Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-22:1

Chukat ('Decree')

As we journey with Israel through the book of Numbers and come to chapter 20 we have the sense that we have been here before – both geographically, since the people are back at Kadesh from where the spies went in to explore the land, and also in terms of grumbling!

The Lord worked miracles to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt and met all their needs as they travelled, but as they went they only saw death and lack, and listed what they did not have: no grain, no figs, no grapevines, no pomegranates and no water “in this terrible place”. God knew that they needed water and had always provided it before, though it may not have been when or how they expected.

Moses and Aaron fell down before the Lord and His glory appeared to them. Moses was told to take his staff, gather the people, but then to SPEAK to the rock. That would have been enough for water to pour out and the Lord’s holiness to be revealed. One can feel Moses’ frustration and understand why he hit the rock instead - but he had not trusted Yahweh enough or recognised that this time He was working in a different way.

Do we sometimes present the Lord as less than He is by expecting Him to work in the same way as on a previous occasion? Circumstances may be similar but He tests us, always wanting us to grow in our faith so that others see more of His holiness.

The Son of Man, Lifted Up

We continue the journey around Edom and hear a familiar chorus of negativity: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” When the people were dying because of the venomous snakes that the Lord sent, they recognised their sin and prayed that the Lord would take the snakes away. The Lord did not remove them, but instead provided another way of salvation: to look up to the bronze snake on the pole and away from biting snakes.

The Lord may not clear our problems, but we can look away from them as we fix our eyes on Jesus for “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

Paul refers to lessons from this time in the wilderness to give strong warnings that “we should not test the Lord, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble…” We have the accounts in the Torah as examples or types to teach us. “And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor 9:6-13).

Let us make the choice to look up to Yeshua, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb 12:2-3), and away from the circumstances that could cause us to grow weary and lose heart.

Author: Catharine Pakington