Parashat Chukat
(Original Entry from HOD-Wordpress - 2007-06-23 11:58:46 pm)
Category - Lamed Messianic Studies, Jewish
Parashat Chukat (Hukkat)
Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-22:1
Haftarah Portion: Judges 11:1-11:33
Today, we will start with the purpose and the message of Yeshuah HaMashiach. When this term is used here, the meaning is literal. The term means “Salvation The Anointed and/or Appointed.” The question, reasonably, is anointed or appointed for what task?
We find the answer to that in Yeshuah’s stated purpose in Luke 4:43. As it turns out, salvation was always the method of returning to the presence of HaShem; the mission was always about the Kingdom of G-D. The Gospel, or “Good News” as it were, has as its pretext that there is a way for the Kingdom to be established - first in the hearts and lives of men and then in the world later. For examples of this, look at the descriptions of the Kingdom found in Matthew 13, 20, and 22. Then in Luke 13, it is described again while immediately afterwards Yeshuah describes how the task of getting the people of HaShem back to their rightful place is going to start. Going further, we find that the whole focal point of Galatians 5 is not salvation, but rather it is about getting a part of the Kingdom and how one looses out on that part. Everywhere you turn in the Brit Chadesha the principles being taught are all about the Kingdom and how to get there.
So, does our Torah Portion tie into that Kingdom idea? And indeed, does the Haftarah Portion support the Torah Portion? The answer is absolutely! When reading through the Scriptures, do not get lost in the particulars of ceremony. Instead, focus on the overall principle.
In Numbers 19, we read the ceremony of the red heifer. The red version of this animal was very rare. And the task to be done first for the cleansing process was to sprinkle the blood of this rare beast towards the front of the place of worship to sanctify it. Then the priest was to make ashes of the animal in a specific way and then cleanse himself. There are further instructions from here on ways to handle the cleansing process in addition to what is considered clean and unclean, or being ceremonially fit for use, in the handling of the sacrifice. The rest of the chapter defines in detail many things and ways of handling things which make one unclean, or foul literally if not just only unfit for ceremonial use.
Like a child carrying a box and not looking where they are walking so as to trip, all we know is that we were told to carry it. We were told how to hold it, how to lift it, and the direction to take it. But, we don’t even know where to set it or what to do with it till we get it into the house and a parent tells us. At this point, in reference to the paragraph above, all we know is what is considered clean and how to get clean ourselves if we were living in that time.
OK, so now we know what constitutes uncleanliness, what passes as cleanable uncleanliness, and how to go about getting clean again. Then the people are told to travel to a certain land to set up shop (so to speak). In all of this, it sounds a lot like a very material form of expressed forgiveness in all its ceremonial rigors.
In traveling to the desired land, it is necessary to cross other lands. Those who assisted the journey were safe from heavenly wrath, and those who did not assist were conquered. Nutshell version: G-D’s way or no way. Numbers 20 stands out of all examples as a shining lesson that if G-D says it then it is going to happen in the simplest terms.
Then in Numbers 21, the people of HaShem start doubting the leadership G-D chose and then eventually by definition even G-D. Well, He is not putting up with that either. I refer you to last week and the lesson on strife. HaShem is a being of Peace, and strife cannot exist where is Peace.
Judges 11:1-33 is further example of a divine plan going forward in the same exemplary style of Numbers 20. In all of this, though it all seems harsh, do the prayer example of Yeshuah in Matthew 5:10, the description of the Kingdom in Matthew 13 and Matthew 20, and even what will happen in HaShem’s abode if Kingdom people work in His Name in Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18 start to make a little more sense?
The Mission of HaShem is an expanded Kingdom. The Purpose of HaShem is a people in re-pentance for a people whom have strayed from His Purpose, a re-demption for a people whom have been stolen from their ruler-ship that resembled HaShem in operation here, and a Salvation to “Salvage” a Mission gone awry. In other words, it’s a back-up plan for what should have been in the first place from the beginning!
The fulfillment of this back-up plan as the ultimate Kingdom-corrector can be found in the explanation given in Hebrews 9:14. The tasks of a Kingdom-people’s purpose can also be found to be exemplified in Hebrews 6:1-3 with an explanation of how one can even fall outside the bounds of the backup (redemption) plan in Hebrews 6:4-8
[For these and other scriptures, please feel free to use the online KJV Bible using Strong’s Concordance with Thayer’s Lexicons at www.blueletterbible.org]
–SILVERMOUSE