DifferentSpirit

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Sh'lach L'cha, which means "Send for yourself." The title comes from the first verse of the Sabbath readings: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Send (salah - send, go, send out, stretch out, sow, let loose, shoot forth) men to spy out (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them." (Num. 13:1-2).

     We will see that the LORD was about to expose something in the hearts of His people that we sometimes call "unbelief" or "disobedience" but is really something far more dark and insidious, something of which we should all be aware.

     I will just summarize the account of the twelve spies, leaders among Israel, whom Moses sent to spy out the land which the LORD had promised to give to Israel. Those twelve included Joshua, right-hand-man to Moses who was from the half-tribe of Ephraim, and Caleb, from the tribe of Judah, who was not called a Hebrew in scripture but a Kenizzite, which was one of the Canaanite tribes. (see Gen. 15:17-21, Num. 32:11-12, Josh. 14:6).

     The twelve tribes remained on their mission to spy out the land of promise for forty days. When they returned, while admitting that the land was very fruitful, ten of the spies brought back the evil report (diba/dabab/dobe' - evil report, slander, infamy, defamation, whispering, secret slanderer/to creep about, a slanderer/the languor of death) that giants were in the land and the Israelites would not be able to win against them. In scripture then, according to the Hebrew meaning above, the LORD described their report as infamous slander against Him and the inheritance that He had promised to the fathers of Israel. Only Joshua and Caleb insisted that with the LORD on their side, the Israelites would be able to overcome the current inhabitants of the promised land. They urged the Israelites not to fear the inhabitants and not to rebel (marad - bold and audacious in acts of rebellion or disobedience, contumacious [meaning willfully resisting authority, unruly, intractable, insubordinate]) against the LORD.

     The Israelites reacted with violence to these words of Joshua and Caleb: "And all the congregation said to stone them with stones." (Num. 14:10). The LORD had to directly intervene, and He was not happy, saying, "How long will these people reject (na'as - despise, abhor, blaspheme, deride, reject with contempt and derision, speak evil of) Me?" (v. 10-11). The command of the LORD to send the twelve spies exposed an abhorrence against Him in the hearts of His people to whom He had shown many signs and wonders. This was not only unbelief and disobedience, but derision and despising according to the Hebrew meaning above. Why this extreme reaction against God and against Joshua and Caleb? We will hopefully find out.

     The LORD said this after Moses interceded to Him for forgiveness and mercy towards the people: "...but truly, as I live, (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-all-the-earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD - because all these men who have seen (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-My-glory and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-signs/miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected (see na'as above) Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit (ruah - spirit, Spirit, breath) in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it." (v. 20-24).

     The men and leaders of Israel had witnessed the glory of the LORD and His signs and miracles, but still rejected or despised (see na'as above) Him. However, the LORD vowed on His own eternal existence to fill the whole earth with the glory that had been despised by these men. Caleb, however, had a "different spirit" from these other men who despised and rejected the LORD. In fact, the men who rejected and despised the LORD would later die of the plague that comes with the evil report: "But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-land." (v. 36-38).

     The LORD exposed the very deep despising and violent contempt of man for God and His Messiah/Christ (as indicated by the presence of the *aleph-tav in written Hebrew. See *note below) in this account above, but His answering vow was even greater: to fill the whole earth with His glory. Caleb, the LORD revealed to Moses, was of a different spirit. The Feast of Pentecost has recently passed during which the disciples of Jesus Messiah/Christ received the outpouring of the fire of the Holy Spirit (Ruah HaKodesh in Hebrew). If we take a look at this event on Pentecost more closely, we will see something more about man's violent hatred towards God.

     The Feast of Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, is directly connected and timed from Passover. This Feast of the LORD is to occur fifty days after Passover according to the law of Moses as given by God. The New Testament account of this Feast day, occurring after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension, begins: "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they (referring to the followers of Jesus) were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4).

     The disciples of Messiah/Christ are described as being "all with one accord in one place." It sounds good in English and is even often repeated as a goal to attain, however, the Greek reveals something else that is going on here that is not good. The phrase "in one accord" is the Greek word and roots, homothymadon/thymos/thyo. These are the meanings attached to the Greek: "with one mind, with one passion/boiling up fierceness, passion, anger, to rush, breathe hard/to sacrifice, immolate, slay, kill the pascal (Passover) lamb." Jesus wasn't slain for our sins only because of others' unbelief in Him. He was slain in the fierce and passionate anger of man against God. That same anger towards God, according to these verses was still present in the disciples. All mankind had a hand in slaying the Lamb of God, Jesus. Several times in scripture, violently angry, irrationally angry people tried to kill Jesus for what He was saying, but it was not yet His appointed time to die. 

