Seder 50: Exodus 8:20---Why the "Hinei"?

 In his instructions to Moses about the fourth Exodus plague (the plague of "swarms," probably swarms of flies), God says to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water" (Ex 8:20, KJV).  

Readers have long wondered why God punctuates his statement with an extra "lo" or "behold" (hinei in Hebrew).  The extra word might imply that God wants Moses to pay special attention to the fact that Pharaoh is going to the Nile.  

One tradition on this point (expounded by the medieval Jewish commentator Rashi) proposes that Pharaoh goes to the water to relieve himself in private.  The idea is that Pharaoh is supposed to be a god and doesn't want it known that he needs to take care of human bodily functions.  

God, then, may be having Moses confront Pharaoh at a place where Pharaoh feels most vulnerable.  

Rob Wilson shared this tradition in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on December 14, 2024.  He also tied it in with the Incarnation, with the fact that Jesus came to the earth as a human baby, putting himself in a vulnerable position because of his love for us, as expressed in Philippians 2.

Seder 160: Deuteronomy 31:14-30---Commissioning Joshua; Preparing a Song

 At the end of his life Moses has a few last things to accomplish.  God has him appear with Joshua at the tent of meeting for Joshua's commissioning (v 14).  God encourages Joshua:  "Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them.  I will be with you" (v 23).  

On the other hand, God has discouraging words for Moses.  The Israelites, he says, will eventually fall into apostasy.  To head this off, Moses is to present a special song to the people that will act as a witness against them.  (Commentator Daniel Block refers to this song as Israel's national anthem.)

There is some tension between the encouraging words to Joshua and the disouraging words to Moses.  There is a tradition that God gave the discouraging words to Moses privately, since letting Joshua hear them might have been counterproductive.  

As a whole, Deuteronomy lays out what Block calls "the gospel according to Moses."  Deuteronomy also belongs to a genre that has been called a "death narrative." a presentation of Moses' last words before his death.  Can there be good news in a death narrative?  Rob Wilson explored this question in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on September 9. 2023.   

Seder 152: Deuteronomy 22:1-8---Love for Neighbor and Creation Care; Hastening Messiah's Return

 In Deuteronomy 22, Moses expresses the principle of love for neighbor with some concrete examples.  Verses 1-4 emphasize making sure that lost possessions be returned to their owners.  Verse 8 is about concern for a neighbor's safety.  

The cases in verses 1-4 also involve taking care of injured animals.  Compassion for animals appears again in verses 6-7, a prohibition against taking a mother bird from a nest with her young.  This case  teaches prudent management of resources as well.  

The case in verses 6-7 is accompanied by a blessing---"that it may go well with you, and that you may live long."  The same kind of blessing is associated with showing honor to parents (see Dt 5:16).  

The fact that the same blessing goes with following both a major commandment (honoring parents) and a minor one (sparing a mother bird) implies, according to Jewish tradition, that none of God's instruction should be ignored.  A related teaching of Jesus advocates placing emphasis on major principles while not neglecting minor ones (Mt 23:23).  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on July 15, 2023, Rob Wilson noted that when Moses says "you shall let the mother go" in verse, he places emphasis here with a "doubled verb" construction.  (The NIV, for example, reflects this emphasis by rendering it "be sure to  let the mother go."  The Midrash Rabbah gives the explanation that by doing this, one will hasten the coming of Elijah and the Messiah.

The idea of "hastening the coming of the Messiah" is also a part Christian tradition.  Rob pointed out that Peter spoke of Christians "waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:12).  Peter says much in his epistles about how to live as we wait for Jesus' return.  For example, he instructs Christians in 1 Peter 4:7-10 to 

• be self-controlled;
• be sober-minded;
• love one another;
• show hospitality;
• use the gifts God has given us to serve one another.

In this way we can be ready for the return of Jesus, whenever it happens to occur. 

Seder 150: Deuteronomy 20---Instructions on Warfare

In Deuteronomy 20, Moses laid out the ground rules for Israelite warfare.  A big message of verses 1-9 is that warfare would not be a top priority for Israel.  They would engage in it only when God directed them to do so, in which case he would be with them (v. 1).  That meant that they didn't need large numbers of soldiers, and they would not need to have a standing army.  Spiritual readiness would be more important for them than military preparation (v. 4).

A priest was to address the troops before a battle.  He would exhort them not to have fear, and he would urge anyone who had pressing family commitments or any kind of fears to step aside.  The morale of the army would be hurt by the presence of anyone who could not participate whole-heartedly.  

After the Israelites occupied Canaan, it's possible that they would have the opportunity to acquire additional territory.  In such a case, they were to begin by offering terms of peace to that place (v 11).  

