Entrance to the Land

[Shimon]

“Then all of you came near to me and said: ‘Let’s send men ahead of us to explore the land for us and bring us back word about the way we should go up and the cities we will enter.’”

– Deuteronomy 1:22, Tree of Life Version

Moses reiterates the events of B’nei Yisrael over the past 39 years, in an effort to convey to the next generation, who will enter the Promised Land, what needs to be learned from their ancestor’s travails. Although various narratives recorded prior in Torah are mentioned, they are being retold in a way that will benefit this generation, boost their morale, and caution them against making similar mistakes that were made by the previous generation.

Moses recounts the first time, thirty-eight years prior, that B’nei Yisrael was about to enter the land. Although they had been encouraged at that time to go forward without fear or trepidation, they hesitated, and requested to send men ahead of them, in order to get a better idea of what they would face when attempting to conquer the land. This might have been seen as prudent, were it not for their motivation in making the request. They did not have enough emunah (faith) in the L’RD, to foster the necessary resolve to enter the land, fully trusting in His strength to provide a victory.

Moreover, they wanted to see ahead of time whether this land of milk and honey was truly what the L’RD said it was. This denoted a lack of trust in the L’RD’s words of promise, concerning their inheritance. The adage rings true: never look a gift horse in the mouth. They wanted to make their own assessment of the land in order to decide if it was all that the L’RD said it would be. They could not see the land through the L’RD’s eyes, nor think with His thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-11).

Thus, Moses reminds the new generation that the L’RD will fight their battles for them. He encourages them to trust in the L’RD; he reminds them of how recently they were able to defeat Og and Sichon, two kings who defended the border into the Promised Land. On a symbolic level, entrance into the Promised Land can be understood as a metaphor for entering Olam Haba (the World to Come). “Things no eye has seen and no ear has heard, that have not entered the heart of mankind— these things G’d has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, TLV). 

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.”

– Hebrews 4:11

[Shimon]

8 hours ago, Josheb said:

Perhaps I missed it but I read through the op twice. How does this op mention a Hebrew root of Christianity? The appeal to 1 Cor. 2:9 seems arbitrary. Hebrews 4:11 makes a little sense but Hebrews 9-11 would seem more germane (and perhaps Romans 4). Can you clarify this?

This is a d'var Torah, expounding upon the weekly reading of the Torah from a messianic perspective. If I failed to make my points, perhaps, I was too subtle in my presentation. However, if you were expecting a general exposition, based upon well known passages like Hebrews 9-11, that is not my intent here, although I have referred to Hebrews 11, in particular, in past writings.

If you're not familiar with this format, at least consider the following verses: John 5:39, John 5:46, Luke 24:27, and 1 Timothy 3:16. There is so much to learn from Torah, by connecting themes to the Bris Chadashah. Yet, I only write in reference to the weekly readings; try seeing what is written in that framework. Perhaps, if you read Hebrews 3:8 - 4:11, you'll get a fuller picture of what I was trying to convey in this particular essay. The concept of Olam Haba is a basic theme in this essay; therefore, 1 Corinthians 2:9 is not at all arbitrary. 

Thank you for your feedback. Shalom.