Lessons in Obedience from the Wilderness

Beha'alotcha | בהעלותך | "When You Set Up" 6.14.2025

Torah: Numbers 8:1 - 12:16

Prophets: Book of Ruth; Ezekiel 1:1-28

Brit Hadasha: Luke 17:11 - 18:14; John 19:31-37; Acts 2:1-47

Nasso | נשא | Take Up"

Torah: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89

Prophets: Judges 13:2-25

Brit Hadasha: John 7:53 - 8:11, 11:1-54; Acts 21:17-32

“Carried, Consecrated, and Complaining: Lessons in Obedience from the Wilderness”

There is so much packed into these Torah portions, that I don’t know if we’ll get to all of it.  I ask myself, how do not cover things like the Aaronic blessing, or the Nazarite vow?  But too, this is also one of the many reasons we will read this year after year.  We couldn’t cover everything, even in a lifetime.

But if I don’t cover something today you wanted to discuss, please bring it up at the end.

1.       The Burden of Holiness – Kohath's Duty (Numbers 4)

Numbers 4:4 “This is the work of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting: the care of the most holy things.

               15 “After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, only then are the Kohathites to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the tent of meeting.

17 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 18 “See that the Kohathite tribal clans are not destroyed from among the Levites. 19 So that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for them: Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work and what he is to carry. 20 But the Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.”

• Key Insight: Kohathites had to carry the holy things, not see, touch, or place them on wagons (Numbers 4:15, 20).

• Contrast: Gershon and Merari used carts (Numbers 7:6–9).

Numbers 7: 6 So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, 8 and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. 9 But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.

• Lesson:  We may be called to carry, not to comprehend.

Sometimes God's calling on your life looks harder than someone else’s. But the holier the calling, the heavier the responsibility. The Kohathites were chosen to carry the holiest items of the Tabernacle—the Ark of the Covenant, the table, the lampstand, altars, and sacred utensils. Yet, they were not allowed to look at them, or even touch them, under penalty of death. Their job was not to understand, rearrange, or examine the glory—but to carry it faithfully.

🔍 Application: Sometimes, God gives us a calling or responsibility that we do not fully understand or even get to see the results of. Our task is not to analyze the holiness—but to honor it, to carry the burden, and trust Him and His plan.

Have you ever needed help with a project and had someone question your vision, or need to understand the why before they helped?  It’s no wonder God calls us the children of Israel, with the way we continually ask why. 

               When we are crossing the street and need to hold our parent’s hand, that isn’t the time or place to  understand the why.  We just need to do it and trust our Father has our best interest at heart.

And too, our calling into His service wasn’t a conference call.  He has called us all, individually,  into different parts of service, and sometimes for different seasons.  But for the body to function – and be called good – (“Tov means in the right place, at the right time, doing what you are supposed to be doing,”  Bill Cloud) well then we must all be performing our calling.

Let’s consider the military… after all this is spiritual war. 

What if…..we have a solider who really wanted to be the general, but general assigned him to be the lookout.

That solider grumbles, complains, and decides he wants to go shadow the general, or play commander to some other troops in order to get practice or have a change. 

What happens when the enemy comes?  The whole troop could die because one solider wasn’t at his post; doing what he was supposed to be doing, when and where he was supposed to be doing it.

And that is how it is for us today.  As one body, one troop – even if one of us isn’t doing what God asked us to do.  We put the whole body at risk.

• Scripture to Reflect:

1 Corinthians 12:18–26  18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Luke 12:48b From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

• Lesson:  Holiness Requires Boundaries and Order

“Aaron and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to each man his work...” – Numbers 4:19

God did not leave the burden of holiness unstructured. It came with assignments, order, and boundaries. Each Kohathite had an individual responsibility—no one was to pick their own load, it was assigned to them. 📌 Reminder: Carrying a holy calling without structure leads to burnout or disaster. Even when you’re “called,” you must still walk in obedience, submission, and accountability.

• Lesson:  The Cost of Casualness

“They must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment, or they will die.” – Numbers 4:20

God is not casual about His holiness, and neither should we be.

