- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Jun 6, 2018 7:13:34 GMT -8
This week’s readings:
Date of reading- June 9, 2018/ 26 Sivan/ 3-26-5778
Name of Par’shah- 37. Shelach Lekha- Send for Yourself
Par’shah- Num 13:1 – 15:41
Haftara- Josh 2.1-34
Brit Chadashah- Mat 10.1-14, Heb 3.7-19
D’rash: Our readings this week highlight three key principles of our service for God:
God prepares us for service
God prepares the way for us in service
God leads us into service
God prepares us for service
Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV) Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
The way a disciple learned in the 1st cen was to sit at the Rabbi’s feet, listening to every word and trying to memorize what he said. They would later repeat the lesson to each other, correcting each other as needed. In this way they all accurately learned what was taught. They might also discuss the things they were taught, trying to gain a deeper understanding. The lessons were thus internalized, becoming a part of them. The talmidim would also exhort one another to remember the lessons, to endure the hardships and rejections, and to be faithful no matter the cost.
Matthew 10:5-11 (ESV) These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[has come near] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.
So we can see here how the talmidim were sent out locally, among their own people. They were given authority in Yeshua’s name to perform certain miracles and told to practice these things. They were also given authority to teach, but at this point having not received their smicha they only could have taught exactly what Yeshua had taught them. They went without money or provisions, learning to trust YHWH-Yireh God Will See/God Will provide, and depend on the generosity of those they met. They would learn how to judge people: who was kind, generous, and God-fearing, and who was not.
They would also be hardened for service, enduring want, weather, and travel in conditions that may have tried a platoon of Marines. So later when they were sent into the wider world on their own they were ready.
God prepares the way for us in service
Numbers 13:31-33 (ESV) Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Remember from past readings this was the same generation who had been led to the verge of conquest by El Elohei Yisroel, Lord God of Israel manifest as a pillar of fire and smoke, and who now refused to step across the border and take what was promised. Now let’s contrast how they saw the inhabitants of the land and how the inhabitants of one of the strongest cities of that same land saw the same people on their border about 40 years later.
So who were the “sons of ענק Anak? The name means “necklace, riches,” or more likely “long necked.” To be long necked was an idiom for “tall.”
ע ayin- the eye; and if you are tall, you can certainly get an eye-full
נ nun- a fish; energetic, vigorous, and a fighter when caught
ק quf- the back of the head, contempt; the attitude many large, strong people have for those weaker than themselves.
Anakim in English appears to be an ethnonym, or name of a people, however in Hebrew it is spelled ענקים, the plural form; meaning they were probably not themselves a nation, given they fought for others. They were a giant, warlike people of the region near Hebron. Their ancestry has been traced back to Anak, the son of Arba, the “greatest man among the Anakim:”
Joshua 14:15a (ESV) Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba [the city of Arba] (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.)
The Hebrews thought they were descendants of the Nephilim, the mighty ones dominating the pre-Flood world (vs 33 above). This would have been difficult, since they were not on the Ark. But perception drives performance, and it’s more important that they thought they were facing Nephilim than what they actually faced.
Thinking themselves not up to facing giants, the Hebrews rebelled against God, refusing to enter the land He’d promised them. God became angry, refusing this “evil generation” from entering Ha’aretz; Joshua and Caleb being the exceptions.
Yehoshua expelled the Anakim when he conquered Canaan, with Calev finally driving them out almost completely:
Joshua 11:22 (ESV) There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.
The descendants of the Hebrew conquerors would meet and overcome these tall “giants” a few more times in 1 & 2 Samuel, Goliath being the most infamous.
From our haftara:
Joshua 2:8-11 (ESV) Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
Consider that the earlier generation of Canaanites would have heard how Ha’El Ha’Gadol, Ha’Gibbor v’Ha’Norah, The Great, Mighty, Awesome God of these slaves had defeated all the gods of mighty Egypt; how He’d parted the sea for them to escape, then drowned the following Egyptians. Before battle both sides fear the other; that’s just a natural fact. It’s also a fact that the God of Israel can and will give us victory wherever He leads us to face the enemy.
