Do not forsake our own assembling together

This week’s readings incorporate a double portion; however I have chosen to comment only on Parsha Matot for this year. The portion of Scripture I have picked contains an invaluable lesson for us.

Bamidbar {32:1} Now the Bnei Reuven (Son’s of Ruben) and the Bnei Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Yazer (Jazer), and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattle; {32:2} the Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven came and spoke to Moshe (Moses), and to El'azar (Eleazar) the cohen (priest), and to the princes of the congregation, saying, {32:3} Ataroth, and Dibon, and Yazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Sebam, and Nebo, and Beon, {32:4} the land which HaShem struck before the Adat of Yisrael (Congregation of Israel), is a land for cattle; and your servants have cattle. {32:5} They said, If we have found favour in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; don't bring us over the Yarden (Jordan). {32:6} Moshe said to the Bnei Gad, and to the Bnei Reuven, Shall your brothers go to the war, and shall you sit here? {32:7} Why discourage you the heart of the Bnei Yisrael from going over into the land which HaShem has given them? {32:8} Thus did your avot, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. {32:9} For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the Bnei Yisrael, that they should not go into the land which HaShem had given them. {32:10} HaShem’s anger was kindled in that day, and he swore, saying, {32:11} Surely none of the men who came up out of Mizrayim (Egypt), from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Avraham, to Yitzak (Isaac), and to Ya'akov (Jacob); because they have not wholly followed me: {32:12} save Calev (Caleb) the ben Yephunneh the Kenizzite, and Yehoshua (Joshua) the ben Nun; because they have wholly followed HaShem. {32:13} HaShem’s anger was kindled against Yisrael, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in the sight of HaShem, was consumed. {32:14} Behold, you are risen up in your avot' (fathers’) place, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of HaShem toward Yisrael. {32:15} For if you turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and you will destroy all this people. {32:16} They came near to him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: {32:17} but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the Bnei Yisrael, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. {32:18} We will not return to our houses, until the Bnei Yisrael have inherited every ish (man) his inheritance. {32:19} For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Yarden, and forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side of the Yarden eastward. {32:20} Moshe said to them, If you will do this thing, if you will arm yourselves to go before HaShem to the war, {32:21} and every armed ish of you will pass over the Yarden before HaShem, until he has driven out his enemies from before him, {32:22} and the land is subdued before HaShem; then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless towards HaShem, and towards Yisrael; and this land shall be to you for a possession before HaShem. {32:23} But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against HaShem; and be sure your chat'at (sin) will find you out.

I know this is a large portion of Scripture to have to read, but it was necessary to read it in order for you to understand the point I want to make from this Parsha. In fact I do not know why I am saying this because you should be reading the entire Torah, Haftarah (Prophets) and Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) portions every week! Are you? They are listed weekly on our web site.

The tribes of Reuven, Gad and as we find out later the half tribe of Menasheh (Manasseh) saw that the land Yisrael had already conquered was very lush and suitable for grazing the large herds they possessed. It seems that HaShem had blessed them, more than the other tribes with large numbers of livestock. However when Moshe heard their request, his anger rose up and he soundly rebuked them for wanting to stay behind and not cross the Yarden River to fight with their brothers. After all bnei Yisrael had still not taken possession of the land HaShem promised them. Whether it was the actual intention of the three not to cross over the Yarden with their brother we do not know, however with Moshe’s rebuke and the threat of divine reprisal we find them explaining their position to the satisfaction of both Moshe and HaShem. They will cross over and fight with them.

There is a phrase the group used in verse four of chapter 32 that I would like to draw your attention to. This phrase was used when the tribes of Reuven and Gad presented their case before Moshe and El’azar. The leaders of the tribes of Reuven and Gad referred to the bnei Yisrael as the Adat of Yisrael. The word Adat as I noted above means Congregation. So the tribes of Reuven, Gad and the half tribe of Menasheh were therefore aware that Yisrael was not an association of individual autonomous tribes, but rather bnei Yisrael was a congregation, one body. As such I think Moshe was warning them that they were all responsible for each other. Is it any wonder, seeing as Moshe knew how HaShem viewed Yisrael, and fearing divine reprisal from Him, that he was angry when he first heard the trio’s request?

Many times believers in Mashiach Yeshua tell me that they do not need to be a part of a congregation, that it is not necessary for them to be a member of any particular group. They claim Yeshua as their leader and they reject any pastoral authority. They also do not find it necessary to pray as a group, very often quoting:

Mattityahu (Matthew) {6.6}But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.

What they fail to understand is the context of this verse. It refers to making public displays of hypocritical prayers and is not at all referring to corporate prayer meetings with brothers and sisters in the L-rd.

Now here in Parsha Matot we are seeing what HaShem feels about this type of lone wolf attitude! Reuven, Gad and Menasheh could not opt out of the Adat Yisrael and still expect HaShem to bless them. In fact from the rebuke Moshe gave these tribes; if they continued on the course they were taking they could expect some kind of divine judgement, judgement that would most probably affect the whole Adat. They had to join with their brothers in the conquest of the land and remain part of the Adat .

As a believer in Mashiach Yeshua you are part of the Goof HaMashiach (Body of Messiah), there is no such thing as a lone wolf in HaShem’s Kingdom! We are all part of one body and therefore we all must be part of a local congregation. I believe that we can view individual congregations as tribes, with the rabbi/pastor as the head of the tribe and the deacons and elders acting as his advisors. As each tribe of Yisrael had its specific function so too does each congregation. However we are all, collectively, part of the same Goof working together for the well being and for the benefit of each other and the furtherance of the kingdom. You can not be out there all alone and expect to be blessed, you must be part of a Congregation.

Hebrews 10:24: Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.

Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada.

Copyright 2004