B’MIDBAR (In the Desert/Wilderness) by Raphael ben Levi
Num. 1:1–4:20; Hos. 2:1– 2:22 (1:10–2:20); Luke 16:1–17:10
Our Torah portion commences in the opening chapters from “B’midbar” meaning, “In the desert.” It always comes one shabbat preceding Shavuot when the Law was given at Sinai and Israel became established as a nation. Why would God gave the Israelites the Torah in the desert rather than in a fertile place? It is a question that has fascinated the Jewish sages who provide various explanations. One of these is that it illustrates how God’s Word is the only thing which can make our empty lives full and provides life to the barrenness within us. It’s in our desert place of desperate need where we find our full dependance on Him. The exile of the Jewish people has also been compared to a wilderness, a place of dryness and harshness, but it was always for a reason and a season; it was never permanent as we are reminded throughout the period of the Omer counting.
As believers we know that through Yeshua our lives can be transformed from a spiritual desert to a rich abundance. But, we must not ignore that without the desert there can be no life and for us as believers this is an ongoing principle in our walk with God.
And so, the psalmist, cried out to God from the depths of his being: “O God, You are my God, the One in whom I trust. I seek You with every fibre of my being. In this dry and weary land with no water in sight, my soul is dry and longs for You.” (Ps.63)
Sometimes we may feel as though God is far off especially when we are facing times of great difficulty. Yet the truth is that even during the worst of times He remains ever close, for Yeshua has promised, “I will NEVER leave nor FORSAKE you?”
Sometimes, God takes us through desert experiences in order to reinforce to us that He alone is our all in all who alone makes empty lives full. The psalmist decreed a powerful declaration in Ps.73: “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
God’s desire is to teach us to depend fully upon Him in every circumstance and sometimes we may find ourselves stripped of everything that supports us in this world, but only that we might discover His all-sufficiency!
God constantly sought to teach the Israelites to wholly depend upon Him alone above their own natural resources and abilities. Yet, when they became established in Canaan their lives became characterised by endless cycles of ‘ups and downs.’ They became vulnerable when they became too comfortable with the abundance God had blessed them with and their relationship lacked substance that eventually led to apostasy.
So now we can better understand why God gave the Israelites the Torah in the desert rather than in a fruitful place. It was not arbitrary or accidental but with the objective to aid them to focus attention upon Him without distractions.
How do we avoid making the same mistakes? The answer is simple: in every circumstance Scripture urges us to place God first in our lives. When we do this it will not matter whether He has placed us in a desert place or on the mountain tops, our well being will not be dependent upon circumstances but upon our relationship with Him.
And the Prophets describe how it was in the wilderness where God bonded with the Israelites in covenant love that neither exile nor tragedy could break. The Torah and the Haftara portray different sides of the same coin – God’s judgement and His covenant; His holiness and His mercy; His faithfulness and His discipline; His love and His indignation.
And finally, God’s love is not restricted just collectively but also to us as individuals. We are unique, irreplaceable, precious beyond imagination in His sight which nothing can ever change.
As we near the finishing line of Counting the Omer, we are aware that God has His perfect timing in all things and is always in full control of all things. Our future looks good no matter how grim things may seem even when the facts contradict the reality. That’s one reason we read Ps.67 throughout the 50 days leading to Shavuot.
