This weeks reading is from Parsahat Bamidbar (Bamidbar / Numbers 1:1-4:20). The Torah reading this week tells us the Lord God spoke to Moshe in the Ohel Moed commanding him to number the Children of Israel. The Lord said the Levites were not to be numbered because they are given to the service of the Lord in the Tabernacle (1:47-50). The Levites are instructed to camp around the Tabernacle so the wrath of God will not fall upon the congregation of Israel (1:53). The Lord tells Moshe that the first born in Israel, from man or beast, are His (3:13). The reading ends with the mitzvot on what to do when the Tabernacle moves from one place to another and how the Levites are to prepare the Tabernacle for traveling (4:4-20). I read recently someone said that the all of the Apostolic Writings (NT) is midrash. While looking in the rabbinic commentaries on these Scriptures, we discover that the Apostle Paul uses an ancient midrash to describe something about Christ in his letter to the Corinthians.
ืกืคืจ ืืืืืจ ืคืจืง ื
ื ืึทืึฐืึทืึผึตืจ ืึฐืืึนึธื ืึถื-ืึนืฉืึถื ืึผึฐืึดืึฐืึผึทืจ ืกึดืื ึทื ืึผึฐืึนืึถื ืืึนืขึตื ืึผึฐืึถืึธื ืึทืึนืึถืฉื ืึทืฉึผืึตื ึดื ืึผึทืฉึผืึธื ึธื ืึทืฉึผืึตื ึดืืช ืึฐืฆึตืืชึธื ืึตืึถืจึถืฅ ืึดืฆึฐืจึทืึดื ืึตืืึนืจ: ื ืฉึฐึนืืึผ ืึถืช-ืจึนืืฉื ืึผึธื-ืขึฒืึทืช ืึผึฐื ึตื-ืึดืฉึฐึนืจึธืึตื ืึฐืึดืฉืึฐืคึผึฐืึนืชึธื ืึฐืึตืืช ืึฒืึนืชึธื ืึผึฐืึดืกึฐืคึผึทืจ ืฉืึตืืึนืช ืึผึธื-ืึธืึธืจ ืึฐืึปืึฐืึผึฐืึนืชึธื: ื ืึดืึผึถื ืขึถืฉึฐึนืจึดืื ืฉืึธื ึธื ืึธืึทืขึฐืึธื ืึผึธื-ืึนืฆึตื ืฆึธืึธื ืึผึฐืึดืฉึฐึนืจึธืึตื ืชึผึดืคึฐืงึฐืืึผ ืึนืชึธื ืึฐืฆึดืึฐืึนืชึธื ืึทืชึผึธื ืึฐืึทืึฒืจึนื: ื ืึฐืึดืชึผึฐืึถื ืึดืึฐืืึผ ืึดืืฉื ืึดืืฉื ืึทืึผึทืึผึถื ืึดืืฉื ืจึนืืฉื ืึฐืึตืืช-ืึฒืึนืชึธืื ืืึผื:Bamidbar / Numbers 4:1-4
1:1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 1:2 โTake a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathersโ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head 1:3 from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 1:4 โWith you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his fatherโs household. (NASB)
Midrash Rabbah (the Great Midrash) on the very first portion from the book of Numbers is quite extensive. The midrash begins with the rabbis already having a thorough working knowledge of the book of Numbers and this becomes apparent in Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar, Parashah 1, Part 2 (ืืืจืฉ ืจืื ืืืืืจ ืคืจืฉื ื ืกืืื ื) as we read their take on the Scriptures.
Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar, Parshah 1, Part 2
โIn the exposition of the text, And the Lord spoke unto Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai (Bamidbar / Numbers 1:1) … And there was no water for the congregation (Bamidbar / Numbers 20:2). How was the well constructed? It was rock-shaped like a kind of bee-hive, and wherever they journeyed it rolled along and came with them. When the standards under which the tribes of journeyed halted and the tabernacle was setup, that same rock would come and settle down in the court of the Tent of Meeting and the princes would come and stand upon it and say, Rise up, O well (Bamidbar / Numbers 21:17), and it would rise.โ (ืฉื ืืืืืจ ืืณ) ืืื ืืืืืื ืืขืื,ืืืืื ืืืชื ืืืืจ ืขืฉืืื ืกืืข ืืืื ืืืืจืช ืืืชื ืืืชืืืืืช ืืืืช ืขืืื ืืืกืขืืช ืืืืื ืฉืืื ืืืืืื ืืื ืื ืืืืฉืื ืขืืื ืืื ืืืชื ืืกืืข ืื ืืืืฉื ืื ืืืฆืจ ืืื ืืืขื ืืื ืฉืืืื ืืืื ืืขืืืืื ืขื ืืืื ืืืืืจืื ืขืื ืืืจ ืืืืชื ืขืืื, ืืืืดื ืืืืชื ืืื ืฉืืืื, ืืืืืจ ืืืืชื ืืืฉืจืื ืฉืื ืืืืืจ ื ืืืชื ืขืืื ืืื ืื ืืจืฅ ืืืคืืื ืื ืื ื ืืืื ืืืืชื ืืืืจ ืืื ืฉื ืืณ (ืฉืืืช ืื)
According to the midrash, the rabbis say that when the children of Israel needed water, the Lord constructed for them a well that was shaped like a bee-hive that gave forth water and this rock followed them whereever they journeyed in the wilderness. In addition to this, the rock that gave life giving water settled down in the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting) and the princes of the tribes of Israel would come and stand upon it and say โRise up O well.โ The rock tabernacled with His people. In the rabbinic literature, there are other references to this same life giving rock, the children of Israel, and the wilderness. In the Targum Jonathan (Aramaic Translation) the rabbis expands upon Bamidbar / Numbers 21:19 to describe the rock or โwellโ that โfollowedโ them (the children of Israel):
โFrom the time that the well in Mattanah was given them, it was made again to them brooks that were overflowing and violent; and again it went up unto the tops of the mountains, and went down with them into the valleys…โ
ืืื ืืืชืืืืช ืืืื ืืืชื ื ืืืจืช ืืืืกืืง ืขืืืืื ืืืืืจืืื ืจืืืื ืืืืืืจืืื ืจืืืื ื ืืชื ืขืืืืื ืืืืืืชื ืืืืจื ืืื ืืฉืืจืืชื ืืืฉืจืื ืืืฉืงืื ืืชืืื ืื ืื ืืื ืืชืจืข ืืฉืื ืื
The Aramaic translation uses a parable to say these waters that proceeded from the rock followed Israel and gave them life giving waters. According to the Tosefta, this tradition of the rock is related in the following way:
โIt was likewise with the well that was with the children of Israel in the wilderness, it [the well] was like a rock that was full of holes like a sieve from which water trickled and arose as from the opening of a flask. It [the rock-well] ascended with them to the top of the hills and descended with them into the valleys; wherever Israel tarried there it tarried over against the entrance to the tabernacleโ