     The second highlighted phrase from the verses in Acts above, "in one place," is the Greek word and root autos/aer, meaning "themselves, the same/lower air rather than higher rarer air, to breathe unconsciously, to blow the air."

     I know that it may be hard to believe that this kind of anger and fierceness towards God and Christ as noted by the Greek meanings above was present in the disciples who had followed Christ, seen miracles with Christ, seen Him crucified, resurrected and later ascended. However, it is confirmed when we look back into the law concerning the Feast of Weeks/Shavuot/Pentecost: "Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath (from Passover); then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves...They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD." (Lev. 23:16-17). The word "leaven" used here is the Hebrew word hames, which means: "gained by violence and wrong, grieved, cruel, harsh, embittered, sour, oppress, be red or blood-stained, be ruthless, be unjust, violent, to injure." As we can see, the meaning of leaven here is very specific and the hames leaven cannot be a symbol of the Holy Spirit, but just the opposite. The hames leaven of the Feast of Weeks/Shavuot/Pentecost indicates that a violent and unjust cruelty is being lifted up to God as a firstfruits offering. The lifitng up or waving of Jesus on the cross was likewise unjust and atrociously cruel. Jesus sacrificed Himself, in part, to cover and intercede for the very people who were committing this terrible act of hate and violence: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Lk. 23:34).

     However, a "different Spirit" came upon the followers of Jesus that Day of Pentecost after the Holy Spirit came upon them. It changed the disciples. They were not the same. Paul explained the difference between the (Holy) Spirit-filled man and the carnal man: "...do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity (ekhthrah/ekhthros - hostility, hatred/hating, odious, enemy, foe, opposing as the devil opposes God, hateful) against God...So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God...Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His...But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you...For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." (Rom. 8:4-14, excerpt). Paul said that the carnal mind of man hates and opposes God in the same manner that Satan hates and opposes God. This is another confirmation of man's natural or fleshly and truly irrational hatred of God. This is what sin does to man - to his mind, to his soul. Paul also wrote about men becoming haters of God. (see Rom. 1:28-31).

     Jesus said to His disciples that it was better for them that He goes away to His Father so that He could send the Helper/Comforter, the Spirit of truth. (see Jn. 16:7-15). Even for the disciples of Messiah/Christ on the Day of Pentecost as we see above, and in us today, the Holy Spirit is not just about receiving spiritual gifts, but He is needed and sent by Jesus Christ to work a transformation in our souls. Paul wrote above that to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Caleb, who, as we saw above, was of a "different spirit" was associated with life and peace in scripture. (see Num. 14:38 and Josh. 14:13-15).

     The Holy Spirit was present and necessary in the work of transformation from the beginning. When the earth was buried in deep darkness and emptiness, the Holy Spirit hovered (rahap -gently cherish, fluttering, brooding meaning incubating and hatching) over it. Then the Word of creation spoke forth and transformed the darkness of death into the teaming of light and life. (see Gen. 1:1-2, Jn. 1:1-5). We need this transformation working in each of us. Not only that, but we need to pray and desire that our love for the Lord never grows cold or is lost. Jesus warned in scripture that this is a possibility as lawlessness increases. (Mt. 24:12-13, Rev. 2:4-5).

     This also helps us to understand what we are seeing in the world today - the irrational hatred of God and the people of God. Jesus spoke of this hatred. (see Jn. 15:18-19). However, the LORD vowed on His own Life after the rejection (see na'as above) of His own people for Him: "...all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD." The prophet Joel confirmed this promise. (see Joel 2:28-29). This starts with each of us as His Spirit of glory fills and transforms us.

     If you would like to learn more about being of a "different spirit", and being filled with the transforming Holy Spirit of God, you can join with my prayer: "Beloved Father, Your commandment to us says: 'You shall love ('ahab - love, long for, breathe after, beloved, to produce fruit, to germinate, putting forth) the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.' Lord, let Your Word and Your Holy Spirit create and continually revive in me a spiritual mind. Place Your protection around my mind, heart and soul, so that I will always walk in love for You. Let my desire be to love and worship You above all and with all. Holy Spirit, as on the Day of Pentecost, come into my life and fill my soul and spirit with the flames of fire of love for the Lord. Change my carnal mind into the mind of Spirit and of Messiah/Christ. Renew my love for the Lord daily as I pray and declare over my heart, and the hearts of all the earth, the commandment above to love You. I ask and receive these things in the name and by the grace 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. 

