Weekly Drash - Phinehas

Compliments of First Fruits of Zion
reprinted by permission of FFOZ

Parashat Hashavuah

Pinchas – פינחס : “Phinehas”
Torah : Numbers 25:10–30:1
Haftarah : 1 Kings 18:46–19:21
Gospel : John 15–17
 

The Man over the Congregation
 

Thought for the Week:

In Numbers 25 God rewards Pinchas with a special covenant of priesthood because of his zeal in the matter of the Baal of Peor. He says, “[Pinchas] has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel.” (Numbers 25:11) In return for this service on behalf of Israel, God makes an eternal covenant of peace with him, “a covenant of a perpetual priesthood.” (Numbers 25:13) This teaches us about Messiah.

Commentary:

Like Pinchas, Messiah acted zealously on behalf of the LORD. Like Pinchas, He turned God’s wrath away from His people. He offered Himself in the place of Israel, receiving the penalty for our sin. And just as with Pinchas, God has made an eternal covenant of peace with Yeshua, granting Him a perpetual priesthood. Like Pinchas, Yeshua was zealous “for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.” (Numbers 25:13)

May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation. (Numbers 27:16)

In Numbers 27:12–14, the LORD tells Moses that his time to die is near. Moses’ first thought is for the people of Israel whom he will leave behind. He implores God, saying:

May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd. (Numbers 27:16–17)

Moses prays for a man to be appointed over the congregation. In the immediate, literal sense, his prayer is answered by God’s appointment of Joshua over the congregation of Israel. God takes of the spirit of Moses and bestows it upon Joshua, just as the authority of Torah (which corresponds to Moses) is bestowed upon Yeshua (who is named after Joshua). Joshua, however, was destined to die a generation later, leaving Israel like sheep without a shepherd once again. For Moses’ prayer to be answered in its fullest, it was necessary that God appoint a man as a shepherd over Israel who would not succumb to death.

Yeshua is the man “appointed over the congregation.” Remember that the word church is a translation of “assembly” or “congregation.” Paul tells us that Yeshua is head of the assembly. “He is also head of the body, the [congregation].” (Colossians 1:18) Peter tells the congregation of Israel assembled in the Temple that “Yeshua [is] the Messiah appointed for you.” (Acts 3:20) He is “a Man whom [God] has appointed,” (Acts 17:31) “the One who has been appointed by God.” (Acts 10:42) These words echo the prayer of Moses that God might appoint a man over the congregation.

In the gospels, Scripture says that when Yeshua “saw a large crowd…He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34) Without the teaching and guidance of Yeshua, Israel is like a flock of sheep without a shepherd.

He is the shepherd of Israel and the shepherd of our souls. The Apostle Peter says, “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25)

Shavuah Tov! Have a Good Week!

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