Moses repeats in verses 16-18 that they are not to make treaties with the Canaanites, however (vv 16-18).  Canaanites were to be given three options:

• join the Israelites, as Rahab and her group did;
• flee from the area;
• stay and fight.

Those who chose the third option were to be devoted to destruction (v 17).  Canaanite ways of thinking would compromise Israel's mission in the world.  

One of the worst aspects of war is the ecological damage it causes.  Israelites were to minimize that kind of damage (vv 19-20).  

Christian Torah scholar John Sailhamer observed that a number of the principles described in Deuteronomy 20 were followed by Abram in his rescue of his nephew lot in Genesis 14.  

Since God was perfectly capable of removing any military obstacles from Israel's path, he could have chosen to not subject them to any military activity.  There must have been things for them---and perhaps the surrounding nations---to learn from such activity.  Presumably some would some grow in faith through the experience.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on July 1, 2023, Rob Wilson addressed the difficult subject of the conquest of Canaan.  This was a one-time event, a special situation in which a major factor was the moral depravity of the Canaanites.  Rob elaborated on the "abominable practices" mentioned in Deuteronomy 20:18.

Passover 2023: Joshua 5-6---Passover in the Promised Land

Shortly after the events recorded in Deuteronomy, Joshua led the Israelites in a miraculous crossing of the Jordan River and into the Promised Land.  It was a time for covenant renewal.  (It is interesting that one fragment of the book of Joshua found in the Dead Sea Scrolls places the material from Joshua 8:30-35 about the covenant renewal ceremony in between verses 5:1 and 5:2.)

The reader is surprised to learn that the younger generation of male Israelites, the ones born in the wilderness, had never been circumcised (5:2-9).  With Passover days away, a mass circumcision was carried out.  While the Israelites recovered at their camp at Gilgal, the Canaanites fearfully wondered what the invaders would do next.

We are not told why the younger generation of males had not been circumcised already.  One possibility is that conditions in the wilderness weren't conducive to carrying out and recovering from the rite.  Perhaps God declared a moratorium on circumcisions after the Passover celebration held during the second year of the Exodus (Num 9).  

Another possibility is that this was another area in which the older generation had been negligent.  In this scenario, their lack of attention to the sign of the covenant typified the apostasy of that generation. 

When the circumcisions were complete, God told Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you" (verse 9).  What was the "reproach of Egypt."?  I have heard several explanations:

• the judgment on the older generation that left Egypt (Richard Hess).
• the taunting that Israelites presumably received from Egyptians during the wilderness years (David Howard).
• the shame of slavery.  Now Israel finally had a land to call home (Gordon McConville).

At this point the gift of manna to the Israelites ceased (vv 10-12).  The manna was a foretaste of the land, a promise that they were going to inherit it, and now they had arrived.

Verses 13-15 record Joshua's encounter with an angelic figure, the "commander of the Lord's army."  The commander made it clear to Joshua that God didn't play favorites.  He would be on their side if they were on God's side.

The appearance of the commander was a reminder that the Israelite army faced the important task of conquering the land.  The first target was the military outpost at Jericho, strategically located at the intersection of some major roads.  

Joshua 6:1 reports that "Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel.  None went out, and none came in."  The soldiers there feared the Israelites but were not surrendering.  Jericho's being "shut up" symbolized its resistance to the truth.  

Israel's conquest of Jericho was not a normal military operation.  It was instead a solemn religious ceremony.  The outcome of the battle was determined in advance.  

Rahab and those with her escaped and joined the Israelites, and Joshua 6 says almost as much about their rescue as about the destruction of the fort.  Rahab's example illustrates the fact that the inhabitants of Jericho had one last opportunity to repent during the seven days that Israel's army circled its walls.

At Church of the Messiah Rob Wilson gave a sermon on Passover on April 1.  On April 8, Kyle Kettering spoke on how the bitter herbs of the Passover Seder point to Jesus.  

Seder 131: Numbers 34---Boundaries of Canaan

 Numbers 34 lays out the boundaries of Canaan, the land that God was granting to the Israelites.  Commentators note that Canaan was a recognizable entity at that time.  It is mentioned, for example, in some Egyptian texts.  

The land area described in this chapter includes more than Israel ever managed to claim, even in the time of David and Solomon.  We might call the boundaries listed in Numbers 34 "aspirational boundaries" for Israel.  

Much more expansive is the description of the promised land that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 15:18:  "from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates."  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 21, 2023, Rob Wilson explained the possibility that Gen 15:18 is intended as a merism, in this case a way of referring to the whole world.  It is God's plan to bring salvation to all nations through the seed of Abraham.  In this reading, Gen 15:18 is a Messianic prophecy.