Based upon these rabbinic references, there appears to be a Midrashic tradition that was captured in the translation of the Targums and of the Talmud. The idea of a rock that gave forth life giving waters, that followed Israel in the wilderness. While studying the Apostolic Writings, the Apostle Paul utilizes the rabbinic midrash while speaking to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Because of this midrashic explanation of the book of Numbers, the first Century people would have been very familiar with the parable of the rock that followed Israel giving them life.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 10:2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 10:3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. (NASB)1 ฮแฝ ฮธแฝณฮปฯ ฮณแฝฐฯ แฝฮผแพถฯ แผฮณฮฝฮฟฮตแฟฮฝ, แผฮดฮตฮปฯฮฟแฝท, แฝ ฯฮน ฮฟแผฑ ฯฮฑฯแฝณฯฮตฯ แผกฮผแฟถฮฝ ฯแฝฑฮฝฯฮตฯ แฝฯแฝธ ฯแฝดฮฝ ฮฝฮตฯแฝณฮปฮทฮฝ แผฆฯฮฑฮฝ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯแฝฑฮฝฯฮตฯ ฮดฮนแฝฐ ฯแฟฯ ฮธฮฑฮปแฝฑฯฯฮทฯ ฮดฮนแฟฮปฮธฮฟฮฝ, 2 ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯแฝฑฮฝฯฮตฯ ฮตแผฐฯ ฯแฝธฮฝ ฮฯฯฯแฟฮฝ แผฮฒฮฑฯฯแฝทฯฮธฮทฯฮฑฮฝ แผฮฝ ฯแฟ ฮฝฮตฯแฝณฮปแฟ ฮบฮฑแฝถ แผฮฝ ฯแฟ ฮธฮฑฮปแฝฑฯฯแฟ, 3 ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯแฝฑฮฝฯฮตฯ ฯแฝธ ฮฑแฝฯแฝธ ฯฮฝฮตฯ ฮผฮฑฯฮนฮบแฝธฮฝ ฮฒฯแฟถฮผฮฑ แผฯฮฑฮณฮฟฮฝ, 4 ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯแฝฑฮฝฯฮตฯ ฯแฝธ ฮฑแฝฯแฝธ ฯฮฝฮตฯ ฮผฮฑฯฮนฮบแฝธฮฝ แผฯฮนฮฟฮฝ ฯแฝนฮผฮฑ: แผฯฮนฮฝฮฟฮฝ ฮณแฝฐฯ แผฮบ ฯฮฝฮตฯ ฮผฮฑฯฮนฮบแฟฯ แผฮบฮฟฮปฮฟฯ ฮธฮฟแฝปฯฮทฯ ฯแฝณฯฯฮฑฯ: แผก ฯแฝณฯฯฮฑ ฮดแฝฒ แผฆฮฝ แฝ ฮงฯฮนฯฯแฝนฯ.
Here, the Apostle Paul is drawing upon the rabbinic tradition to illustrate what Yeshua the Messiah has done for Godโs people. It also seems that the rabbinic midrash regarding the โrock that followed Israel in the wildernessโ is not problematic with โthe rock as Christ.โ The Apostle Paul ascribes the deity of Yeshua as the โRockโ that is also a term that was reserved for the Lord God Almighty only (i.e. Parashat Haโazinu). David says the Lord is his โrock of strengthโ (ืึฐืฆืึผืจ-ืึธืขืึนื) and โYou are my rock and my fortressโ (ืึผึดื-ืกึทืึฐืขึดื ืึผืึฐืฆืึผืึธืชึดื ืึธืชึผึธื) seems to suggest that he (David) understood the Lord as a source of strength and life just like Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 10 with the help of the rabbinic midrash. The phrase, โ…that followed them,โ in the Apostolic Writings, comes from the Greek word, แผฮบฮฟฮปฮฟฯ ฮธฮฟแฝปฯฮทฯ โakolouthouoses,โ which means โto follow one who precedes, join him as his attendant, or accompany him.โ The Apostle Paul is explaining to the Corinthians that the โrockโ at Meribah was spiritually patterned after Yeshua the Messiah. Using this example, Paul is saying that Yeshua comes along side of us and walks with us in life and therefore he uses this parable to direct our attention to the Messiah. The Rock, who is God, was a figure or shadow, of the Messiah in a similar way that the Pesach lamb prefigured Yeshua. In addition to this, in the wilderness, the Rock was struck with the rod for the sake of Israel. Can you see the parallel here in the biblical text, with the parable of the rabbis and the things that Yeshua did for us? Yeshua suffered for our sakes (1 Peter 2:24) and he is the life giving waters (John 4:10, 7:37-39, and Revelation 22:17). What an awesome picture we see of Christ in the rabbinic literature and the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4.
