Naso (Elevate!)
2) Numbers 4:21–7:89
God chooses and appoints with exclusivity to accomplish His heart and purposes for inclusivity. God’s purposes for inclusivity involve access to God and Relational depth intimacy in our relationships with Him and with each other. But this only works when we operate according to God's terms.
This week’s readings continue census instructions by counting various people. In God's economy, He wants every person counted because every person counts. You are a beloved child of God—the One who knows you best, loves you most.
When God called Jeremiah into His prophetic service, He assured Jeremiah,
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jer. 1:5)
I knew you. I set you apart. I appointed you. Think about that. God knew Jeremiah and appointed him as a prophet to the nations even before he was born. Similarly, God—Who is beyond time—knew you even before you were born and has appointed you to do good works. To the community of believers in Ephesus, Paul assures us of this reality when he writes,
For we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)
God’s knowledge about your life surpasses your knowledge. God’s purpose for your life is better than you can imagine or grasp for yourself. He wants us to walk intimately with Him and learn to follow His lead, rely on His strength to accomplish thise good works that He appointed for you, and to direct all attention to Him rather than yourself.
The readings this week come from the second parashah in Numbers called Naso. In Hebrew, Naso is a command to “elevate” or “lift up.” The full Hebrew phrase is “lift up the heads of…” which is a colloquial way of instructing Moses to take a census. God wants His people to be counted, head by head, life by life.
In the previous portion there were four censuses. This week’s readings continues the previous Census by counting the two other sons of Levi—Gershon and Merari. Below is a picture showing the tribal arrangement camped around the Tabernacle with all the set apart Levites camped in the inner ring.
Remember, God set Israel apart from the Nations. God set Levi apart from his 11 brothers for a special purpose. Of Levi’s three sons, Kohath was set apart (and counted at the end of the previous portion in Numbers chapter 4) for the purpose of “caring of the most holy things” (Num. 4:4). God then set apart Aaron, Moses’ brother, as the appointed and anointed High Priest. Aaron, and someone from his family line, becomes appointed exclusively to promote inclusivity among the remaining members of God’s covenant community. God uses exclusivity—no one but the anointed High Priest—to promote inclusivity—all are ultimately welcome into God’s Presence!
But only on His terms.
I will highlight two passages in this week’s Torah reading to focus you on God’s exclusivity which is always ultimately purposed to promote inclusivity. But only on His terms.
Aaron himself had to learn this lesson the hard way. His first two sons, Nadab and Abihu, died because they approached God on their own terms in Leviticus 10. This must have pierced their father Aaron’s heart. But God’s lesson is clear:
To those who come near Me I will show My holiness,
and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory. (Lev. 10:3)
God wants all of His children—Jews and Gentiles, those from Israel and the Nations—to know him and love Him back. He has loved us with a perfect love and taken the initiative to pursue Relational depth with us. Furthermore, He wants us to receive His love and respond accordingly. But we can only do this on His terms.
God’s terms are so much better than ours!
Exclusivity and Intimacy
God’s purpose for having the Israelites build a Tabernacle in the first place, and later a Temple, was so God could dwell again with people and walk intimately as it was originally in the Garden. When God originally gave the instructions to Moses to build the Tabernacle, He explained His purpose:
Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. (Ex. 25:8)
After the Tabernacle is build, God comes and His glorious Presence fills the House. But access is limited.
Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Exodus 40:35)
Only after the prescribed offerings and sacrifices are made can Moses finally go it. Chapter 7—the longest chapter in the Torah—ends with this description of Moses’ access into the Presence of God and the intimacy of communicating with the Most High.
When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the LORD spoke to him. (Num.7:89)
Moses is the only one who can go in. Moses’ brother Aaron goes on to take the role of High Priest with exclusive access behind the veil. The point here is that there is limited access into God’s Presence. Intimacy of interaction with God is marked by exclusivity. Exclusivity, however, was the stepping stone to inclusivity.
Inclusivity and Intimacy
One of the most recognizable passages in this portion is the Priestly Blessing, or Aaronic Benediction, from Numbers 6:24-26,
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
“The LORD bless you, and keep you; the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.”
So they shall put My name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’”
God puts His Name on Israel. That Name is also upon all who join themselves to God’s Covenant community through faith and allegiance to the God of Israel. God's blessing goes with His Name for those with faith to believe and obey. His Name is exalted.
…for You have exalted above all things Your Name and Your Word. (Psalm 138:2)
May your time in the Word this week bear much fruit. Use the links below to check out the commentary for the portion Naso.
Readings for the Week:
Torah: NUMBERS 4:21–7:89
Prophets: JUDGES 13:2–25
Apostolic Writings: JOHN 12:20–36
Click HERE for the online Parashah commentary. (If you prefer a printed copy, please email me at thomas@faithforall.org)
Shalom,
Thomas