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Shabbot Shalom, this week’s parasha is Sh’lach Lecha which means “Send Out” and covers Numbers chapter 13:1 through 15:41. We begin with the Lord telling Moses to send out 12 men into Canaan. Moses told each man to do reconnaissance in the land. He instructed them to see  if the people are strong or weak, how many lived there, if the land is good or bad, how many cities, and did they live in open camps or fortified camps. They also were instructed to bring back some of the fruits of the land. 

Now when the men returned from the land, they went in front of all the congregation of Israel to report what they had found. They reported the following in chapter 13 verse 27 through 28, “We came into the land where you sent us, and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.  Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large.” This caused the people of Israel to start talking amongst themselves. Some probably because they reported it flowing with milk and honey, also the size of the fruit would have been amazing. One of the leaders that went into the Promised Land was Caleb. 

He stated that our people should go up and take the land and we would be victorious. However, the other leaders, except Joshua, told a different story. That we could not take the land, for the land through which they went to spy out is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people they saw in it were people of great stature. 

Now in Chapter 14, the people of Israel after hearing the other spies report raised their voices, cried out, and wept. Saying things like in verse 2 and 4, “if only we would have died. Let’s appoint a new leader and return to Egypt!” We can see what a bad report can do to people. It makes us fall away and turn from what God has done for us. 

Moses and Aaron then fell on their faces in front of all the assembly. Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in mourning and told our people that the land was good and that the Lord will give it to us. They told our people to no not rebel against God because the Lord is with us. However, our people began to pick up stones ready to throw them. Now in verse 10, the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting in front of all the sons of Israel. The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “How long will this people be disrespectful to Me? 

And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? I will strike them with plague and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.” Moses pleads with God to show Mercy to our people. In the chapter we see the punishment for those that turned against the Lord. They will not be able to go into the promised land and everyone that turned from God will perish in the wilderness. Hearing this the people try to take the land anyways. Moses tells them that God is not with them and that they will not succeed. Our people once again did not follow the Lord and many were killed in the battle.

In chapter 15 the Lord gives our people commandments to follow when we go into the Promised Land. He also gives instructions for people who want to make an offering, yet are not a part of the tribe of Israel. The chapter ends with a person breaking the Sabbath and then is punished with death by stoning. 

Parasha Shelch Lecha makes us face the reality that God is Just and when we don’t follow what He commands it means death. When we read this week’s parasha it is easy to think we would do better. 

How often do we look at ourselves and think we would be like Caleb? Sharing the truth with the people around us and believing in the truths about God. But if we are honest, we would be or have been like the other leaders, not sharing or trusting in the truth that God has promised. In our parasha the majority did not trust that the Lord would allow us to take over the Promised Land. 

Today, many of us are unwilling to share the Good News of Messiah Yeshua. But if we don’t share the Good News, then we will be like those bad leaders. We don’t want the people around us clinging to the lies of our world. Lies like there is no one to save us, that there is no one to trust in. But is that true? No of course not! So why then do we hide the truth from those around us? Yeshua told us in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” So we need to go out and share the Good News, share the Gospel of Messiah Yeshua. The truth that God loves us, but our sin, our wrong doing, separates us from God. However, Yeshua came and died for us so that we can be free from sin, free from our inability to keep the Lord’s commands. 

For those of us who believe in Messiah Yeshua, we have the responsibility to do what the Lord has commanded us. He has sent us out to follow His commands. Let us be like Caleb standing for what God has done in our lives and the lives of those around us. Let’s share the Good News with a world that only knows of darkness and bondage. Let’s spread the good report of the Good News. Thank you.