Seder 130: Numbers 33---Stages of the Journey

Numbers 33 lists 42 stages in Israel's exodus journey, as recorded by Moses at God's direction.  The children of Israel had experienced much during the 40 years in the wilderness, and the names of the places they camped would have reminded them of the lessons they learned at each stage.  

Some of the place names in Exodus 33 are familiar from previous accounts in Exodus and Numbers.  Others are first mentioned here.  For example, Dophkah and Alush in verse 13, from the initial pre-Sinai part of the journey, are not mentioned back in Exodus 15-17.  

Many of the names of their camps are mentioned only in Numbers 33 (e.g., stages 15-26).  Some of these names may be ones that the Israelites came up with themselves to refer to things that happened at those stages of their travels.  All we have now are the names.  

Commentaries on Numbers often contain translations of the names in the list.  Here are some interesting ones from the list given by commentator Dale Brueggemann:

• Rithmah (stage 15)  "sage city"
• Rimmon-perez (stage 16) "pomegranate gap"
• Libnah (stage 17) "white place"
• Mount Shepher (stage 20)  "mount of beauty"
• Haradah (stage 21) "frightening" or "trembling"
• Makheloth (stage 22) "place of assembly"
• Mithcah (stage 25) "sweet place"
• Moseroth (stage 27)  "reins, bonds straps"
• Jotbathah (stage 30) "pleasantness"
• Zalmonah (stage 35) "black place"  (Brueggemann suggests "Gloomsville")

The majority of the 40 years may have been spent around Kadesh, stage 33.  

By stage 42, they are at the plains of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho.  Their next task will be to "depaganize" the land of Canaan (vv 50-56).  If they fail, Canaan will paganize them and they could suffer the fate of the Canaanites.  

Throughout the 42 stages, one thing has been constant:  God has been with them throughout the journey.  Rob Wilson stressed this in a sermon on Num 33-34 at Church of the Messiah on January 21, 2023.    

Seder 124/125: Numbers 28-29---Israel's Worship in the Promised Land

 Numbers 28-29 continue to look ahead to Israel's settlement in the Promised Land.  These chapters describe Israel's corporate worship in the land, including all of the corporate sacrifices for a typical year.  Through this worship calendar, Israel could be in continual fellowship with God, maintaining a close relationship.  The daily morning and evening sacrifices (28:1-8) symbolized the constant, continuing nature of that relationship.  

Over the course of a year, at least 113 bulls, 32 rams, and 1086 lambs would be sacrificed.  Implicit here is God's promise of blessing.  In order for Israel to offer these animals, God would need to provide them.  

During the Feast of Tabernacles (Num 29:12-34), a total of 70 bulls would be offered, perhaps symbolizing Israel's outreach to the nations and God's plan to use Israel to save all nations.

In addition to the corporate sacrifices, there would be a number of personal sacrifices (29:39).  The annual Passover sacrifices fell into this category, for example, as did firstfruits offerings.  These were also an essential part of Israel's worship.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on November 19, 2022, Rob Wilson described Israel's corporate and individual worship and how they were intertwined.    

Seder 121: Numbers 25---The Zeal of Phinehas

 The oracles of Balaam communicated the depths of God's commitment to the people of Israel.  The only thing that could separate the Israelites from the blessings of God would be a lapse in their commitment to God.  And Israel's commitment did lapse soon afterward.  In an event that was a sort of "golden calf incident" for the younger generation of the Exodus, the Israelites were lured into idolatry and adultery by the Moabites and Midianites (Num 25:1-6).  

We learn later that a trap was set, at Balaam's suggestion, to lure the Israelites into apostasy (Num 31:15-16).  Although Balaam grudgingly communicated the message God made him deliver, he apparently still wanted to somehow curse Israel.  

God told Moses to put to death those responsible for Israel's apostasy (vv 4-5).  The situation was serious, as one Israelite was openly committing adultery with a Midianite woman in the Israelite camp (v 6).  

Then Aaron's grandson Phinehas, whose father Eleazar was in charge of guarding the sanctity of the sanctuary (Num 3:32), took action.  Catching the couple in flagrante delicto, he ran them through with a spear (Num 25:7).  Honoring the zeal of Phinehas, God stopped the plague that he had sent (v 8).  Twenty four elephs died in the plague. (Remember that "thousand" is not necessarily the correct English translation for eleph.) 

Phinehas has been celebrated throughout Israelite history for his zeal on this occasion.  His quick action "was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever" (Ps 106:31).  He was a role model for the Maccabees (1 Macc 2:13-28).  