In both cases the inhabitants of the land knew they were up against Migdal Oz, a Tower Of Strength, and they were afraid. YHWH-Nissi, God Our Banner prepared the way for His people. The only difference was the second group believed and acted, the first still thought like slaves and refused to act.
God leads us into service
We’ve already seen how God led the Hebrews as a physical manifestation. He also spoke through Moshe, Yehoshua and other prophets. We now have many of the words given through these and other men and women of Elohim collected in our Bibles. We have the writings of many other Godly men in the apocryphal writings and deuterocanon, in the Talmud and other commentaries. We must use discernment when using these, however they can greatly enhance understanding. The training we received in our life’s experiences and our experience walking with Ruach shel Etzah v’Gevurah, The Spirit of Counsel and of Valor also guides us. But it is that “still, small voice” that really leads us:
1 Kings 19:11-13a (KJV) And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so,
We’d always prefer a sign, something big. “God show me what you want me to do!” But like our forefathers first confronted with taking the land, we get the sign and want something bigger, “God, You don’t expect me to go in and kill all them big people, do You?” Maybe “if you send a plague to kill’em all first, then I’ll go.” Then guess what: our own voice gets very still and small, and “Uh, God, do you really want me to enter a plague ridden land?” “God, do you really want me to change religions; leaving friends and seeing even family turn on me?” “God, couldn’t I serve you just as well where I am now?”
We’ve been led from the first, trained (and still being trained) to see, understand and accept the truth; and to share this truth with others. This is our calling, and to deny it is to risk never seeing Ha’aretz, the Olam Haba, or any of the blessings God has promised us.
Dan C
Mekorot: Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names, BDB Theological Dictionary, JPS Study TNK, Dr. F Seekins, Rav S, my father and others
Date of reading- June 9, 2018/ 26 Sivan/ 3-26-5778
Name of Par’shah- 37. Shelach Lekha- Send for Yourself
Par’shah- Num 13:1 – 15:41
Haftara- Josh 2.1-34
Brit Chadashah- Mat 10.1-14, Heb 3.7-19
D’rash: Our readings this week highlight three key principles of our service for God:
God prepares us for service
God prepares the way for us in service
God leads us into service
God prepares us for service
Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV) Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
The way a disciple learned in the 1st cen was to sit at the Rabbi’s feet, listening to every word and trying to memorize what he said. They would later repeat the lesson to each other, correcting each other as needed. In this way they all accurately learned what was taught. They might also discuss the things they were taught, trying to gain a deeper understanding. The lessons were thus internalized, becoming a part of them. The talmidim would also exhort one another to remember the lessons, to endure the hardships and rejections, and to be faithful no matter the cost.
Matthew 10:5-11 (ESV) These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’[has come near] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.
So we can see here how the talmidim were sent out locally, among their own people. They were given authority in Yeshua’s name to perform certain miracles and told to practice these things. They were also given authority to teach, but at this point having not received their smicha they only could have taught exactly what Yeshua had taught them. They went without money or provisions, learning to trust YHWH-Yireh God Will See/God Will provide, and depend on the generosity of those they met. They would learn how to judge people: who was kind, generous, and God-fearing, and who was not.
They would also be hardened for service, enduring want, weather, and travel in conditions that may have tried a platoon of Marines. So later when they were sent into the wider world on their own they were ready.
God prepares the way for us in service
Numbers 13:31-33 (ESV) Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
Remember from past readings this was the same generation who had been led to the verge of conquest by El Elohei Yisroel, Lord God of Israel manifest as a pillar of fire and smoke, and who now refused to step across the border and take what was promised. Now let’s contrast how they saw the inhabitants of the land and how the inhabitants of one of the strongest cities of that same land saw the same people on their border about 40 years later.
