Numbers
The Book of Numbers (from Greek Ἀριθμοί, Arithmoi; Hebrew: בִמִ דַבַר, Bəmiḏbar, “In the desert [of]”) is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah. The book has a long and complex history, but its final form is probably due to a Priestly redaction (i.e., editing) of a Yahwistic source made some time in the early Persian period (5th century BCE). The name of the book comes from the two censuses taken of the
Israelites.
Numbers 1: 1 – 3 God instructed Moses to take up a census of all of the males, twenty and older by their family name, who were all capable of going to war in the wilderness of Sinai.
- There shall be one leader from each house.
5 – 15 These were the leaders by tribe:
| Reuben | Elizur |
| Simeon | Shelumiel |
| Judah | Nahshon |
| Issachar | Nethanel |
| Zebulun | Eliab |
| Joseph | Elishama |
| Manasseh | Gamaliel |
| Benjamin | Abidan |
| Dan | Ahiezer |
| Asher | Pagiel |
| Gad | Eliasaph |
| Naphtali | Ahira |
17 – 19 Moses assembled all of the men by their families, called out their names, and numbered them all.
20 – 46 These were the numbers of the males twenty and older that were able to serve in the army for Israel by their tribe:
| Rueben | 46,500 |
| Simeon | 59,300 |
| Gad | 45,650 |
| Judah | 74,600 |
| Issachar | 54,400 |
| Zebulun | 57,400 |
| Joseph | 40,500 |
| Manasseh | 32,200 |
| Benjamin | 35,400 |
| Dan | 62,700 |
| Asher | 41,500 |
| Naphtali | 53,400 |
Total 603,550 able bodied men to serve.
47 – 50 The Levites were not numbered. They were to take care of the tabernacle and carry it and all of its furnishings. When the tabernacle was moved, the Levites were the only ones to take it down and put it up. Anyone coming close to it other than them was put to death.
51 – 53 When taking up camp, all families shall camp by their armies. The Levites would camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony and take charge of it.
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses”, starts the book of Numbers. This is used over 150 times in Numbers indicating the revelation to Moses from God. The geographical setting for this book is in the ‘Wilderness of Sinai’. Wow! What an awesome metaphor. God had delivered them from the bondage of Egypt, as He has delivered you and me but our lives, as the Jew’s lives, are still “wondering in the wasteland”. He continues to test our faith in Him to provide for us during these times, before delivering us into the Promised Land.
The first census taken was directed from God Himself and the exact men chosen to assist Moses and Aaron were handpicked by God. This census included all the ‘lay’ tribes, not including the tribe of Levi. God wanted to maintain 12 tribes of Israel. The Levites were not considered a tribe so; the tribe of Joseph received a double portion by using Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
God speaks of the responsibilities of the Levites as the only ones permitted to “touch” the tabernacle. 51 “The outsider that comes near shall be put to death.”
Numbers 2: 1 – 34 As an illustration.
Numbers 3: 1 – 4 Aaron had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Due to the profane fire they offered before the Lord, they had died. Eleazar and Ithamar remained to minister as priests and carry on the priestly culture.
5 – 10 The tribe of Levi was to serve Aaron and his sons. At the same time, the priests were the only ones permitted to attend to the tabernacle of meeting. The priests were also to attend to the needs of the congregation before the tabernacle for any offerings. God repeats in verse
10b, that no outsider was permitted to come near the tabernacle, or they would be put to death.
11 – 13 [1]I have taken the Levites, etc.—The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (Ex 13:12; 22:29), who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to adopt the patriarchal usage of appointing the oldest to act as the priest of the family. But the privilege of redemption that was allowed the first-born opened the way for a change; and accordingly, on the full organization of the Mosaic economy, the administration of sacred things formerly committed to the first-born was transferred from them to the Levites, who received that honor partly as a tribute to Moses and Aaron, partly because this tribe had distinguished themselves by their zeal in the affair of the golden calf (Ex 32:29), and also because, being the smallest of the tribes, they could ill find suitable employment and support in the work.. The designation of a special class for the sacred offices of religion was a wise arrangement; for, on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might not be at leisure to wait on the service of the sanctuary, and sacred things might, from various causes, fall into neglect. However, the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service ensured the regular performance of the rites of religion. The subsequent portion of the chapter relates to the formal substitution of this tribe.
14 – 15 God gave Moses a huge command to count the number of every male child from one month old and above. The number of Levite families was rather large.
16 – 32 These are the families of the Levites. The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
| Gershon | Kohath | Merari |
| Libni | Amram | Mahli |
| Shimei | Izehar | Mushi |
| Hebron | ||
| Uzziel |
From Gershon, came the LIbnites and the Shimites. 7,500.
