Seder 126: Numbers 30---Keeping Faith in the Promised Land

 As the children of Israel prepare to enter the Promised Land in year 40 of their time in the wilderness, God emphasizes that it will be important for them to keep their word, as we read in Numbers 30:2:  "If a man vows a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word.  He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth."

In particular, the Israelites were to keep promises made to God.  Vows---formal promises made to God---were a common part of worship in that culture---see for example Num 29:39; Dt. 12:6, 11, 17, 26.  Commentator Micheal Morales explains that vows "were often used in order to intensify prayers of petition" (p. 354 of his Numbers 20-36 commentary).  A person would promise to make an offering if a prayer was answered.  Job 22:27 describes the usual process:  "You will make your prayer to him, and he will hear you, and you will pay your vows."  

Similarly, David declares in Psalm 66:13-15:  "I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you, that which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.  I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats.  Selah."  The offeror might accompany the offering with a public declaration of what God had done for him (verse 16).

In another typical scenario, a person is thankful for God's deliverance in some situation and makes a spontaneous promise at that point to present an offering.  

Since a vow was costly, there was a temptation not to follow through, which is probably why the Bible admonishes people who have made these voluntary commitments to keep them (Dt 23:21-23).  The Bible also praises those who make a promise "to their own hurt" and keep it (Ps 15:4). 

A vow did affect one's whole family, at least indirectly, and so a head of household in Israel had the authority to veto a vow, if this was done promptly.  Three cases are mentioned in Numbers 30:

• that of a young girl under the authority of her father (vv 3-5);
• that of a married woman who made a vow before she got married (vv 6-8) ---in this case, the husband can decide on the status of this vow when he first learns of it;
• that of an adult woman alone who had previously been married (vv 9-12); in this case, a vow made while the husband was alive would continue to have the same status after the marriage had ended by death or divorce.  

Morales sees a possible analogy between the three cases in Numbers 5-6 and these three cases.  The case in Numbers 30:3-5, like that of Numbers 5:5-10, deals with integrity on the level of general interpersonal relationships.  The second case in 30:6-8 deals with integrity in a marriage, as does Numbers 5:10-31.  The third case deals with integrity in one's relationship with God, as with the Nazirite vow in Numbers 6.  

Morales also looks at possible symbolic meanings of Numbers 30 on the level of Israel as God's bride.  For example, in Numbers 25 Israel makes a pledge to the Ba'al of Peor, but God nullifies that pledge through Phinehas.  God as Israel's husband may choose to bear Israel's guilt (verse 15) rather than give Israel the punishment it deserves for breaking its word to him.

Seder 143/144: Deuteronomy 12---Worship Central and Local

 In Deuteronomy 12-26, Moses urges the children of Israel to seek righteousness (16:20) in all areas of life.  His instruction shows how the Israelites can carry out the principles of the Decalogue in their time and context.  Roughly speaking, he addresses the points of the Decalogue in order.  

Daniel Block sees Daniel 12 as organized into two sections:

• 12:2-14--an invitation to joy and satisfaction in God's presence.
• 12:15-27--an invitation to joy and satisfaction at home.

The first section begins with a charge to destroy all traces of Canaanite religion, which was pervasive in the land.  Pillars representing Baal and poles representing Asherah were to be destroyed.  Names of towns were to be changed if they had been named after deities.  And pagan worship practices like cult prostitution and child sacrifice were not to be emulated by the Israelites.  

Instead, Israelites were to worship at an as-yet-unidentified place that would be 

• chosen by God.
• located within the tribal allotments of land.
• stamped with God's name. 
• a destination of pilgrimages.

This would be a place for many activities, including

1. seeing the face of God.
2. public reading of Scripture--31:11.
3. learning to fear God.
4. celebrating before God.
5. eating meals hosted by God.
6. presenting sacrifices.
7. keeping the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles.
8. settling legal disputes--17:8-13.
9. service of the Levites
10. presenting firstfruits and thanking God--26:1-11.
11. giving charity to the needy.
12. demonstrating community solidarity by including everyone.

God would choose the place once the nation is established in the land (vv 10-11).  The fact that Moses issues a double invitation in verses 5-12 is indicative of God's great desire to fellowship with his people.

