Parashah 41: Pinchas (Phineas)
Numbers 25:10 through 30:1 (29:40 in some versions)

Parashah 41: Pinchas (Phineas); Numbers 25:10 through 30:1 (29:40 in some versions).

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): 1 Kings 18:46 through 19:21.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Acts 2:1-2

Tanach Scriptures are from Stern's Complete Jewish Bible; B'rit Chadash Scriptures from the Aramaic English New Testament.

Welcome "newbies" and "oldies!" As you all know, Torah was written by Moshe (Moses) and consists of the first five Books of the Bible which contain God's original Divine Instructions in Righteousness. Since this is a Netzarim (Nazarene/Messianic) website, we refer to God by His proper Name: Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey, transliterated into English as YHWH, and most likely pronounced "Yah-way" (see Exodus 3:13-15). His Son's Name is Y'shua (most likely pronounced "Ye-shoo-ah"). Enjoy this week's Torah portion!

This week's parashah holds many nuggets, and we see that YHWH does not condone "tolerance" as seems to be the buzzword of modern Western society! He is very adamant about purity and righteousness in HIS people! In today's portion we see YHWH making a covenant of peace....

In Numbers 25:10 we see YHWH praising Pinchas (the son of El'azar and grandson of Aharon the cohen), and rewarding him for his act of zealotry in killing an Israelite man and a Midianite woman who were fornicating in the presence of God and the assembly, and were instrumental in getting YHWH's people involved in whoring and committing pagan activities (Numbers 25:1-9). The plague that had resulted had already killed twenty-four thousand people, and based on the action of Pinchas an unknown number of lives were saved.

Numbers 25: 12 Therefore say, 'I am giving him (Pinchas) my covenant of shalom, 13 making a covenant with him and his descendants after him that the office of cohen will be theirs forever.' This is because he was zealous on behalf of his God and made atonement for the people of Isra'el."

Numbers 25: 16 ADONAI said to Moshe, 17 "Treat the Midyanim as enemies and attack them; 18 because they are treating you as enemies by the trickery they used to deceive you in the P'or incident and in the affair of their sister Kozbi, the daughter of the leader from Midyan, the woman who was killed on the day of the plague in the P'or incident."

Beginning in Numbers 26:1 (through the entire chapter) we begin to see that, by now, the whole nation of Israel had pretty much been replaced (killed or died off) after their many years in the desert. YHWH orders Moshe and El'azar to take a census of the entire assembly of the people of Isra'el 20 years old and over, by their ancestral clans, all who are subject to military service in Isra'el. A census of the people results in 601,730 men between the ages of twenty and sixty. Moshe then is instructed on how the Land is to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel.

Numbers 26: 51 Thus those who were counted of the people of Isra'el numbered 601,730. 52 ADONAI said to Moshe, 53 "The land is to be parceled out among these as a possession to be inherited, according to the number of names.

Note that Numbers 26:53 refers Joshua 11:23!

Joshua 11: 23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD spoke unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land had rest from war.

YHWH gave it as the inheritance....Remember what He said to Abraham early on:

Genesis 17: 7 "I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you. 8 I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena'an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."

So,the Israelites inherited Canaan/Israel as descendants of Abraham. YHWH told Abraham that the land would become the property of his descendants in generations to come....

Moving on to Numbers 27:

In Numbers 27:1, we see some of the first "women's libbers" - five women who dared to speak out and claim their father's inheritance - The five daughters of Zelophehad who petitioned Moshe that they be granted the portion of the land belonging to their father (who died without sons). YHWH Himself accepted their claim and incorporated it into the Torah's laws of inheritance, thus revealing that, in certain circumstances, inheritance CAN be passed down through women:

Numbers 27: 1 Then the daughters of Tz'lof'chad the son of Hefer, the son of Gil'ad, the son of Machir, the son of M'nasheh, of the families of M'nasheh, the son of Yosef, approached. These were the names of his daughters: Machlah, No'ah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirtzah. 2 They stood in front of Moshe, El'azar the cohen, the leaders and the whole community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3 "Our father died in the desert. He wasn't part of the group who assembled themselves to rebel against ADONAI in Korach's group, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.

4 Why should the name of our father be eliminated from his family just because he didn't have a son? Give us property to possess along with the brothers of our father." 5 Moshe brought their cause before ADONAI. 6 ADONAI answered Moshe, 7 "The daughters of Tz'lof'chad are right in what they say. You must give them property to be inherited along with that of their father's brothers; have what their father would have inherited pass to them.

