Love Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom and welcome to Veahavta Yisrael, a Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel. We hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher Dr. Baruch shares his expository teaching from the Bible. Dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zera Abraham Institute based in Israel. Although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute, Dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English. To find out more about our work in Israel, please visit us on the web at LoveIsrael.org. That's one word, LoveIsrael.org. Now, here's Baruch with today's lesson.

Dr. Baruch Korman: What I'd like you to do is to open up your Bible and look with me to the book of Numbers and chapter 30. Again, the book of Numbers and chapter 30. Now, there's going to be something that is different in my numbering of these verses and yours because in your Bible you have an extra verse in the last chapter, chapter 29. This is going to cause there to be a difference in the rendering of numbers because what I am going to read as chapter 30 and verse 2 is actually going to be verse 1 in your Bible. We're going to be off by one.

What I plan to do is not so much reciting verses but just stay with me as we go through this chapter. What is our objective tonight? To complete chapter 30 of this book of Numbers. We're going to see undeniably that God makes a distinction between men and women. We're also going to see the authority that God gives men. This authority is over women. Not to exploit them, not to be unkind to them, but it's a responsibility and also this is based upon a very important concept, and that is discernment.

In this passage of scripture we're going to be dealing with vows and oaths that people make. We're going to see that if a woman makes an oath she is under the authority of either her father or her husband. If he hears what she has vowed or this oath that she has taken and he does not agree with it, he can release her from that. But he has to do so orally. If he is silent then we're going to see that that oath or that vow will stand. It has to be fulfilled.

Look with me to chapter 30 of the book of Numbers. I'm just going to read the scripture. It says here: And Moses spoke to the heads, and we have a word Hamatot which can be referenced to the tribes. Now this is a word that speaks about where individuals would gather. Oftentimes we're talking about an allotment of land but let's read it again: Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel saying: This is the thing which the Lord commanded.

When we have this expression, "the thing", it's simply the Hebrew word devar which means word or thing or matter. When it stands alone, it is of something of significance. What are we talking about here again? I'm going to translate this very literally because there's a word that we're going to come across and it's the word "issar". Most Bibles will translate that as to bind or they'll talk about an agreement, but I would disagree with that rendering.

When we have the word "issar" it can also be the word for "assur". What's "assur"? Something forbidden. What is happening here is that a woman is taking an oath or making a vow and she's dealing with something that she forbids for herself. That's what the scripture is teaching us. Look again. We're ready for the next verse where it says: A man that will make a vow to the Lord or to swear an oath to make that which is forbidden upon his soul. So something that is forbidden for him to do.

It says: He shall not profane his word, meaning he should not violate his word. According to all which goes forth from his mouth, he should do. This is the principle. If a man makes a vow, a man takes an oath, whatever he has said, he is obligated to do it. He should not profane what he has said. All which goes forth from his mouth he shall do. That is the implication.

But notice there's going to be a difference. Look now to the next verse where it says: But a woman that will make a vow to the Lord and forbids in the house of her father's in her youth. So this is a younger woman, presumably here she's not married. Obviously we'll come to a woman who is married and see the difference. If this woman takes a vow or forbids herself in the house of her father in her youth, notice the next verse: And her father should hear the vow and what she has utterly forbidden upon herself and her father is silent to her, meaning he doesn't say anything against what she has just made.

Then it says: v'kamu kol nedareha, which means: and shall stand all of her vows and all which she has forbidden upon herself, all of this shall stand, meaning she is obligated because he did not speak against it. She is obligated to carry it out. Let's move on to another situation, next verse: But if her father forbids or he is not in agreement, it's the Hebrew word henni. If he's not in agreement concerning her on the day that he has heard all of her vows and that which she has forbidden upon herself, it shall not stand.

And the Lord, and notice some Bibles do a very poor job of translating, it says v'Adonai, meaning Hashem, the Lord, yislah-la, the Lord will forgive her. Some will say he will release her but that's not what it says. He will forgive her because her father has basically made void this matter. But if there shall be to her a man, meaning a husband, and her vows upon herself, that which she has pronounced from her lips, which she has forbidden concerning herself, and it says here her husband should hear on the day that he heard it and it's the word he-cherish, which means he is silent to this.

If he doesn't speak concerning her, then her vows shall stand, that which she has made forbidden for herself. She is obligated to fulfill them. Move on. But if in the day her husband hears and he renders void her, meaning what she has said, and he has basically rendered void her vows which she has made concerning herself and her lips have spoken forth or uttered which she has forbidden upon herself. If the husband forbids it, notice the Lord will forgive her.