The apostle Paul admonished Christians to learn from what happened at Shittim (1 Cor 10:1-13).  We know that God's commitment to his New Covenant people is just as firm as his commitment to Israel (Rom 8:31-39), but we should not become overconfident (1 Cor 10:12). 

One question often raised in regard to I Cor 10 is Paul's statement in verse 8 that "twenty three thousand fell in a single day" at Shittim, in apparent disagreement with the twenty four thousand of Num 24;9.  There is no clear way to resolve this difference.  Some have suggested that of the 24 elephs who died in the plague, 23 died on a single day. This is possible, but we have no other witness to this detail.  The exact number who died in the plague has no bearing, of course, on the lesson Paul was communicating.  

The fact that the discrepancy has been preserved speaks to the integrity of the transmission of the text of scripture.  It would have been easy for a scribe at some point to remove the discrepancy, but that didn't happen.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on October 22, 2022, Kyle Kettering reflected on the zealous examples of Phinehas, John the Baptist, and Abraham.  Both Abraham and Phinehas had their believing loyalty "counted to them as righteousness" (Gen 15:6; James 2:18-26). We are called to the same kind of righteousness.  

Rob Wilson further addressed the subject of zeal in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on October 29, 2022.  How can one tell the difference between the godly zeal of Phinehas and one's personal zeal?  He mentioned several examples:

• Paul's zealous persecution of Christians before his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Phil 3:6).
• Zealous protestors who are willing to bomb abortion clinics.
• The zeal of abolitionists like John Brown.

We need to be sure of God's approval before undertaking zealous actions, Rob stated. 

Seder 120: Numbers 24----Balaam's Third and Fourth Oracles: Israel's Coming King

 After his first two oracles, Balaam saw that there was no possibility he would be placing a curse upon Israel.  Numbers 24:1 informs us that at this point, "he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens."  Instead, the Spirit of God spoke through him, and he blessed Israel a third time.  He pictured Israel in an Edenic setting (24:5), and then he spoke more specifically about a king of Israel---"his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted" (v 7).  

The reference to Agag reminds us of the Amalekite king later defeated by King Saul (1 Sam 15), and of the fact that the infamous Haman of the Persian court was an "Agagite" (Est 3:1, 10).  On the other hand, the Septuagint and Samaritan Pentateuch say "Gog" rather than "Agag."  Gog is the infamous prophesied end-time opponent of Israel who is defeated by God (Ezek 38-39; Rev 20:8).  The reference to Gog suggests that the king in view here is the Messiah.  Some have connected the beginning of verse 7 ("Water shall flow from his buckets") with Jesus as the source of "living water" in John 7:37-39.  

The beginning of verse 8 ("God brings him out of Egypt") parallels Num 23:22 ("God brings them out of Egypt"), speaking in the singular rather than in the plural.  In context, this seems to be a reference to the Messiah coming out of Egypt (Matt 2;13-15).  It seems that in Matthew 2:15, Matthew could have had Num 24:8 in the back of his mind along with Hosea 11:1.  

The first part of Num 24:9 repeats Gen 49:9, and it could again be a reference to the death and resurrection of the Messiah, as Kevin Chen has argued.  The second part of Num 24;9 refers back to the Abrahamic promise of Gen 12:1-3.

After this thrid oracle Balak made clear that Balaam would not be receiving any reimbursement for his efforts.  But before the two parted, Balaam gave him a free bonus oracle that explicitly refers to "the latter days" (v 14).  "A star shall come out of Jacob," he proclaimed, "And a scepter shall rise out of Israel" (v 17).   

This prophecy of the star and scepter has always been viewed as Messianic by both Jews and Christians.  The scepter imagery refers back to Gen 49:10.  William Grissom has suggested to me that the two parallel clauses of the prophecy might refer to the two comings of the Messiah.  

The prophecy about crushing the forehead of Moab (v 17) contains another allusion to Gen 3:15.  Num 24:17 is referred to later in Jer 48:45.  The dispossession of Edom (v 18) is picked up later by Obadiah.

Numbers 24 is one of the most important Messianic prophecies in the Pentateuch, given by a Gentile seer who blessed Israel in spite of himself.  Sadly, Balaam resisted God and the message God gave through him.  In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on October 8, 2022, Rob Wilson contrasted Balaam with the faithful prophet Isaiah.

Seder 117: Numbers 19---Dealing with Corpse Impurity

The subject matter of Numbers 19 is related to Lev 11-15, since the topic is the ritual impurity contracted through contact with dead bodies.  What role does this material play in the narrative of Numbers?   

