Parashat Mattot (Tribes) & Masei (Journeys)

Bamidbar (Numbers) 30:2–32:42 & 33:1–36:13

We live in a world of much uncertainty: the unstable political climate, the Covid-19 pandemic, economic recession in the global economy, etc. I hear people make statements that we don’t know who to trust anymore, and we do not know what or whom to believe, which brings me to the obvious conclusion that the only One we can trust nowadays is God and the truth of His Word.

A year ago when writing on this parasha, I wrote a blog entitled, Be a Person of Your Word. Considering the reality in which we live today, I wanted to expand on the importance of being a person of our word, or in other words, the importance being a person of integrity, who does not need to make big, loud statements or promises that s/he cannot uphold or fulfill.

If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Numbers 30:2

Why would this even matter to God? It has to do with integrity. As God’s followers, we need to remember that our actions reflect our faith. I find that as believers, we put a lot of emphasis on the “big” things such as the “do’s and don’ts” of our faith, sharing our faith with others, doing impactful works, etc. Yes, these are important things! But, we cannot forget the simple, yet foundational principles by which we live our lives every day, because these are powerful testimonies about the One in whom we believe!

Yeshua referred to the Scripture above when He said:

Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.
Matthew 5:33–37

Others around us may not see the importance of keeping their word, but we followers of Messiah can make a huge impact in the world simply by being people of our word. We need to be people who reflect our faith in our everyday lives; a small act of integrity, a small “yes” or “no” can speak volumes of our faith over all the knowledge or religious acts of our lives.

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran