Bamidbar – In the Wilderness

This week is the first parshah of the book of Numbers (Bemidbar) covering
Numbers 1:1-4:20, entitled the same as the book in which it starts. True to
the English rendering of this book, Numbers, it begins with the numbering of
the children of Israel – specifically the males age 20 and up and then
separately the Levites. And yet in the midst of numbering and names, once
again we are tasked with digging out the hidden truths found only in the
Hebrew language!

Numbers 1:1-2 → First we must understand what Israel is being instructed to

do by YHVH, in order to fully understand the significance of them being “in
the wilderness”!

Take: Strong’s #5375 nasa’ ‫ נשא‬to lift, bear up, carry, take
→Cognate word to #5377 nasha’ ‫ נשא‬to beguile, to deceive; Genesis
3:13 – “And the woman said, the serpent beguiled (nasha’) me, and I
did eat.”

Sum: Strong’s #7218 ro’sh ‫ ראש‬head, top, summit, total, sum, beginning
→Cognate of #7219 ro’sh ‫ ראש‬gall, venom, bitter, poisonous
*Ro’sh (#7218) also happens to be the root of re’shiyth – beginning (“In the
beginning”)
From the words take and sum, a connection begins to immerge to the
Garden of Eden and the events that transpired between the Bride and the
serpent!

Congregation: Strong’s #5712 ‘edah ‫ עדה‬congregation, gathering, an

appointed meeting, an assembly
→From #5707 ‘ed ‫ עד‬witness, testimony, evidence of things; related to
#5708 ‘ iddah ‫ עדה‬menstruation, filthiness

What is the purpose of this counting? Because in the beginning (ro’sh) the
Bride was beguiled (nasha’) by the serpent and accepted his
gall/venom/poison which made her ‘iddah – filthy and in a menstruous
condition! This is why she must now be counted “by their polls”. Polls:
Strong’s #1538 gulgoleth ‫ גלגלת‬head, poll, skull; from #1556 galal ‫ גלל‬to
roll away → its from this term that we get the word Golgotha! They are
counted in a rehearsal of when this gall/venom would be rolled away by
Messiah at Golgotha!
 *Not only does this parshah detail the census/numbering of the
Israelites, but it also gives the layout of their camp! Numbers 2:34 –
“so they pitched by their standards”

Pitched: Strong’s #2583 chanah ‫ חנה‬to decline, incline, encamp,

bend down; contains the 2 letter root ‫ חנ‬grace (not free unmerited
favor, but favor received as Noah did – by being a tsaddik one who is
obedient!)

Standards: Strong’s #1714 degel ‫ דגל‬banner, standard → ‫ = ד‬door &

‫ = גל‬gal, 2 letter root of galal/gulgoleth
Upon being counted, Israel is told how to camp which actually teaches
them how to receive grace and shows them the door to their
redemption at Golgotha! The redemption plan can be seen written in
the constellational signs and Israel was instructed to camp after that
pattern/blueprint → they rehearsed the redemption plan!
Psalm 20:5 – “We will rejoice in thy salvation, and the name of our Yah
we will set up our banners (degel)”

As we look at this census, we also understand that anytime the people are
numbered there is a required offering that goes along with it – the half
shekel!
Exodus 30:13 – “This they shall give, every one that passeth among them
that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel
[is] twenty gerahs) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of Yahweh.”

Half: Strong’s #4276 machatsiyth ‫ מחצית‬half, middle; contains the 3 letter

root of #4272 machats ‫ מחץ‬to smite through, shatter, wound severely, to
pierce

Shekel: Strong’s #8255 sheqel ‫ שקל‬shekel

→Gematria = 430, same amount as the years spent in bondage in
Egypt
*Contains the 2 letter root ‫ = קל‬voice!

By bringing the half shekel, we acknowledge the one that was pierced
because of our deception in order to free us from bondage! And it is only
upon brining this offering (the Bride herself is supposed to be the half shekel
– the one broken off from Adam/Messiah) – presenting herself a living
sacrifice – that we once again will hear the voice/qol walking in the cool of
the day back in the Garden!
 The Wilderness

Having looked at the wilderness last week, we already have some form of
understanding concerning what takes place here. It is a shadow picture, a
blueprint as well, that represents much more than the English words will
convey! Because it is within “the wilderness” that Israel is numbered
(therefore bringing the half shekel) – it now represents the place where the
Bride presents herself to her Groom and is acknowledged and redeemed by
Him! It is only when the Bride is without spot or wrinkle that she is ready to
present herself to Messiah – hence the need for this time in the wilderness!

Wilderness: Strong’s #4057 midbar ‫ מדבר‬wilderness, mouth; from #1697

dabar ‫ דבר‬to speak, declare, converse, promise, command → once again
emphasizing that it is here that the qol begins to speak again!

By changing the order of the constant letters, it forms the word marbad
#4765 ‫ מרבד‬spread, coverlet; from #7234 rabad ‫ רבד‬to spread, bespread,
deck
*Describes preparations of the bedchamber/intimate place! This is
exactly what we see taking place while Israel is the wilderness as they
build the Tabernacle! It is the bedchamber being prepared for the
Bride who will present herself as the half shekel to be reunited with her
Groom.

