Matot-Massei
Torah Reading: Numbers 30:2-36:13
Reading #5 - Numbers 33:50-34:15
My Thoughts:
The Israelites are being given instructions to drive out the people that are in the land He has promised to them. He orders them to destroy all the false gods and high places. Then He says something very curious in verse 55, “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides.” In other words, if you don’t do what I tell you will be very, very sorry. There is a reason Hashem gives us the Commandments that He does. He knows what is best for us. If we don’t follow them there will be future trouble.
Challenge:
They are entering a land where there are false gods. Isn’t that the land that we live in today? We don’t have the right to drive out people who are not worshiping our G-d, so we live side by side. We need to be so careful. Others can influence us so much. Be sure you are following the one true Elohim. Make sure you do not “mix” with those who do not follow our G-d. That is my challenge to you today. You are to love others and serve your neighbors, just don’t “hang” with them. Amen!
Reading #5 - Numbers 33:50-34:15
33:50 Hashem spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, “When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their stone idols, destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. 53 You shall take possession of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger groups you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
55 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them will be like pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land in which you dwell. 56 It shall happen that as I thought to do to them, so I will do to you.”
34 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to its borders), 3 then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the side of Edom, and your south border shall be from the end of the Salt Sea eastward. 4 Your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass along to Zin; and it shall pass southward of Kadesh Barnea; and it shall go from there to Hazar Addar, and pass along to Azmon. 5 The border shall turn about from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the sea.
6 “‘For the western border, you shall have the great sea and its border. This shall be your west border.
7 “‘This shall be your north border: from the great sea you shall mark out for yourselves Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor you shall mark out to the entrance of Hamath; and the border shall pass by Zedad. 9 Then the border shall go to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.
10 “‘You shall mark out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham. 11 The border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain. The border shall go down, and shall reach to the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward. 12 The border shall go down to the Jordan, and end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land according to its borders around it.’”
13 Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which Hashem has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”
