said in their cry of disbelief. The Eternal deemed their complaint and disbelief as spiritual adultery. The Hebrew word that was translated as unfaithfulness is zennut – זנות – and it means adultery. What kind of adultery did they commit? Did they bow before another god? No, they said that it would have been better to die in Egypt or in the desert than to fall by a sword and be taken in captivity. They also talked about naming someone to lead them to Egypt.

The Eternal called this attitude adultery. Being in a covenant with Him and not trusting Him and His promises is spiritual adultery. Not submitting to the leaders established by Him and seek to have other leaders democratically chosen is spiritual adultery. That attitude doesn't lead anywhere but to death.

None of those who were counted could enter the Promised Land, except for the two that spoke the truth faithfully and with trust. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” (Prov. 18:21 ESV)

Those who weren't counted; the elderly, women and children up to the age of 19 were not included in this sentence. This teaches us that for those who are chosen for a task of more responsibility, the judgement will be greater in case of being unfaithful. The others were also unfaithful, but since they weren't on the list of the counted ones they didn't have to die in the desert.

The children of those who died had to carry the consequence of their parents' spiritual adultery and spend 40 years in the desert until they received the promise. Because of their parents' words they had to be shepherds in the desert for forty long years. How important are the words we utter! Whatever I say today may have influence over my children for many years.

Nevertheless, those forty years being shepherds in the desert served well to forge a truthfully obedient and faithful generation. Just as forty years of shepherding created a very good character in Moshe, now a whole generation had to go through the same treatment so that they could learn to be faithful. That was the best generation in Israel's history.

Let's learn from this lesson and never doubt the Eternal's goodness and promises. Let's learn to leave out words that bring judgement upon us and our children. Let's not say expressions such as: “This (or that) always happens!" "I'll never be able to..." "Why ...always..?" "It's impossible..." What you speak before the Eternal has power not only over your life but also over the next generation. Put bits in your mouth!

Kol tuv,

Ketriel

Who is stronger, the one who punishes or the one who forgives?

Shelach Lecha 37-3

Send for you

Numbers 14:8-25

"Now may the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now."

(Num. 14:17-19 NIV)

Who is stronger, the one who punishes or the one who forgives?

Moshe asked the Eternal that His power be great and show mercy instead of acting in rigorous justice. What do mercy and forgiveness have to do with power? Wouldn't it be a greater manifestation of power to be able to exterminate the whole people in an instant?

This text teaches us that the Eternal has to use more power for mercy and forgiveness than for punishment.

It is so for men too. It's easier to act in a feeling of anger and outrage before injustice and sin than with mercy and forgiveness. It requires more power to forgive than to take revenge. The one who knows how to forgive is more powerful than the one who demands a fair sentence.

Let the Eternal's example be the guide for your behaviour. Let Him strengthen your inner man and allow mercy to triumph upon judgement in your dealings with your neighbour.

The one who knows how to forgive is powerful!

Kol tuv,

Ketriel

How do you see what is in front of you?

Daily manna from the Torah by Dr Ketriel Blad

Shelach Lecha 37-2 Send for you Numbers 13:21-14:7 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size... and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good." (Num. 13:32; 14:7 NIV) How do you see what is in front of you? Whatever we see determines the speech, decisions and conduct of each one of us. Our spiritual vision decides how our future will be. The twelve spies saw the same land, the same cities and the same inhabitants, but they had very different reactions to what they saw. What is important is not what lies before your eyes but your reaction to it. Even though the ten spies saw a beautiful land, thoughts of problems and impossibilities took over their souls and they couldn't believe that it could be possible to defeat such great peoples and conquer such fortified cities. The reason was that they didn’t want to believe in the Eternal. But the other two spies saw things in a different way. They had learned from what happened in Egypt and in the desert. They knew that they had a powerful Elokim and they believed in His promises. They saw the visible reality and also the invisible reality. The sons of Anak were gigantic, yes, the cities had tall fortified walls, yes, but the Almighty is much greater and He was with them. The ten spies saw things from down below but the two other spies saw them from above. There are two voices, the voice of the impossible, that speaks of things from a natural perspective and the voice of possibilities that speak of things from the perspective of the power and promises of the Eternal. According to how we listen, we are going to believe; if we only see and listen to things from the natural perspective we are only going to act in the natural way and receive natural results. But if we see and listen to what divine promises say, we'll act in a natural way but receive help from heaven so our natural actions will become supernatural. The way we listen determines our faith. According to the way we see things; it will be done to us. Beloved disciple of the Messiah: learn to see things with your spiritual eyes, from above. Observe the reality of physical things but don't stay there. Watch and listen to what heaven says, because heaven has authority over the earth and the power to change the things on earth. Learn to cooperate with heaven and you'll see how the Eternal's promises are able to transform situations on earth according to what is in heaven. “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,” (Eph. 1:18-19 NIV) Ketriel