Between Numbers 14 and Numbers 20, 38 years pass.  The text gives few specifics about what happened during that period.  One thing it does tell us is that the older generation of Israelites died during that period.  And each death resulted in ritual impurity for those who had contact with the body.

Numbers 19 gives instructions for dealing with corpse impurity.  A red cow would be sacrificed and its carcass burned up.  Some additional ingredients were added to the ashes---cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet yarn---perhaps to enhance the redness of the mixture, symbolizing blood.  

The ashes were a kind of purification offering in concentrated form.  Water containing the ashes was sprinkled on a person who had had contact with a corpse, along with any objects that had been rendered unclean through contact with the corpse.  

The instructions in Numbers 19 contain lots of fascinating details.  In Jewish tradition, these instructions are treated as a quintessential mystery, and their sometimes paradoxical nature is highlighted.  Still, the Tanakh says that there is value in meditating on these things (Ps 110:23). 

For example, those who handled the ashes and sprinkled the water contracted a minor ritual impurity. So how did the ashes that cleansed the impure cause a minor impurity for others who produced and handled them?

Commentator Roy Gane has suggested a rationale for this rule.  He is one of the modern scholars who has built conceptual models for how the rituals of Israel worked.  The ashes were going to absorb a lot of ritual impurity, and because of that potential, they were treated, even before they were used, as if that absorption of impurity had already occurred.  

This reminds us of the fact that sins throughout history have been forgiven through the death of Jesus, including sins committed before the Incarnation, because Jesus' death had as good as happened even before it occurred.  He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8).  

One batch of ashes from a cow sacrificed at a particular time could be used to remove impurity over some long period of time after that.  This reminds us of the fact that through Jesus' death, sins committed long after the crucifixion have been forgiven.  

Despite the great potential of the ashes to remove impurity, water had to be added and the ashes sprinkled in order for purification to occur.  Similarly, for our sins to be forgiven, we have to accept the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on September 17, 2022, Rob Wilson gave further discussion of the mysteries of Numbers 19.

Seder 115: Numbers 16---Korah's Rebellion

 At some point during Israel's 40-year sojourn in the wilderness (after the middle of the second year and before the end of the 39th), a group of Reubenites, Levites, and leaders confronted Moses and Aaron.  

The Reubenites Dathan and Abiram mistakenly blamed Moses for having not yet led them to the Promised Land.  Painting a misleadingly rosy picture of life in Egypt, they accused Moses of deceiving them by taking them away from a "land of milk and honey" into a desolate wilderness (Num 16:12-14).  

A group of Levites led by Korah, a cousin of Moses and Aaron, seemed to have resented the fact that the priesthood was reserved for Aaron's family.  

Understandably, Moses resented their false and unfair accusations.  It was not his fault that Israel had not reached the Promised Land.  He asserted to God, "I have not taken one donkey from them, and I have not harmed one of them" (v 15).  

A few centuries later, the prophet Samuel gave a similar defense of himself in an address to the people of Israel. "Whose ox have I taken?  Or whose donkey have I taken?" (1 Sam 12:3)  In using this language, Samuel implicitly compared the Israelites of his day who demanded a king to Korah.  (1 Sam 11:14-12:22 is a traditional haftarah portion associated with this part of Numbers in the annual Torah cycle.)   

After giving the rebels a night to consider their actions and repent, God judged them decisively.  Dathan and Abiram and their families were swallowed up by the ground.  Those who aspired to the priesthood were incinerated.   Tradition has it that Korah, the ringleader, was in flames when the ground swallowed him up.  

One Reubenite, On the son of Peleth, is mentioned as a participant in the revolt in Num 16:1 but is not mentioned again.  Tradition has it that he thought better of his actions and did not continue in the rebellion.  In one scenario, his wife dissuaded him from continuing by pointing out that his status would not improve even if the rebellion were successful (b. Sanhedrin 109b-110a; Numbers Rabbah 18.20).  Proverbs 14:1 ("The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down") is traditionally illustrated by contrasting the wives of On and Korah.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Sept 3, 2022, Rob Wilson contrasted the examples of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with those of Moses, Aaron, and the wife of On.  He also reminded us that in the Mishnah, in Pirke Avot 5:10, Korah's dispute is seen as one that is "not for the sake of heaven."  

Seder 106: Num 5:11-31---Suspicion of Adultery

 A major theme in Numbers 5 is the importance of purity, both ritual and moral, for the children of Israel as they prepared to depart from Mt. Sinai early in the second year of the Exodus.  Strong marriages would promote moral purity, and jealousy between marriage partners would threaten Israelite marriages.  

