How Moses Alluded to The Messiah,

Without Mentioning His Name

Preface:

             As you all know, my computer was torn up last week and, I didn’t get it back, until late in the week. I had intended on sending out last years insight, into this week's torah portion. Though, I decided to write on the intangible stores, underneath the tangible stories, and how they often alludes to Yeshua. However this week’s lesson, will be shorted than normally it is.

         Remember how Yeshua said,"if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me?"{John 5:46 } Yeshua implies that Moses wrote of Him, in spite of the fact that Moses never once mentioned the name Messiah.

            Then the Psalmist makes a similar claim by saying, "behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me." {Ps 40:7} Clearly Yeshua is stating, the events that Moses chronicled in the torah, is alluding to Him. How so?

            Well embedded within the scriptures of the torah, are intangible stores, underneath the tangible stories. The sages refer to these intangible stores, as being "the sod level," for example.

                This week’s torah lesson states, immediately following Miriam’s death. Moses writes, "there was no water for the congregation," in turn the people opposed Moses and Aaron. (Num 20:2 ) On this note the sages states, a Divine well in the form of a Rock, accompanied the children of Israel through the wilderness, and provided them with water. The people alluded to this Rock, as Miriam’s well. Though upon Miriam’s death, strangely the {Rock} well dried up.

              With that said, remember how Yeshua, opened the two disciples’ understanding of Him from the scriptures, on the road to Emmaeus. Well, the "B’rit Hadashah, {New Testament} wasn’t written yet. Thus, Yeshua was alluding to scriptures in the torah, and the prophets. In light of this fact, how is (Num 20:2 ) thematically related to Yeshua?

            In the middle east to this very day dogs, are considered the lowest form of life. I mention this fact, because when Yeshua asked, a Samaritan woman for a drink of water? The Samaritan woman, was token aback. {John 4:9 } In turn Yeshua replied, "if you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." John 4:10

                    Without water, no one can survive. Nevertheless, the children of Israel, survived the perched barren wilderness for forty years. Because the Rock that followed them, provided them with water. However upon Miriam’s death, the water source dried up. Leading the people to oppose Moses and Aaron. Though, the water that Yeshua was alluding to is "living water" that will never dry up. How so, you ask? Well lets read on.

A Footnote: According to the sages, Miriam, Aaron and Moses, were last three individuals of the condemned generation, to die.

      The woman replied, "sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" John 4:11-12

                 Clearly the woman was alluding to the type of water that flows from a water fascist, and Miriam’s well. Though, Yeshua was alluding to "the sod level." By this I mean, Yeshua was alluding to water, which comes not from a well, an everlasting water.

                 To which Yeshua said, "whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." John 4:13-14

           Remember how Moses’ generation, dead in the wilderness. Hence, the water that came from Miriam’s well, didn’t prevent them from succumbing to death. Whereas the water that Yeshua is alluding to here, will give anyone partaking of it, eternal life. Making (Num 20:2 ) thematically related to Yeshua. Hence Moses alluded to the Messiah, without mentioning His name.

           We all know that Moses in delivering the people from Egypt, foreshadowed Yeshua. While Aaron in the role of High Priest, foreshadowed Yeshua as well. On this note, remember how the people rallied against Moses and Aaron, when the water dried up. {Num 20:3 } How is the people’s reactions, thematically related to the people of Yeshua’s day?

                  When Palate presented Yeshua along with Barabbas before the crowd, in order to determine which one he should release. The priests incited the crowd, against Yeshua, which led Palate to release Barabbas, while sending Yeshua to the Cross. {Mark 15:11 }

              Making the people’s actions against Moses and Aaron, thematically related to the people of Yeshua’s day. It is quite possible that Yeshua expounding on the people’s, uprising against Moses and Aaron. In teaching the two men of Him, on the road to Emmaeus.

            Let me briefly comint on Moses’ sin, in striking the Rock. Being raised in a Baptist Church, I have heard countless sermons. On how the Rock represented Yeshua {1 Cor 10:4 } and how Yeshua wasn’t to be stroke, but once for our sins. Thus, Moses’ transgression, was losing his’ temper, and striking the Rock twice. Because remember he had already stroke the rock before.

Num 20:24

                    While others have said, that Moses’ transgression was in saying, "hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" {Num 20:10 } They suggest Moses’ transgression, was in misleading the people into thinking, it was by Moses’ and Aaron’s own power that water, and not the Lord’s.