The irreverent handling of sacred things (like Uzzah later touching the Ark – 2 Samuel 6:6–7) led to immediate judgment.   Think Aaron’s 2 sons with strange fire. Again, immediate judgement.

The Kohathites’ reverence preserved their lives.  I ask myself, are we in reverence today?

🔥 Spiritual Insight: When we lose awe, we risk losing access. God is holy. Approach Him with boldness—but never with arrogance.

Treat your calling with trembling and trust, not entitlement.

Romans 11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.

• Lesson:  A Heavier Load Doesn't Mean Lesser Favor.

“But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things...” – Numbers 7:9

Gershon and Merari received oxen and carts—they had help. Kohath did not. Kohath had to bear the burden on their shoulders. Why? Because the weight of the most holy things could not be trusted to anything man-made. Not even a cart. This wasn’t punishment—it was preference. God entrusted them with His presence.

Just because your assignment is harder doesn’t mean God loves you less. It may mean He trusts you more. A deeper calling often comes with greater restrictions, higher expectations, and heavier loads.

Think of Job.  Job was a suffering servant.  (Job 1:8)  His trouble came not because he sinned, but because God trusted him.  Or think of Mary.  She carried the light of the world, but with that great honor came great ridicule and great pain.  And also, Jesus himself.  Our Messiah.  He was perfect in every way, but was rejected, beaten and killed. 

So if we find ourselves, bearing a heavy load, we are in good company. 

2.       Complaining Then and Now (Numbers 11–12)

So far in the story, we have read about the Kohathites and this situation they’re in.  From one perspective, it seems as if they have a harder job with the heavy lifting, they’re prohibited from using carts, they’re not allowed to look upon or touch the holy objects, and from a mere human perspective could seem like a bad a deal while all their buddies are walking without weight. 

It reminds me of myself, to be honest.  I find myself sometimes taking on a lot of things.  I have a tendency to say yes, but it’s genuine.  I truly want to serve and help and give.  And then sometimes, when my plate is full at work, and I need to see or spend time with my 5 sons or 4 grandchildren who are all scattered, or spend alone time with my husband, or care for my parents or uncles, I get a little thin on time and admittedly patience.  While, thankfully God does have grace for that most of the time, I  try to snap myself back in to the right mind by reminding myself of this:  I “get” to, rather than I “have” to.

I get to take care of my aging parents. – Some people aren’t as fortunate to have aging parents still with them.

I get to have this amazing job, with lots of responsibilities and coincidentally lots of impact – something I ‘ve always dreamed of having.

So instead of I have to work on this huge project, or I have to take mom to the doctor…. Rather I get  to work on this big project and I get to take mom to the doctor. 

And I don’t say these things to lie to myself.  I say these things because I really am grateful.  I am so thankful to have a large family, and an important job, and our fellowship and many friends, and that I can afford to pay bills and grocery shop and do all the things. 

But when I complain….. God hears me and the enemy does too.

And I think about what if the Kohathites and others (including us today) could learn to think differently, (the I get to way) at all times?  Could we have avoided a lot of hardships if only we could control our thoughts and tongues?

Let’s talk about the manna.

• First: Back in Exodus 16, we read about the manna and the quail at some of the first complaints.

Exodus 16:2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” 8 Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

Here we see them grumble and complain, and while we can read in the context of Moses’ response, that it wasn’t a good idea to grumble against God.  But I believe that God, in his mercy, understood. You can see this in how the Lord responds.

This was a new relationship.  They didn’t really know Him yet.  They saw Him destroy the Egyptians by many wonderous miracles and plagues, but did they understand yet that He was their provider? 

So God provides.  Manna & Quail. So they’d know it was God that brought them out there, so they’d see his glory, and so they’d know He heard them grumble against Him.

• Now:  Here we are in Numbers 11 and they are complaining again. 

It’s practically been a year now.  God has provided for them this whole time. They’re greatest work is moving camp.  No slavery.  Just living and worshipping in His presence at all times. 

But that wasn’t good enough.  They lusted for more, for different. 