8 Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

Let's briefly examine that last passage, above:

In Numbers 27:8-11, we saw yet another scripture that negates the anti-Y’shua crowd’s attempts to disprove Y’shua! They are adamant that He cannot be Messiah because His lineage came through a woman (since Joseph wasn’t His biological father; just someone who "adopted" Y'shua...), and they insist the genealogy (according to Judaism), must come through the male. Also, according to the anti-Y’shua crowd, women cannot inherit or pass on an inheritance. Hence, on several levels, Y’shua’s messiahship – according to them - is null and void.

Well, let's examine what SCRIPTURE says:

Numbers 27:8 Moreover, say to the people of Isra'el, 'If a man dies and does not have a son, you are to have his inheritance pass to his daughter. 9 If he doesn't have a daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. 11 If his father doesn't have brothers, give his inheritance to the closest relative in his family, and he will possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra'el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe.'"

So, there goes the idea that women cannot have an inheritance. Now, let's move on to the genealogy thing....Mary should be disqualified to transfer the rights of her lineage to her son, Yeshua - except for a little known exception to the rule!

In Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38 we are presented with two genealogies of Yeshua. On the surface these different listings would appear to be a contradiction in the scriptures. Not only are the two genealogies listed in the reverse chronology from each other, but the genealogy found in Matthew's gospel is the lineage of Yeshua's mother Mary, while the genealogy found in Luke's gospel is the lineage of Yeshua's earthly father Joseph. [Note: this is completely opposed to most teachings! But there is no doubt that Matthew's genealogy is that of Mary, and not her husband Joseph as is usually assumed.]

However, many people fail to realize or address a major problem associated with the genealogical listing found in Matthew's gospel: The lineage of Mary. Once you have established that the line is indeed Mary's you must deal with a second difficulty: The rights of the line are NOT passed through the mother; but rather, through the father. Even though Mary, through her lineage, was of the Davidic bloodline (as was her husband, Joseph), she should be excluded from being able to pass those rights of the bloodline because she was female (Deuteronomy 21:16). So, it is not enough to prove that Mary was an unblemished descendant of David; she had to be a male to transfer the rights. Therefore, she would be disqualified to transfer the rights to her son Yeshua - EXCEPT for a little known exception to the rule.

AND LOOK AT THIS! In Numbers 26 we are introduced to Zelophehad. Zelophehad, we are told, had no sons; only daughters. In Numbers 27, following the death of Zelophehad, the daughters of Zelophehad came before Moses and argued their plight. Because their father had died with no sons, all of their rights of inheritance were to be lost and they felt this was unfair. So Moses prayed to YHWH and He gave Moses an exception to the rule! He told Moses that the inheritance CAN flow through a female, IF they fulfill two requirements: There must be no male offspring in the family (Numbers 27:8) and if the female offspring should marry, they must marry within their own tribe (Numbers 36:6).

Now, returning to Mary. On the surface she should be unable to transfer the rights to her Son. But when you research you find that Mary had NO brothers, she was of the line of David, AND received the inheritance of her father because her father had no sons, AND Mary did indeed marry within her own tribe to Joseph.

End of argument!

Moving on:

Notice in the next passage that we discover the reason why Moshe wasn't going to get into the Promised Land....

Numbers 27:12 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Climb this mountain in the 'Avarim Range, and look out at the land which I have given the people of Isra'el. 13 After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, just as Aharon your brother was gathered; 14 because in the Tzin Desert, when the community was disputing with me, you rebelled against my order to uphold my holiness by means of the water, with them looking on." (This was M'rivat-Kadesh Spring, in the Tzin Desert.)

In other words, it's not a good idea to treat YHWH lightly. Always give credit where credit is due, when it comes to Him!

Anyway, immediately afterward, YHWH commissioned Y'hoshua, son of Nun, delegating to him some of Moshe's authority so that the people would not be without a leader when Moshe died....

Numbers 27: 15 Moshe said to ADONAI, 16 "Let ADONAI, God of the spirits of all human beings, appoint a man to be over the community, 17 to go out and come in ahead of them, to lead them out and bring them in, so that ADONAI's community will not be like sheep without a shepherd." 18 ADONAI said to Moshe, "Take Y'hoshua the son of Nun, a spiritual man, and lay your hand on him. 19 Put him in front of El'azar the cohen and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. 20 Delegate to him some of your authority, so that the entire community of Isra'el will obey him.