So who were the “sons of ענק Anak? The name means “necklace, riches,” or more likely “long necked.” To be long necked was an idiom for “tall.”
ע ayin- the eye; and if you are tall, you can certainly get an eye-full
נ nun- a fish; energetic, vigorous, and a fighter when caught
ק quf- the back of the head, contempt; the attitude many large, strong people have for those weaker than themselves.
Anakim in English appears to be an ethnonym, or name of a people, however in Hebrew it is spelled ענקים, the plural form; meaning they were probably not themselves a nation, given they fought for others. They were a giant, warlike people of the region near Hebron. Their ancestry has been traced back to Anak, the son of Arba, the “greatest man among the Anakim:”
Joshua 14:15a (ESV) Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba [the city of Arba] (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.)
The Hebrews thought they were descendants of the Nephilim, the mighty ones dominating the pre-Flood world (vs 33 above). This would have been difficult, since they were not on the Ark. But perception drives performance, and it’s more important that they thought they were facing Nephilim than what they actually faced.
Thinking themselves not up to facing giants, the Hebrews rebelled against God, refusing to enter the land He’d promised them. God became angry, refusing this “evil generation” from entering Ha’aretz; Joshua and Caleb being the exceptions.
Yehoshua expelled the Anakim when he conquered Canaan, with Calev finally driving them out almost completely:
Joshua 11:22 (ESV) There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the people of Israel. Only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.
The descendants of the Hebrew conquerors would meet and overcome these tall “giants” a few more times in 1 & 2 Samuel, Goliath being the most infamous.
From our haftara:
Joshua 2:8-11 (ESV) Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.
Consider that the earlier generation of Canaanites would have heard how Ha’El Ha’Gadol, Ha’Gibbor v’Ha’Norah, The Great, Mighty, Awesome God of these slaves had defeated all the gods of mighty Egypt; how He’d parted the sea for them to escape, then drowned the following Egyptians. Before battle both sides fear the other; that’s just a natural fact. It’s also a fact that the God of Israel can and will give us victory wherever He leads us to face the enemy.
In both cases the inhabitants of the land knew they were up against Migdal Oz, a Tower Of Strength, and they were afraid. YHWH-Nissi, God Our Banner prepared the way for His people. The only difference was the second group believed and acted, the first still thought like slaves and refused to act.
God leads us into service
We’ve already seen how God led the Hebrews as a physical manifestation. He also spoke through Moshe, Yehoshua and other prophets. We now have many of the words given through these and other men and women of Elohim collected in our Bibles. We have the writings of many other Godly men in the apocryphal writings and deuterocanon, in the Talmud and other commentaries. We must use discernment when using these, however they can greatly enhance understanding. The training we received in our life’s experiences and our experience walking with Ruach shel Etzah v’Gevurah, The Spirit of Counsel and of Valor also guides us. But it is that “still, small voice” that really leads us:
1 Kings 19:11-13a (KJV) And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so,
We’d always prefer a sign, something big. “God show me what you want me to do!” But like our forefathers first confronted with taking the land, we get the sign and want something bigger, “God, You don’t expect me to go in and kill all them big people, do You?” Maybe “if you send a plague to kill’em all first, then I’ll go.” Then guess what: our own voice gets very still and small, and “Uh, God, do you really want me to enter a plague ridden land?” “God, do you really want me to change religions; leaving friends and seeing even family turn on me?” “God, couldn’t I serve you just as well where I am now?”
We’ve been led from the first, trained (and still being trained) to see, understand and accept the truth; and to share this truth with others. This is our calling, and to deny it is to risk never seeing Ha’aretz, the Olam Haba, or any of the blessings God has promised us.
Dan C
Mekorot: Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names, BDB Theological Dictionary, JPS Study TNK, Dr. F Seekins, Rav S, my father and others
