Numbers 13:1-15:41 "Send for yourself" (eyes on the promise! or circumstances?)

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

PARASHAH: “Shelach’l’ha” (send for yourself)   NUMBERS 13:1-15:41…  
 

     Most of us know the story of the 12 spies that were sent to spy out the land of Canaan, sent by Moshe by the word of YHVH.  But let’s look at the story carefully and see what we can dig out of the sand pile, we might find some valuable stuff hidden in the sand. 

     The word of Moshe to the 12 tribes was that they might select from each tribe a leader to represent that tribe, so the list is read.  Among those selected, we are going to concentrate on two of the leaders;

     “Kaleb” son of “Yephuneh” from the tribe of Y’hudah, and “Hoshea” son of “Nun” from the tribe of Ephrayim”.

      The story goes as follows as we read the Torah.  The 12 are sent out on a “reconnaissance” mission to “spy out” the land.  What do we mean by that?  Any time an army is going to invade a territory, the army needs to know how many men the enemy has, what they have, where they live, their fortresses, etc.  This is a common battle strategy, nothing new.  Adonai has already “promised” them the land, done deal! Yet they still have to go into battle, but the battle already has the outcome, Israelites win! This is what Adonai sees looking up the “finite” timeline in the “finite” dimension” and we must remember that HE sees ALL THINGS from the “infinite” timeline, the things that have already come to pass, even before they “pass”

     But, whose idea was it to "spy out the land?"  We see that Adonai tells Moshe those same words;  "Send for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan which I am giving "B'nei Yisrael"  So, did the idea come from God, or did someone else think of it first?  If we look at Deuteronomy 1:22 we read that the idea came from the people:   Moses said; 

     "And you came near to me and said: 'let us send men before us to spy out the land and bring back word...." 

     So, the idea came from the people, and it seems that God seconded the idea.  "Yes, it is OK, send out men to spy out the land.  It would be a military mission to observe the details; the strengths, the weaknesses, food supplies, etc...which is SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) in any conquest or invasion of an enemy territory.  

     The spies travel throughout the land of Canaan for 40 days, they see many things, the fruit of the land, grapes, pomegranates, figs, date palms, etc. It is indeed a land flowing with “milk and honey” (figs and dates). Yet the beginning of verse 28 starts with BUT! And then follows all the negativity, the people are strong, the cities are walled, the “giants” (and not the team from New York) I mean “the big tall guys” It is very easy to spread discouragement among the people, (vs 32) “and they gave the children of Israel an evil report of the land”.  They decided NOT to trust the promises of God, and to keep their eyes on the "visual" not the "spiritual."  
   
     The only ones who saw the promise of YHVH were Kaleb and Hoshea, they looked to the promise, but the rest of the leaders set their eyes on the “circumstances”.  Going back to verse 16, it points out something interesting; Moshe changes the name of “Hoshea” to “Yehoshua” This is very interesting and sheds light on internal symbolism.

    The name “Yehoshua” contains two names in the Hebrew language “YH” (Yah) and YESHUA!  When we look at the full name “Yehoshua Ben Nun” from the ancient paleo-Hebrew letters and their symbolism, one could get the following message; “Behold and let the eye see (that God, the All-consuming fire) extends the hand to receive the nail, to give (BEN) life to the house (to families) and by the nail, (His) life was given up so that (we) might have life!” (NUN)

     When we look at the name “Kaleb Ben Yephuneh” from the ancient Hebrew symbolism, we could get this message: “The house is anointed for instruction” (Kaleb) and “behold let it be made that from the mouth comes forth instruction” (Yephuneh).  I guess it depends on how one looks at the letters, perhaps another rabbi would come up with something different, but this is just one view from the ancient perspective.

     The result was that panic and discouragement spread throughout the camp, and it wasn’t just a few thousand Israelites, but rather a few million, discouraged by 10 negative leaders. And 10 out-vote 2! Even though Kaleb and Yehoshua tried to encourage the people, the negatives won over.  As the saying goes, you can put a few rotten apples in a barrel of good apples, and the good ones will never correct the rotten ones, but the rotten ones will infect the good ones with rottenness.

     The result, the Israelites had to stay in the desert wilderness for 40 years, 1 year for each day the spies were in Canaan.  Then, to make matters worse, they tried to go into the land without the blessing of Adonai, and they were beaten back.  YHVH wants to destroy them all, yet Moshe intercedes for them, and Adonai listens to Moshe.  This is the same way Yeshua intercedes for us to the Father, on our behalf when we “get rotten” (miracle we’re still in the land of the living? 

     Going to chapter 15, we read something interesting from verses 38 to 41, about making and wearing “Tzitziot” or “fringes” on our garments.  There are many “traditions” in Judaism, such as the wearing of “Yarmulkes” (head coverings) and Ashkenazim dressing in black and white with black hats, even the lighting of two candles comes from “tradition” Tradition isn’t bad, as long as we understand the meaning behind the tradition. But one should NEVER teach “tradition” as “commandments” there is a world of difference between the two.