Numbers 5:11-31 describes a case where a husband becomes consumed with jealousy toward his wife, who denies any wrongdoing.  An impasse results.  If that impasse persists, a ceremony is to be carried out at the tabernacle in which the wife is made to drink a special mixture of holy water.  If she is innocent of adultery, there will be no negative consequences from her drinking the water.  If she is guilty, she will suffer physical consequences that will render her unable to bear children.  

One unusual thing about this case is the fact that God promises to intervene and reveal the truth.  Normally God would not intervene in this way in Israel's justice system, and there are provisions in the Torah for what to do in cases of unsolved crimes.  For example, if a man asked his neighbor to watch an animal while he was away and something happened to the animal while no one was looking, the owner would have to accept an oath from the neighbor that the neighbor had not harmed the animal (Ex 22:10-11).  

So one other possibility for this case of suspected adultery would be for the suspected party to take an oath before God that no adultery had taken place, with the provision that the jealous spouse would have to accept that oath.  An interesting question:  Why doesn't the Torah simply go with that possibility?    

The fact that God promises to intervene in such a case may say something about

• how important it is to God to save a marriage.
• the vulnerable position of women in that culture, and how God wanted to protect women.
• the dangerous, destructive power of human jealousy.

One lesson for us might be the importance of avoiding the snare of jealousy.  This case can also lead us to reflect upon the difference between destructive human jealousy and God's "jealousy" for his people, which stems from his love for them.  We might contrast the jealous husband with God, who is faithful to Israel despite their unfaithfulness to him (see e.g. Hosea 2:16-23).   

Questions are raised by Num 5:31, which begins, "The man shall be free from iniquity."  This may mean that if the wife turns out to be innocent, the man will not be prosecuted for making a false accusation.  On the other hand, a Jewish tradition says that it means the test will only be efficacious if the jealous spouse has not been unfaithful.  

We don't know how often this ceremony was ever carried out.  Jewish tradition says that Johanan ben Zakkai ruled in about 70 AD that the test would no longer be used from then on.  The efficacy of the test relied on the people involved fearing God and trusting the answer the test gave, and the rabbis were not sure that the people still had sufficient morality and fear of God for the test to be worthwhile.

A Christian legend recorded in the Infancy Gospel of James, chapter 16, has both Mary and Joseph undergoing the ceremony and being vindicated when Mary's pregnancy leads to accusations against them.  

Num 5:28 says that if the woman turns out to be innocent, then she will be able to have children.  Today's Western readers tend to observe that a wife was put through such an ordeal by her husband, she would likely no longer want to have children with him.  Other cultures can be different, however.  Rob Wilson, in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on June 18, 2022, noted that women in some cultures may be proud of how jealous their husbands are.  

Seder 100: Psalm 81 and Lev 26---God's Desire to Bless His People

 Psalm 81 is associated with worship during either the spring or the fall festivals or Israel (verses 1-4).  At the temple, it came to be sung every Thursday.  

The festivals are a time to celebrate God's mighty works of salvation, in particular those associated with the Exodus (v 5).  Psalm 81 includes an oracle from God, in which he reminds his people of these acts of deliverance.  

We see here God's desire to bless the Israelites.  "O Israel, if you would but listen to me!" he says in verse 8.  In verse 10 he adds, "Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."  But when his people do not listen, he allows them, for their own ultimate good, to suffer for their wrong choices (vv 11-12).  

There is a similar message in Leviticus 26, where God lays out for the Israelites at Sinai the choices they must make.  God desires to bless them, and he will do so if they are loyal to him.  But if they follow other gods, they will suffer a series of escalating punishments that could lead eventually to exile.  

God would not abandon his covenant with Israel, however.  If in exile they sought God in repentance, he would lead them on a new Exodus (Lev 26:40-45).  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on April 23, 2022, Rob Wilson reflected on the choices that God gives us and their consequences, and also on God's choice to not give up on us.  

Seder 96: Leviticus 23---Festivals of Rest, Joy, Remembrance, and Harvest

 Leviticus 23 lays out God's festival calendar.  The biblical festivals are gifts of God to his people, times of rest and times of joy.  They are also times of remembrance---times to remember God's mighty works of salvation, and times to call upon God to remember his people.

For ancient Israel the festivals celebrated the harvests.  At the start of the spring barley harvest, a sheaf of the firstfruits of that harvest was waved before God, thanking God for the harvest and dedicating it to him, the source of all blessings (vv 9-14).  

This ritual was carried out "on the day after the Sabbath" (v 11).  The text does not specify which exact Sabbath this was, and so it was up to communities keeping this festival to make a decision on this matter.  The choice determined the timing of Shavuot/Pentecost, which came 50 days after that Sabbath.  

