Mattot: Tribes — מטות

Thoughts on the Torah Portion for Last Week.
 
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Numbers 25-30
In this parsha, we see the Lord reiterate the priesthood covenant blessing of peace with Phinehas after he ends the whoring of men with the women of Midian, which also ends the plague that killed 24,000 Israelites.  Every covenant that God makes has covenant blessings.  But the covenant blessing listed here of peace is only one aspect of the blessings associated with the priesthood.

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A Covenant of Life and Peace
The Lord revealed to the prophet Malachi that God had made a covenant with the sons of Levi not only a covenant of peace, but also a covenant of life.  He said,
 
“‘You know I sent this commandment to you that my covenant might be with Levi,’ says Jehovah of Hosts. ‘My covenant with him was of life and peace, and these I gave him on account of the fear with which he feared me and his fear of my presence. The law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity wasn’t found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from transgression. For the priest’s lips should harbor knowledge that they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts’” (Malachi 2:4–7).
 
Further, Dr. Gileadi makes this comment on Numbers 25 and this covenant with the sons of Levi,
 
"When the Israelites make a golden calf at Mount Sinai and worship it, the tribe of Levi rallies to God’s side and avenges him of the evildoers (Exodus 32:19–28). Later, when the Israelites fornicate with the daughters of Midian, Aaron’s grandson Phinehas avenges God of the evil (Numbers 25:1–18). Because of their righteous zeal God chooses the tribe of Levi to be his priests and teachers to the rest of Israel’s tribes. The Levites are consecrated to God’s service to minister in the Tabernacle during Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, and later in Solomon’s temple at Jerusalem (Numbers 1:50–53; 8:6–26; Deuteronomy 18:1–7; 1 Chronicles 9:14–34)."

"The special relationship the Levites have with Israel’s God crystallizes into a covenant of life and peace: “‘You know I sent this commandment to you that my covenant might be with Levi,’ says Jehovah of Hosts. ‘My covenant with him was of life and peace, and these I gave him on account of the fear with which he feared me and his fear of my presence. The law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity wasn’t found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and equity and turned many away from transgression. For the priest’s lips should harbor knowledge that they should seek the law at his mouth, for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts’” (Malachi 2:4–7)."
 
A Covenant of Life
The idea that God blesses those with life becomes a stark reality when Israel corrupts God’s law loses their land and many lose their lives.  We see a covenant of life enumerated in Deu 30 when the Lord says if you if you keep his words that you shall live.  Echoing the same thought John Rushdooney writes,

“As the alternative to reprobation, death, nothingness, and hell, God offers holiness, His law, and makes clear that His laws, the laws of holiness, are the way of life and the principle of life to all His covenant people, whose lives are grounded, not on nothings, but on the Lord”. (The Institutes of Biblical Law, Vol. II, p. 574) 
 
In fact, all of God’s covenants in one way or another have some aspect of blessings of life and peace.

​Peter, Priesthood and the Covenant of Life
In the New Testament, we see the Lord through the Apostle Peter declare that Believers can have a royal priesthood - 1 Peter 2:9.  Well, the only priesthood that Believers would be eligible to receive is the Melchizedek priesthood since it does not require a lineage and for which Yeshua restored – Hebrews 7.  Moreover, these same covenant blessings of life and peace that the Levites enjoyed are extended to Believers with Melchizedek priesthood.

The Covenant of Eternal Life
These blessings of life and peace associated with the priesthood are set within an earthly or mortal context.  Yeshua declared that those who believed on Him would have eternal life meaning that Believers physical and spiritual life would extend into the eternities through their resurrection and life with God.

In summary, we have both promises of life and peace during mortally and eternity circumscribed within the Gospel of Yeshua through a system of covenants.

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Hebrew Study

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Family Emblems

​
Symbols can be important for helping us

to focus our attention and energies to

common goals and efforts.  In ancient

Israel, the Israelites were command to

create banners like the one depicted to

​the left.

Families can also create their own

banners or emblems.  Consider the

​family emblem below.

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Isaiah Chapter 41
Jehovah’s righteous servant, who hails from the east, leads Jacob/Israel’s returnees in a new conquest.

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: Numbers 30:2-32:42
GOSPELS: Luke 13:1-9

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

Torah Pearls with Nehemia Gordon

HAFTARAH: Isaiah Chapter 42

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, Ph