Block notes that our English translations tend to use language connoting a law or command in these verses.  But Deuteronomy 12 actually gives an invitation to exciting opportunities to celebrate in God's presence, worshiping as he authorizes.  

We know that the place ultimately chosen for Israel's worship was Jerusalem (2 Sam 7).  

The central sanctuary was intended to unite Israel as God's people, rehearsing their history and God's mighty deeds on their behalf.  From this place God's rule and blessing would extend throughout the land and, ultimately, throughout the earth.  The central sanctuary would also highlight the king's role as patron of national worship.

The establishment of this central worship location did not preclude worship at other locations.  After all, Levites would live throughout the land and were to fulfill a pastoral role. Any consumption of meat was an occasion to thank God, in a broad sense a form of sacrifice.  There was local worship as well as national worship.  

Moses in Deuteronomy 16:21  seems to be assuming that other altars would be built.  The altar at Mt Ebal in Deuteronomy 27:5-7 is one example of a legitimate altar not connected with the tabernacle.  A number of others are mentioned:

• Judges 6:24-27--Gideon was told to pull down an altar of Ba'al and build one to Yahweh at Ophrah.
• 1 Sam 7:17---Samuel built an altar at Ramah.
• 1 Sam 16:5--Samuel celebrated a religious festival at Bethlehem.
• 2 Sam 24:18-25---David built an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah.
• 1 Kings 18:30---Elijah rebuilt "the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down."

There are also, of course, references to illegitimate altars in the historical books, like the ones Jeroboam had built at Bethel and Dan (I Kings 12-13), and the ones used to Ahaz (2 Kings 16:4) and Manasseh.

Another thing that would not occur exclusively at the central sanctuary was consumption of meat--Dt 12:15, 20-21.  Block notes that the word for "slaughter" in Dt 12:15 is zabach, a word that usually means "to sacrifice."  (Some exceptions are 1 Sam 28:24-25; 2 Chron 18:1-2; Ezek 34:2-3.)  In some sense, Block says, any meal at which meat was consumed was a sacred event, a sacrificial moment.  The modern division of life into sacred and secular components is artificial.  

Moses gave lots of leeway to the Israelites in the matter of eating meat at home.  The major restrictrion was the familiar command to not eat blood (Dt 12:23-25; Lev 17:10-15).  This is a universal taboo (Gen 9:3-4), upheld in the New Testament (Acts 15:19-20).   

Seder 90: Lev 17---Rules for Preparing and Eating Meat

At this point in the book of Leviticus, we transition from instructions for the priesthood to instructions for all Israelites.  The emphasis will be on holiness in all areas of life.

Chapter 17 may be specifying that during Israel's wilderness sojourn, all butchering of "sacrificeable" animals was to be for sacrifices (vv 1-4).  If so, that restriction would be lifted once the nation settled in Canaan (Deut 12:13-15; 20-25).  

The main point, though, is that both during the Exodus and afterward, all sacrifices were to to be made at the tabernacle or temple.  This restriction was meant to lessen the likelihood of idolatrous worship.  Lev 17 mentions, in particular, sacrifices to "goat demons, " which may have  been underworld deities.  (These entities are elsewhere mentioned in 2 Ch 11:15 and Isa 13:19-21).    

Israel was not to engage in syncretistic worship, a principle also emphasized in Isa 66:3-4, part of a traditional haftarah for this seder.  

Leviticus 17 goes on to repeat the commandment not to ingest blood (see Gen 9:4; Lev 3:17; 7:26-27).  This is out of respect for life, and also because blood had been set apart for the purpose of making atonement.  Certainly this commandment also had the effect of discouraging people from drinking blood for superstitious reasons---e.g., because they thought it would make them stronger.  

Sukkot 2021: 1 Kings 8---Dedicating Solomon's Temple

 Solomon began the construction in about 966 BC, in the fourth year of his reign (1 Kings 6:1).  This was 480 years after the Exodus, which would have occurred in about 1446 BC.  Construction was complete about 7 and a half years later, in the 11th year of Solomon's reign (vv 37-38).  

The temple was dedicated the following fall at the Feast of Tabernacles.  This was one of the biggest festival celebrations in Israel's history, and a high point of that history.  For a brief period the nation was united and experienced a spiritual rest (see 1 Kings 8:62-66).