Proverbs 31:22 – “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry (marbad); her

clothing [is] silk and purple.”

Maketh: Strong’s #6213 ‘asah ‫ עשה‬to do, fashion, accomplish, make, to

repair
→By changing the ‫ ע‬to an ‫( א‬interchangeable letters) it forms the word
‘ishah = wife!

Silk: Strong’s #8336 shesh ‫ שש‬fine linen, marble alabaster, something

bleached white, something white

*It is in the wilderness that the ‘ishah/wife is repaired and made

white/pure – without spot or wrinkle ready to enter into the intimate
place!

*Numbers 1:3 – “Aaron shall number them”

Number: Strong’s #6485 paqad ‫ פקד‬to attend to, muster, number, visit,
look after, care for; the 1st reference is Genesis 21:1 - “And YHVH visited
(paqad) Sarah as He had said, and YHVH did (‘asah) unto Sarah as He had
spoken.” – describes the scenario where Sarah who was one time barren
conceives! The same result will happen to the Bride when she is “paqad” as
well causing her to be ‘asah/repaired → she will conceive!

It is no coincidence that the 2 letter root of wilderness (midbar) also deals

with clothing!
‫ מד‬mad #4055 measure, cloth garment → Describes the Priestly linen
garments once in reference to the ‘olah offering (burnt offering). This
garment was put on to take up the ashes and put them beside the altar.
Leviticus 6:9-11

Within this Torah portion, we also read of ashes commanded to be removed

from the altar! Numbers 4:13 – “And they shall take away the ashes from
the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon.”
*Notice upon the ashes being removed a PURPLE cloth is placed on it, just
like the bride in Proverbs 31 being clothed in purple!
→Midbar contains the root referring to these special garments worn, in
other words it is only by spending time in the wilderness that we
become one clothed in purple. What’s so significant about this purple?

Purple: Strong’s #713 ‘argaman ‫ ארגמן‬purple, red-purple

→Contains the three letter root of #7275 ragam ‫ רגם‬to stone, slay or
kill by stoning

There is no way to understand why this root is found within the term purple
without understanding what this color truly represents – much more than just
royalty. 3 colors are used again and again in describing the Tabernacle and
the garments of the priests → scarlet, blue, & purple.
Blue = color associated with YHVH, also a color associated with a man
(tzitzit)
Red = color associated with mankind (Adam –red/blood), also a color
associated with a woman (menstrual cycle)
Purple is the combination of the 2 → blue and red mixed! Purple then
represents the union of a husband and wife, or of the Messiah and His bride!
Every time this set of 3 colors is seen it was teaching Israel that in the
Tabernacle they were to be joined to their Heavenly Groom.
→Purple from a scientific perspective is not a real color in that it is not
a pure single color! Sun radiates light in the visible spectrum, which is
a progression from a low frequency to a higher frequency, similar to
sound waves. Purple does not have a pure single frequency though, it
is always a mixture of some form of blue and some form of red!
*There is no way to be clothed in purple – or have these ashes
removed, without this union, made possible only by red and blue being
joined, Messiah and His bride!

Now we can understand why the root of this word contains the word for
stoning! Stoning is the punishment for adultery – therefore hidden within the
word ‘argaman/purple a clue is given as to what it really represents and the
punishment that comes upon perverting this relationship!
*Ashes are removed, purple is put on → Ashes: Strong’s #1880 deshen
‫ דשן‬fat ashes, fatness, fertility; ‫ = ד‬door & ‫ = שן‬destruction → the
door to destruction is removed when we become one with Messiah!
Why? Because it causes us to camp around the degel → door to
redemption!

The same letters that spell the word ragam/to stone, also spell the name
Gomer ‫גמר‬, the harlot wife of Hosea! The entire life of Hosea teaches us of
the redemption plan of the harlot bride just as the color purple does.
Gomer: Strong’s #1586 Gomer ‫ גמר‬complete →the term Kallah/Bride also
means to complete!

Remember that this Torah portion is all about the census – the counting of
heads.
Song of Solomon 7:5 – “Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of
thine head like purple.”

Carmel: Strong’s #3760 Karmel ‫ כרמל‬garden-land

→Gematria = 290, same as #6187 ‘erek ‫ ערך‬estimate, valuations,
things that are set in order (this word is used in Leviticus when
speaking of the census and the estimation/value of the people counted
→ the shekels that must be brought as an atonement price).

Hair: Strong’s #1803 dallah ‫ דלה‬hair, threads, poor, a noun denoting

sickness
→From #1802 dalah ‫ דלה‬to draw up, to lift up, describes the act of
drawing water from a well

When we are counted in the “midbar”/wilderness, it allows us to gain access

back to the Garden-land (Eden), the whole reason the counting it being done
in the first place! It ties everything together. It takes one who is sick and
poor and grants you access to draw from the wells of living water. And this
is what the color purple marks one as – one who has drawn water from this
well and is counted among those who will return to Eden!