Glorified

       A song begins with the question: "Whose report will you believe?" The response in the song is, "We will believe the report of the Lord!"

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Sh'lach L'cha, meaning "Send for yourself." The title comes from Numbers Ch. 13: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Send men to spy out the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader (nasi/nasa - one lifted up, prince, captain, leader, rising mist, clouds, exalted one, chief man/bear up, lift up, carry, forgive, exalt, rise up, support, sustain, endure) among them." (v. 1-2).

     The LORD stated His plan for the land of Canaan: "...which I am giving (natan - deliver, grant, yield, bring, appoint, recompense, bestow, permit, devote, consecrate, dedicate, be provided) to the children of Israel." There is no guesswork involved here, no grey area of possible misunderstanding. Why is this specific piece of land to be entrusted, as promised from the days of Abraham, into the hands of the children of Israel? We see the designation of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega attached to this land which connects the land to the prophesied Messiah/Christ to come, including His birth, death, resurrection, His return and coming kingdom rule. (see Micah 5:2-5, Ps. 22:1-21, Lk. 24:46-48, Zech. 12:10, Zech. 13:1, Ps. 2:6-12, Isa. 2:1-5, Zech. 9:9-10, Jer. 3:17). The plan of salvation of our God for the whole earth has gone forth and will continue to go forth, and the physical land given to the children of Israel had and will have everything to do with it.

     The spy mission was not just for anyone to carry out, according to the LORD's command. The Hebrew word nasi/nasa  (see above meaning) is used to describe the men to be sent. Only the leaders of each tribe were to go on this mission. This leadership position was elevated both physically and spiritually according to the meaning of the word. These men were walking in a Messianic and resurrection revelation, calling and anointing. Their words carried weight in the eyes of God and of the people. And because of the report that most of these spiritually elevated men brought back, the children of Israel were doomed to wander forty years in the wilderness until the generation who believed the fearful report of the spies would die. The LORD said: "The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb...and Joshua....you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised...According to the number of the days in which you spied out the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My rejection." (Num. 14:29-34, excerpt).

     Not only would Caleb and Joshua still be allowed to enter the land with the younger generation, but scripture tells us that Joshua discerned the reason that the Israelites would have been able to take the land regardless of how strong the dwellers in the land appeared to be. Of the dwellers in the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land, Joshua told the people: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights (hapes - be pleased with [see Mt. 3:17], delight, please, favor, desire) in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection (sel/salal/selem - shadow, shade/the idea of hovering over/image likeness, resemblance, empty image, idol) has departed (sur - depart, remove, turn, turn aside, come to an end, retract, reject, abolish, pluck away, withdraw) from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.' And all the congregation said to stone them with stones..." (Num. 14:7-10, excerpt).

     The people of the land were identified above in written Hebrew as being *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people. Perhaps we can gather from the meaning of the Hebrew word for "protection", sel, that they exchanged the prophetic image of the Messiah/Christ for an empty image of an idol, and the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega presence turned away from them. These people of the land were descendants of Adam, and then Noah, and would have had knowledge not only of the LORD God of their ancestors, but of the promised Son, the Messiah/Christ. The promise of the Son was made to the serpent back in Genesis in the presence of Adam and Eve, and therefore also to those who would come from them in future generations. (see Gen. 3:14-15). Jesus gave us an example of the *aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega turning away from those who do not retain their knowledge of Him: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness." (Mt. 7:21-23).

     Joshua, truly walking in the nasi/nasa (see above) calling as an appointed leader of God's people, discerned that the people of the land no longer had the spiritual protection to defend themselves against the Israelites, who were called to walk in the "delight" (see hapes, above) of the LORD. The word of Joshua and Caleb would only be a confirmation in the ears of the people of the plan that the LORD had already disclosed to Moses before the spies were sent out: "...the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel..." (Num. 13:2)

     This is how important this moment was in the future of the children of Israel. It was a matter of life and death. The only ones who would enter the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land out of the spies would be Caleb and Joshua who saw and reported the LORD's vision of the land, and the younger generation of Israelites who had been too young to choose to believe the false report of the majority of the spies.

     The title of this Sabbath's reading portion, Sh'lach L'cha, "Send for yourself," comes from the Hebrew word salah, which means "send/go out, send/go forth, stretch out, extend, let loose, sow, loose, set free, shoot forth, appoint, to inform by messenger." We can see that the word means much more than just "to send." Something spiritual is being let loose, set free, extended and stretched out, shot forth like an arrow. The LORD's purpose was to extend, stretch out and loose the kingdom, Word and will of God into this land with His people. However, the LORD made it plain that what was to be "shot forth" was to extend even further than the immediate land, as He said: "...but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD..." (Num. 14:21).