                   While both explanations maybe true. What they failed to mention, Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, because they disobeyed the Lord’s commandments, and ate of the tree of good and evil. In turn mankind has inherited a rebellious nature from Adam and Eve, to disregard the Lord’s commandments.

            That said, anyone who ignores the Lord’s commandment, is cursed, for example. {Deut 11:28 } Adam was cursed, or punished in several ways, one of them. The Lord ordained Adam to work by the sweat of his’ brows. {Gen 3:19 }

                   On this note Moses’ curse you could say, was not having the honor, of leading the people into the promise land. {Num 20:11 } What can we gleam from this?

                 While it is true that Moses’ transgression, was in striking the Rock twice. It is also true that Moses disregarded the Lord’s commandment. In turn Moses punishment, was dying in the wilderness, not having the honor of leading, the people into the promise land.

             Truly the Lord has laid death and life before us, for example. Anyone who obeys the Lord’s commandments, is blessed. Though anyone who disobeys the Lord’s commandments, is cursed, or punished. Deut 30:19 - 20

                      Before moving on the Lord instructed Moses, to speck to the Rock, before all of the people. {Num 20:8 } Why?

                Well the Lord intended to teach, whenever someone is in need, they should approach His throng of grace, in prayer. In light of this, can you think of statement in which Yeshua alluded to this point?

                  Well on the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out saying, "if anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink." {John 7:37 } Clearly Yeshua is alluding to the Lord’s purpose, in commanding Moses to speck to the Rock, before the people. His’ whole purpose in commanding Moses to speck to the Rock, was to teach them the importance of prayer. Though Moses in disobeying the Lord’s commandments, failed it up.

               Next anytime you read of these three following pictures. A picture of resurrection, a picture of renewed life, from impending death. And lastly, a picture of renewed life from death, in the torah. Moses is alluding to Yeshua, for example.

              On the journey from Mount Hor, by way of the Red Sea, to go into the land of Edom. The people became discourage and once again spoke against G-d and Moses saying, "why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread."

                  Leading the Lord to send fiery serpents among the people, which bit them. In turn several people died. {Num 21:4 - 6 } Thus the people came to Moses and said, "we have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses,"Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." Num 21:7-8

             Have you ever heard the term, "growing in knowledge and grace?" Well, this was the first time, upon sinning that the people quickly owned up to their transgression. That said, how does this event relate to Yeshua?

                  What happened to those individuals, who were bit by the fiery serpents? They died or were dying. However what happened to those dying individuals, upon looking at the serpent on the pole, in faith? They were saved from impending death. Which is a picture of renewed life, from impending death, which is a picture of the Messiah! Even though, Moses didn’t mention the name Messiah, he wrote of Him in great details.

                 The "B’rit Hadashah," {New Testament} only validates what the torah teaches, for example. Note how often Yeshua is link to life. In {John 1:4 } Yeshua is alluded to as being the source of life. In {John 3:16 } we are told the key to eternal life, is found in Yeshua. In {John 6:35 } Yeshua states, He is the bread of life. Then in {John 11:25 } Yeshua states, He is the resurrection and the life. It is quite possible then that Yeshua may have explained, how the serpent on the pole, is a prophetically of Himself, to the two men on the road to Emmaeus.

                   In closing Yeshua alluded to the bronze serpent Moses placed on a pole by saying, "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:14-15

                    The following story is often told, in regards to the bronze serpent that Moses placed on the pole. A friend of a man, who was bit by a fiery serpent and was dying. Though, a friend of his arrived at his’ tent saying, "good news! Moses has interceded with G-d, on your behalf. All you got to do to live, is look upon the bronze serpent that Moses erected on the pole, and you will live. To which the dying man replied, what fooling - ness! Are you serious! Are you telling me, that all I have to do, is look at a bronze serpent, I will live! Are you nuts?            

          Having said that bronze represents, "judgement." In light of this, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, in order that whoever looks upon the bronze serpent, may live. Likewise Yeshua was lifted up, in order to bear our judgement that whoever looks upon Him in faith, may live.

                According to the sages, several people refused to look, upon the bronze serpent. Thus they died. They ether thought it the Lord’s commandment, was foolish. Or they continued to rebel against Moses and the Lord, in their death beds.

                Now fast forward to the present, likewise there are several people today, who refuse to look upon the Cross, thinking it is foolishness. Though, Paul did state, the message of the Cross, is foolishness to them that perish. `1 Cor 1:18