SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 17

MOSES’ SONG

THE SONG OF MOSES

From Deuteronomy 32

Moses spoke the words of this song to the congregation of Israel:

[Listen to what I speak, O heavens and earth! Let my teaching fall on you, as the rain drops, and as the dew forms, as gentle rain on young grass, and showers on green herbs. I will proclaim the Name of Adonai, and praise Him for His greatness. He is a Rock and His ways are Perfect; All He does is fair. Adonai is faithful, He is without sin; His ways are just and right. But Israel is stained with sin, and in the corrupt way they have dealt with Him, they have been unfaithful and are no longer His children. Is this the way to repay Adonai, O foolish people? Is He not your Father, Who created you? Has He not made you and established you? Remember the days of long ago, consider the years of other generations. Ask your father, and he will tell you; Ask the elders, and they will show you. That was the time that YHVH separated men into nations and fixed the boundaries for all peoples according to the number of the people of Israel. For Adonai’s inheritance is His people Israel, and Jacob 1s His own possession. He found His people in a desert land, in the howling waste of wilderness; He put His arms around them and cared for them as the apple of His eye. He guarded them as an eagle, spreads its wings upon its nest, protects its young, and carries them on its pinions. Adonai alone guided them, and no foreign god was with Him. He took them to the high places of the earth and gave them fruits of the fields. He gave them honey from the rock and oil from flinty rock, curds from the herd and milk from the flock, fat rams and goats of Bashan, as well as the finest wheat and richest wine. But Israel soon grew fat, and when they were plump and overfed, they rejected Elohiym who created them and mocked the Rock of their Salvation. Israel stirred up His jealousy with foreign gods. They stirred up His anger with their evil practices. They sacrificed to demons, which were not gods, to gods they never knew, and whom their fathers never feared. They ignored the Rock which made them and forgot Adonai Who gave them life. When Adonai saw this, He turned away from them, for His own sons and daughters had ignored Him. ‘I will turn My Face from them, and then what will their destiny be?’ He said. ‘For these are an unfaithful people who stir Me to jealousy with gods who are not gods. They have angered Me with their idols; Now I will stir their jealousy by showing My affection to people who do not deserve it. My anger burns like a fire reaching to the depths of Sheol, consuming the earth and its harvests, burning even the foothills of the mountains. I will send troubles upon them, shooting them down with My arrows. I will send famine to make them hungry and fever and disease to devour them; Wild beasts to tear them with their teeth and venomous snakes to bite them. When they leave their tents, the enemy’s sword will pursue them; When they come home, the plague will strike them down, bringing terror to young men and women, to nursing babies and grey-haired men. I will scatter them to distant lands, I thought; But then I realized that My enemies would boast that they had destroyed Israel by their own might instead of by Mine. Israel is a nation that will not listen to counsel and will not understand what they hear. If only they could see what will be their end! How could one enemy pursue a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight? It is because Adonai has abandoned them because Adonai has controlled their destruction. The rock of other nations is different from our Rock. Even they themselves say so, for their vine is from the vine of Sodom and the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poisonous, and their clusters bitter. Their wine is serpent venom, the poison of asps. But they are still My special people, sealed in My treasuries. I will determine the punishment of all their enemies at My own appointed time. I will see My people vindicated; I will show compassion on My servants when I see their strength vanish away. Then I will ask where their gods went, and where are they rocks they trusted for refuge? Where are the gods to whom they sacrificed fat and wine? Let them rise up and help, and let them come to offer shelter. Can’t you understand that I alone am YHVH? I alone can create life, and I alone can bestow death. It is I who wounds, and it is I who heals; And no one can take from My grasp. I lift My hand to heaven and swear by My eternity that I will sharpen My sword and punish My enemies, bringing vengeance on those who hate Me. I will stain My arrows with blood and with My sword devour the flesh and blood of every one who fights against Me.’ Praise His people, O nations, for He will avenge the blood of His servants And bring punishment to His adversaries, redeeming the land and His people.]

When Moses and Joshua had finished this song, Moses said, [Take to heart the Laws which I have given you today and teach them to your children. These Laws are not mere words; they are life itself. Obey them and you will live long in the land which you will possess when you cross the Jordan River.] That day Adonai told Moses, [Go up into Mount Nebo in the Abarim Mountains, in the land of Moab across the Jordan River from Jericho. Look out across the land of Canaan, the land which I give to the people of Israel for their inheritance. You will die in that mountain and join your ancestors, just as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and joined them. Because you dishonoured Me before the people of Israel when you were at the Springs of Meribah-Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, you will see spread out before you the land I am giving the people of Israel, but you will not be allowed to go into it.]

