PARASHAH NASO
(Numbers 4:21-7:89) Week 35
NASO: (TAKE) Count by the Lift of the chin; “The Lord spoke to Moshe saying TAKE a census…”
AVODAH: Holy Service
TAMID: Daily Sacrifices
SHEMAR: To Guard
KORBANOT: Sacrifices
TZARA’AT: Skin affliction from Lashon Hara
LASHON HARA: The Evil Tongue: Sowing, scattering gossip, or negativity about others, even if it is true of them
VIDUY: Confession of Sin
SOTAH: The law of the SOTAH, the testing of ‘reasonable doubt’ of a wife’s fidelity
NAZIR: Consecrated unto God
THE PLAN OF ADONAI WAS THAT THE FIRST-BORN SON WOULD PERFORM THE AVODAH (Priestly Service) FOR THEIR FAMILIES, FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
THIS WAS ABOLISHED WHEN THE FIRST BORNS SINNED WITH THE COMMUNITY, IN THE SIN OF “THE GOLDEN CALF.” TO HONOR THE TRIBE OF LEVI, WHO DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE SIN OF THE GOLDEN CALF, THEY AND THEIR DESCENDANTS WERE APPOINTED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRIESTLY SERVICE, BY THE LORD.
The 4 Divisions of the Tribe of Levi:
- Gershonites: From Gershon…cared for the woven articles of the Mishkan (WEST)
- Kohathites: From Kohath…carried sacred vessels of the Mishkan (SOUTH)
- Merarites: From Merari…carried wooden parts of Mishkan (NORTH)
- Kohanim: From Aaron…performed all KORBANOT and Avodah (EAST)
Extra duties of the Tribe of Levi: Assisted the Kohanim in slaughtering animal sacrifices, guarded (Shemar) the Mishkan, Singers and Musicians in Camp during daily sacrifices.
The Census of the 3 Levi sub-clans were counted separately for Adonai: Kohath: 2,750 / Gershon: 2,630 / Merari: 3,200
THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE CAMP (MISHKAN):
The Lord commanded ritually unclean persons to be put outside the camp of the Mishkan. Those with TZARA’AT from Lashon Hara, those with discharges, or those contaminated by death, were forbidden to enter the camp of the Mishkan…BUT could remain in the other camps.
SEE HOW THE ENCAMPMENT FORMED THE CROSS…PAGE 198 OF YOUR JOHN PARSON’S COMMENTARY BOOK: A Year Through Torah~A Journey for Christians
RESTITUTION: 20% was added to any sin offering after Viduy, confession. This was added and given to the priesthood, because ALL SIN ROBS FROM GOD!
ALL SIN IS THEFT, ROBBING FROM THE GLORY OF GOD’S NAME!
Please consider the Jewish understanding of offerings. Riches or money given for a holy cause are said to be “permanently held” by the giver. The offering is ETERNAL!
Remember the quote by Adonai: Tell the people…Whatever a person CONSECRATES unto Me, whether person, animal, or thing…I MAKE HOLY UNTO MYSELF!
The giving of Tzedakah (righteousness) delivers the soul from trouble!
The Law of SOTA: The ADULTROUS woman AND her partner…were given a death sentence. If exonerated the woman was said to be gifted by a reprieve of pain in childbirth.
The Law of the NAZIR: A vow of consecration to the Lord required refraining from 3 things:
1: Consumption of products from the GRAPE 2: Cutting of one’s hair 3: Contact with a corpse
Birkat Kohanim: The Priestly Blessing as commanded by the Lord! The shape of the two hands forming the letter SHIN, for SHADDAI
(For all you Trekkies…Leonard Nemo came up with the hand gesture used as “the greeting among the Star Trek Stars” Leonard, a JEW, used the priestly blessing of the hands, the symbol for SHADDAI in the Star Trek Series!)
Only the Lord God Almighty could BLESS or CURSE until Adonai spoke to Abraham, the Father of our Faith and commanded: “Those whom you bless I will bless and those whom you curse I will curse!”
As I prayed over this beautiful shift in Spiritual History, I saw how Adonai must have loved and trusted the heart of Abraham! Something to think about! As Adonai draws us into new Kingdom leadership, it is a process of building our relationship with Him! (“Panim el Panim” or Face to Face)
To bless Israel with love: I’varekh et amo Yisrael b’ahava
The Kohanim seek to express the LOVE OF GOD as they BLESS OTHERS! The blessing is a supernatural overture of the Priesthood, ordained by Adonai, to be continually prayed over the people. Amen
The blessing must be performed by the priest in a spirit of JOY! If a priest is unhappy, he may not bless the people until he has been restored to “The Joy of the Lord”!
The seven days of ordination: The days in which the Mishkan was ordained, brought forth DAILY donations from the 12 Tribes of Israel.
Haftarah (Old Covenant) Reading: Judges 13:2-25
“The woman came and told her husband; she said; ‘A man of God came to me; his face was fearsome like that of the angel of God. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. But he said to me ‘Listen! You will conceive and bear a son, so now don’t drink any wine or other intoxicating liquor, and don’t eat anything unclean, because the child will be a nazir for God from the womb until the day he dies’”.
The story of Samson’s nezirut or dedicated life to the Lord is expounded here. Samson’s name meaning, “As the Sun”, was given the commission to be one of the great deliverers of Israel.
Samson’s consecration to the Lord was given before his birth, and for his entire life! Samson was consecrated unto the service of the Lord as a Nazarite until he was tempted away by Delilah and broke his vows.
Brit Chadashah (New covenant) Reading: Acts 21:17-26
“The next day Sha’ul took the men, purified himself along with them and entered the Temple, to give notice of when the period of purification would be finished and the offering would have to be made for each of them.”
Paul joined 4 other disciples in the Nazarite vows to pay for their life expenses (as commanded in Torah) and this demonstrated Paul’s Torah Observance and that his preaching and teaching were explicitly in alignment with Torah Law. Paul was a Torah Observant Jew AND a Messianic believer!
The Aaronic Blessing with Shaddai Hands!
May Adonai bless you and keep you
May Adonai make his face shine on you and show you his favor
May Adonai lift UP his face toward you and give you peace
In this way they are to put my name on the people of Israel so that I will bless them
Please consider: The only way for Adonai to lift UP his face toward you…is if HE IS HOLDING YOU UP ABOVE HIS OWN PRESENCE, like a father with his child!