     We can see the similarity in the purpose of being salah sent as nasi/nasa leaders in the words of Jesus who told His disciple, Peter, who recognized Jesus as the Messiah/Christ, the Son of the living God by revelation from God: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Mt. 16:17-19). These words were not just for Peter, because later, Jesus repeated these words again for all of the disciples. The source of this spiritual authority was His name. (see Mt. 18:18-20).

     The question is, what are we binding and what are we setting free or loosing? The nasi/nasa leaders above who were sent to spy out the land loosed doubt and fear among the Israelites that caused them to miss God. The doubt and fear were so strong that even the revelation words of Caleb and Joshua could not convince the people.

     Like the nasi/nasa leaders of the tribes of Israel, we also are being sent: "So Jesus said to them (the disciples) again, 'Peace to you! As the Father sent Me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive (aphiemi/hiemi - to send away, to send forth, forgive, keep no longer [loose], lay aside/to send, to go) the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain (krateo/kratos - continue to hold, not let go, be master of, to rule, to seize/power, dominion) the sins of any, they are retained." (Jn. 20:21-23). Our being "sent" in the same manner that Jesus was "sent", is an issue of life and death - the forgiveness or retention of the sins of others.

     As a parallel to the scriptural account of the spies above, after His resurrection, Jesus sent His disciples to go forth as witnesses of Him first in Israel (Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria), the same land of promise as mentioned above, but then also beyond Israel "to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:7-8). The LORD had said the same to Moses when He declared that the whole earth would be full of His glory (see above, Num. 14:21). Specifically Jesus said: "Go (poreuo/peran - depart, go forth, to lead over/beyond, on the other side, to pierce through) into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature...And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover...And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen." (Mk. 16:15-20).

     When we are obedient to the command of the LORD to salah send out or go forth, more is involved than just the immediate goal, which in the case of the nasi/nasa leader spies was to enter into the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land. The spiritual effect of that obedience goes far wider until the whole earth is impacted. However, we must go only at the command of the LORD.

     Upon hearing of their error, and the resulting sentence of forty years in the wilderness and death, the Israelites decided then to go up into the Promised Land on their own. Moses warned them, however, that it was too late. They had just been forbidden by God to enter the land. Moses said: "Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed. Do not go up lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you....you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.' But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp." (Num. 14:41-44). The enemy Amalekites and the Canaanites attacked them and drove them back. (v. 45).

      We cannot send ourselves, although it seems like a good thing to do. We must be sent by the LORD. Jesus assured His disciples as He sent them that He would be with them as they obediently went out. (see above, Mk. 16:20). He also said as He sent them after His resurrection: "...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Mt. 28:20, excerpt).

     If you would like to learn more about being sent by the LORD, you can pray with me: "Father, You determine each one of my days. You direct my steps. You give me the words that I speak by Your Holy Spirit. In doing this, You make even my smallest steps to be more effective than I could ever think. Help and direct me, Father, that what I pray, do and say would spread Your glory in all the earth. Be glorified, Father. Be glorified Jesus. Be glorified Holy Spirit on earth as in heaven, for You desire to pour out Your salvation upon the world. You desire that we should live and not die, that we should choose life. Be glorified in Israel, the land where our Savior Jesus Messiah/Christ will return and reign, and in all the nations of the earth, in Jesus' name. 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. 

