B'Ha'alot'cha (In your making go up)
3) Numbers 8:1-12:16
God is light and His Presence shines and illuminates all things that are true. This is not just allegorical or metaphorical. It is physical and transformational. As John writes,
God is light and there is no darkness in Him. (1 John 1:5)
This week's parashah name is B’Ha’alot’cha that means “In your making go up” referring to instructions to set up the Lampstand of God to shine in the heart of the Tabernacle. Specifically, the name comes from the 6th Hebrew word in Numbers 8:2 instructing Moses to tell Aaron about setting up the seven flames that would shine atop the Menorah in the Holy Place of the Tent of Meeting.
Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps (b’ha’alot’cha), the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand. (Numbers 8:2)
The Tabernacle was the set apart (holy) place in the heart of the set apart (holy) community. In this blog, I want to show you two passages (and another set of verses for RD partners) from this portion that highlight God’s ways of Relational depth for Kingdom breadth (RD4KB).
Relational depth (RD) is not just an abstract idea but an incarnational and relational reality. Relational depth is the term I use to point us to God’s desire of intimacy with us and His desire for us to relate with one another in increasingly loving ways.
The intimacy once lost at the Fall was regained through the Cross. This intimacy, however, was initially restored to a degree at Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai, God took the relational initiative to come down and enter into a covenant relationship with Israel. Furthermore, the Tabernacle was designed to serve as a moveable Sinai so God could continue to dwell amidst, and have intimacy (ala Relational depth) with His people.
Blood Sets Apart
God set apart Israel to be a holy nation and then brings His Most Holy Self into the heart of the Tabernacle. In other words, to restore Relational depth with His creation, God makes distinctions between the Common, the Holy, and the Most Holy. All of this is to restore Relational depth for Kingdom breadth! Here’s a visual description of this pattern that I will unpack below and is twice illustrated in this week’s portion.
Within the tabernacle system, God sets apart a holy space and then creates a most holy space to indwell. Specifically, the Tabernacle was comprised of:
a Common Place—called the Courtyard that was filled with worshippers approaching the Bronze Altar of Burnt Offering,
a Holy Place—filled with a Table, Menorah, and Altar of Incense, and
a Most Holy Place, or Holy of Holies—filled with the Ark of the Covenant covered with the Mercy Seat where God was enthroned on earth as it is in heaven.
At Mt. Sinai, Israel became a set apart nation, a holy nation. God set Israel apart from the other nations of the world by the blood of the covenant. Exodus 24:8 describes this blood of the covenant. Additionally, Yeshua (Jesus) quotes this verse when instituting Communion (a.k.a. Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper) during the Last Seder in Luke 22:20.
God promised Israel would be a Holy Nation in Exodus 19:6 and God enacted this promise through the blood of the covenant in Exodus 24:8. God then took up residence upon the Mercy Seat to commune with His High Priest representative of His people.
Picture it this way—God is set apart…
within the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle
within the covenant community of Israel as the set apart Holy Nation
within the community of nations populating the earth
Why Did God Set Israel Apart from the Nations?
God set Israel apart as a Holy Nation to create a landing pad on Earth to reach the Nations and rescue humanity from the curse of the Fall. Below is an image representing God’s rescue plan for the Nations by setting Israel apart through the covenant at Mt. Sinai. Let’s call this rescue plan “RD Covenant” to stand for God’s covenant with Israel for the purpose of “Relational depth” and renewing this covenant through Messiah’s blood to God’s Forever Family through adoption (see Jer. 31:31-34 for a description of this renewed covenant whereby Gentiles would be grafted in as Paul describes in Rom. 11).
The reason this issue of set apartness is so important—and the status change into holiness through covenant—is because God is holy and unholiness cannot coexist in His Presence. It will burn. Let’s look at two passages in this week’s portion that illustrate and illuminate the uniqueness of Israel’s set apartness with the Most Holy in their midst pursuing Relational depth.
When you read this week’s portion, pay attention to the localized place of the Tent of Meeting where access to God’s Presence was exclusive. But remember that this limitation was intended for the inclusive and universalized access to God’s Presence—but with the caveat of required holiness. Holiness is only acquired by either being sinless or by the blood of a substitutionary sacrifice from a spotless lamb—or sinless Messiah. Below are two examples of these relational dynamics with reference to the intimacy of relational engagement in the Most Holy space of the Tent of Meeting within the covenantally set apart and holy nation.
God, Moses, and the 70 Elders: Spreading the Spirit
In Numbers 11, we see the intimate access of Relational depth between God and Moses in the Most Holy Tent of Meeting. But God’s desire is to spread the wealth of the knowledge of God through Holy Spirit-empowered representatives.
The LORD therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the TENT OF MEETING, and let them take their stand there with you. Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone. (Numbers 11:16-17)
While Joshua jealously wants to guard the exclusivity of Holy Spirit-empowerment, Moses understands God’s heart and purpose that can be seen in two stragglers who illustrate the set-apartness (i.e., holiness) of the Camp.
But two men had remained IN THE CAMP; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp. (Numbers 11:26)
God, Moses, and Miriam: A Disciplinary “Time Out”
Another example is in the very next chapter. The Tent of Meeting is the Most Holy Space for intimate communion and communication.
Suddenly the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the TENT OF MEETING.” So the three of them came out. Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the TENT, and He called Aaron and Miriam. (Numbers 12:4-5)
God calls another Holy Huddle at the Tent of Meeting but this time it is for discipline. By challenging her brother’s leadership, Miriam was actually dishonoring God—the One Who authorized Moses’ leadership. So God disciplined Miriam with a “time out” outside the camp boundaries of the set apart holy community.
But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days OUTSIDE THE CAMP, and afterward she may be received again.” So Miriam was shut up OUTSIDE THE CAMP for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again. (Numbers 12:14-15)
God gave instructions for setting up the lamps in the Tabernacle. God is light and His Presence illuminated the path for the Israelites to follow. As followers of God through faith in His appointed and anointed High Priest, Yeshua the Messiah, we become inhabited by God’s Presence—a human Tabernacle! As we follow Him we shine for others and make His lamps go up in this darkening world.
Readings for the Week:
Torah: NUMBERS 8:1–12:16
Prophets: ZECHARIAH 2:10–4:7
Apostolic Writings: REVELATION 11:1–19
Click HERE for the online Parashah commentary. (If you prefer a printed copy, please email me at thomas@faithforall.org)
Shalom,
Thomas
There is another treasure in this week’s portion…