So, the entire family of Gershon, the Gershonites, camped westward behind the tabernacle and protected the coverings of the tabernacle.
33 – 37 The clan of the Merari numbered 6,200. They camped on the north side of the Tabernacle and maintained the accessories and all of the services connected to the Tabernacle.
38 – [2] Moses, Aaron, and their sons camped on the east side of the Tabernacle and guarded the Tabernacle and protected the people of Israel. Any outsider who came near the camp was put to death. All of the Levites and their sons counted above numbered to 22,000.
The Tabernacle was so protected from anyone besides the priests. No one had access to the Most Holy. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we don’t need protection. We don’t need a guard to protect us from the tabernacle…the veil has been torn! We have free access. Don’t take this gift lightly.
40 – 43 The Lord is now redeeming the firstborn. Instead of taking the firstborn among the people and of the cattle, God wanted a name count of the first born, one month and older, which came to 22,273.
44 – 49 The Levites, the priests, were set apart from the other tribes. They were consecrated to the Most Holy. Due to the fall/sin of man, man was not permitted beyond the veil to the tabernacle, only the priests. Until this point, the firstborn males were appointed to the Lord. God was now redeeming the Jews, in this case, the Levite’s firstborn males, by a redemption price of the shekel of twenty 39gerahsand paying it to Aaron and his sons.
50 – 51 The other tribes also were redeemed by their firstborn males by paying a total of 1,365 shekels and paying it to Aaron and his sons.
Numbers 4: Duties of the families of the Levites
Kohath
1 – 4 The Lord asked Moses to number the men from the family of Kohath from the age of thirty – fifty that were fit enough to work around the tent of the most holy things.
5 – 20 As Moses lead the people through the wilderness, every time they made camp, they would settle for a period. During each settlement, the camp and tabernacle would have to be set up. The Jews would live, make camp, sacrifice and life would go on.
When Moses was led to move on, the Tabernacle and all of its contents had to be packed. Only the Levites were permitted to touch anything. Once the Levites packed everything up, the sons of Kohath were to carry all things related to the most holy things. They were to spread clothes and lay the dishes, pans, and bowls, all of the items of the alter. They were charged with carrying the alter with the poles; but they could not touch the holy items or they would die.
Gershon
21 – 23 The Lord asked Moses to number the men from the family of Gershon from the age of thirty – fifty that were fit enough to work around the tent of the most holy things.
24 – 28 The Gershonites were to carry all of the curtains, screens, and cords and any commands of the Aaron and his sons during the journey.
Merari
29 – 30 The Lord asked Moses to number the men from the family of Merari from the age of thirty – fifty that were fit enough to work around the tent of the most holy things.
31 – 33 Though the family of Merari seemed to be the smallest among the families of Levi, they must have been strong men. These men were charged with carrying the frames, bars, pillars, and bases of the Tabernacle/tent. Moses charged Aaron to keep a list of all of the items that the Merarites carried.
Now that I read the remaining chapter, yes, the Merari’s had fewer families but their males 30 -50 did number much greater than the other families.
34 – 37 The number of the sons of the Koshans were 2,750.
38 – 41 The number of the sons of the Gershon were 2,630.
42 – 45 The number of the sons of the Merari were 3,200.
Numbers 5: 1 – 4 The camp, no matter where Moses took them, contained the tabernacle of the Most Holy. God commanded that the camp maintain cleanliness at all times. Lepers, anyone with uncleanly discharge, male or female, or anyone who touched a corpse was to be put outside of the camp.
6 – 7 I understand completely that a sin against a brother is a sin against our Creator and we must confess our sins and completely deny ourselves and repent. My confusion comes from “When a man or a woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord…” Matthew Henry states, “Because it is common among men; a sin of man, that is, a sin against man, so it is thought it should be translated and understood. If a man overreach or defraud his brother in any matter, it is to be looked upon as a trespass against the Lord, who is the protector of right, the punisher of wrong, and who strictly charges and commands us to do justly. Now what is to be done when a man’s awakened conscience charges him with guilt of this kind, and brings it to his remembrance though done long ago? 1. He must confess his sin, confess it to God, confess it to his neighbor, and so take shame to himself. If he have denied it before, though it go against the grain to own himself in a lie, yet he must do it; because his heart was hardened he denied it, therefore he has no other way of making it appear that his heart is now softened but by confessing it. 2. He must bring a sacrifice, a ram of atonement.”
8 – 10 If the sinful man or woman does not have a relative, their offering must be made to the Lord by means of the priest.