PropheticPitfalls

     The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Sh'lach L'cha, meaning "Send for yourself". This title comes from the Hebrew word salah, which we find in Num. 13:2. It is part of a command which the LORD gave to Moses: "Send (salah - send out, stretch out, depart, loose, soweth, extend, let go, set free, reach forth) men to spy out/search (tur - search, seek, spy out, explore, make reconnaissance, send to catch sight of and describe/proclaim, to lead one about as the righteous shows the way to his friend) the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader (nasi/nasa - one lifted up, chief, prince, captain, rising vapors, clouds, rising mist, king, ruler, a chief prince/bare or lift up, forgive, regard, exalted, support, aid, assist) among them." As we can see, salah used above means much more than "to send". There is a greater accompanying purpose that goes with being "sent" according to the Hebrew meaning. The same is true with that activity of "spying out" or tur. There is a proclamation to be made based upon what is seen prophetically. These "leaders" that were sent were not ordinary, but they were associated with the authority found in ascendance (nasi/nasa). The previous two Sabbath reading portions also dealt in some way with being or coming to an ascended position. In verse 3, these leaders were also described as "heads" (ros - chief, top, principal, head, summit, height, beginning, top, choicest, best, foremost, highest and supreme), again referring to a position of great height. The leaders' names as recorded in v. 4-15, reflect the character of the LORD as well as the hidden Messiah. These name meanings include: "renowned"; "he hath judged and punished"; "forcible"; "he redeems/kinsman redeemer/avenger"; "salvation/savior"; "my deliverance/save/escape"; "God is my fortune/troop"; "my fortune"; "my kinsman is God/the people of God"; "hidden one/love fervently/cherish"; "the majesty of God/to rise up/exalted in triumph/be lifted up/be raised up/be risen/to increase". The assignment of the leaders/heads was to see prophetically from the place of ascension, establish a prophetic foothold in Canaan, and to bring back that description/proclamation to God's people. It is also noted that these leaders/heads were sent from the Wilderness of Paran/pa'ar (caverns/to glorify, beautify, adorn, honored, glory, vaunt, be glorified, to gleam, to make clear in explanation, to examine the boughs in order to glean them). In the natural, Paran was a place of caverns, but spiritually, it was a place of glory, beauty, honor and height. Moses told them: "Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like...be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." (v. 17-20). "So they went up (ala -see above)..And they ascended (ala - see above)..." (v. 21-22). God's command to Moses tells us that the LORD wanted His people to see something for themselves, and to see it from an ascended position.

     Those who were sent to spy saw two different things. They saw a land flowing with milk and honey, full of fruit, large samples of which they brought back with them (v. v. 23, 27). They also saw the descendants of Anak (tribe of giant statured people) dwelling there and reported to Moses and the people: "Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there." (v. 22, 28). Caleb, one of the spies, tried to give the true prophetic report: "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." (v. 30). Most of the other returned spies then contradicted Caleb with a bad/evil report (diba/dabab - whispering, defamation, evil report, slander, as that which glides stealthily, one who spreads false or slanderous statements/move, glide over, an animal that creeps, to creep about): "We are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we...The land...is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw giants...and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (v. 31-33). Those other spies were reporting what they had seen and their resulting conclusions, but the LORD called it a slanderously false evil report. They had slandered God who had promised the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land to them as descendants of Abraham (see Gen. 12:1, 5-7, Gen. 13:14-18, Gen. 15:18-21, Gen. 17:7-8). In His command to Moses above the LORD stated clearly the He was giving the land of Canaan to the children of Israel. Most of the leaders/heads therefore who had spied the land were in effect calling God a liar, and counseling Moses and the people not to believe Him.

     This report from the leaders/heads of the tribes so affected all of the congregation that they lifted their (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) voices (qol - voice, thunder, proclamation, send out, fame, bleating, cracking) and cried (natan - give, bestow, ascribe, report, utter, stretch out, extend, be published, send). As we can see from the Hebrew meanings of the words used here, the cries of the people of God have a prophetic power, extending out and being sent further than their place of origin. They are prophetic words because God's people are a prophetic people (see Prov. 18:21, Mk. 11:22-23, Deut. 30:14, Rom. 10:8-10). The prophetic mantle is not shed because God's prophetic people decide to believe and speak the evil report. The words cannot be called back nor changed once they are believed and spoken as we will see.

     The congregation wanted to make for themselves a leader to bring them back to Egypt. Joshua and Caleb, who had been among those who had spied out the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land, spoke to all of the congregation: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good (tob - good, goodly, best, fair, precious, wealth, beautiful, favor, welfare, happiness) land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."  (Num. 14:1-10). Hearing these words, the congregation wanted to stone them until the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting and halted this.

     The spies were to bring back the report from an ascended spiritual position, yet most of them brought back what the LORD said was an evil, slanderous report. The people of God, when they heard the evil report, cried out in bitterness and anger. They even cried: "Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims?" (Num. 14:3). Their prophetic voices and tears "thundered" in the LORD's ears. The evil report produced an "evil congregation" who complained against the LORD (Num. 14:26-27). Finally the LORD swore regarding this evil congregation: "As I live...just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness...Except for Caleb...and Joshua...you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in." (v. 28-30). Their own proclaimed, published, thundered fears and words would come to pass. The LORD did promise, however, that He would bring their little ones, whom the people had claimed would be destroyed (see Num. 14:3 above), into the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land. (v. 31). When the LORD commands us to go and see for ourselves, what report do we bring back and proclaim far and wide?

