Tim Johnson May 30, 2026
I don’t know what happened, but I’m scheduled to teach Nasso this week, even though Wil taught it last week. That’s okay, I guess, it won’t be the same teaching.
In the book of Numbers, or Ba’midbar, where our portion is, there is a discussion of the sons of Levi which started at the beginning of chapter three. It talks about counting them as well as outlining their work, their jobs, amongst the Children of Israel. Remember that also in chapter three, God took the Levites to be His instead of the first-born of every family, and of every animal. We are talking about the sons of Aaron here: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.
As we enter our portion, we have already read about the functions of the children of Kohath. As the portion begins, we are talking about the work of Gershon, and then Merari. Then, later in the chapter it talks of the numbers of how many people there are of each group- Kohath, Gershom, and Merari, sons of Aaron.
After this, there is a brief section, which I find interesting, in which God commands Moses, and the Children of Israel to remove all the unclean, or tamei people out of the camp. It is interesting to me, because obviously they had not done this until now. So we are actually having a separation now, which looks like something significant is eventually going to happen… namely the building of the Tabernacle.
From here we have what is called the Torah of Jealousy, which is the woman being made to drink “the water of bitterness that brings a curse”.
Then we get to the Nazirite vow. This is a voluntary vow. God, in the Bible, describes everything this person is to do. No grapes, no wine, no strong drink. He lets the hair of his head grow long until the vow is over. There are discussions of what to do if he comes in contact with a dead body. There are burnt offerings. When he is done, he is to shave his head, and put the hair on the fire, under the sacrifice of peace offerings. That’s not going to smell good, I guarantee.
But through all this, God never really explains the why. Why should or would a man do this? God also never explains the benefits of doing a Nazirite vow. So in my mind, this is another section, which raises as many questions as it answers, maybe more. There are a lot of sections of scripture like this. But that is God’s prerogative. He doesn’t have to explain. I still wonder if this was something that the people of that time understood better than we do today. I don’t know.
There are several people in the Bible who were under this Nazirite vow. Perhaps the best known is Samson. What a tremendous character and story Samson is. Remember, he was a Nazirite from his mother’s womb. And also remember that even after he was humbled at the hands of the Philistines, he killed more of them at his death than he did in his life. That’s saying a lot, because he caused the Philistines much trouble.
Another Nazirite from their mother’s womb was John the Baptist, or Yochanan the Immerser. What a tremendous person this man was. Certainly a strong character. Yeshua speaks of him in:
(Scripture quotations are from the NJV Bible (New Jerusalem Version).
Copyright © 2022 by Hineni Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)
Matthew 11
11 Amen, I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
There is no question of the greatness of Yochanan the Immerser. What a thing, though, that he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him. That is something to ponder, I would say.
The other part of this Nazirite subject is found in the book of Acts. This is what I really want to talk about, because it is still so applicable today. But it’s kind of a big subject with lots of background verses, and so forth. It has to do with Paul going to Jerusalem, doing the vow with those other four men, and getting arrested. There’s a lot I wanted to talk about, one thing was the subject of whether or not he was wrong to go there at all. This is a subject that in my opinion is debatable. I’ve seen it from both perspectives. Dennis recently taught on this subject, and said good things that I had not heard before. I was impressed with the things he brought up, and he made a very convincing case for saying that Paul was wrong to go. But there are two sides to this issue, because the Bible is a bit unclear, or contradictory on it. Was Paul supposed to go or not? Was he walking by the Spirit, or by the flesh? It seems to me that a person’s own bias will color his or her opinions about this matter, and I admit that my opinions are colored by my bias.
In this subject matter, this question always comes up for me. But what I really want to show, rather than Paul’s thing, is the conflict of opinion between the legalism we see in the Jews in Jerusalem versus the freedom in Messiah that Paul the apostle was teaching. This conflict, and these misunderstandings continue to this day. So I’ll try to do all this.
So, I’m going to go to the Book of Acts. The beginning of the book of Acts has the glorious wonderful things that were happening shortly after the Day of Pentecost, or when the day of Shavuot was fully come. That was when the new birth first began. Speaking in tongues is now available. The temperature of believing among the believers, and in the city of Jerusalem was off the charts.
Acts 5
12 Now by the hands of the emissaries many signs and wonders were done among the people; and they were all with one mind in Solomon’s porch. 13 But none of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them. 13 And believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers, multitudes of both men and women. 15 They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them. 16 And the multitude also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits: and they were all healed.
This was early. Later on, after persecuting the believers, Saul, or Paul of Tarsus had his experience with Yeshua.
Acts 9
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the kohen gadol, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 And as he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 Then he fell on the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Yeshua, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.” 7 And the men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. 8 And Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” And he said, “Behold, it is me, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus; for behold, he is praying 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your holy ones at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief kohanim to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the sons of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” 17 And Ananias departed and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh.” 18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. And he arose and was immersed. 19 And he took food and was strengthened.