In Jesus' day the Sadducees began the count to Pentecost on the first Sunday after Passover, while the Pharisees began the count on Nisan 16, the day after the first day of unleavened bread.  Today Jews follow the Pharisaic tradition, while Christians basically follow the Sadducees, with Pentecost seven weeks after Resurrection Sunday.  In 2022 both methods coincide, with the count beginning on April 17 and ending on June 5.  

Pentecost is the time for another offering of firstfruits, this time the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (vv 15-17).  

Christians recognize the harvest festivals as symbolizing spiritual harvests of people. The firstfruits ritual during the days of unleavened bread is associated with the resurrection of Jesus.  "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep," Paul wrote in 1 Cor 15:20.  Some have suggested that when Jesus made the ascension to which he referred in John 20:17, he may have been carrying out a sort of wavesheaf offering.  

The next to be resurrected are those who are "those who belong to Christ" (v 23).  This group can be associated with Pentecost and is also referred to in the New Testament with firstfruits language ( Rom 8:23; 11:16; 2 Thes 2:13; James 1:18; Rev 14:4).  

A later, larger harvest is symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall.

Rob Wilson looked at the concept of firstfruits and the festival calendar in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on March 19, 2022.

Seder 93: Lev 19---Fruit Trees, Fig Trees, the Cross, and the Tree of Life

 Leviticus 19:23-25 gives instructions about the planting of fruit trees in the Promised Land.  During the first three years a tree would be considered "uncircumcised"---not yet dedicated to God--and any buds that developed would be broken off.  The fourth year's production would be the "firstfruits" from that tree and would be donated to the tabernacle or temple.  The planter would begin to enjoy the fruit in the fifth year.  

Behind these instructions seems to the be principle that God is the owner of everything and the provider of all our food.  Commentators also observe that the instructions make horticultural sense.  The tree will be a better producer in the long run if it its buds are broken off during the first three years.  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on February 26, 2022, Rob Wilson noted a connection between Lev 19:23-25 and Jesus' parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9.  In both Leviticus and the parable, a five-year time frame is envisioned.  The implication seems to be that disciples of Jesus, like trees in the Promised Land, should be producing fruit within five years. 

Another important biblical fruit tree is the tree of life, which was briefly available in the Garden of Eden and will be available again in a future new Eden.  In the letter to the church at Ephesus in Rev 2:7, God promises, "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."  The Greek word for "tree" here is xylon, a word elsewhere used for the cross (Acts 5:30; 10:39).  Here we get a hint that the cross is a tree of life (HT:  William Grissom).  

Seder 91: Lev 18---Forbidden Unions

In Lev 18 and 19 the sentences "I am the Lord" and "I am the Lord your God" are repeated frequently.  These are short forms of "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.  God had rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and become their new master.  He brought them out of Egypt  to a new life, an abundant life in the land promised to Abraham (Lev 18:5)  

To thrive in the Promised Land, the Israelites would need to be different from the Egyptians and the Canaanites.  In all aspects of life, they were to reflect the character of God.  In particular, strong families would be important.  

Israelites would often marry within their tribes and clans, but marriages with close relatives would be forbidden--v. 6.  

There are examples in the Bible illustrating why the forbidden pairings are bad ideas.  For example, notice v. 18:  "And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive."  There are two possible understandings of "her sister" in this verse.  It can either mean "her female sibling", or it have the broader meaning of an additional wife in general.  Either way, the example of Jacob and his marriages to Rachel and Leah is relevant.  Jealousy and rivalry led to much strife in that extended family.  

Another example is the marriage of Herod Antipas to Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip (Mark 6;14-29).  John the Baptist's condemnation of that marriage (based on Lev 18:16) resulted in his imprisonment and beheading.

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on February 12, 2022, Rob Wilson suggested that John's death may have been what prompted Jesus to start his final trip toward Jerusalem and his own martyrdom (Luke 9:51).

Other Canaanite and Egyptian practices (homosexuality, bestiality, child sacrifice) are also condemened in Lev 18. 

Seder 89: Leviticus 16---The Annual Temple Cleansing

 Over the course of a year in ancient Israel, purification offerings would transfer ritual and moral impurities to the tabernacle or temple.  Then once a year, on the Day of Atonement, a cleansing of sacred space took place.  The cleansing rituals are described in Lev 16.  

These rituals carried some powerful symbolism.  Especially meaningful was a ceremony involving two goats.  One goat was a purification offering for the congregation.  Over the second goat, the high priest confessed the sins of the nation.  This would have been quite a prayer, as Rob Wilson pointed out in a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 29, 2022.  The congregation supported the high priest with prayers of their own.  

