Numbers 31 Outlines Measures for Reducing Contamination

In preparation for today's Shabbat teachings of Messianic Rabbi David Stone Junior, I started listening to the last 6 chapters of Numbers. Have you ever been listening to scriptures and had something new jump out at you? Well, I was struck by something I hadn't noticed before in reading the scriptures early this morning - something that made me feel like G-d was talking personally to me!

Scripture:

Numbers 31:24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and you shall be clean and afterward you shall come into the camp.

Note: This blog has referral links that help our writers eat when you make purchases through them. Would you like to write on Turtle Dove Thoughts? Guest Bloggers are welcome. Please drop a confidential note in the comments below.

Examining the Purification Rules Given in Numbers 31

In Numbers 31, Moses is told he is about to die and to wage war on the Midianites. When the army returns from battle with Midean, Moses is furious with them for bringing the Midianite women and children back with them. He commands them to kill the women and male children then purify themselves before coming into the camp. Eleazar, the priest, who had gone to battle with them, reinforces Moses' purification order.

What is involved in this purification? The warriors must self-isolate seven days and cleansing everything with fire and the water of separation. It is absolutely essential that no contamination be brought into the camp.

You might ask,"What does this have to do with me today?"Or perhaps you might think,"Who cares about something that was told people so many centuries ago? How could this possibly apply to me today?" I used to think that way too. However, this passage has surprising significance to me early this morning. Why?

I have just returned from a long journey, where I was exposed to "who-knows-what" on public transit In addition to this, I am totally exhausted from my travels. So tired in fact- that all I want to do is lay down and sleep. True , I haven't been involved in slaying people, ad the filth on me , surely isn't as bad as te muck on them., so I can only imagine how the people who had gone to war must have felt.

So why did I feel like this passage was like G-d was speaking directly to me?

I had just apologized saying "I am sorry for breaking Shabbat by needing to hang up my wet coat after sundown." And here is a passage where people were commanded to purify themselves and their clothes on the seventh day!

So, now you know why this passage caught my attention, despite my weariness.

Re-reading this passage , I also discovered some other important directions that I feel could well be applied to anyone who has been on a long journey today.

The Compassion of Creator for Weary Workers in Numbers 31

In re-reading Numbers 31, as a person who has just come in from facing some rather peculiar evil things, I truly appreciated the compassion and wisdom of the purification methods given to His people by Creator in Numbers 31. Where previously I had seen it as a bunch of strict edicts, I now realized the wisdom in the self-isolation and the purification method set out by Creator for those returning exhausted from battle with who knows what clinging to all their gear.

Here are some of the things that stood out to me from this passage:

Importance of self-isolation when exhausted.
Not cleaning everything immediately.
Repeated cleansing of contaminated articles.
Sancitifaction of ourselves and our clothes on the seventh day.

Self-Isolate When Exhausted

Have you ever said or done something that you wish you could take back when you were utterly exhausted? If so, perhaps you can identify with the importance of self-isolation when you are exhausted. True, this may not have been the intention of the imposed isolation of the troops after being told to slaughter so many people, but it is a reality. When we are exhausted we are truly not our best selves. Yes, you may argue that self- isolation and purification in Numbers 31 was more about trying to keep any trace of blood out of the camp. However, self-isolation when you are exhausted is a very good idea for several reasons - including having lowered immunity when you are exhausted.

Do Not Try Cleaning Things Immediately

I have been wondering about whether it is wiser to wash everything immediately when I come in from a trip, or to let it sit tied up in a garbage bag for a few days. In Numbers 31, the warriors are told to purify themselves on the third and seventh day. I you have ever been really exhausted, you know you are definitely not going to do your best cleaning job when you are tired. You will definitely make mistakes and do a messy job. Setting things aside for a few days before trying to clean them might very well be a good idea when you are utterly exhausted.

Revisit Your Cleaning Job After a Few Days

This is important- not just for physical cleansing of items, but also for editing blog articles, and searching our souls after going through a tough experience. Even though we may think we cleaned everything up the first time through, it's amazing how dirt can be missed in cracks and crevices and after a few days we can see dirt that was hidden from our eyes suddenly be so apparent.

Seventh Day Sanctification - Clothing and Bodies

Ever since that day when I was led to read Ez 20:20 "Sanctify my Sabbaths and they will be a sign between me and you that I am your G-d." I have been conscientiously doing everything possible to do exactly this - not terribly successfully, but really making a concerted effort to do so.

Last Shabbat Messianic Rabbi David Stone told an amusing story about making Shabbat a special day set apart:

A very old, kind Rabbi was once called in to counsel a despondant jewish youth."I will never be a good Jew!" he wailed inconsolubly. "Come, now," replied the Rabbi, "It can't be as bad as all that." "
"Oh yes, it is " sobbed the youth "I cannot seem to keep Shabbat !I even eat pork on Shabbat!" The Rabbi pondered this for a moment, then asked,"Do you only eat pork on Shabbat?" "Yes!" sobbed the youth. "Well, then," replied the Rabbi brightly" That's a start! You are setting it as a day apart!"

Hearing that the warriors were told to wash their clothes and themselves on the seventh day was a real eye opener for me! This passage was enough to catch my ear, because here we are on the seventh day and once again I find myself with wet laundry needing to be hung up to dry.

But, wait aminute, my inner voice says to me - did it say to wash your clothes on Shabbat? No, it said for them to wash their clothes on the seventh day. Who knows which day they initially returned from war - perhaps they returned on the first day of the week, or second or third for that matter? Something in my head says -to not be mislead by my wishful thinking and start falling away from my day of rest and worship by making Shabbat my laundry day. It is truly a wonderful blessing to have he opportunity to take a full day of rest. No, it is best to take my full day of rest - and pray to be better prepared for my next Shabbat.

What scriptures are jumping off the page at you these days? Please pop a note in the comments below and let me know.

Sources:

About This Author

Sister Su is grateful to G-d for keeping her alive. She is a Trent/Queen's Concurrent Education graduate with over 20 years of teaching experience. She writes on several blogs, has a YouTube channel and is most easily reached through Twitter @Sister_Su Click this link to see her link tree for more details:@Sister_Su | Linktree

This post was proofread with the free version of Grammarly

Sign up for Free with Grammarly here