    

     Joshua and Caleb had also seen the giants, but they saw from their ascended position that with the LORD among His people, those giants were "bread" to be devoured by the people of God. Caleb and Joshua saw that the spiritual protection that had once covered those Canaanite people had been removed, and they were now vulnerable. Unless this were true, why would the LORD have said to His people to go and sh'lach l'cha, "send for yourself", to see the promised land? Why is He having us read this Sh'lach L'cha Sabbath portion at this time? What does He want us to see regarding our current "giants", and the great, fruitful reward waiting for us if His favor is with us? What report are we hearing and believing? Are we of a "different spirit" who follows the LORD fully, as the LORD said of Caleb (Num. 14:24)? 

     In another reading portion from this Sabbath, forty years later, after the evil congregation had died in the wilderness, two more spies would be sent (salah - see above) by Joshua to enter the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land to spy out the mighty walled city of Jericho in Canaan (Josh. 2:1). The true, powerful report of the LORD wouldn't come from the spies, however. It would come through a Canaanite harlot (prostitute) living on the wall of the city. This was her report to the two spies whom she hid from capture on her roof: "I know that the LORD has given you the land...the terror of you has fallen on us...all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you...we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea...and what you did to the two kings...whom you utterly destroyed. As soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain anymore courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." (v. 9-11). The harlot's name was Rahab, which means "extending widely every way, long and broad when spoken of land, signifies wideness, height and depth, a wide cup, be enlarged, make room, extending borders of a kingdom." While the evil report of most of the first spies above slandered and belittled God in the eyes of His people and beyond, Rahab's report exalted God and His works which He also did through His people. Her report prophetically extended the borders of His kingdom.

     Rahab asked the spies to spare her family when the Israelites took Jericho. The spies told her that her family would only be spared if they stayed within her house. No doubt her family had shame for this prostitute daughter. They did not live in her house because they were not present when Rahab hid the spies. Yet it is her house that God would designate as a sanctuary. Only her house would carry the true token of His salvation: a (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) cord/line (tiava/qava - hope expectation, thing I long for, expected, cord, rope, things hoped for [see Heb. 11:1-2], live/wait for, look for, expect, hope, bind together, be collected) made out of scarlet or crimson (dye made from a worm or insect that sacrifices its life for its children) thread: "...give me a true (emet - true, faithful (see Rev. 19:11-14), sure, continuous, of divine instruction, perpetuity, consistent in performing promises, constant and perpetual favor of the Lord, the truth of the Lord) token (ot - אוֹת: alpha, vaw, tav [meaning the Lord Adonai, nailed to the cross], miraculous sign, token, mark, signal, proof, flag, beacon, evidence), and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) lives from death." (Josh. 2:12-13, 18-19). We know the miraculous account of the defeat of Jericho by the Israelites. The mighty walls that protected that city fell straight down into the ground. Does this mean that the small section of wall upon which Rahab's house sat did not fall in this manner? Picture that! Would we have discerned that the LORD would prophesy His greatness and victory by a prostitute, or would we have looked for another type altogether to prophesy the Word of the LORD to us? The spies thought they were "sent" to "spy out" Jericho, but they were really sent to meet a prostitute and hear the Word of the LORD. The LORD would say at a later time as He corrected His prophet, that He does not look upon the outward appearance, but He looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Do we? 

     From this Sabbath reading portion, Sh'lach L'cha, "Send for yourself", we find another example of the prophetic report. After the Israelites conquered the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) land of Canaan, Joshua began to distribute territories to the eleven various tribes. Caleb, Joshua's fellow spy now so many years before, came to him with a request based upon the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) word that the LORD had spoken to him by Moses forty-five years earlier: "And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive...these forty-five years...and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent (salah - see above) me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out, and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day...the Anakim (descendants of giants) were there, and...the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.' And Joshua blessed him, and gave (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Hebron to Caleb...as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb....the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel." (Josh. 14:10-14). Caleb, who was not an Israelite by birth but by heart and faith, believed and spoke the good report of the LORD and believed and spoke the Word of the LORD given to him by Moses even many years later. Others may have looked at Caleb and said that he was too old to take that mountain of giants, but Caleb "wholly followed the LORD." In fact, after Caleb was given the mountain, "the land had rest from war." (v. 15).