21 He is to present himself to El'azar the cohen, who is to find out by means of the Urim what ADONAI's will is for Y'hoshua's decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra'el with him, the whole community." 22 Moshe did as ADONAI had ordered him. He took Y'hoshua, put him before El'azar the cohen and the whole community, 23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as ADONAI had said through Moshe.

Note verse 21 which tells Moshe that Y'hoshua is to present himself to El'azar the cohen who is to find out by means of the urim what ADONAI's will is for Y'hoshua's decisions. (Obviously, there is so much more to God and the Bible than most of us can comprehend....)

In Numbers 28, YHWH (reiterating the commands in Leviticus 23), provides a detailed outline of all His feast days. (Whenever YHWH repeats anything, it means PAY ATTENTION, FOLKS!) This outline was, in essence, a pep talk to tell the people (remember, most of the people who originally started this 40 year journey had died off by that time, and this was a new generation): "Guys, you're about to enter the Promised Land, and here are the rules and regulations you are to observe."

If you haven't already done so, please read Numbers 28 and 29. In brief, these are the feast days and special Shabbats outlined there, along with their respective offerings (please also see The Refiner's Fire's article about the feasts).

Numbers 28:1-3 suggests basically that EVERY DAY is a special feast to YHWH:

Numbers 28: 1 ADONAI said to Moshe, 2 "Give an order to the people of Isra'el. Tell them, 'You are to take care to offer me at the proper time the food presented to me as offerings made by fire, providing a fragrant aroma for me.' 3 Tell them, 'This is the offering made by fire that you are to bring to ADONAI: male lambs in their first year and without defect, two daily as a regular burnt offering.

As you can see by the above, YHWH has certain feasts that He insists be followed by EVERYONE who accepts Him as their God. This is not just a "Jewish" thing, but these observances are something for ALL, including the "grafted-in" believers. (Remember, there were no Jews until Jacob begat the Tribe of Judah, yet every believer up until then was already torah observant.)

Haftara portion:

The prophet Elijah is the central character of this week's Haftorah portion. According to tradition, Elijah shared the same soul as Pinchas, the hero of this week's Torah portion. They both fought zealously fought for YHWH, totally disregarding the possible dangers involved. Check it out:

1 Kings 19: 1 Ach'av told Izevel everything Eliyahu had done and how he had put all the prophets to the sword. 2 Then Izevel sent a messenger to say to Eliyahu, "May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones besides if by this time tomorrow I haven't taken your life, just as you took theirs!" 3 On seeing that, he got up and fled for his life. When he arrived in Be'er-Sheva, in Y'hudah, he left his servant there; 4 but he himself went a day farther into the desert, until he came to a broom tree. He sat down under it and prayed for his own death. "Enough!" he said. "Now, ADONAI, take my life. I'm no better than my ancestors."

5 Then he lay down under the broom tree and went to sleep. Suddenly, an angel touched him and said to him, "Get up and eat!" 6 He looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on the hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down again. 7 The angel came again, a second time, touched him and said, "Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you." 8 He got up, ate and drank, and, on the strength of that meal, traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horev the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of ADONAI came to him; he said to him, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?" 10 He answered, "I have been very zealous for ADONAI the God of armies, because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're coming after me to kill me too."

11 He said, "Go outside, and stand on the mountain before ADONAI"; and right then and there, ADONAI went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before ADONAI, but ADONAI was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but ADONAI was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake, fire broke out; but ADONAI was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. 13 When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu?" 14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for ADONAI the God of armies; because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're after me to kill me too."

15 ADONAI said to him, "Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza'el to be king over Aram. 16 Also anoint Yehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Isra'el, and anoint Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-M'cholah to be prophet after you. 17 Yehu will kill whoever escapes the sword of Haza'el, and Elisha will kill whoever escapes the sword of Yehu. 18 Still, I will spare seven thousand in Isra'el, every knee that hasn't bent down before Ba'al and every mouth that has not kissed him." 19 So he left and found Elisha the son of Shafat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he himself was behind the twelfth. Eliyahu went over to him and threw his cloak on him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Eliyahu and said, "Please let me kiss my father and mother good-bye; then I will follow you." He answered, "Go; but return, because of what I did to you." 21 Elisha stopped following him. Then he took the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, cooked their meat over the wooden yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people to eat. Then he got up, went after Eliyahu and became his servant.

Brit Chadasha portion:

Among our B'rit Chadasha readings today was Matthew 26:1-30 which discusses Yeshua, our FINAL SIN OFFERING - Halleuyah!

