Beha’alotcha בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ - In Your Uplifting
Torah: Numbers 8:1-12:16
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Apostolic Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:14-21
Reading #7 - Numbers 11:30-12:16
My Thoughts:
Another challenge about authority. Miriam and Aaron are coming to Moses and basically asking him why they can’t be in charge too. They insist they hear from Hashem just as strong as Moses does. Hashem does not like this criticism and punishes Miriam in a public way. Here we learn that if you are going to debate what Hashem says, you could be in serious trouble. It’s important that we all respect those in spiritual authority. Unless they are directly contradicting Hashem’s Word, it is good to support them and trust that they are hearing from Hashem. In other words, be careful who you challenge.
Challenge:
Moses is humble. Even when his sister condemns him, he goes to Hashem and begs for Him to heal her. He loves her and forgives her and intercedes that Hashem will spare her. And He does. Are you ready to defend someone after they have hurt your feelings? Next time someone close to you offends you, I challenge you NOT to get angry but to understand. Give them a chance, pray for them and forgive them. They will learn and so will you.
Reading #7 — Numbers 11:30–12:16
30 :1 Moses went into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. 31 A wind from Hashem went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. 32 The people rose up all that day, and all of that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all out for themselves around the camp. 33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, Hashem’s anger burned against the people, and Hashem struck the people with a very great plague. 34 The name of that place was called Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who lusted.
35 From Kibroth Hattaavah the people traveled to Hazeroth; and they stayed at Hazeroth.
12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has Hashem indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t He spoken also with us?” And Hashem heard it.
3 Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the surface of the earth. 4 Hashem spoke suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three come out to the Tent of Meeting!”
The three of them came out. 5 Hashem came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. 6 He said, “Now hear my words. If there is a prophet among you, I, Hashem, will make myself known to him in a vision. I will speak with him in a dream. 7 My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him, I will speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see Hashem’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?” 9 Hashem’s anger burned against them; and he departed.
10 The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
11 Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in which we have sinned. 12 Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
13 Moses cried to Hashem, saying, “Heal her, Elohim, I beg you!”
14 Hashem said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.”
15 Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days, and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again. 16 Afterward the people traveled from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
Haftarah
My Thoughts:
A story about Joshua, angels, demons and Hashem. One of my favorite Scriptures for overcoming an enemy is in verse 6:1 “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Hashem of Armies.” In other words, we can’t really depend on ourselves and the things we do, but by Hashem’s Spirit are we able to do things. Think of it. Walking in the Spirit with His power is much better than trying to do things in our own power. Don’t you agree? Think about how you can start transforming from what you do to what He shows you to do! You will see some amazing miraculous things!
Challenge:
Joshua’s angel helps him to be rid of his “filthy garments” or the “sin” in his life. He assists him to find repentance and the way to cleanliness. We know that that can only come from obedience to Torah. It comes from loving Hashem and loving others. And this is daily maintenance and work. Every time we “sin” or disobey Hashem and His Torah we must teshuvah - repent and return. This must be earnest and we must put strong effort into this. If we are to walk in “clean” clothing we must be loving Hashem with our whole heart, soul and strength -- and resisting temptation to fall. Let’s try doing that today and be sure to ask Hashem for His help to do this.
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
3 He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before Hashem’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. 2 Hashem said to Satan, “Hashem rebuke you, Satan! Yes, Hashem who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?”
3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. 4 He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, “Take the filthy garments off him.” To him he said, “Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.”
5 I said, “Let them set a clean turban on his head.”
So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and Hashem’s angel was standing by. 6 Hashem’s angel protested to Joshua, saying, 7 “Hashem of Armies says: ‘If you will walk in my ways, and if you will follow my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you a place of access among these who stand by. 8 Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you; for they are men who are a sign: for, behold, I will bring out my servant, the Branch. 9 For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes: behold, I will engrave its engraving,’ says Hashem of Armies, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day,’ says Hashem of Armies, ‘you will invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.’”
4;1 The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?”
I said, “I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it; 3 and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.”
4 I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered me, “Don’t you know what these are?”
I said, “No, my lord.”
6 Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Hashem’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Hashem of Armies. 7 Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”
Apostolic Scripture Reading
My Thoughts:
Today we read about the huge story of the “loaves and fishes”. He starts out with very few, asks Hashem to bless the food, and it multiplies. How wonderful and amazing is that? All the people get fed and everyone is content. This helps them to hear His message. Hungry people can get grumpy, right? But, Yeshua takes care of this -- He feeds them abundantly. Just like in Torah when Hashem feeds the people with manna and quail. He always takes care of us, sometimes in unusual ways!
Challenge:
Giving thanks. The miracle of multiplying the food does not happen until Yeshua gives thanks. How often do you do that? Do you ask Hashem for something and then give Him thanks. I am asking Him for something huge this week, and I am going to start just giving Him thanks. I thank Him and praise Him that I know Him and that whatever He chooses to do, I will love Him through it. If you have something you are asking for, start praising Him! Bless you!
Apostolic Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:14-21
14:14 Yeshua went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 When evening had come, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.”
16 But Yeshua said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 They told him, “We only have here five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 They all ate and were filled. They took up twelve baskets full of that which remained left over from the broken pieces. 21 Those who ate were about five thousand men, in addition to women and children.