The implication is he's saying, husband, you cannot do that. He has authority over her. But again, not to exploit her but to protect her. If she should vow something that is not wise, not in agreement with the word of God, then her husband can say no to what she has vowed. Therefore, because he has rendered void this oath, if she does not do it or she does what she has forbidden upon herself, the Lord will forgive her. This is going to be the outcome.

Next verse: But the vow of a widow or her that is divorced, all what she has forbidden upon herself. If there is no man, no father because she's no longer a youth, she is married or she's a widow or she's divorced, all which she has forbidden upon herself, it shall stand concerning her, meaning she is obligated to carry it out regardless of whether it's a vow or an oath. This matter shall stand concerning her.

Next verse: But if the house of her husband she has vowed or she has forbidden herself upon her soul with an oath. It says: And her husband, he has heard and he is silent to her and he has not rendered void this vow. Then it says: And shall stand all of her vows. But all which she has forbidden upon herself, it shall stand. Why? Because he is silent. He does not speak anything against what she has just said.

But if he has rendered void them, meaning those vows, those oaths, those things that she has forbidden herself, her husband, in the day that he has heard all which has gone forth from her lips, that which she has vowed, that which she has forbidden upon herself, it says here her husband shall not stand because of her husband because he has rendered them in void. They do not stand, they're not an obligation for her and the Lord will forgive her.

Why? Because of her husband's authority over her. This is the third time I'll make mention of it. It's not to oppress her but rather it's to protect her. If you recall in the Garden of Eden, the woman did something. She listened to the deceit of that serpent. All the time that the serpent was speaking, where was the husband? He was with her. That's what the scripture says. But he says nothing.

Now we see a change. We see what we might call a tikkun, a repair. This time the husband is speaking and he renders void what she is thinking, what she is vowing, or what she is forbidding herself to do. If he says no, I forbid it, then she is released from this obligation and the Lord will forgive her. It says: All every vow and every oath that she has forbidden to afflict her soul and the husband her husband will allow it to stand and the husband does not render in void. These things are going to stand.

But if he is silent to her, her husband, day in and day out, so he hears these things and he's silent. Then we are told that her vow and all the things which she has made forbidden concerning herself, all of these things will be caused to stand, meaning they're an obligation for her. Because he has made them to stand for he was silent to her on the day that he heard. So it's very clear what the law is.

The thing that is being emphasized here, whether we understand it or not just through a casual reading, is this: There is a difference between the man and the woman. It is clear here that the man, whether it's her father or her husband, if he forbids something, his authority trumps her desire, what she thinks is best. There's no other way that we can see that. A woman is to be under the authority when she's young, in her father's house, when she's married, under her husband, but again, it's for her protection.

The husband or the father is supposed to utilize wisdom. Where's wisdom found? In the fear of the Lord. Look now: But if he will render in void these things after he has heard, what happens? Then it says he shall bear her iniquity. If he says, I forbid them, I render them void for you, you cannot do them, well they're not done. So she obeys. Then it says that he should bear her iniquity. Why? If they're not being done because he forbids them, then if they should have been done, if he's wrong, then he bears his own iniquity. He's held accountable for this.

Look at our last verse, verse 17 in my Bible, probably in yours verse 16. It says: These are the statutes or the laws, hukkim, these are the laws which the Lord commanded Moses between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter in her youth in the house of her father. So we see something very important. It has to do with the home. If she's in her father's house or if she's in her husband's house.

In that regard, we see that the authority, and again, not to harm her or in any way abuse her, but rather the implication is he speaks why? To save her from anything that she might discern which is not according to the will of God. The man here is protecting, he is guarding, and he's utilizing his understanding of the word of God in rendering his decision. It's a good thing for her. He is a source of protection.

Let me just simply say that we need to make the proper application of this scripture. Because the proper application is that a man, if it's a father, he should watch out especially for his daughters. Of course his sons as well, but in this context there's a special obligation of the father for his daughters that he is called to utilize the Lord's authority over their decisions. To protect them and guard them in order that they do not behave in a foolish way.

Likewise, the same thing is said for a wife. It's only for one reason: in order that the husband or the father is a source of protection, that he guards what God has given to him, brought these together in a covenant of marriage. We believe this. We believe that marriage does not happen by chance but by the providence of God. God is watching and God is involved in establishing this marriage covenant between a man and a woman.

