TakeUp

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Naso, translated as "Elevate/Lift Up." This reading portion follows Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, or in the Greek of the New Testament, Pentecost. Pentecost is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the power from heaven, onto the disciples of Jesus who waited for it as they had been directed by the Lord before He was taken up (epairo/airo - to lift up, raise up, raise on high, hoisted up/to raise up from the ground, to bear up, to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up, to bear away what has been raised, carry off) and was received by a cloud (root word: nephos - a cloud, a large dense multitude, a throng). (see Acts 1:4-9, Acts 2:1-4).

     We see the Greek root word, airo, used in the above verse in connection with Jesus' ascension into heaven. We see it again when Jesus, in Luke 9:23 and 26, says: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up (airo -see above) his cross daily, and follow Me...For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels." 

     The words in Greek that we see above, we will also see the Hebrew counterpart in the Naso Sabbath portion for this week. We begin the story in Numbers Ch. 4: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 'Take (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) a census of the sons of Kohath (qehat - assembly, to ally oneself with) from among the children of Levi (levi/lava - joined to, attached/to twine together, to unite, to remain, abide with, cleave to, adhere, be joined closely to anyone), by their families, by their fathers' house, from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service (saba/seba - host, war, army, battle, service, appointed time, warfare, company/assemble, mustered, wage war, fight, serve) to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting." (Num. 4:1-3).

     As with the Kohath family of the Levites, the other two families that make up the tribe of Levi, Gershon and Merari, were numbered by Moses and Aaron in the same manner. We found out from last week's Sabbath reading portion, that the other tribes of Israel were numbered in order to be counted as armies. The Levites who served (saba/seba - see meaning above) in the tabernacle were also numbered as an army, according to the meaning of the Hebrew word for "service" above.

     As an army of the LORD, besides serving in the tabernacle, this portion of Numbers specifies the Levites as the ones appointed to carry (root word: nasa (Naso, our title)- bear up, lift up, take, carry away [see also Greek root airo above], armorbearer, forgive, exalt) the contents and structures of the tabernacle when the tribes of Israel were commanded by the LORD to move camp.

     The Kohath division of the Levites would nasa carry, bear up, lift up, the most holy items of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) sanctuary, which includes the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The Gershonite Levites would nasa carry the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) curtains of the tabernacle. The sons of Merari of the Levites would nasa carry the pillars, boards, hardware and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) instruments/furnishings (keli/kala - vessel, instrument, weapon, jewel, furniture, armorbearer, prepared items/accomplish, cease, end, be complete, destroy, exterminate, perish, expire, consume, wholly reap) of the more outer areas of the tabernacle.

     It is interesting that part of the meaning of the furnishings that the Merari Levites must nasa carry also includes the idea of destruction, extermination and to consume. The pictographic Hebrew letters that make up the word naso/nasa in our Sabbath title are nun, shin, and aleph. Combined, the individual meanings of these letters might express the thought "The Son, the Heir to the throne, is the sharp, consuming, destroying Rock of the Lord, Adonai. In Revelation, we are given the prophecy that all men, from the greatest to the least, will hide themselves in the caves and rocks of the mountains, and say to those mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17). In that day, they would rather the natural rocks fall on them than to have to face The Rock of destruction, the One who sits on the throne, the Lamb of God, Jesus Messiah/Christ. We don't usually think of Christ in this way, but He will come in all of His heavenly glory to judge and to rule the nations with a rod of iron.

     The (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) instruments/furnishings that the Merari Levites carry, take, or lift up also contain the meaning to cease, end and complete. On the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished," referring to His work of redemption and forgiveness of our sins. Nasa also contains the meaning of forgiveness. God does not want to destroy anyone, but to save and forgive those who seek Him and will come to Him with a humble heart of repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9). So what is the nature of the consuming destruction associated with both nasa/naso and the holy furnishings of the tabernacle?

     We see the source of the destruction in what the first group of Levites, the Kohaths, are to nasa carry, take, bear and lift up: The furnishings of the two chambers of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) sanctuary are so holy, that only Aaron and his sons may enter to cover them with various layers. If the Kohaths touch the furnishings uncovered, they will perish: "And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry (nasa - see above) them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry...Do not cut off the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; but do this that they may live and not die when they approach (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the most holy things..." (Num. 4:15, 18-19).

     It is the pure holiness of the LORD that can destroy those who have not been covered. The Book of Hebrews tells us that those who are forgiven and covered by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ may draw near and enter the Holy of Holies with boldness (parresia - openly, with free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage and assurance), rather than in fear of death. (see Heb. 10:19-25).