“We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.” – Numbers 11:5

Bread from heaven was old news.  They wanted food from the earth, from the ground and from the oceans. And the manna they were still getting… they knew better.. again, God’s gift wasn’t good enough.  They had to improve upon it.  So they processed it. 

Numbers 11:8 8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.

How did the Lord respond this time?  First we read in Numbers 11:1 that the anger of the Lord caused his all consuming first to burn up the outskirts of the camp.  Yet, they still complained.  Then in Numbers 11:10 The Lord became exceedingly angry. 

Numbers 11: 18 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

Are we guilty of this?  Do we dishonor God’s provision by trying to “process” it into something more palatable?  Have we perverted or processed the gospel into something more palatable?

This reminds me of the modern-day Christian church as a whole (not all) but many have taken the bread of life, the bread from heaven, Yeshua, and processed Him into something more palatable. 

They’ve taken a middle eastern Jew who walked perfectly in the law, keeping Shabbat, keeping the feasts, eating kosher, wearing tassels, and turned him into a Caucasian American who would join in at the local hog roast, and acts more like a genie in a bottle or a fast-food drive thru crew member.

Did they do this intentionally?  Some, maybe, in their antisemitism.  Most, probably not intentionally or rebelliously. Even Constatine enacted his laws and decrees in the name of unity.  Because unity sounds good.  Right?  But that isn’t good.

2 Peter 3: 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

Acts 20: 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Brothers & sisters, we must be aware of twisting, of processing things into a more palatable gospel, which we were warned will happen.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

We are modern day Israelites, and we are in the day of preparation.  How are we going to react when we get to the wilderness?

               Are we going to complain about walking in the desert?  Or will we celebrate that we get to walk with the presence of God?

               Are we going to complain about sleeping in the heat?  Or will we proclaim that we have been set free and that we get to sleep protected under the wings of the Almighty?

               Are we complaining today about being too tired, too poor, or unused?  If we are, we are one of the privileged minorities who get to worship the Creator of the world, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords, so we need to think again.

The late Rabbi Jonahtan Sacks taught that most religions are about acceptance, accepting the world as is.  Not Judaism, not the Bible. To be a follower of the Creator is to seek to make a difference, to change lives for the better, and to heal some of the scars of our fractured world.  But how do we do that?

First by thinking again…..

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ..

I suggest that we truly have no idea the power behind controlling our thoughts, our attitudes and our words. Scripture tells us that complaining brings death.  (Numbers 14:37, Numbers 11:33, Numbers 14:29)

And controlling the tongue brings life.

Proverbs 21:23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.

James 3:3-12 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind,8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

And this brings me to Aaron & Miriam….. complaining is contagious and spreads like fire.

First, we saw the complaints in Exodus 16, complaints for food, which God found to be legitimate.

Next was Numbers 11: Now they had manna—but they rejected God’s supernatural provision.

• Lust for Egypt: They called slavery “freedom” and devalued heaven’s bread in favor of cucumbers, melons, and fish.

Guess what happens next?

Aaron and Miriam’s Complaint (Numbers 12) 

What first began with grumblings of the people… seemingly against Moses… began to spread. 

But we know their complaints against Moses, were really complaints against the Lord.  It was the Lord who chose Moses, and it was the Lord who spoke through Moses, and it was the Lord who was in control of the situation, not Moses.

Exodus 17:2 “So they quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses replied, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the Lord to the test?'” – Exodus 17:2

But it was like a contagion…. First it was legitimate needs, but it began to set a precedent that later would become out of control.

1.       Moses trying to free them made their work harder.

2.       When they thought they’d die at the Red Sea they complained.

3.       Bitter water

4.       Hungry

5.       Thirsty

6.       Moses was too long on the mountain

7.       Sick of manna

8.       Now Moses’s leadership is questioned the first time, by other leaders Aaron & Miriam.

Although scripture tells us that Moses was the most humble person in the world, that didn’t stop others, even those closest to him, from thinking:

“Well who does he think he is?” 

“Does he not know God speaks to us too?” 

“What gives him the right to…?”

Those are fiery words they spoke.  Words that charge up the flesh, that puff up the emotions and self-inflate. I imagine with that with each banter the other became more excited.  You know how it is with those types of conversations.   You’re all fired up, until the Holy Spirit whispers…. “What are you doing?”