COMMENTARY

THE TREES OF THE SINAI DESERT

The Sinai desert gets no more than eight inches of rain each year. The land is so dry that little grows there, mostly low, thorny hushes. But some trees do grow in the Sinai and these were the hardy specimens that supplied the Israelites with timber for the tabernacle, food for themselves and even fodder for their cattle. Acacia trees, which supplied most of the wood used in the tabernacle, have especially long and firm trunks. Since the wood takes a long time to dry out, it was perfect for use in the desert. Today it is much prized for cabinetwork. Arab nomads still burn its wood for fuel. They collect its bright leaves and yellow flowers for cattle fodder. Some people think it was a burning acacia shrub or bush from which Adonai spoke to Moses. The tamarisk tree grows well in sandy, salty or dry soil. In deserts like the Sinai or the Negev or in the area of the Dead Sea, the tamarisk grows from nine to fifteen feet tall. Its green leaves and pink flowers make excellent shade. When insects puncture the leaves, they secrete a sugary substance that dries and hardens in the desert heat and falls to the ground. Some people have suggested that this substance could be the manna that fed the Israelites during the Exodus, although that doesn’t fit the description of manna given in the Bible. Even today, Arab Bedouins take the hardened drops of the tamarisk and melt them into a honey-like liquid or make them into cakes. The most familiar tree of the desert is probably the date palm. Often sixty to eighty feet tall, it is visible from a great distance -- a welcome landmark to travellers in the desert, since they grow near oases. Its hardy strong leaves are used for roofs and sides of houses, mats, baskets and even dishes. The kernel of the date, the tree’s fruit, is soaked, ground up and fed to animals. It is very nutritious. In extremely dry regions, the date is starchy, and there it is called {the bread of the desert.} The honey of the date and the bee honey of Canaan earned it the name {a land flowing with milk and honey.}

How do you pronounce the letter "Z"?

The Torah Portion reading for this week is up on our website and app!

Coming out of your Job season ❤️

21This I recall to my mind, therefore I wait:

22The kindnesses of יהוה! For we have not been consumed, For His compassions have not ended.

23They are new every morning, Great is Your trustworthiness.

Lamentations 3

But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
Exodus 13:18

Where did the Hebrews get weapons when they left Egypt? Surely Pharaoh didn't allow slaves to be armed. One tradition says "armed" in this verse should be translated "fifth" and only 1/5 of Israel survived the plagues. It could also be a metaphor of being prepared for spiritual warfare. I favor the literal interpretation. They were farmers, fishermen, and masons, so they had tools that could double as weapons. It's also possible that they had been secretly collecting weapons in Egypt in preparation for an armed uprising some day.

SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 16

MOSES’ FAREWELL

MOSES’ FINAL CHARGE TO THE PEOPLE

From Deuteronomy 31

I am one hundred and twenty years old, Moses told the people of Israel one day. [I cannot lead you across the Jordan River, for Adonai told me that I cannot go into the Promised Land. But Adonai will go before you and will destroy your enemies and give you victory over them. Joshua will be your new leader, for this is what Adonai has Commanded. Adonai will do to the people of the land as He has done to Sihon and Og, kings of the Amorites. He will deliver these people into your hand so that you may destroy them as I have commanded you. But you must have courage and not fear these people, for Adonai will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.] Then while all Israel watched, Moses called Joshua before him and commissioned him as the new leader. [Be strong and courageous,] he charged, [for Adonai has Promised this land to your people and you will lead them into the land and help them conquer it. Adonai will go before you and will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.] Moses wrote all the Laws which he had been given and gave them to the priests, the descendants of Levi, who carried the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai containing the Ten Commandments of Adonai. He also gave copies of the Law to the leaders of Israel with this command, [At the end of every seventh year, in the Year of Release, during the Feast of Tabernacles, read this Law before all the people of Israel as they assemble before Adonai. Bring together the men, women and children, as well as the foreigners living in your community and instruct them in these laws so that all of you may learn to reverence Adonai as long as you live in this land which Adonai is giving to you.] Then Adonai said to Moses, [The appointed time for you to die has come. Call Joshua to come to the tabernacle so that I may commission him.] Moses and Joshua came before Adonai at the entrance to the tabernacle. Adonai appeared to Moses and Joshua in a great cloud at the tabernacle. Then He spoke to Moses. [You will soon die and go to be with your ancestors,] He said. [But when you do, these people will soon forget Me and My Covenant and will start to worship the foreign gods of the land where they are going. In My anger I will turn from them and hide My face from them, permitting great trouble to come to them until they are destroyed. Finally, they will cry out and ask if these troubles have come because I am no longer with them. However, I will not completely abandon them, even though they have turned away from Me to other gods. [Now write this song and teach it to your people. It will become My witness against the people of Israel when they turn away from Me to go after other gods in their new land. When they enter the land and have all they need and are full and fat, they will turn away from Me to serve other gods. They will even despise Me and ignore My Covenant which I have made with them. But when disaster comes to them because of their unfaithfulness, this song will be My witness against them and a memorial to their children, for it will live in the memories of their descendants. I know now what these people are thinking, even before I bring them into the Promised Land.] That same day Moses wrote the song and taught it to the people of Israel. He also charged Joshua, [Be courageous and bring the people into the land which Adonai Promised, for Adonai has said that He will go with you.] Moses recorded all the Laws in a book. When he had finished, he commanded the Levites who carried the Ark to place the Book of the Law beside the Ark. [Place it beside the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai so that it will be a witness against the people,] he said. [I know how stubborn and rebellious you are for I have seen it while I have been among you. How much greater will be your rebellion when I am gone! Now bring the leaders of Israel together so that I may speak to them and call heaven and earth to witness against them. I know that when I am dead you will turn from my commandments and act with great evil. Then evil will return to punish you, for you have provoked Adonai to anger with the things you have done.]