Now Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus. 20 Immediately he proclaimed the Messiah in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 Then all who heard him were amazed, and said, “Is not this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief kohanim.” 22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Messiah.
This Shaul, or Saul, or Paul, becomes quite the influential person after this. He goes all through Asia Minor, preaching the good news.
I would like to also read from the book of Galatians, where Paul describes his early years, and gives his history:
Galatians 1
10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Messiah. 11 But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. 12 For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Yeshua the Messiah.
13 For you have heard of my way of living in time past in Judaism, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his chesed, 16 to reveal his Son in me, that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were emissaries before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days. 19 But of the other emissaries I saw no one except Jacob, the Lord’s brother. 20 Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I am not lying. 21 Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Messiah, 23 but they only heard: He who once persecuted us now preaches the emunah that he once tried to destroy.”
24 So they glorified God in me.
Galatians 2
1 Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2 And I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I proclaim among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.
There is another thing I want to quote here, and that is from Ephesians 3. Paul is not only teaching the Ephesians, but also revealing his ministry and the revelation he had gotten from God:
Ephesians 3
1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Messiah Yeshua on behalf of you Gentiles, 2 if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that chesed of God which was given me toward you, 3 how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words, 4 by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Messiah, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy emissaries and prophets in the Ruach, 6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Messiah Yeshua through the Good News, 7 of which I was made a servant according to the working of his power. 8 To me, the very least of all holy ones, was this chesed given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Messiah, 9 and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Yeshua the Messiah, 10 to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Messiah Yeshua our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and access in confidence through our emunah in him. 13 Therefore I ask that you not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.
Paul wrote this book from prison. This is one reason I think it may have been God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem. Otherwise, many of his epistles may not have been written… so perhaps there was this bigger reason for him to be arrested and imprisoned. But that’s an aside. Paul obviously had some great revelation from God, which explained a lot of what happened with the sacrifice and redemption in Yeshua. Not everyone at that time received this revelation, but Paul did.
The mystery. Jew and Gentile both being one in Messiah is a huge thing. One could see before Messiah, in the Tanach, the great possibility of the Gentiles being blessed at some point, but no one, no one, knew that this mystery was going to happen. Jews and Gentiles being one? No way! But it happened. God did it. And God initially showed the world by way of Peter being sent to bring the truth of Messiah to the Gentiles. His vision of the sheet coming down from heaven was God telling him, not about animals, but telling him to not call any man common or unclean.
Acts 10
28 Then he said to them, “You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.”
Going back to the story in the book of Acts, Paul is in Tarsus, his hometown, in Acts 11, and is found by Barnabas who went looking for him.
Acts 11
25 And Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. And the disciples were first called Messianic (M’shichim) in Antioch.
29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers living in Judea; 30 which they did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
This was an earlier trip to Jerusalem by Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 13
1 Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they served the Lord and fasted, the Ruach HaKodesh said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” 4 Then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So off go Barnabas and Saul, to the work of the Lord. They are traveling around preaching and teaching about Yeshua the Messiah, going from place to place. When they had been in Antioch for a long time…
Acts 15
1 And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the emissaries and elders about this question.
Now this is where we begin to see this issue becoming a big problem. It said “no small discord” there. So they are arguing passionately about this issue. These Judeans are saying you can’t be saved unless you are circumcised. It seems obvious to me that they can’t see how it could be possible otherwise. They also seem to be talking not only about the letter of the Torah, but also about the “customs of Moses”. This is not at all what Paul and Barnabas have been teaching the Gentiles.
Paul the apostle has never abandoned the Torah. But he has seen a new and better way in Yeshua: Salvation and redemption that was never available before. The mystery that God showed him. He and Barnabas are not about to let these men from Judea steamroll them into changing what qualifies a person as being saved. Remember, they are on uncharted ground here. This is all new. The revelations from God about newness of life in Yeshua has come to Paul, and he has been faithfully teaching it. But there have also been misunderstandings among the Jewish believers. I imagine that the things Paul is teaching are making them not just a little nervous and contradictory. These new doctrines are conflicting with things they have been committed to their whole lives, and for generations. Also, they did not all receive the revelations from God that Paul did. So there is bound to be problems. And these problems do not go away easily. Even to this day, these problems persist. This is why Paul wrote in the book of Galatians:
Galatians 5
1 Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Messiah has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
2 Behold, I, Paul, tell you that if you receive circumcision, Messiah will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision that he is a debtor to do the whole Torah. 4 You are severed from Messiah, you who desire to be justified by the Torah; you have fallen away from chesed.
Remember what Paul has written in the book of Romans:
Romans 3
…20 Because by the works of the Torah no flesh will be justified in his sight; for through the Torah comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the Torah has been revealed, being testified by the Torah and the prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God through emunah in Yeshua the Messiah to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
And also in Romans 10
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. 13 For “ WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF YHVH WILL BE SAVED.”
