One of the keys to understanding scripture is to look for patterns and themes. Take the number forty, for example. It's the number of the wilderness, journeys of discovery, restoration, and encounters with God.

Noah, Hagar, Isaac, Moses, the Spies, Israel, Elijah, and many others including Yeshua underwent 40-day or 40-year wanderings while they discovered God or transitioned from one life to another.

What is humility? Knowing who you are and not pretending you're someone else. Taking up just enough space. Doing what's right, whether it draws attention or not. Putting the needs of those in your care above your own.

Humility is knowing and following your identity and role in God's plan brings peace.

When Israel was taken into exile by the Babylonians, it wasn't a random invasion. The Babylonians invaded everybody they could and then scattered them all over their empire to erase competing cultures. and to supplant the native cultures with their own. The same thing happened when Judea was decimated by Rome in AD70. Rome laid waste to Judea and then scattered the remaining Jew throughout the Roman Empire to try and extinguish their culture (it never works, though, because Israel are Yahweh's chosen).

Today, the US is actually doing this to ourselves.

SERIES O --- RETURN TO THE LAND --- LESSON 23

JOB RESTORED

JOB’S VICTORY

From Job 2:1-13; 42:10-17

Once again, the sons of YHVH came to present themselves before Adonai. And again, Satan came with them to present himself. [Where have you been?] Adonai asked Satan. [Roaming about the earth,] Satan answered. [Have you noticed My servant, Job?] Adonai asked him. [There is not another man like him on earth, a good man without fault, who honours YHVH and turns away from evil. He is still faithful to Me, in spite of all that you caused Me to do against him.] [Skin for skin,] Satan answered. [A man will give up everything he has to save his life. Cause Job to be sick, and he will curse You.] [You may cause him to be sick,] said Adonai. [But you must not let him die.] Satan left Adonai’s presence and struck Job with a severe case of boils from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. Job sat on a heap of ashes and scraped his sores with a broken piece of pottery. [Why are you still faithful to YHVH?] his wife demanded. [Curse Him so that you can die.] [You talk like a foolish woman,] Job answered. [How dare we accept good from YHVH but refuse trouble when He sends it?] Job would not sin against Adonai. Three of Job’s friends came to see him. They had heard of his troubles, so each came from his own home to sympathize with Job and comfort him. But when they saw Job from a distance, they did not recognize him because of all the boils. When they realized that it was Job, they tore their clothes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat with him for seven days and seven nights without saying a word, for they knew how much he was suffering. [Job and his friends discussed his sickness and trouble with many speeches to one another. Job’s friends accused him of great sin and said YHVH was punishing him. But Job insisted that YHVH would judge him innocent. In his misery Job wished he could die. Elihu, another friend, appeared later and added his thoughts. Then YHVH spoke, rebuked Job’s friends and forgave Job of his sins. Job was finally restored to riches and power. Adonai gave Job health and wealth again after Job prayed for his friends. In fact, Adonai gave Job twice as much as he had before. His brothers and sisters and friends came to eat with him in his house, sympathizing with him for all the troubles he had suffered. Each of them gave him a piece of money and a golden ring. Job had much more now than ever before; fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. He had seven more sons and three more daughters. The first was named Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no women were more beautiful than Job’s daughters. Job gave them an equal inheritance with their brothers. Job lived a hundred and forty years after his testing; he lived to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When he died at last, he was an old man who had enjoyed a rich and full life.

COMMENTARY

THE MEASURE OF A MAN’S WEALTH

Wealth largely depended on property in ancient societies. The word [property] here can mean both land and the number of things or objects owned. A rich man’s house was larger than a poorer man. Inlays of ivory and ebony graced furniture made of rare woods. Many-colored rugs of complex design cushioned the floors. Costly perfumes and spices scented the air. Slaves -- as many as possible -- were kept busy. A wealthy man travelled by chariot drawn by a horse or a mule. At the marketplace, his livestock commanded high prices. The harvests of his fields -- grain, wine and honey -- brought a good return. His clothes were made of white wool and embroidered linen, and they were extremely expensive and highly prized. The wealthy man wore jewellery, rings, bracelets, necklaces and armbands. Precious metals set in ornaments and vessels adorned his home; he kept his own stores of tools and weapons. Gold was used mostly in jewellery and ornamentation. Silver was the primary metal used as currency, but all metals -- precisely weighed -- were used in barter and as a form of currency. Gold, copper and silver circulated in the form of bars, wedges, tongues, metal dust and rings.

#bamidbar, the Hebrew name for the book of Numbers means "in the wilderness". The book isn't about counting, but about living in the wilderness, a metaphor for long transitions, the "times between times", growing up, and developing a relationship with YHVH.

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