Haftarah B’ha’alotkha
“Pure Light of the Branch”
Zechariah 2:14-4:7
excerpted from TorahScope Haftarah Exhortations
This week’s Torah reading, B’ha’alotkha (Numbers 8:1-12:16), describes various events during the wilderness march of Ancient Israel. It begins with a brief overview of the seven branches of the menorah.[1] At the concluding verse of last week’s reading (Naso: Numbers 4:21-7:89), it is understood that this impressive candelabra was to be located in the Tent of Meeting where Moses communed with the Lord. Just imagine the Holy of Holies, with the Ark of the Covenant being illuminated by light from this menorah:
“When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard his voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; and he spoke to him” (Numbers 7:89, WMB).
In the lighted Tent of Meeting, from above the mercy seat, the Lord spoke with Moses, giving him the two principal instructions, which are connected to this week’s Haftarah selection from Zechariah. Read the instructions about the proper mounting of the lamp, and then the more explicit instructions about the ancient Levites who were to be purified for service unto Him. The Levites were separated out to perform duties associated with the Tabernacle and Israel’s worship before God:
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’ Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as the LORD commanded Moses. This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering. You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel. You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD. The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.’ Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting; and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more, but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties’” (Numbers 8:1-26, WMB).
With these emphases on the menorah and the purifying of the Levites, the Jewish Sages turned to a prophetic word from Zechariah, for the complementary Haftarah selection. Zechariah, similar to Haggai, was a post-exilic prophet, who spoke for the Lord, as the scattered Jews were returning back to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem during the Persian era. The reconstruction of the city and the Temple had begun. But the former exiles needed admonitions—and sometimes even rebukes—from the Prophets who God raised up, so that their necessary tasks would not be forgotten.
Zechariah received a series of visions which were used by the Lord, to encourage the children of the Jewish exiles to persevere. After a declarative statement that many nations will join themselves to the Lord when He comes to dwell in their midst, a vision of a high priest, named Joshua, is detailed. This Joshua was being accused by Satan, as he stood in his filthy garments. But, the Lord had his filthy garments removed, and he was cleansed, purified, and redressed for proper service unto Him. Note how after this cleansing and change of clothes, that there was still a requirement upon Joshua to walk in God’s ways, adequately performing His required service and administration:
“He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the LORD’s angel, and Satan standing at his right hand to be his adversary. The LORD said to Satan, ‘The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Yes, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this a burning stick plucked out of the fire?’ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the angel. He answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, ‘Take the filthy garments off him.’ To him he said, ‘Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with rich clothing.’ I said, ‘Let them set a clean turban on his head.’ So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and the LORD’s angel was standing by. The LORD’s angel solemnly assured Joshua, saying, ‘The LORD of Hosts says: “If you will walk in my ways, and if you will follow my instructions, then you also shall judge my house, and shall also keep my courts, and I will give you a place of access among these who stand by”’” (Zechariah 3:1-7, WMB).
The imagery of this vision may not be absolutely clear to you, but the need for cleanliness or purity among those who serve in God’s priesthood, is easily seen. Joshua was a high priest, not that much different than Aaron, but he was not intended to represent the Messiah of Israel. Instead, the high priest Joshua was told how God was going to send avdi tzemach, “My servant the Branch” (NASU). This will be ultimately accompanied by the Land of Israel being removed of iniquity, and following will be peace and prosperity:
“Hear now, Joshua the high priest, you and your fellows who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign; for, behold, I will bring out my servant, the Branch. For, behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua: on one stone are seven eyes; behold, I will engrave its inscription,’ says the LORD of Hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day,’ says the LORD of Hosts, ‘you will invite every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree’” (Zechariah 3:8-10, WMB).