During the celebration the Israelites were reminded of how God had been present with them during their wilderness wanderings, when they had lived in tents.  During that time God had promised that he would guide them into Canaan and choose a location there at which to place his name (Deut 12).  Now, almost 500 years after the Exodus, God had carried out his promises and was present at the new temple (1 Kings 8:1-11).  Representing the nation, Solomon expressed Israel's thanks (vv 14-21).

At that point it would have been natural for Solomon to sit back and congratulate himself on a job well done.  Instead, in a memorable prayer---one of the greatest prayers recorded in the Bible---his thoughts turned to the future.  He had high hopes that the temple would be instrumental in helping Israel fulfill its mission to bring blessing to the nations.  People would see this wonder of the ancient world and be impressed with it and the with God it honored (vv 41-43, 59-60).   

But he knew that this building, as impressive as it was, was also just a tent or booth in some sense.  God could choose to leave the temple, as he had chosen to come to it, and Israel's possession of the land depended on its faithfulness to the covenant.  From Lev 26 and Deut 28, Solomon knew that Israel could  face serious punishment if it abandoned God.  From God's promise to David (2 Sam 7), he knew that the rulership of his descendants on the throne of David could depend on their obedience to God.  

And so on the day the temple was being dedicated, Solomon prayed for God's mercy in the time of Israel's future exile (1 Kings 8:46-51).  Solomon knew from Deut 30 that he was praying according to God's will.  God's mercy, rather than Israel's apostasy, would be the last word.   

God had promised that the throne of David's kingdom would be "established forever" (2 Sam 7:16).  And about 1000 years later, God sent Jesus, from the line of David.  At a later Feast of Tabernacles celebration, Jesus declared, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water' " (John 7:37-38).  In the future there would no longer be a temple building, but God would be present in a body of believers through his Spirit. 

Those believers look forward to the time when God will be present with his people forever (Rev 21:3-4). 

Seder 20: Genesis 22---Abraham's Biggest Test

There is a long-standing tradition that Abraham passed a series of 10 tests during his life.  There is more than one list of these tests, but all of the lists agree that the tenth and greatest test was God's directive that he offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering (Gen 22:2).  

In reference to the purpose of tests from God, the sages quoted Psalm 11:5:  "The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence."  The test can be seen as an opportunity for Abraham to demonstrate his faith and rise to a new level spiritually (James 2:14-26).

Since the account in Gen 22 is so terse, there are lots of fascinating traditions about how to fill in the blank space between the lines of the narrative.  For example, there are stories about how God came to test Abraham.  One, which takes inspiration from Job 1, has the accuser suggest to God that Abraham just follows him for the blessings he can receive.  

The location for the offering is "the land of Moriah" (v 2), traditionally the site of the future Temple Mount.  This identification is partially based on 2 Chron 3:1, which locates Solomon's Temple on Mt Moriah.  There are also hints in Gen 22 that support the tradition.  For example, verse 9 refers to "the place of which God had told him," language similar to that used in Deuteronomy for the location that God will "choose" or "place his name" (e.g., Deut 12).  Also, Gen 22:14 refers to the location as "the mount of the Lord".  

The identity of the two men that Abraham brought along on the journey has been a source of speculation.  One tradition says that they were Ishmael and Eliezer.  

Gen 22 emphasizes Abraham's willingness to obey God with his words "Here I am" (Hebrew hineni) in vv 1,11, and with the statement that Abraham "rose early in the morning" in v 3.  We see Abraham's faith in v 5 when he tells his men, "I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you."  This statement is probably the source of the interpretation recorded in Heb 11:17-19 that Abraham believed God would raise Isaac from the dead, if necessary. 

We do not know Isaac's age at the time of this incident.  Since Sarah died after this at age 127 (Gen 23:1), Isaac was no more than 37 years old.  One popular tradition suggests that Isaac was 37, and that Sarah died when she heard the news of what had almost happened to her son.  Josephus (Antiquities, Book 1) lists his age as 25.  Certainly he was old enough to carry the wood (v 6).  So Isaac was at least a young adult and knowingly made the decision to obey his father, even when he found out what the plan apparently was.  

After the test God repeats his previous promises to Abraham with special emphasis (vv 15-18).  Hebrews 6:13-20 points out God's "swearing by himself" as evidence of the certainty of God's promises.