Rabbi's Drash

Pinchas

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5 7 6 9

Numbers 21:10-30:1
 

In Berakhot 34b in the Talmud it is written that from Moses to the last prophet every word speaks of Mashiach. This portion has so many pictures of Messiah and I will cover some of them in this drash. This portion begins with Pinchas, the grandson of Aharon in a very dramatic and bloody way. He killed two people defending the honor of G-d and thus creating much controversy for our Hebrew sages. Does G-d's honor need defending? Can't He defend Himself? If G-d can defend Himself then why would this action of Pinchas merit G-d giving him a brit shalom (covenant of peace) and his descendants forever? How can we interpret this? Let us remember that the Scriptures interpret themselves. We do not need to make things up to explain G-d. He wants us to understand what He is saying to us. Our rabbis compare Pinchas with Eliyahu who would announce the coming of the Messiah. We know that Yeshua told us that Yohanan the prophet came in the spirit of Eliyahu. He too was a zealot and completely submitted to the will of G-d. When it came time to tell Herod the truth about his sin, he paid the price by losing his head. True men of G-d never compromise the truth even if it means their life. Next we read about Moshe taking the census to see how many young men would cross into the Promised Land. Of this new generation only two men, Yehoshua, a Hebrew from Ephraim and Caleb, a Kenizzite non Hebrew representing Judah would be left from the old guard. They represent the two kingdoms, the northern and southern which are mentioned here as prophetic. One represents Israel and the other, the gentiles. Israel would be formed by both Jew and Gentile together as one in the end of days. In my past teachings I have focused on the topic of leadership. Moshe's leadership was constantly being challenged by his own people yet he never defended himself and even at the last moment when he was disciplined by G-d for his behavior, he never made excuses. He was fully submitted to the will of G-d like our Messiah Yeshua. Now after Moshe had been in the desert for 40 years, he was tired. He had been through a multitude of challenges to his authority during those years. He had suffered constant complaining from the Israelites and it was time for him to allow someone else take his place. Moshe did not choose his successor himself; it was G-d who told Moshe to lay hands (smicha) on Yehoshua whose name is another form of the name Yeshua which points to the prophet who would follow Moshe and be greater than he was (Deut. 18:17-20). G-d always chooses His leaders unlike the world system which tries to push the idea of democracy on the people where the majority chooses. The majority is not always right. Moshe had three options for his successor: his two sons, Yehoshua or someone else. Moshe in his humility and submission did not say one word to G-d when his sons were passed over for the position. G-d was not looking to make Moshe's descendants into a monarchy the way most people would like to do when they choose their kings. Today we have lost this idea of submission to G-d's will and have imposed the world's standards in choosing religious leaders. We look for those who have PhD's, great administrative skills, great fundraisers or the best politicians. We have lost the idea of G-d's calling. Let us not fall into the trap of measuring our leaders by these standards. We must not measure success in this world with G-d's calling and blessing. If we do then every prophet, every one of our forefathers right to Yeshua himself would be considered terrible leaders. If we have been called by G-d, it is for His sake and not our own, to serve others and not ourselves. That is what true worship is all about. Worship comes from the word in Hebrew, "avodah" or work, workmanship. True worship is serving others. We are the "service department" not the "complaint department" called to serve one another. The more you bring yourself to help others, the less time you have to complain. If you do what you are called to do, G-d will do the rest as Yeshua said in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:33 "Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness (the Presence of G-d) and everything else will be provided for you." Yeshua was the greatest model of all after Moshe by being the servant of all. He was the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. It certainly could not have been Israel since we read that he didn't open his mouth to complain (Isaiah 53:7). In the same way the Moshe did smicha for Joshua, are you ready to have G-d's smicha? Has G-d called you? A true leader is not one who looks for position or popularity. He does not push himself to the front. On the contrary, he simply finds himself automatically doing what G-d has placed in his path to do. What is the place that G-d has called you to do? You will be very unhappy if you are in the wrong place, the wrong position. You will constantly be trying to prove to yourself and others that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. Look at Korach. He had the pedigree, the wealth, the knowledge but not G-d's calling to be in the position he tried to usurp from Moshe. If you are called to be a teacher, he will give you the love and desire to study. May you find your true calling and in humility may you step into that calling to serve the G-d of Israel whether you are a Jew or a Gentile.    May G-d add blessings to His Word!      Rabbi Percy Johnson      Netanel ben Yochanan      [nxy [b lantn      © 2008 Use by Permission      Kehilat She’ar Yashuv

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