Let me just simply say if someone is believing or teaching or sharing that a man can marry a man or a woman can marry a woman, this is as the scripture says, an abomination before God. God would never be part of it. This is a profaning of love. It is not acting in a compassionate way or an accepting way. It is an abomination before God and no child of God, no man of God, no woman of God, should ever be part of such a union. It is a forbidden union according to the word of God.

That's why a few years ago that there was a popular pastor and he encouraged a woman to not only attend a same-sex marriage but also bring a gift. What poor advice. To me that shows that this is not a man of God who is under the authority of scripture but someone who is under the authority of a wokeness, of a worldly perspective rather than the unique and special perspective that we learn from this holy book. Again, it's a holy book. Why? Because it teaches us how to put God first in our life, how to be faithful to the priorities of God.

So let me ask you a question: What is important to you? Is what's important to you fitting into society? Having society pat you on the back, agree with you? Or are you going to be mature and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord? Understand something: If you base your decisions upon the ways of the world, you will reap the consequences that the world is going to reap. God is going to destroy this world. God is going to take the wealth of this world and destroy it in a moment.

What's going to happen? Those who belong to this world, the merchants and stuff, they are going to lament when they see all the things that they have been laboring for, all of that comes to naught. Why? Because you can't serve both God and money. You either love the one and hate the other or vice-versa. We're called as we said earlier tonight when we read the Shema, we're called to love God with all of our heart, with all of our soul and with all of our very essence.

When someone looks at your life, and you know who's watching you all the time, who knows everything about you? God. In fact the scripture tells us that God is always writing down in books every thought, every word, and every action. He holds us accountable for not only what we say but even what's in our mind. We're supposed to have a pure mind. We're supposed to have a mind that is the mind of the Messiah.

When we think incorrectly, it's displeasing to God. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. We don't want to be someone who's reflecting that which is an abomination, that which is displeasing to God. We want to do something. We want to agree with God. You will never regret agreeing with God, but every time that you say no to God, every time that you make your own decisions apart from the truth of scripture, you will indeed regret that.

Through the study of God's word, you can live with far fewer regrets. Instead of having regrets, what can you have? Here's the key: good works. That's what we're called to do. We are called to bear much fruit in order that others might see our good works and glorify our Heavenly Father. If we do anything that's good in God's eyes, it is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We can't serve God in the flesh. We can only serve God when we are brought under His authority, when we are demonstrating submissiveness and walking in obedience.

Then and only then are we able to produce good fruit. You all know this verse: You will know them by their fruit. A good tree will produce good fruit but a bad tree will produce bad fruit. The only way that we can be good is when we're born again by the gospel, that we become a recipient of the Holy Spirit who gives us the mind of Messiah. It teaches us the perspective of God. His perspective is perfect. My perspective and your perspective is grossly flawed.

We need to see things from His perspective. How do we do that? By submitting to His word, recognizing His authority. It's only when we do that, that submissiveness is going to bear discernment. To the degree that we submit to the things of God, God will bless us with discernment so that we see things from His perspective and so that we can make God-pleasing decisions.

If indeed we are a disciple of Messiah, we want to please Him with everything that we do. We want to walk submissively, obediently, and in line of the truth of God. That's what's important to us. Not what we like, not what we feel, but rather what is glorifying to God. God is the authority over us. God has loved women, that God places a spiritual authority over a young woman as long as she's at home and when she becomes married, therefore her husband.

It's not to abuse them or to rule over them, but it is to protect them from poor decisions. The woman, and of course we're talking about Eve, she chose foolishly in the Garden of Eden. She looked and it said she saw that the fruit, that one what was forbidden, was good for fruit. It was not. As Paul says, she was deceived there because the man stood by and was not a man, didn't speak but was silent.

There are so many times when God is calling a husband, calling a father to speak, to stand up, to protect his daughter or to protect his wife and we do nothing. Shameful. Let's be bold in the truths of God. So that God who is watching us sees our commitment, sees our love for our daughters, for our wives and that God is pleased, glorified, and moves through His word in lifting us up in order to be a godly authority over our daughters and our wife. To Him be the glory now and forever. In Yeshua's name we pray. Amen.

Guest (Male): Well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others. Please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of LoveIsrael.org. Again, to find out more about us, please visit our website LoveIsrael.org. There you will find articles and numerous other lectures by Baruch. These teachings are in video form. May download them or watch them in streaming video. Until next week, may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua, that is Jesus, as you walk with him. Shalom from Israel.