In addition to this, the rabbis continue in Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar, Parashah 1, Part 7 (ืืืจืฉ ืจืื ืืืืืจ ืคืจืฉื ื ืกืืื ื) to illustrate the power of God and the Torah saying the following.
Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar,Parshah 1, Part 7
โAnd the Lord spoke unto Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai. Why in the wilderness of Sinai? Our Sages have inferred from this that the Torah was given to the accomplishment of three things, fire, water, and wilderness. Fire: whence is this derived? From the text, Now Mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire (Shemot / Exodus 19:18). And water: whence is this derived? For it is said, The heavens also dropped, yea, the clouds dropped water (Judges 5:4). And wilderness: whence is this derived? From the text, And the Lord spoke unto Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai. Why was the giving of the Torah marked by these three features? To indicate that as these are free to all mankind, so also are the words of the Torah free; as it is said, Ho, every one that thirsts, come for water (Isaiah 55:1). Yet another exposition of the text, And the Lord spoke unto Moshe in the wilderness of Sinai. Anyone who does not throw himself open to all like a wilderness cannot acquire wisdom and Torah; and so it is said, In the wilderness of Sinai. ื ืืืืืจ ืืณ ืื ืืฉื ืืืืืจ ืกืื ื ืืื ืืืืืจ ืกืื ื ืืืื ืฉื ื ืืืืื ืืืณ ืืืจืื ื ืืชื ื ืืชืืจื, ืืืฉ, ืืืืื, ืืืืืืจ, ืืืฉ ืื ืื (ืฉืืืช ืื) ืืืจ ืกืื ื ืขืฉื ืืืื ืืืืณ ืืืืื ืื ืื ืฉื ืืืจ (ืฉืืคืืื ื) ืื ืฉืืื ื ืืคื ืื ืขืืื ื ืืคื ืืื ืืืืืืจ ืื ืื ืืืืืจ ืืณ ืื ืืฉื ืืืืืจ ืกืื ื ืืืื ื ืืชื ื ืืืณ ืืืจืื ืืืื ืืื ืื ืืื ืื ื ืืื ืืื ืืขืืื ืื ืืืจื ืชืืจื ืื ื ืื ืฉื ืืืจ (ืืฉืขืื ื ื) ืืื ืื ืฆืื ืืื ืืืื, ืืดื ืืืืืจ ืืณ ืื ืืฉื ืืืืืจ ืกืื ื ืืื ืื ืื ืฉืืื ื ืขืืฉื ืขืฆืื ืืืืืจ ืืคืงืจ ืืื ื ืืืื ืืงื ืืช ืืช ืืืืื ืืืชืืจื ืืื ื ืืืจ ืืืืืจ ืกืื ื.
The rabbis draw a parallel to water, fire, and the wilderness to indicate Godโs perspective on the Torah. The Torah is for all of mankind not just Israel. This is the principle being taught, God gave the Torah to all of mankind freely (like water, fire, and wilderness). The words of the Torah are free, and the proof of that is in the text from Isaiah 55:1 โCome, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.โ (NIV) In Isaiah 55, the prophet Isaiah says the Lord invites the repentant to come and drink and be refreshed (55:1-4) while the disobedient are to repent of their evil ways (55:6-7). Isaiah speaks of the blessings of the Messianic kingdom, of peace and righteousness, in the previous chapter (Isaiah 54:13-14) and Yeshua uses this context to call men unto himself all who are thirsty on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Succot, John 7:7). Like the rabbis say the Torah is given freely to all who are thirsty, even those from the Gentile nations; Christ is given for all of mankind to those who would believe and be saved! Is that not an awesome picture for how the Lord desires that all would be saved (1 Timothy 2:4-5) in Christ our Savior?ย BTT_Parashat Bamidbar-2014
