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Weekly Parashah |
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| Torah: Numbers 4:21–7:89 | Haftara: Judges 13:2–25 | Brit Chadashah: Luke 1:11–20 | |||
Naso (Make an Accounting)
נָשׂא |
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Scripture: |
Numbers 4:21–7:89
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Torah |
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Parashat Naso21 Again Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 22 “Take a census also of the sons of Gershon, by their ancestral households and by their families. 23 Count all the males from 30 to 50 years of age, everyone coming to work in the service of the Tent of Meeting. 24 This is the task of the Gershonite families in working and carrying burdens. 25 They are to carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the outer covering of porpoise hide, the curtains for the entrance for the Tent of Meeting, 26 the curtains surrounding the courtyard and the altar, the curtain for the entrance, the ropes and all the equipment used in its operations. They are to do all that needs to be done with these things. 27 The sons of the Gershonites are to do all their tasks, whether carrying or doing other work, according to the word of Aaron and his sons. You are to assign to them all that is their responsibility to carry. 28 This is the duty of the families of the sons of the Gershonites regarding the Tent of Meeting. Their duty will be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the kohen. 29 Next, count the sons of Merari, according to their families and their ancestral houses, 30 sons 30 years old and upward to 50, everyone coming to work in the service of the Tent of Meeting. 31 This is their task in the service of the Tent of Meeting: the frames of the Tabernacle, its crossbars, posts and bases, 32 as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard, plus their bases, tent pegs, ropes, and all their paraphernalia with everything related to their operation. Assign to them by name their duties and tasks. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari as they work under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the kohen.” 34 So Moses, Aaron and the princes of the community counted the sons of the Kohathites according to their families and their ancestral households. 35 All the men who came to do the service of the Tent of Meeting, from 30 to 50 years of age, 36 were counted by families—2,750. 37 This was the total of those in the families of the Kohathites, every one serving in the Tent of Meeting—Moses and Aaron counted them according to the mouth of Adonai by Moses’s hand. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%204%3A21%E2%80%937%3A89&version=TLV |
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Scripture: |
Judges 13:2–25 |
Haftarah |
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2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, from a Danite clan, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and bore no children. 3 Then the angel of Adonai appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have not borne children, but you will conceive and bear a son. [a] 4 Now therefore be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. 5 For behold, you will conceive and bear a son. Let no razor come upon his head, for the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb.[b] He will begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6 Then the woman came and told her husband saying, “A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome! But I did not ask him where he was from, nor did he tell me his name. 7 He said to me, ‘Behold, you will conceive and bear a son. So, drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child will be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.” 8 Then Manoah entreated Adonai and said, “My Lord, please let the man of God whom You have sent come to us again and teach us what we will do for the boy to be born.” 9 God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she was sitting in the field, but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, and said to him, “Look, the man that came to me the other day has appeared to me!” 11 So Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked him, “Are you the one who spoke to the woman?” “I am,” he said. 12 Then Manoah said, “Now may your words come about! What will be the child’s rule and his mission?” 13 The angel of Adonai said to Manoah, “Let the woman abstain from all that I mentioned to her. 14 She should not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, or drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. She must observe all that I commanded her.” 15 Then Manoah said to the angel of Adonai, “Please, let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.” 16 But the angel of Adonai said to Manoah, “If you could detain me, I would not eat your food. But if you present a burnt offering, then offer it to Adonai.” For Manoah did not realize that he was the angel of Adonai. 17 Then Manoah asked the angel of Adonai, “What is your name, so that when your words come to pass we may honor you?” 18 But the angel of Adonai said to him, “Why do you ask for my name? It is wonderful.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2013%3A2%E2%80%9325&version=TLV |
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Scripture: |
Luke 1:11–20 |
Brit Chadashah |
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11 An angel of Adonai appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was in turmoil when he saw the angel, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give birth to your son, and you will name him John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 He will be great before Adonai; and he should not drink wine and intoxicating beverage,[a] but he will be filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh just out of his mother’s womb. 16 Many of Bnei-Yisrael will turn to Adonai their God. 17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to the children[b] and the disobedient ones to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a prepared people. 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? I’m an old man, and my wife is well-advanced in age.” 19 And speaking to him, the angel declared, “I am Gabriel, the one standing in God’s presence. I was commissioned to tell you and proclaim to you this good news. 20 So look, you will be silent and powerless to speak until the day these things happen, since you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their time.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%201%3A11%E2%80%9320&version=TLV |
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Parashah in 60 seconds |
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Tithes and Offering
Tithes and Offering
CBN.com – The Law of Reciprocity
As Pat Robertson stated in his book, The Secret Kingdom, Christ's admonition to "give and it will be given to you" defines a remarkable spiritual principle. It can also be called the law of reciprocity, which is quite evident in the physical world: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Smile at another person, and he'll probably smile back at you. Be critical of others, and they'll respond in kind. As you give, you will receive. Give generously, and you'll receive in like measure.
Why Should We Tithe?
Since God owns everything — "the cattle on a thousand hills" and all there is — it might seem that He doesn't really need our tithes and offerings. He doesn't need them, true, but we need to give them. For, in instructing us to tithe, God is helping us to understand the law of reciprocity.
In addition, failure to tithe means we are actually robbing God of what is due Him. In Malachi 3:8-9, God spells out the results when the nation of Israel does not repay Him what they owe:
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me."
When we tithe, we receive many blessings from God.
"Give,and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap" (Luke 6:38).
And what blessings were promised to the people of Israel, if they would once again tithe!
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.Test and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty (Malachi 3:10-12).
We are also told that when we give to others, we give to God:
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done" (Proverbs 19:17).
The Importance of Being Earnest
Yet, we should give not only because God expects us to. Our sincerity in returning to God a portion of His bounty is equally important. We're told:
"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (II Corinthians 9:7).
The apostle Paul also tells us that we receive according to the way we give:
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
Luke likewise admonishes:
"For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
However, we're warned against making public our acts of giving:
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1).
An offering
An offering on the other hand is that what comes out of our access, it is anything, beside, above, or beyond our giving in tithes. When our first fruits (the tithe) is given it stands above or beyond the test of time and before the blessings of God. Within Eagle Wings Charismatic Ministries we stress that Tithes and Offering is between you and God, it is not something WE require. We however have seen in our own lives and that of others the blessings that God bestows upon them that are joyful and faithful givers.
God's Outpouring of Blessings
When we're generous to Him and to others, God rewards us in a very generous fashion.
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written, ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.' Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion,and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God" (II Corinthians 9:8-12).
What Should I Do Now?
In the Old Testament, the Jews were instructed to take their tithes" to the storehouse," which was the temple — the center of religion for the entire country. Today, since the Body of Christ has so many manifestations (churches, colleges, television and overseas ministries, hospitals, relief agencies, etc.), people can choose where their tithes should go.
It's important that you give your tithe to the place that feeds you spiritually. If you're a church member, you should honor your own church with consistent financial support, since membership entails responsibilities as well as privileges.
Done on a regular basis, giving serves as a constant reminder that God is our provider. You alone will decide how to account for your stewardship of the financial blessings God gives you — and how to honor Him with your tithes and offerings. May you be richly blessed as you are obedient in your stewardship to Him!
Blatently copied from CBN.com because we couldn't say it in a better way
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