Sh'lach L'Cha (Send for yourself!)
4) Numbers 13-15
I am writing this post on my birthday. A birthday is a time to remember the day you were born. On the day I was born, I became a son. Today, however, I am focused on my predominant experience of being a father. I am a father of five children.
And parenthood marks you.
Perhaps this is why the description in Deuteronomy that discusses the same events in this week’s portion struck such a deep chord in me.
And in the wilderness (b’midbar) where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, AS A FATHER CARRIES HIS SON, in all the way that you went until you came to this place. (Deut. 1:31)
As a father carries his son.
I have four sons (and one daughter) and this phrase jumped off the page. It pierced and resonated deep in my heart. “As a father carries his son.”
God carried Israel from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh Barnea. Mt. Sinai, also named Horeb, is the place where God covenanted with Israel. Kadesh Barnea is positioned on the edge of the Promised Land and is where the first spy mission was sent out to explore the land before the people attempted to enter in. According to Moses’ written account in Deuteronomy 40 years later, this journey from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh Barnea was typically an 11-day journey.
Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. (Deut. 1:2)
Sh’lach L’Cha means “Send for yourself” and refers to the sending out of spies into the Promised Land. Numbers chapter 13 describes this 40-day reconnaissance mission and chapter 14 describes the resulting 40-year discipline delay.
Let’s zoom into the story and look at how the different descriptions of these events—one here in Numbers in our portion and the other roughly 40 years later when Moses is again on the border of the Promised Land remembering and retelling the event. Let’s look at how these two descriptions work together to portray the dialogical and dynamic nature of God’s relationship with Israel. The God of Israel is a relational God and His ways do not change.
God relates with His people dialogically rather than mechanistically. By this I mean God relates by speaking with and responding to His people rather than merely giving directions from a distance and remaining relationally aloof to the felt needs of His people. Comparing the two descriptions of the events on the edge of the Promised Land by the recently freed covenant community will illustrate God’s relationally interactive ways.
Read the beginning verses in this week’s portion below. Whose idea is it to send the spies into the land?
Then THE LORD SPOKE to Moses saying, “SEND OUT FOR YOURSELF men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; YOU SHALL SEND a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.” So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran AT THE COMMAND OF THE LORD, all of them men who were heads of the sons of Israel. (Numbers 13:1-3)
It certainly looks like God told Moses to send in the spies, right? Well, consider the more detailed account recalled decades later and recorded in Deuteronomy 1:19-23.
Then, as the Lord our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful wilderness that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea. (Deut. 1:19)
As mentioned earlier in Deut. 1:2, this journey typically took 11 days.
Then I [Moses] said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deut. 1:20-21)
God instructs His people to go into the Land along with a strong promise of encouragement. But the people were afraid.
Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.” (Deut. 1:22)
The people were afraid and wanted to lean on human wisdom rather than divine direction. It is still the same today.
The idea seemed good to me; so I [Moses] selected twelve of you, one man from each tribe. (Deut. 1:23)
Moses made the decision in response to the people’s fear-fueled request for human intervention. I think Moses made this decision in consultation with God. As we’ve been discussing, God was meeting with Moses in the Most Holy Place within the Tent of Meeting. God initiated Relational depth with Moses and was dialoging with him as the appointed leader.
So, while the description in Numbers makes it look like it was God’s idea to send the spies, in reality it appears that it was actually God’s accommodation for His fearful flock. God doesn’t give us instructions as an aloof dictator. God engages us relationally and meets us where we are to take us the next step in our faith journey.
God carried Israel as a father carries a child—on the original 11-day journey from Mt. Sinai, during the 40-year discipline on the rebellious generation, and in the generations ever since. In fact, God continues to carry His ancient covenant people and all the promises of the prophets will one day be fulfilled.
Until then—until the restoration of all things—God continues to make accommodations for the fearful responses we all have. God knows our fears and He longs to carry us in His arms of love. Dive into the portion this week and ask God to calm your fears and carry you in His love.
(And for those who read the entire portion will find a description at the end of what the tassels or fringes on the edges of garments, called tzitzit, are all about!)
Readings for the Week:
Torah: NUMBERS 13:1–15:41
Prophets: JOSHUA 2:1–24
Apostolic Writings: HEBREWS 3:7–4:11
Click HERE for the online Parashah commentary. (If you prefer a printed copy, please email me at thomas@faithforall.org)
Shalom,
Thomas