But we don’t always get a sweet, soft rebuke.  When we speak against God’s leaders, we speak against God.  We are questioning if God made the right decision, chose the right person, or if God is really in control of the situation.

Sometimes, if we are speaking against God’s anointed, we get immediately rebuked and punished. 

Numbers 12:  4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam.

8b Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.

This chapter and this Torah portion ends with Miriam struck with leprosy and sent outside the camp for 7 days due to her role in this conversation.  And God’s anger was so fierce, that He too, left the camp, and the camp didn’t move for 7 days.

Teaching Point: Grumbling divides and delays the movement of the Spirit.

My question now is what have we missed due to our grumbling?

If we are unsatisfied with what God is feeding us right now and we mumble and complain….. are we too driving off His presence?  Scripture says yes.

If another brother or sister is speaking a word from the Lord, but we talk over them or interrupt them, not only are we disrespecting our brother or sister, but most importantly we are disrespecting the Lord. 

The word of the Lord is to be revered, honored, respected, and treated as something precious. 

Not only, do I not want to kindle the Lord’s anger.  I certainly don’t want His presence to depart from us.

Can we do better?  Can we be called to a higher level of holiness?  Can we walk in self control?  I think we can. 

So as we wrap up this portion of service today, I want us to read just a few more scriptures.

Philippians 2:14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,

Psalms 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Numbers 6:22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ 27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

1. The Test of the Unfaithful Wife (Numbers 5:11–31)

• Key Insight: This test is often seen as harsh, but it’s actually a divine resolution to suspicion, allowing reconciliation or justice.

• Connection to Broader Scripture:

  • Hosea – The unfaithful bride as a metaphor for Israel.

  • Revelation 2:22 – Warning to the spiritual adulteress.

  • John 8:1–11 – The woman caught in adultery; Jesus redirects the condemnation.

• Application: God desires purity in covenant relationship, both in marriage and between Himself and His people.

2. The Nazarite Vow (Numbers 6)

• Key Insight: Open to men and women; temporary or lifelong dedication.

• Examples:

  • Samson (Judges 13) – A Nazarite from birth, though he broke the vow.

  • Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11) – A lifetime dedication.

  • Paul – Participated in or supported a Nazarite vow (Acts 21:23–26).

• Connection to the Aaronic Blessing (Numbers 6:22–27):

  • After personal consecration, comes blessing.

  • God's name is placed on the people (v. 27), much like the Nazarite bears visible signs of consecration.

  • Parallels: consecration brings identity and favor.

3. The 12 Days of Offerings (Numbers 7)

• Observation: Each tribe brought nearly identical gifts over 12 days—a massive outpouring of honor, unity, and wealth.

• Reflection: Obedience and worship were collective, not competitive.

4. Laying on of Hands on the Levites (Numbers 8:10–12)

• Key Insight: The people laid hands on the Levites—this was a transfer of responsibility and a public commissioning.

• New Testament Parallel:

  • Acts 6:6 – Laying hands on the seven.

  • 1 Timothy 4:14 – Paul reminds Timothy not to neglect the gift given through the laying on of hands.

5. Second Passover (Numbers 9:6–14)

• Two men disqualified due to impurity wanted to keep Passover.

• God’s response: Grace and inclusion.

• Compare with Numbers 11:26–29 – Eldad and Medad stayed behind but received the Spirit.

• Teaching Point: God honors sincere hearts and provides inclusion despite physical circumstances

• Scripture Tie-In:

  • Joel 2:28 – “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…”

  • Romans 2:29 – True circumcision is of the heart.

6. Silver Trumpets and the Journey (Numbers 10:1–10)

• Used to assemble the camp and signal movement.

• Yom Teruah Connection:

  • Trumpets call God's people to attention and repentance (Leviticus 23:24).

• Teaching Point: Movement happened only if God moved.

• Application: Are you moving with the cloud (Holy Spirit) or your own plan?

• Scripture Cross-References:

  • John 3:8 – The Spirit moves like the wind.

  • Romans 8:14 – “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”