TORAH STUDIES: LINKING SCRIPTURES

TORAH WEEK 39 CHUKAT

39-Torah Week Chukat — "Decree"    חוּקַת

Portion Summary

Chukat (meaning "Decree") is the thirty-ninth reading from the Torah. It begins with YHVH's commandment for the ritual of the red heifer, a mysterious law regarding purification after contact with death. 

This portion continues with key events in Israel's journey: the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, the story of Moses striking the rock, and Israel's encounters with the Amorites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

TORAH:
Numbers 19:1-22 — The law of the red heifer for purification from death impurity.
Numbers 20:1-29 — The deaths of Miriam and Aaron, and Moses' striking the rock.
Numbers 21:1-35 — Israel's battles and journey to the edge of Canaan.
Exodus 17:1-7; 19:10-20 — Events related to the water from the rock and Israel's journey.
Deuteronomy 3:11; Numbers 22:1-41 — Setting up Israel's encampment near the Promised Land.

WRITINGS:
Judges 11:1-33-Jephthah Delivers Israel
2 Kings 18:1-4 — King Hezekiah's reforms, which included breaking religious idols.
Psalm 22:1-18 — A cry of distress and longing for deliverance.

NEVI'EM:
Micah 5:7 — Promise of Israel's survival.
Ezekiel 36:17-29 — Israel's spiritual purification and restoration.
Isaiah 53:5; 61:1 — Suffering Servant and promise of deliverance.

GOSPEL AND EPISTLES:
John 2:1-12 — The Wedding at Cana
John 19:38-42 — Burial of Y'shua, connecting to purification after death.
Matthew 21:1-11 — Y'shua's entry into Jerusalem.
1 Corinthians 10:4, 9 — Y'shua as the spiritual rock.
John 3:14-15 — Y'shua lifted up as a means of salvation.
1 Peter 2:24-25 — Y'shua bearing our sins for righteousness.
Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:18-20 — Great Commission.

APOCRYPHA:
Jasher 85:1-33 — Historical accounts that parallel Israel's journey.Notes

The Crimson Worm:
Often referenced as a symbol of Y'shua's sacrifice and the life He provides.

The crimson worm, or Tolaat Shani in Hebrew, is a unique creature often referenced symbolically in the Scriptures as a foreshadowing of Y'shua's sacrifice. This worm, Coccus ilicis, was historically used to create a crimson or scarlet dye for fabrics, particularly for the tabernacle and priestly garments. 

Its lifecycle reveals remarkable symbolism:
When the female crimson worm is ready to lay her eggs, she climbs onto a tree and attaches herself to it permanently. She forms a protective shell around her eggs, and, upon dying, her body releases a crimson fluid that stains both her young and the tree. Afterward, her body turns white and flakes off, resembling snow, leaving a lasting mark of both red and white.

This cycle mirrors Y'shua's sacrifice in a powerful way. Just as the crimson worm willingly attaches itself to a tree to give life to its offspring, Y'shua gave His life upon the tree to abolish the curse of sin and death.

The crimson stain that covers the young worm can be seen as representing the cleansing and covering of sin through Y'shua's blood. The change from crimson to white echoes (Isaiah 1:18), which says, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." 

This transformation represents purification and redemption, offering a visual metaphor for the sacrifice that brings about spiritual cleansing and renewal for the person who chose to follow and believe with obedience.