     Scripture tells us how the lawless one/lawlessness/wickedness will be destroyed: "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord (Jesus) will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness (epiphaneia/epiphanes/phos - brightness of glorious manifestation/illustrious, terrible/the pure brilliant light of God) of His coming." (2 Thess. 2:8).

     Sometimes we may forget the destructive power of God's holiness against any and all wickedness, against anything that is not as holy as He is. When Aaron's two sons came before the LORD with "profane fire" in their censors: "...fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. And Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' So Aaron held his peace." (Lev. 10:1-3).

     In another example, the LORD was about to deliver the Law, the Ten Commandments, to the Israelites from Mount Sinai. He warned Moses: "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD and many perish. Also let the priests who come near the LORD consecrate themselves, lest the LORD break out against them." (Ex. 19:21-22).

      Later, Moses would ask the LORD to show him His glory. The LORD had to make special provision in order to protect Moses from destruction. The LORD said to Moses: "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." (Ex. 33:18-23). One of Jesus' disciples also asked Him to show them the Father (God). Jesus answered him: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father...Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me..." (Jn. 14:8-10). Earlier Jesus had said to them: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (v. 6).

     Jesus has done this for us. He has become the way by which we can approach the holiness of God and live. Jesus did this by making us, both Jew and Gentile believers in Him, into a new single creation: "...so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity...For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." (Eph. 2:15-18, see also 2 Cor. 5:18-19). God has reconciled us back to Himself through the blood of His Son, Jesus: "...to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight." (Col. 1:19-22). We receive this reconciliation of ourselves with the pure holiness of God through our steadfast faith in the salvation work of Christ. (v. 23). It is Jesus Messiah/Christ who accomplished this for us, and only Christ, and not we ourselves. He is the grace, mercy, goodness and reconciling peace that makes us acceptable to the holiness of God.

     From another reading portion from this Naso Sabbath, we can also see the warfare power of naso/nasa in the story of Samson (simson - like the sun, to be brilliant). The people of Gaza ('azza/'az/'azaz - the strong, fortified city of the Philistines/strong, mighty, fierce, power, greedy, harsh, cruel/make strong and secure, impudent) sought to capture and kill Samson, who was a judge of Israel. They must have thought that if they could kill the judge appointed by God, they could escape the judgment of God against them that afflicted them. Not so. They were waiting to capture Samson in the morning, but Samson knew their plans: "And Samson lay low till midnight; then he arose at midnight, took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two gateposts, pulled them up (nasa) bar and all, put them on his shoulders, and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron." (Jud. 16:1-4).

     The Gazites were cruel and greedy in their power, becoming impudent in strength and security, according to the meaning of their name, above. In a moment, by the nasa power of God in Samson, the first line of their defense - the gate of their city - was ripped up and carried away.

     There is no power in the hands of men that can withstand the nasa power of God that appears when men least expect it. The Gazites expected Samson to walk into their trap in the morning, but Samson rose at midnight instead. Jesus told His listeners: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Lk. 12:40, see also Mt. 25:6-13).

     Naso/nasa is glorious in its ascension power, as in the ascension of Jesus Messiah/Christ, but it also carries, lifts up, the holiness of God in all of its consuming nature. In order to lift up and carry the holy instruments of the LORD, the Levites were taken from among the children of Israel and cleansed with the sprinkling (naza - to spurt, spatter, sprinkle especially in expiation [atonement, making amends or reparation for guilt] from sin) of the water of purification. (Num. 8:5-7).

     We will see this same idea expressed in Isaiah 52:13-15 in a prophecy about the yet-to-be-born Messiah/Christ: "Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled (nasa - see above) and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle (naza - see above) many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard, they shall consider."

     We can say that the Levites foreshadowed those who would one day be sprinkled by Jesus, set apart to nasa carry, take, lift and bear up the holy things of God. We carry this treasure, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, in earthen vessels, "that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." (2 Cor. 4:6-7). We carry or take up these things as the tabernacles or holy temple of the Lord, filled with His Holy Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22).

If you would like to know more about our purpose in carrying and taking up the holy things of God, you can pray with me: "LORD of all, You entrusted Your most holy things of Your tabernacle that represent the Person of Your Son into the hands of men, into my hands. Help me to understand through Your Word and by Your Spirit how this is to be present and manifested in my life. You are Most Holy, and You have made a way through Your Son for me to approach the glory and beauty of your holiness. Keep me from treating this as a common thing, or as "profane fire", but with the reverent awareness of what it cost You to bring me into your Presence through the sacrifice of Your only begotten Son, Jesus. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.