Chukat (Ordinance Of) / Balak (Destroyer)
6/7) Numbers 19:1-25:9
I love the Word of God. I long to hear the Voice of God.
This Substack is devoted to promoting Relationally-driven Biblical faith for ALL. This thread containing introductory reflections and links to the parishiot is called Scripture for ALL because I want to promote Biblical literacy. But I want to promote Biblical literacy that moves beyond merely transmitting information about the text of the Bible to actual relational engagement with its Author. In these posts, and in the Parashah Project, I am creating Scriptural scaffolding to help you press into Relational depth with your Maker.
I want to help you receive God’s Word in faith, hear the voice of God in your life, and follow the Good Shepherd in faith-fueled obedience. This is not only for your transformation and flourishing but for the redemption of the world and restoration of all things. Big stuff, I know…but it is the will of God.
My longing to hear the Voice of God was kindled at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in the summer of 1989. Furthermore, it was consummated when I had an encounter with Yeshua (Jesus) in a way that convinced me He is alive in 1994. My life has never been the same.
In fact, the first time I sensed the Voice of God speaking to me through the Word of God was through Psalm 95. Specifically, in 1994 these words leapt from the page, pierced my heart, and I felt like God was giving me permission (with a warning) to respond to Him:
Today, if only you would HEAR HIS VOICE,
Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah… (Psalm 95:7-8)
Don’t miss the connection between hearing and hardening. These are two ways we can respond to His voice. My heart began to soften. Three months later, I encountered my Messiah and surrendered my life to Him. It is this decision—which was really a relational response to His initiatory revelation of love—that sealed my covenant bond with the God of Israel and set me on a new path of peace.
Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah. Meribah means quarreling and points back to a time and place when the newly covenanted people of God quarreled with God. They were in the early days of learning about the God of their Fathers and learning to walk in the faith of Abraham.
This week is another double Portion. Rather than give any overview of one or both portions here, however, I want to point you deeper into the story of what happened at Meribah, described in Numbers 20:1-13 in the first parashah—Chukat—Hebrew for “Ordinance of…”
In this portion, both of Moses’ siblings die and after striking—rather than merely speaking to—a rock, Moses’ hope of entering the Promised Land also dies. However, we should keep in mind that Moses does physically touch down in a glorified body with Messiah at the transfiguration:
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. (Luke 9:30, NIV)
This story of God’s interaction with His covenant people highlights two fundamental priorities:
The Holiness of God
The Essentialness of Faith (Trust)
Consider God’s explanation for Moses’ seemingly harsh punishment:
But Adonai said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not TRUST in Me so as to esteem Me as HOLY in the eyes of Bnei-Yisrael (the children of Israel), therefore you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them.” (Numbers 20:21)
Do you see the connection between these twin essentials? I recently came across another Substack devoted to delving deeper into the Word and Voice of God where they do a great job of unpacking some of the deeper relational dynamics illustrated here in this portion as well as throughout the Bible and world history. While a bit long, I commend it to you. It is written to Christians to help learn the lesson of Meribah and avoid the same pitfall of misunderstanding the nature of God’s holiness and the mandate for faith, obedience, ò89and the life of holiness that flows from it.
So much more I’d like to say, but alas…my writing time has run out and I must leave it here. Welcome to all of you who have newly subscribed! Glad you’re here and I look forward to continuing our dive deeper into the Word of God to discern the Voice of God!
Readings for the Week (Double Portion):
Torah: NUMBERS 19:1–22:1
Prophets: JUDGES 11:1–33
Apostolic Writings: JOHN 3:1–21
Torah: NUMBERS 22:2–25:9
Prophets: MICAH 5:7–6:8
Apostolic Writings: ROMANS 11:25–32
Click on the pictures above or the title name here for the online Parashah commentary for Chukat and Balak.
Shalom,
Thomas