Matthew 26: 1. And it was when that Y'shua finished all of these sayings he said to his disciples 2. You know that after two days will be the Paskha (Pesach/Passover) and the Son of man will be betrayed to be put to the execution stake.[1] 3. Then the chief priests and scribes and elders of the people were gathered at the court of the high priest who was called Qayapa.

4. And they took counsel concerning Y'shua that by deceit they might arrest and kill him. 5. And they were saying, "Not during the feast, or else a riot should occur among the people. 6. And when Y'shua was in Beth Anya, in the house of the potter, Shimon 7. A woman approached him who had with her an alabaster vase of ointment which was a very precious perfume, and she poured it upon the head of Y'shua while he was reclining.

8. And his disciples saw and it displeased them and they said, "Why this waste?" 9. For it was able that this be sold for much money and it be given to the poor. But Y'shua knew this and said to them, Why are you troubling the woman, for she has done a good deed for me. 11. For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12. But the one who poured this perfume upon my body, she did it as though for my burial. 13. And truly I say to you, that wherever my Good News is preached, the thing that which she did this will also be told in all the world as a memorial to her. 14. Then one of the twelve who was called Yehuda Skaryota went to the chief priests. 15. And he said to them, "What are you willing to give me and I will deliver him to you?" And they promised him thirty pieces of silver. 16. And from that time onwards, he would seek an opportunity to betray him.

17. Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples drew near to Y'shua and said to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Paskha?" 18. And he said to them, Go to the city, to a certain man and say to him, "Our master says my time it has arrived. With you I will perform the Paskha among my disciples." 19. And his disciples did as he commanded them. And they prepared Y'shua the Paskha. 20. And when it was evening, he was reclining among his twelve disciples. 21. And while they were dining he said, Truly I say to you, that one of you will betray me.

22. And it made them very sad and they began to say to him, each one of them, "Is it I my Master?" 23. And he answered and said, He who dips his hand with me in the dish, that one will betray me. 24. And the Son of man will go just as it is written concerning him, but woe to the man by whose hand the Son of man is betrayed. It would have been better for him if he had not been born. 25. And the traitor said "Perhaps it is I Rabbi" Y'shua answered and said to him, You have said it! 26. And while they were dining, Y'shua took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, Take eat. This is my body.

27. And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them and said, Take drink from it all of you. 28. This is my blood[2] of the renewed covenant[3] which for the sake of many is shed for the forgiveness of sins. 29. And I say to you that I will not drink this fruit of the vine from now on until the day in which I drink it anew with you in the Kingdom of my Father, of Elohim. 30. And they offered praise and went out to the Mount of Olives. 31. Then Y'shua said to them, All of you will be offended by me in this night, for it is written, "I will strike the Shepherd and the sheep of his flock will be scattered."

Before we leave this week's study, let's take a look at another of today's B'rit Chadasha readings with a critical eye on "tongues" which some believe to be "babbling"...According to the following passages, "tongues" refers to actual languages:

Acts 2: 6. And when that sound occurred, all the people gathered and were rioting because they were hearing each man among them who were speaking in their own language. 7. Now they were astonished, all of them, and wondered while they were saying one-to-another, "Can't grasp it!" These, all of them who are speaking, are Galileans. 8. "How do we hear, we each man the tongue in which we were born?" 9. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who dwell in Beth-Nahrin, and Cappadocians, and those from the areas of Pontus, and of Asia. 10. And those from the areas of Phrygia, and of Pamphylia, and of Egypt, and of the areas of Libya that are near to Cryene, and those who have come from Rome - Jews and proselytes.

11. And those from Crete, and Arabians. "Behold we are hearing from them that they are proclaiming the wonders of Elohim in our language!" 12. And they were astonished, and all of them were amazed while saying one-to-another, "What's happening?" 13. But others were mocking them while saying, "These (men) drank new wine and have become drunk!" 14. Afterwards, Shimon Keefa stood up among the eleven Shlichim and lifted up his voice and said to them, "Men, Jews, and all who dwell in Urishlim. Let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. 15. For (it is) not as you think (that) these (men) are drunk, for behold, it is now (only) until the third hour.

The next parashah reading:

Parashah 42: Mattot (Tribes)); Numbers 30:1 through 32:42.

Haftarah (Writings and Prophets): Jeremiah 1:1 - 2:3.

B'rit Hadasha (New Testament): Matthew 5:33-37.

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