11 – 15 The law of a jealous husband. If a man should become jealous of his wife because either his wife has had an affair or she hasn’t but he suspects she has, he is to bring her to the priest for an offering of jealousy.
16 – 22 The wife will go before the priest. The priest would holy water and some dust from the floor of the tabernacle and put it into a vessel. He would bring the wife to him, take off her head covering and place the grain offering in her hands. While holding the vessel of the bitter water, the priest would put the woman under the oath of a curse. The woman would reply, “Amen, so be it”. This curse was terrible. If the woman did not lie with another man, she would be free. If the woman did lie with another man, her belly would swell and her thigh would rot.
23 – 24 The priest would then write the curse in a book, scrape the writings into the bitter water, and make the woman drink the water that would complete the curse.
25 – 28 Once the woman has drank the water, it will be known if she had defiled herself. If she had, her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and she will become a curse to all the people. If she is innocent, she will be free and can continue to conceive.
Numbers 6: The Law of the Nazirite
The Nazirite/Nazarite vow is taken by individuals who have voluntarily dedicated themselves to God. The vow is a decision, action, and desire on the part of people whose desire is to yield themselves to God completely. By definition, the Hebrew word nazir simply means, “to be separated or consecrated.” The Nazirite vow, which appears in Numbers 6, 1-21, has five features. It is voluntary, can be done by either men or women, has a specific period, has specific requirements and restrictions, and at its conclusion a sacrifice is offered.
First, the individual enters into this vow voluntarily. The Bible says, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite’” (Numbers 6:2). This shows that it is individuals who take the initiative to consecrate themselves to the Lord. There is no divine command involved. While generally done by the individual by his own choice, two individuals in the Old Testament, and one in the New Testament, were presented to God by their parents. Samuel and Samson in the Old Testament, (1 Samuel 2:8-28; Judges 13:1-5), and John the Baptist in the New Testament received the Nazirite vow from birth (Luke 1:13-17).
Second, both men and women could participate in this vow, as Numbers 6:2 indicates, “a man or woman.” The Nazirite vow was often taken by men and women alike purely for personal reasons, such as thanksgiving for recovery from illness or for the birth of a child. However, under the Mosaic Law, the vow or oath of a single woman could be rescinded by her father, and that of a married woman by her husband (Numbers 30).
Third, the vow had a specific period, a beginning and an end as these two statements indicate: “Throughout the period of his separation he is consecrated to the LORD… Now this is the law for the Nazirite when the period of his separation is over” (Numbers 6:8, 13a). Therefore, the Nazirite vow usually had both a beginning and an end.
Fourth, there were specific guidelines and restrictions involved with the Nazirite vow. Three guidelines are given to the Nazirite. Numbers 6:3-7 tells us that he/she was to abstain from wine or any fermented drink, nor was the Nazirite to drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins, not even the seeds or skins. Next, the Nazirite was not to cut his hair for the length of the vow. Last, he was not to go near a dead body, because that would make him ceremonially unclean. Even if a member of his immediate family died, he was not to go near the corpse.
1 – 4 If either a man or a woman wanted to consecrate themselves to the Lord as a Nazarite, an offering and a vow, they were to avoid anything having to do with anything produced from the grapevine, from the seed to the skin; wine, grape juice, raisins, etc., for all the days of their separation.
- For all the days of separation, they shall not put a razor to their heads.
- – 8 For all of the days of separation, they shall be clean from all dead bodies including family members.
9 – 12 The head of the Nazarite is what is holy unto the Lord, as it was with Samson and John the Baptist. This separated the Nazarite. Keeping clean from corpses and grapevines distinguished them from others. If anyone were to die suddenly beside them and they were to defile themselves, after seven days, he would shave their head and bring a sin and burnt offering to the priest for atonement of their sin.
13 – 21 When the days of separation are fulfilled, they shall bring all of the offerings to the tabernacle, sin, burnt, grain, drink, and peace offerings before the Lord. They would then shave their head, place their hair on the fire as the peace offering, and then drink wine.
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.[3]
Number 7: 1 I don’t thing we really realize what the Jews went through during their journey through the wilderness. Though the journey took eighty years, two generations, every time they broke camp and continued on, the Bible doesn’t give a period to as how long they stayed at each camp, they had to break down the tabernacle and pack it up.
The assigned families of Levi had to carry the articles of the tabernacle during the journey. Once they arrived at their next camp, and the tabernacle was raised back up, Moses anointed and consecrated all of the furnishings of the tabernacle.