This has taken more time than I thought to get to here. I had a bunch more stuff in the book of Acts to continue the story, but at this point, we need to skip forward. I’ll just hit a few high points:
Acts 18
18 Now Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.
When it talks about a shaved head and a vow, it pretty much has to be the Nazirite vow. This is just to show that he is not a stranger to this. This is earlier, before Paul goes on his journey to Jerusalem.
Acts 19
10 And this continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Yeshua, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs, or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.
21 Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the Ruach, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
This is showing the “temperature” of believing that was surrounding Paul. It was amazing.
The other thing we see here, is that he determined “by the Ruach” to go to Jerusalem. This is not just Paul deciding this.
When he says “I must see Rome”, I believe this is something that God had showed him, even though the word does not say this. And he does indeed end up in Rome, but probably not like he would have thought he would.
So Paul is going to Jerusalem… by the Ruach.
Acts 20
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
He told them they would see his face no more. This indicates to me that Paul knew that bad things were coming in Jerusalem. But he’s going anyway. What it comes down to, is if you believe he was wrong and stubborn to go, or if he was obedient even in the face of arrest and imprisonment.
Acts 21
4 And having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Ruach that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
10 And as we stayed there (Caesarea) some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us and taking Paul’s belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, “The Ruach HaKodesh says: ‘So the Judeans at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”
Note, that Agabus does not say that Paul is going against the will of the Lord. What Agabus says is that Paul will be bound and arrested and given to the Gentiles. I suspect Paul already knows this, but that is my perspective.
Acts 21
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and the people of that place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Yeshua.” 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”
This is where we had a big teaching in my past about commas. Punctuation is not in any Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic texts. All punctuation is from the men who translate. So, reading this last statement with the commas, it says that Paul is not being persuaded to do the will of the Lord, so they quit bothering him, and say, the will of the Lord be done. Without the commas, it says that he would not be persuaded, so we quit telling him to do the will of the Lord. You see? The translator has put his opinion in the text by using commas.
My sense here is that Paul already knew by revelation about the trouble in Jerusalem, but he was going because God told him to. Agabus warned him about his being bound and delivered to the Gentiles. But Paul believed it was still the will of the Lord for him to go. The people believed it was the will of the Lord for Paul not to go because he would be arrested. So there it is.
Acts 21
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 The day following, Paul went in with us to Jacob; and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had greeted them, he reported one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Judeans of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Torah. 21 And they have been informed about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to walk after the customs.
The people in Jerusalem don’t spend much time reveling in the great things that Paul has told them. They seem to almost gloss over it. Because right away their issues they have about Paul rise to the surface.
Acts 21
22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you yourself also walk keeping the Torah. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled things, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men and the next day purified himself and went with them into the temple, declaring the fulfillment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.
27 Now when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, and the Torah, and this place. Moreover, he also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place!” 29 For they had seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
Is Paul teaching against the Torah? No! Did Paul bring Gentiles into the temple? No! These are false accusations. But it’s these kind of things that are at the heart of problems that persist today.
Acts 21
30 And all the city was moved and the people ran together, they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Immediately the doors were shut. 31 And as they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came near and arrested him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.
The Jews were trying to kill Paul right then and there. This kind of outrage seems spiritual to me. Inspired by evil spirits, not Holy Spirit. It reminds me of how they were with Yeshua when he got arrested. It reminds me of how they were with Stephen when he got arrested. There is a lot of rage and hatred there, which I believe the ultimate source of that is from the enemy, the accuser of the brethren.
The enemy continues to try to foment discord among believers today. When the Church got separated from the Jews, there was a decision by the Church to abandon everything about the Torah, and to say it just doesn’t matter anymore. Just throw the whole thing away. We know and recognize that that is not the truth. That is for the most part where the Christian Church is today. That is one reason Bat Tzion exists today: Because we, as individuals, recognized the fallacy of that. The Torah does not just “go away”. It lasts forever.
But the coming of Yeshua has truly changed everything. It’s not the same world anymore, after his coming, his life, his death, and his resurrection. Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, “We are not in Kansas anymore.“
The Messianic Jewish movement originally came from believing Jews who were not finding a good home in the Christian Church. Today, though, it is many times for people like us, who have recognized the limitations of the Christian Church, and desire to return to the Torah, and embrace it. After all, the Torah is still God’s own truth.
But the perspective of the Jews, even some believing Jews, even today, is that believers in Messiah must be brought under the Torah in all the old ways. Circumcision. Earning our own righteousness. That kind of thing. That is the Jewish perspective. We know that is not the truth either. We know that our redemption is in Yeshua, not in our own accomplishments.
So the truth is in the middle. And we are in the middle. Not in rejecting the Torah. Not in being bound by the Torah. We are to be walking in freedom in Messiah, not in bondage.
In summing up, I will quote Peter from:
I Peter 2
15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
Shabbat Shalom