COMMENTARY

THE LIFE THEY LEFT BEHIND: LEATHER MAKING IN ANCIENT EGYPT

The ancient Egyptians were masters of the art of leather making. They knew how to tan, dye and shape it for many different purposes, from sandals to ropes. The process of making leather from animal hides, which is tanning, was a time-consuming, bad-smelling one. But it was necessary, because without it, animal hides dry out and become hard, brittle and useless. Tanning was a very unpopular occupation however, no matter how necessary it was. The Egyptians despised its untidiness and unpleasant smell and the Hebrews shunned it also because of the contact with dead animals. Tanners usually lived on the edges or outside of town and preferably downwind. Simon the tanner, the apostle Peter’s host, lived by the sea. After the animal was slaughtered and skinned, the tanner soaked the hide in a vat of water. After that the skin was smeared or rubbed with lime to remove fat, hair and blood. It was then more thoroughly cleaned and made thinner by scraping with knives or sharp stones. This entire procedure was called {curing}; the word here means {cleaning.} The hide was then dried. It was next treated by rubbing it with pads from the sumac bush, oak or pine bark or leaves. This softened and preserved it. The skins were dyed by dipping them in vats of the desired colour; red and blue were especially popular. Some skins were blackened on one side by being rubbed with a solution made from used nails or bits of copper boiled in vinegar. A dressing made of olive oil was vigorously rubbed into the skin for softness and flexibility. The final step in tanning the skin into usable leather was to go over it with mineral salts. Only mourners, prophets and the extremely poor wore skins that had not been prepared in this way. They were coarse, rough, clumsy and brittle, with fur remaining on the inside. These were called {hair shirts.} The bristles of a hairbrush feel something like it. John the Baptist wore one made of camels’ hair. The ancient Egyptians used a great variety of animal hides for leather. The most common were sheep, goats and bulls. But camels, pigs and donkeys were also used. Crocodiles and leopards lost their skins to the tanner and so did desert creatures like lizards and badgers. Leather was used in the ancient world to produce sandals, hats, shirts, aprons, belts, even purses. Shoes of tanned goats’ skin were considered the ultimate in elegance. Leather coverings appeared on beds, chairs and thrones. Egyptians even used it for walls, ceilings and doors. Twisted leather made the sturdiest rope. Soldiers perhaps appreciated leather more than anyone else. Besides leather kilts, they wore wide leather belts or girdles; their helmets were often of leather. So were the quivers that held their arrows. Leather boots protected them from ankle to knee. Daggers and swords were held in leather sheaths. Bowstrings were made of leather, along with harnesses, whips and saddles. Expert tanners supplied the sturdiest possible leather shields. The most flexible leather went into slings that snapped back instantly when pulled, like a rubber band on a slingshot. Leather-trimmed chariots rode on leather wheels. Leather rafts, made of large pieces tied together and inflated, floated men and equipment across rivers. In the Bible leather is always called {skins.} Certain skins were used as containers for liquids. Pottery worked well as bowls, but leather served best for bottles and pouches. Containers to hold large amounts of liquid were sometimes made by using a whole goat’s skin and tying the neck and legs together. The ancients knew they were not to put new wine in an old wineskin, for the gasses from the fermenting liquid would burst open a used thin skin. The most expensive writing material was made from carefully tanned lamb or kid. Part of the Book of Isaiah was written on this material, called vellum; it was meant to last a very long time.