     However, the making and wearing of Tzitziot, IS a commandment, however many do not follow it,  it is up to each individual.  One can read it and say; “God says it but I won’t follow it” or “God says it and I will do it” We all have the choice to do or not to do.  Whatever the Holy Spirit convicts us to do. 

     No one knows how the original Tzitziot were made, none have survived 3000 years.  Today, there are many different styles and “knot tying” and “wrappings” of the thread when making Tzitziot.  One only has to go to YouTube and look up “Tying Tzitziot” and you will have quite a few videos of instructions on “how to” That is the way I learned, from watching a few YouTube videos on “making Tzitziot”. 

     But what do the Tzitziot symbolize? The scripture tells us in verse 39, “to remember the commandments”.  The blue cord reminds of the “blue sea” where the Israelites crossed, and the “blue” of the heavens from whence our Messiah and LORD will break through to return to earth.  Today, we use 4 long cords, one of which is blue and is the longest.  This cord is used to do the wrappings, and all 4 are used to make the knots.  When one ties the knots, it is customary to say, “BaShem Mitzvah Tzitzit” (in the name of the commandment (of making) the tzitzit.

     There are 5 knots, symbolizing the 5 first books of the Torah, the number “5” also symbolizes “grace” then there are the windings of the blue thread.  The 4 cords are folded over so as to give the appearance of “8” cords, “8” is the number of a “new beginning” which we all have when we are “born-again”

     The windings go as follows (but to get a good view and idea, you need to go to YouTube and view the Tzitziot tying videos) 7 windings, then knot, then 8 windings, then knot, then 11 windings, then a knot, then 13 winding, then the final knot.   Why the 7, 8, 11, and 13 windings of the blue thread?  Well, these spell out the name Y H V H using numbers.  “7” being the “perfect number of God, then 7+8=15 which are the sum of the letters Y + H (Y=10, H=5).  11 = “V +H” (V=6, H=5) so now we have the infallible name Y H V H.  “13” is the sum of the word “ECHAD” (oneness of God) Alef=1, Chet=8 and Dalet=4.   1+8+4=13, it also symbolizes the 13 attributes of Adonai found in Exodus when Moshe asks to “see God” and his “Spirit passes before him”

      As the tzitzit remind us of the commandments, they should always be on our hearts and minds.  If we say we are believers and followers of Messiah Yeshua, we are going to show it through obedience to HIS WORD. AS Yeshua said;  "If ye love me, obey my commandments" (Salvation comes by faith, and evidenced by our works!)   

 

[Knowledge Wrestler]

Hi, what is the disobedience that Israel showed, which is mentioned in Numbers 14:22? Thanks in advance. 

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

This is talking about the generation that left Egypt.  In spite of all the signs and wonders that God performed, they still lacked faith and rebelled. The disobedience is the "lack of faith" that is why God condemned them to die in the wilderness, but their children, would inherit the land of Canaan.  remember that "to obey" is to "trust God" no questions asked, trusting in HIS provision, even if the scenery look grim. 

[Knowledge Wrestler]

2 hours ago, Jacob Ben Avraham said:

This is talking about the generation that left Egypt.  In spite of all the signs and wonders that God performed, they still lacked faith and rebelled. The disobedience is the "lack of faith" that is why God condemned them to die in the wilderness, but their children, would inherit the land of Canaan.  remember that "to obey" is to "trust God" no questions asked, trusting in HIS provision, even if the scenery look grim. 

Thanks for replying.

 

Israel saw suffering, and then rescue, in the wilderness. Would you say that they understood that this was how they would be blessings to the world? That in the Promised Land, YHWH would give them crosses to pick up, so that when He lifted them up from the earth, the world would be drawn to the state of the light of YHWH always being WITH believers in the Promised LAND, and  would make them also want to enter? So that they would in turn also become the same lights? 

 

Would you say that Abraham and Caleb understood and changed from cross avoiding followers to cross accepting leaders, as shown by passing the test when asked to face danger, one at losing his son, and the second, at facing the Amalekites? That they metanoia-ed, were born again, had had a different spirit?

 

Numbers 14

20So the LORD said, “I have pardoned them according to your word; 21but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD. 22“Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, 23shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. 24“But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. 

 

John 3

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is WITH him.” 3Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

 

Heb 5

28 even though He was THE Son, He still had to learn obedience through suffering. 

 

Edited July 30, 2024 by Knowledge Wrestler
Capitalization

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

Amen.  Israel still suffers today, Yet YHVH is with them, will never leave them.  As Israel suffered, so did Messiah suffer.  Yet His suffering was most intense, he suffered only only for Israel, and for the lost sheep of Israel, but for the sheep all over the world.