The Mystery of Esau and Ephraim

“And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days,” Numbers 24:14;

— these Words, prophecised by Balaam, especially in regards to the house of Jacob, “in the latter days,” are prophecies for our times!

Numbers 27

¹ Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. — women in Israel had not, up to the present time, enjoyed any distinct right of inheritance;

— he was the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; by which it appears he was of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the fourth generation from him;

— yet a father, whether sons had been born to him or not, had the power, either before or at his death, to cause part of his estate to pass to a daughter; in which case her husband married into her family rather than she into his, and the children were regarded as of the family from which the estate had come.

² And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, — and they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes, and all the congregation;

— who were now sitting in court, to hear and try causes brought before them; here were Moses the chief magistrate, Eleazar the high priest, the princes of the several tribes, and the representatives of the whole congregation, or it may be the seventy elders; a very grand and august assembly, before whom these ladies appeared, and from whom they might expect to have justice done them;

³ “Our father died in the wilderness; and he was not in the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died in his own sin and had no sons. — our father died in the wilderness, but Zelophehad was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah;

⁴ Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.” — why should the name of our father Zelophehad be done away from among his family, because he hath no son?

⁵ And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. — and Moses brought their cause before the Lord, for it seems it was too difficult for him or the court to decide;

⁶ And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. Thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brethren, and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. — cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them; they were to enjoy what would have fallen to their father’s share, had Zelophehad been alive; because they stood in his place, and represented him;

⁸ And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man die and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. — saying, if a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter; as in the above case of the daughters of Zelophehad; what was determined as to their particular case was made into a general law for all.

⁹ And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.

¹⁰ And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren. — and if he have no brethren; nor any descendants from them: then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren; that is, to his uncles, and to their children.

¹¹ And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.’” — then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family: that is nearest of kin to him, though ever so remote; that is, of his father’s family, then his mother’s;

¹² And the Lord said unto Moses, “Get thee up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. — Abarim; the whole tract of mountains was called Abarim, whereof one of the highest was called Nebo, and the top of that Pisgah.

¹³ And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. — Moses being told of his death, asks for a successor.

¹⁴ For ye rebelled against My commandment in the Desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the water before their eyes.” (That is, the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.) — for ye rebelled against my commandment the desert of Zin; both Moses and Aaron, which was the reason why they were not suffered to go into the land of Canaan, but died a little before the children of Israel came into it;

¹⁵ And Moses spoke unto the Lord, saying,

¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, — Moses entreats the Lord to appoint a leader of his people, that the congregation might not be like a flock without a shepherd.

¹⁷ who may go out before them and who may go in before them and who may lead them out and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” — that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd; and so wander about, having none to guide them into proper pastures, or to protect them from beasts of prey;

¹⁸ And the Lord said unto Moses, “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; — Moses asks God for a successor, and God replies immedialtely, so there were no casting of lots;

— take thou Joshua the son of Nun, who had been a servant of his near forty years, and of whose humility, diligence, faithfulness and integrity he had sufficient proof, as well as of his skill and courage in military affairs, particularly at the battle with Amalek, Exodus 17:9

¹⁹ and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight. — Give him a charge: thou shalt command him in my name to undertake the government of my people, which otherwise he will be afraid and unwilling to do, and thou shalt give him counsels and instructions for the right management of that great trust.

²⁰ And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. — that all the congregation of Israel may be obedient; to him as their ruler and governor, hearken to his words, and obey his commands.

²¹ And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

— at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come in; go out to war, and return from it, or do any service enjoined them; that is, either at the word of the Lord,

— or rather at the word of Eleazar the priest, declaring the will of God, which comes to much the same sense; or at the word of Joshua, directed by the high priest, according to the oracle of God;

²² And Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. — and Moses did as the Lord commanded him; being faithful and obedient to him in all things, though ever so contrary to his own private interest and to that of his family;

²³ And he laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. — Joshua was honored and qualified in an eminent degree, through the special service of the high priest, who asked counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord.

Numbers 28

¹ And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

² “Command the children of Israel and say unto them: ‘My offering and My bread for My sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in their due season.’ — Command the children of Israel; God here repeats some of the former laws about sacrifices, not without great reason;

— first, because they had been generally discontinued for thirty-eight years together; second, because the generation to which the former laws had been given about these things was wholly dead, and it was fit the new generation should be instructed about them, as their parents were;

— third, to renew the testimonies of God’s ordinances and laws, notwithstanding their frequent forfeitures thereof by their rebellion; and, fourth, and principally, because they were now ready to enter into that land, in which they were obliged to put these things in practice. It is observable that God commands Moses to repeat them in the following order of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices.

³ And thou shalt say unto them: ‘This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord: two lambs of the first year without spot, day by day, for a continual burnt offering. — two lambs day by day; this first national sacrifice was to be offered everyday, morning and evening; that is, daily, throughout the whole year, Exodus 12:5; Exodus 29:38.

