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The torah reading for this week consist of two parashas. First, we have Mattot, meaning tribes. It is taken from the book of Numbers 30:1-32:42. Secondly, we have Masei, which means journeys. It begins in chapter 33:1-36:13.
Moses was told to speak with all the leaders of Israel and tell them about these commands from the Lord.
If a man made a vow, or promise to do something, or took an oath and put himself under a binding obligation, he must keep it without equivocation.
A father or husband could overrule the vow of a daughter or a wife, when he first hears of it. But, if he remained silent, the vow must be accomplished. If a husband waited for a period after his wife made a vow, he must bear any guilt involved in nullifying it.
A widow or divorcee had to stand by her vow in the same way as a man had to.
In God’s economy, the responsibility of leadership in the family was with the husband and father. As the nation approached settlement in the land of promise, the integrity of the family was carefully safeguarded.
God-ordained male leadership has never changed – not with the arrival of the Messiah or with the arrival of feminism.
Husbands, love your wives. Wives, submit to the God-ordained leadership of your husbands.
Chapter 31, The Lord of hosts of the armies of Heaven said to Moses, “Take vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites. Choose 1,000 men from every tribe for this war to execute the Lord’s vengeance on Midian.”
This battle was a “holy war” that Adonai Himself had declared against Midian because Midian had led Israel into the sin of idolatry.
Adonai had earlier taken vengeance on His own people for yielding to the Midianite’s temptations. Remember 24,000 Israelis died of the plague.
Now the Midianites will be reckoned with, these that gave the temptation; and though judgment begins at the house of God, it shall not end there. The deceived and the deceiver are his, both are accountable to His judgments.
Moses was also told by Adonai that afterwards he would die and would be gathered to his people.
Numbers 25 tells us that Pinchas was the one who stopped the plague from God upon Israel for the corruption by the Midianites.
Pinchas knew what it took to stand against evil in a successful way.
Adonai will now use the 12,000 soldiers from the 12 tribes and Pinchas the son of Eleazar the high priest to lead the battle against Midian.
The campaign against the Midianites was successful and resulted in the death of every enemy soldier. Only the young Midianite women who had not known a man were allowed to live.
Not a single Israeli soldier died in the conflict. And after the battle Joshua killed the five Midianite kings, including Zur, the father of Cozbi, the woman with whom Zimri had sinned with in the camp and in the sight of Moses. And Balaam, the wicked prophet, was also killed.
The commanders of the troops were so grateful for this miraculous victory, this was beyond anything they ever thought or imagined, so much so, that, they brought a freewill offering of a large amount of gold to the Lord of Hosts.
This generous gift was brought into the tabernacle as a memorial before the Lord, reminding us of the grace and faithfulness of the Holy One of Israel.
In chapter 32, we have a request from Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, for permission to settle in the territory recently captured on the east of the Jordan.
Their request was reasonable, and was granted, but only after they vowed not to rest there until Israel’s enemies were defeated. They had to participate in the coming battles west of the Jordan.
Chapter 33 begins Parasha Masei, a review of Israel’s journeys from Egypt to the plains of Moab, along with instructions to destroy the idolatrous Canaanites.
Chapter 34 gives the instructions how the land of the Canaanites was to be divided up among the tribes.
In Chapter 35, cities were given to the Levites, who were instructed to set up six cities of refuge.
These cities of refuge provided a place for anyone who accidentally killed another person to be safe from the dead man’s family who wanted to punish the killer – until he had a fair trial.
These six cities of refuge foreshadow the Messiah in a beautiful way. He is the only one we can go to for refuge from our many sins deserving of death.
There were other cities in Israel, but none of them could shelter a sinner. today there are many religions, but there is only one way of salvation.
We can only be saved by grace through faith in Yeshua our Messiah. If you agree that he’s a wonderful savior, say Amen
In chapter 36, a question came up about the five daughters of Zelophehad. It had already been decided that they could inherit their father’s portion – which showed the importance God places on women.
But what if the five daughters married men outside their tribe? That land would become part of another tribe. The Lord answered that they had to marry a man from their own tribe so the land would remain within the tribe.
Closing thoughts: we should always labor to resemble our Heavenly Father, whose words are eternally true. We should always keep our word even to our own hurt. Adonai values His word above His name.
The Scripture says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. And we would do well to remember that no one escapes His eternal eye. The deceived and the deceiver will face his judgment.
Also, by mercy and grace no one is turned away from the loving, saving, and keeping power of Messiah Yeshua, our eternal savior – according to the VOW of our Holy Father in Heaven.