Following this, Zechariah shared another vision—one which parallels the description of the menorah seen in our Torah reading for B’ha’alotkha. Readers see a reference to a seven-spouted candelabra, perhaps a connection to the seven eyes on the stone in the previous vision (Zechariah 3:9). It is evident from the various objects depicted, that God was trying to communicate some deep spiritual truths, and added to this were two olive trees which stood before the Temple. The reconstruction of the Temple is something which is very important, because as the Lord told Zechariah, it will only take place by His Spirit:
“The angel who talked with me came again and wakened me, as a man who is wakened out of his sleep. He said to me, ‘What do you see?’ I said, ‘I have seen, and behold, a lamp stand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; and two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on the left side of it.’ I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, ‘What are these, my lord?’ Then the angel who talked with me answered me, ‘Don’t you know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’ Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, ‘This is the LORD’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD of Hosts. Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace, to it!”’” (Zechariah 4:1-7, WMB).
In these different visions, we see Joshua the high priest, and now we see Zerubbabel. We see two chosen people: one to restore a purified Levitical priesthood, and another chosen to rebuild the Temple. Reading just a little further, we see what the two olive trees specifically represent:
“Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying, ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also finish it; and you will know that the LORD of Hosts has sent me to you. 10 Indeed, who despises the day of small things? For these seven shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. These are the LORD’s eyes, which run back and forth through the whole earth.’ Then I asked him, ‘What are these two olive trees on the right side of the lamp stand and on the left side of it?’ I asked him the second time, ‘What are these two olive branches, which are beside the two golden spouts that pour the golden oil out of themselves?’ He answered me, ‘Don’t you know what these are?’ I said, ‘No, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth’” (Zechariah 4:8-14, WMB).
Zechariah was told by God, eilleh sh’nei b’nei-ha’yitzhar ha’omdim al-Adon kol-ha’aretz, or “These are the two sons of the oil, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth” (YLT). These two anointed ones (Heb. sh’nei b’nei-ha’yitzhar) may represent how the religious priesthood and the secular authorities were used by God, following the Babylonian exile, to restore not only the rebuilt Temple, but its services and the people back to proper worship.
There appears to be an interesting connection between the seven bulbs of the menorah, and how the Prophet Isaiah referred to seven important aspects of the Messiah’s mission and ministry. In the opening verses of Isaiah 11, which prophesied of the shoot (Heb. choter) springing forth from Jesse, we see a clear reference to a descendant of King David. This branch (Heb. netzer) will bear much fruit, because the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him:
“A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit. The LORD’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes, neither decide by the hearing of his ears; but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked” (Isaiah 11:1-4, WMB).
As you read the balance of the description given of “the Branch,” we see how He is One who will possess significant wisdom, power, and strength. He will have the ability to enact righteousness in the lives of the oppressed, and will judge the wicked. Both Isaiah and Zechariah were privileged to have visions of the work which the Messiah would be destined to perform. And, we should take comfort in knowing that even though He has yet to enact complete righteousness on Earth—He will surely return and one day it will be manifest!
Today, after more than 2,500 years of history having moved forward—and most especially after the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah—we as born again Believers should have a much fuller appreciation of the Prophet Zechariah’s ancient words. Both the high priest Joshua and builder Zerubbabel, did help play a role in seeing the priesthood reestablished and the Temple rebuilt (cf. Haggai 1:1-2). The Jewish exiles returned to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, and they reestablished their lives and religious worship.
How important is this? Before the time of Yeshua, Herod the Great enacted a significant refurbishing of the Second Temple, a place where our Messiah spent a great deal of His time teaching and meditating. He used the imagery of the Temple, to speak about Himself and the work the Father sent Him to do. At the appointed time, Yeshua was offered up for our sins—because He was the Branch upon whom the Spirit of the Lord rested. Today as we place our trust in Him, we can not only experience redemption from sins, but we also have the assurance that He will not judge us as wicked sinners!
Yeshua is the Light of the world (John 8:12), our pure Branch, endowed with all the attributes of His Father (cf. Colossians 1:15-16), who came to die for fallen humanity. This is a great blessing for us to contemplate, as we all need to persevere in the call upon our lives, to serve the Lord like the high priest Joshua and builder Zerubbabel. Let us all maintain our purity before the Father, obeying Him via His Spirit, as we bask in the light of His Son.
NOTES
[1] Numbers 8:1-4; cf. Exodus 25:31-40.