     In these challenging and dangerous times, by assigning this Sabbath's reading portion, perhaps the LORD is saying to us: sh'lach l'cha: "send for yourselves". What does He expect us to prophetically see and report? Are we giving a report that makes the giants in the land that the LORD has given us to become fainthearted like the inhabitants of Jericho? Has the LORD already removed their protective covering so that they have become bread for us? From another reading portion of this Sabbath we see: "Remember to magnify His (the LORD's) work, of which men have sung. Everyone has seen it; Man looks on it from afar." (Job. 36:24-25). Daniel prophesied about the work of the righteous that is to take place in the last days, when ungodly powers openly challenge the LORD and His people: "...but the people who know (yada - know, perceive, show, tell, understand, certainly, acknowledge, declare, teach, know by experience, confess, be skillful in, be revealed, be perceived, be diligent) their God shall be strong, and do/carry out great exploits."  (Dan. 11:32).

     If you would like to know more about what it means to be "sent" by the LORD, you can pray with me: "Lord, as you send me to go up and see, help my eyes to see Your greatness rather than the false greatness of the darkness. Help my mouth that I will show the true token, and speak the true report to Your people, extending it far and wide. Let the report sent forth of our God cause the spiritual giants on the mountains to tremble, and those who are to be spiritually dispossessed and disinherited from Your land to become fainthearted. Help me by Your Holy Spirit to do the great exploits in Your name of which Your prophet spoke. I ask these things in the name of Your Son, 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 Α Ω , 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.

