TORAH: Numbers 1:1-4:20
HAFTARAH: Hosea 2:1-22
GOSPEL: Matthew 4:1-17
Portion Outline:
The Hebrew name of the fourth book of the Torah (also the name of the first reading) is Bamidbar, which means “In the wilderness.” It comes from the first words of the first verse, which say, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” (Numbers 1:1). The English title of the book is “Numbers,” which is derived from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) version of the Torah. The book of Numbers tells the story of Israel’s trek through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, their failure at the edge of the land and the subsequent forty years of wandering. It concludes with the story of the second generation’s triumphs over the first Canaanite resistance. The book ends with the Israelites poised on the edge of Canaan, ready to take their inheritance. Woven in the midst of these narratives is a significant amount of legal material.
The first reading from Bamidbar and the thirty-fourth reading from the Torah begin with a census of the tribes of Israel and the Levitical families just prior to the departure from Sinai.
Torah
Numbers 1:1 | The First Census of Israel
Numbers 2:1 | The Order of Encampment and Marching
Numbers 3:1 | The Sons of Aaron
Numbers 3:5 | The Duties of the Levites
Numbers 3:14 | A Census of the Levites
Numbers 3:40 | The Redemption of the Firstborn
Numbers 4:1 | The Kohathites
Prophets
Hos 2:2 | Israel’s Infidelity, Punishment, and Redemption
Portion Commentary:
Journey through the Wilderness
Life is a test… Actually, it’s more like a long journey through the wilderness. With tests along the way. Lots of them.
The book of Numbers tells the story of the Israelites’ journey from Mount Sinai to Canaan. Along the way, the children of Israel faced tests and challenges as they progressed toward their ultimate destination: the land of promise. They met both failures and triumphs and learned important, timeless lessons.
The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land is an apt metaphor for the spiritual journey through life. Just as Israel’s journey began when God liberated them from Egypt, our spiritual path begins with a great salvation when we meet the Messiah. Just as God brought Israel to Mount Sinai, Messiah brings us to the revelation of Torah. Just as Israel’s goal was the Promised Land, our ultimate destination is eternal life in the world to come. Between here and there we face tests, trials and all manner of adventures. Like the children of Israel, we may face warfare, temptations, discontentment and agonizing hardships. As with the Israelites in the wilderness, our success or failure is determined by our reactions to these trials.
Paul used a similar metaphor. He compared the life of faith to a race run by athletes. The competitors in the race keep their eyes on the prize ahead. Though Paul was a mighty apostle and confident in his salvation, he did not regard himself as if he had already arrived at his goal:
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet. … I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in the Messiah Yeshua. (Philippians 3:13-14)
In his race metaphor, Paul declared, “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it” (1 Corinthians 9:23). He was concerned that, after having preached to others, he would find himself disqualified from the race (1 Corinthians 9:27). If those were Paul’s sentiments, how much more so should we be concerned with the prize that lies ahead!
Read complete commentary at First Fruits of Zion.
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