Untold Stories from the Torah
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Zelophehad was a descendant of Manasseh, the son of Joseph, and belonged to one of the tribes of Israel during their journey through the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. At that time, land inheritance was passed through the male line. Zelophehad died in the wilderness, not as part of Korah’s rebellion against the Lord, […]
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During Israel’s final encampment before entering the Promised Land—on the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River across from Jericho—the people once again lapsed into sin, despite the Lord’s continued guidance and protection. The Moabites, having failed to curse Israel through Balaam (see Numbers 22–24), turned to a more subversive tactic: leading the Israelites astray […]
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When the Israelites camped near the Jordan, approaching Jericho and the territory of Balak, king of Moab, he became fearful. He saw how numerous they were and had heard of their exploits—how they humbled the mighty Egyptian army and had recently defeated the Amorites. Certain that he too would be overcome, Balak turned to Balaam […]
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As the Israelites continued their journey, they encountered the Canaanite king of Arad in the Negev desert. Seeing them approach his territory, he gathered his army, attacked, and even took some of them captive. True to their pattern throughout the wilderness, the Israelites turned to God only after exhausting every other option and attempting to […]
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The Israelites had roamed in the desert for forty years and were now back at the scene of their earlier rebellion. When they first came to Kadesh, they had refused to trust God, and now the whole Israelite community arrived once again at the Desert of Zin. As expected, there was no water in the […]
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Perhaps emboldened by the rebellion of Aaron and Miriam against Moses, Korah assembled a group of his associates and attempted to incite a revolt. The foundation of his uprising lay in the numerous laws being delivered to the people to set them apart as holy. However, Korah and his followers believed themselves already holy and […]
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In preparation for Israel’s entry into the Promised Land, the Lord instructed Moses to appoint twelve men, one representative from each of the twelve tribes, to explore the land that He was giving to them. Among those appointed were Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim. The journey was […]
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No sooner had the rebellion of the people been addressed (with God punishing the rebels) that a new wave of resistance emerged, this time from within Moses’ own family. Miriam and Aaron began to question Moses’ qualifications to lead Israel. They seized upon his marriage to a foreign woman as grounds to challenge his leadership, […]
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Before the Israelites set out from Mount Sinai, the LORD prepared them for their journey. The tribes were numbered and organized, and the camp was arranged around the tabernacle. The Levites were appointed to care for and carry the tabernacle, and the people celebrated the second Passover. God instructed them to follow the cloud of […]
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At the close of the Book of Exodus, we read that the presence of God, in the form of a cloud, covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Tabernacle was filled with His glory—so much so that even Moses, who spent forty days on the mountain of God, was unable to enter. In their relentless […]
The Jordan Valley 