The second goat was then released into the wilderness, never to return.  (During the Second Temple period, this goat was sent over a cliff to ensure that it did not return.)    

The second goat was called the goat "for Azazel."  Azazel is a Hebrew word that appears only here, and it has more than one possible meaning.  One of the possibilities is that this is a compound of the words for "goat" and "going away".  The goat went away with the sins of Israel, removing them far from the tabernacle or temple.  

Christians see in the two goats a picture of the fact that through the sacrifice of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and also forgotten---taken "as far as the east is from the west" (Ps 103:12).  Jesus is "the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29).   

Seder 87: Lev 14:33-53---Ritual Impurity in a House

Looking ahead to Israel's arrival in the Promised Land, Lev 14:33-53 describes a situation where a house becomes ritually impure because of some kind of fungal growth on the walls.

Verse 34 speaks of God putting "a leprous disease in a house" (v 34).  That doesn't necessarily mean that God would be placing the growth in the house as a punishment.  God is in some sense responsible for everything, and the verse may be speaking in that sense.  

This language might also reflect the way in which people in the ancient Near East thought about such growths.  In Mesopotamia house fungus was believed to carry omens, with the message varying according to the color and placement of the fungus.  People would carry out magic spells to try and avoid negative events they thought were indicated by the fungus.  One reason for the instructions in Lev 14 may have been to counteract such beliefs and practices by making clear that God was in charge and such a growth was not due to the activity of some other god or demon.  

Note that nothing is said about the growth being a consequence of sin.  The motivation for the instructions in Lev 14 is also not public health, as we see in verse 36.  where a house is emptied before the priest inspects it so that the things inside it will not be declared impure. 

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Jan 15, 2022, Rob Wilson explained that the Hebrew word for "put" in Lev 14:34 means "gift," leading to the insight that a house might have received a fungus for the good of its inhabitants.  Perhaps the house was unsafe, for example, and needed to be torn down for their safety.  Correction from God, of course, is ultimately for our good. 

Rob mentioned an imaginative proposal made by the medieval Jewish commentator Rashi.  Rashi speculated that when the Israelites took over houses from Canaanites who had fled during the conquest, perhaps God marked a house with fungus so that the new Israelite owners would find treasure that the previous owners had hidden in the walls of the house.    

Seder 84: Some Academic Questions about Ritual Purity

 After Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary went to the Temple at the appropriate time to carry out the sacrifices called for in Lev 12:6-8---see Luke 2:22-24.  

The wording of Luke 2:22 has raised questions.  The verse begins, "And when the time came from their purification...."  To whom does "their" refer?  And were newborn babies considered to be ritually impure?

Leviticus 12 does not address directly the question of whether a newborn baby was considered to be ritually impure.  There was no reason to address this question, since newborn babies would not be going to the Temple on their own to offer sacrifices.  

One could argue that the baby would pick up ritual impurity during the birth process, much as a man picks up ritual impurity from a woman if her menstrual period begins during sexual intercourse (Lev 15).  This assumes that the baby is already a separate individual---and not just an extension of the mother---before the birth.  

There is evidence that at least some Jews in Jesus' day believed that a newborn baby was ritually impure.  For example, Jubilees 3:8-14 (considered in the previous post), which said that Adam and Eve were only allowed in the sacred space of the Garden of Eden after waiting periods of 40 and 80 days, is treating the couple as "newborns" and assuming that they initially were ritually impure.  

Some commentators have accused Luke of being ignorant of Jewish law when he speaks of "their" purification, but a study of the evidence vindicates Luke, as Matthew Thiessen has pointed out. 

All of this leads to another interesting academic question:  Was Jesus ever ritually impure?  

There are two schools of thought on this question.  Some argue that since Jesus was fully human and gave up many divine prerogatives in becoming human (Phil 2:5-11), and since occasional ritual impurity is not sinful but just a part of being human, then Jesus did at times become ritually impure.  This could have happened at birth, for example, or when he reached puberty and had a nocturnal emission of semen.  

Another view is that since Jesus was a powerful source of purity that conquered impurities, he would not have become ritually impure.  One can base this view on passages like Lev 11:36, which show that living water, a source of purity, did not become ritually impure when a carcass came in contact with it.  

Both schools of thought are based on important truths about Jesus, so there is something to learn from discussing this academic question.

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Dec 25, 2021, Rob Wilson reflected on the importance of the Incarnation as described in Phillipians 2, where Christ voluntarily relinquished divine prerogatives and  became a human being on our behalf.