Kingdoms

The title of this week's Sabbath reading is Sh'lach L'cha, or "send for yourself". The LORD commanded Moses to send the leaders of each tribe of the children of Israel ahead into the promised land from their current camp in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh (Numbers 13 and 14). They were to spy out the land and bring back a report of what they found. The spies who were being sent from each tribe were called "leaders" (nasi/nasa - prince, chief, governor, captain, ruler/to lift, to bear up, support, sustain, forgive, to be exalted)) and "heads" (ros - chief, top of a mountain, principal, choicest, best, highest, supreme) by the LORD. These heads of the tribes that would be sent to spy, or search out the land, were not "errand boys", but the most respected men of the children of Israel. These leaders would be leaving from the current camp and setting of the tabernacle in Paran at Kadesh (Num. 13:26) to go to Canaan (Num. 13:2), the new land. If we look at the meanings of these two places, we might see the beginning of an attitude problem. Paran (pa'ar) at Kadesh, their current location, means "glorify, beautify, adorn, proud, honored" at "holy, sanctuary, sanctify, dedicate, purify". Canaan (kana) means the opposite: "traffickers, merchants, depressed, bring low, bring down, brought into subjection, humble oneself, to bend the knee". The best and the brightest were being commanded to leave their place of exaltation and sanctity, and travel to a place of subjection and humiliation. The season in which they were to make this journey was the season of the Feast of Ingathering/Tabernacles because it was "the season of the first ripe grapes" (v. 20). The Feast of Ingathering/Tabernacles is a most joyous feast celebrating the sweetest of the harvests - the harvest of grapes, figs, pomegranates and dates, very soon followed by the harvest of ripe olives. This is what the leaders of the tribes found in the promised land of Canaan also: "Then they came to the Valley (nahal - valley, stream, flood, torrent; inheritance, possession, to bequeath) of Eschol ("cluster of grapes"), and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs." (v. 23). Again, we see the Feast of Ingathering/Tabernacles represented in these ripened fruits. This timing, and the evidence of abundant harvest shouldn't have been difficult for these exalted men to figure out! However, after forty days, when they returned to camp after spying out the land, they reported to the people the giant descendants of the corrupted Anakim, the strong, fortified cities, and the violent tribes of Canaan that they had seen: the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites and the Amorites (v. 27-29). These four tribes of Canaan represented evil activity. Amalekites, according to the Jewish writings from the Midrash, were sorcerers. The Hittites were descendants of Heth, son of Canaan. Heth means "terror, break in pieces, be afraid, be discouraged, break by violence, cause confusion and fear". Jebusites inhabited a territory that included what would later be called Jerusalem. The word Jebusites includes the meaning "threshing place, trodden down, polluted, loath, desecrate, trample". Finally, the Amorites, the most powerful of the tribes in Canaan, included the meaning "publicity, renown, to boast, act proudly, avow, challenge, speak, command". Their mouths were used for threats and curses. These tribes sound like the same evil that is currently occupying my land. Although Caleb, the leader of the tribe of Judah, tried to assure the children of Israel that they should go at once and take possession, "for we are well able to overcome it", ten of the twelve respected leaders who had spied out the new land gave this report: "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we...the land is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature...we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." (v. 30-33). The children of Israel cried and wept, complained against Moses, and refused to go into the land because of what had been reported to them. They even wanted to select a new leader to take them back to Egypt! (Num. 14:1-4). Another of the leaders who had spied out the land, Joshua, tried to intervene saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land which flows with milk and honey...do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them." (v. 7-9). Joshua discerned that their defence or covering had withdrawn from these tribes who practiced evil. He called them "our bread". Bread has an interesting meaning. It is the Hebrew word and root lehem/laham and means "bread, food, meat, feast, provision/make war, overcome, devoured, prevail, do battle". Jesus called Himself "the Bread which came down from heaven", and "the Bread of life" (Jn. 6:32-41). Not only is He our Bread of spiritual and natural nutrition, but from the Hebrew meaning of the word, He also is the Bread of prevailing in battles on our behalf. In this case with the words of Joshua, however, the congregation picked up stones to stone them. The glory of the LORD then appeared in the tabernacle, and the LORD was prepared to destroy the Israelites who were ready to stone His faithful servants who spoke the truth. Moses had to greatly intercede before the LORD in order to spare the people (v. 10-19). The LORD then said to Moses: "But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD..." (v. 21). The plan of the LORD for this Feast of Ingathering/Tabernacles in Numbers had been to fill the earth with His glory by overthrowing the evil powers ruling the promised land. God's people had refused to participate. However, God swore that He would do so. That was and is His purpose. This Feast of Tabernacles of this Sabbath's reading portion was about the dispossession of the kingdoms and powers of darkness, and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. When I spy out the land in which God has placed me as a physical and spiritual inheritance, am I seeing the fulfillment of the Feast of Ingathering/Tabernacles of grapes, pomegranates, figs, dates, and olives (oil of the Holy Spirit), the harvesting of souls for His Kingdom, and the dispossession of the kingdoms of darkness, or am I seeing and reporting the strength and evil of the enemy? The new covenant speaks to this replacement of kingdoms, and it wasn't by violent revolution against governments or people. The Lord Jesus spoke about this great change that was at hand ("Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand", Mt. 4:17), and taught His disciples how to bring about this replacement of kingdoms saying: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed by Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Mt. 6:9-13). Do we view the Lord's Prayer as an outline and tool to dispossess the giants, the fortified cities, and kingdoms of darkness from the land? If not, perhaps we should be taking another look at it. Paul also spoke about the dispossession of the evil kingdoms, not by natural weapons, which are completely ineffective, but by our spiritual weapons, which are mighty through God. One version of the scripture says: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." (2 Cor. 10:4). Daniel prophesied that one of the greatest kingdoms of darkness to come that "shall devour the whole earth", will be dispossessed: "But the court (din - judgment, justice, penalty) shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him." (Dan. 7:22-27). As the LORD guaranteed Moses: "All the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. "The Book of Revelation reports the triumph of the Kingdom of God: "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev. 11:15). According to the scriptures, just some of the spiritual weapons we have with which to participate in this miraculous change of power are: forgiving and seeking God for and treasuring our forgiveness Mt. 6:12), our obedience (2 Cor. 10:4-6), and our salvation (Lk. 10:18-20). The remaining portions of this Sabbath's readings deal with Israel's entrance into the Promised Land, finally, forty years later, under the leadership of Joshua (Josh. 2:1-24), and the distribution of the land by allotments to the tribes of Israel (Josh. 14:6-15). The LORD also made this promise to His Son in the Psalms: "Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations (heathen) for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession." (Ps. 2:6-8). I have to ask myself what I see and believe when I look at the land of my inheritance and possession through Christ? I will bear in mind that the kingdoms of evil ended up having an additional forty years of power in the land of covenant promise, because the Israelites did not obey the voice and the appointed time of the LORD. I want to be instead an obedient participant in the glorious deliverance and harvest work of the Lord in this time before His return. If you would like to know more about the Kingdom of God, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, through Your Son, Jesus, the Messiah, You have given us an inheritance in heaven, a harvest or ingathering for Your Kingdom, and a possession here on the earth. Through Your Word, and by Your Holy Spirit, teach me to see, believe, pray, speak and live, not according to the kingdoms of this world, but according to the Kingdom of God. Show me Your fields white with the harvest of souls in this time. Use me in a way that establishes Your Kingdom, and disposseses the kingdoms of darkness from the land. You have won the victory, as Jesus said, "...I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). We ask these things, and bless and honor You in Jesus' holy name. AMEN."