⁴ The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening, — one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning; every morning, to make atonement for the sins of the night, as the Targum of Jonathan says: and the other lamb shall thou offer at even; or “between the two evenings,” ben ha arbayim

⁵ and a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering mingled with a fourth part of a hin of beaten oil.

⁶ It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord. — this daily sacrifice: as it had already been instituted at Sinai, Exodus 29:38-42.

⁷ And the drink offering thereof shall be a fourth part of a hin for the one lamb; in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering.

— the Targum Jonathan says,

And its libation shall be the fourth of a hin for one lamb; from the vessels of the house of the sanctuary shall it be outpoured, a libation of old wine. But if old wine may not be found, bring wine of forty days to pour out before the Lord.

⁸ And the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening; as the meat offering of the morning and as the drink offering thereof thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. — at evening; ben ha arbayim; normally a six-hour period, is also the first erev. Both terms mean, “after noon and until nightfall”

— on the seventh day, the Sabbath, the second erev starts at around 6 pm Friday for a 6-hour period until midnight. Then from midnight until noon is another 12-hour period which we call morning (boqer). The seventh day continues with another phase of erev, from noon to sunset, which is another 6-hour of daylight evening. Altogether they totaled a 24-hour day.

⁹ “‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof. — and on the sabbath day two lambs; the Sabbath offering which was to be added to the daily sacrifice is enjoined for the first time here;

— it does not say when the two lambs were to be slain, but in practice it was immediately after the morning sacrifice of the day.

¹⁰ This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering. — the Sabbath offering consisted of two lambs, properly accompanied, in addition to the regular daily offering.

¹¹ “‘And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord: two young bullocks and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; — on the first day of every month, when the new moon appeared; that this was religiously observed appears from the blowing of the trumpets over the sacrifices on this day,

¹² and three tenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram; — this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the year; 

¹³ and a separate tenth part of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb, for a burnt offering of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.

¹⁴ And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine unto a bullock, and a third part of a hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of a hin unto a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year. — the wine in the drink offerings for each of them is the same here as there; which, according to the Targum of Jonathan, was to be wine of grapes, and not any other;

¹⁵ And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering. — at the beginnings of the month, a larger burnt-offering was to be added to the daily or continual burnt-offering, consisting of two bullocks (young oxen), one ram, and seven yearling lambs, with the corresponding meat and drink-offerings,

¹⁶ “‘And on the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the Lord. — the fourteenth day of the first month; the fourth stated and national sacrifice was annual Passover, a great composite festival where at even, ben ha arbayim that is, “between the two evenings,” or “after noon and until nightfall,” no leavened bread to be taken;

— Passover is a event, not a day; and that event is the sacrifice: an event to kill, to eat, and that event, at even, ben ha arbayim, that is, “between the two evenings,” was pointing to the sacrifice of the killing of Christ, at 3 pm, where he was the Lamb appointed from the beginning of the World for the redemption of mankind;

¹⁷ And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. — the seven days of the feast of unleavened bread (Mazzoth), from the 15th to the 21st of the month;

— the killing of the Pesach Lamb is the main event, from Exodus 12 (you can’t kill a day)

And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

And they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire; and with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Exodus 12:6, 8

¹⁸ On the first day shall be a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of servile work therein, — in the first day shall be an holy convocation; the first of the seven days, which was kept in a very religious manner: ye shall do no manner of servile work therein; except by preparing food to eat;

¹⁹ but ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord: two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year. They shall be unto you without blemish.

²⁰ And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenths part shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenths part for a ram,

²¹ a separate tenth part shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

²² and one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

²³ Ye shall offer these besides the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. — ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning; the daily morning sacrifice, and also besides the daily evening sacrifices, though it is not expressed;

²⁴ In this manner ye shall offer daily throughout the seven days the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. It shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering.

— the festal sacrifices of the seven days were to be prepared “in addition to the morning burnt-offering, which served as the continual burnt-offering.”

²⁵ And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work. — and on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; as on the first: ye shall do no servile work; unless in dressing food.

²⁶ “‘Also on the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work,

— also in the day of the firstfruits; when the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were brought unto the Lord, which was the day of Pentecost, festival of Weeks [Shavuot], fifty days from the sheaf of the wave offering being brought;

²⁷ but ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the Lord: two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year, — seven lambs; the additional sacrifices for the feast day consisted of two bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs: seven lambs could symbolise seven eras of God’s Church of Revelation 2 and 3;

²⁸ and their meat offering of flour mingled with oil: three tenths part unto one bullock, two tenths part unto one ram,

²⁹ a separate tenth part unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs; — again, for emphasis, the seven lambs mentioned here; they could represent the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3;

³⁰ and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.

³¹ Ye shall offer them besides the continual burnt offering and his meat offering (they shall be unto you without blemish), and their drink offerings. — the same number of sacrifices is appointed for the day of the first-fruits, that is, for the feast of Weeks or Harvest feast.

~ by Japheth on March 24, 2024.

Posted in Books of Moses