2 – 3 After Moses had consecrated the tabernacle and all of its furnishings, all of the leaders of the different tribes brought their offerings before the Lord and they presented them before the tabernacle.
4 – 9 Now if you look back at Numbers 4, you will see the families of Levi and their responsibilities of items to carry of the tabernacle during their journey. The Lord then instructed Moses to distribute the articles the leaders brought before the Lord, for doing the work of the tabernacle, to the families of the Levites, accept to the sons of Kohath because their work was the service of the holy things which they carried on their shoulders.
10 – 11 These verses tend to indicate that they stayed multiple days at each camp as it reads in verse 11b, “one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”
12 – 83 For twelve days, one leader from each family would make an offering to the tabernacle.
12 – 17 Day one: Nahshon the son of Amminadab, from the tribe of Judah.
18 – 23 Day two: Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar.
24 – 29 Day three: Eliab the son of Heion, leader of the children of Zebulan.
30 – 3[4] Day four: Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the children of Reuben.
36 – 41 Day five: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon.
42 – 47 Day six: Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the children of Gad.
48 – 53 Day seven: Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the children of Ephraim.
54 – 59 Day eight: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the children of Manasseh.
60 – 65 Day nine: Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the children of Benjamin.
66 – 71 Day ten: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the children of Dan.
72 – 77 Day eleven: Pagiel the son of Ocran, leader of the children of Asher.
78 – 83 Day twelve: Ahira the son of Ehan, leader of the children of Naphtali.
84 – 88 After each journey, this was the dedication offering:
- Twelve silver platters each weighed one hundred and thirty shekels (about $36.28 each).
- Twelve silver bowls weighed seventy shekels (about $19.53 each).
- All of the silver vessels weighed two thousand four hundred shekels (about $669.76).
- Twelve gold pans full of incense weighed ten shekels each (about $2.79 each). All of the gold pans weighed one hundred and twenty shekels (about $33.49). 89 Once this was all complete, Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting and met with the Lord.
Numbers 8: 1 – 4 When God told Moses to set camp, Moses directed the people to set up the tabernacle. It was important to where the lampstand was placed (Exodus 25:21-36). The seven lamps rested on the lampstand, which is commonly known as the menorah.
Interesting note: The true menorah has seven lamps or candles. In 167 B.C., in the book of Maccabees, it is noted that there was a very small amount of oil found, just enough to light the last the menorah for one day. This celebration day is called Chanukah or Hanukkah. The nine candle/lamp menorah is only used for this holiday.
– 12 Realizing that the thousands of Jews were wondering through the wilderness for eighty years and making camp, the families of the Levites were carrying the articles of the tabernacles
during their journeys. Once the tabernacle was assembled and dedicated, the Levites were to be cleansed and dedicated. They were to shave their entire body and wash and clean all of their clothing. They were to offer a grain, sin, and wave offering.
13 – 19 God repeats to Moses the importance of the Levites to Him. God takes the Levites as His in redemption of the taking the firstborn as He did in Egypt. The Levites were the only ones permitted to do the work within the tabernacle of meeting.
20 – 22 Moses presented the Levites to the rest of the Jews as to what the Lord had told Moses to do previously after making camp and cleansing and dedicating the Levites.
23 – 26 God told Moses that the male Levites could serve in the tabernacle from the age of twenty-five to forty-nine. Once they reached the age of fifty, they could not serve in the tabernacle any more. They could minister to their brethren in the tabernacle and attend to their needs but they could not do any work.
Offerings of the Leaders: All of the leaders of ‘this church’ gave offerings to the altar. This analogy, I think, could be applied to the leaders of our church; Pastors and elders. The offerings would be different, of course, but an offering to God presented before the church.
Numbers 9: 1 – 5 Moses is leading the Jews through the wilderness to the Promised Land. As they are journeying and camping, God tells Moses to keep the Passover at the appointed time of the year. Since this is the first month of the second year of their travels, it was time for the second Passover. The first Passover was in Egypt when God told Moses to put the blood on the mantel of the doors to protect the firstborn males.
6 – 13 The keeping of Passover is so important to God that He would rather the unclean keep the Passover rather than the clean skip it. Certain men approached Moses, told him that they had touched a corpse, and were concerned that they may have to miss the Passover. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God’s grace is always for His people.
- If any stranger would enter into camp during the Passover and wished to partake in the Passover ceremony, they must do it according to God’s law.
15 – 23 The Cloud and the Fire.
The Cloud and Fire were symbols of God’s presence and signified to Moses as to when the Israelites were to settle and camp or to journey. As long as the Cloud remained over the
Tabernacle, no matter how long, they were to stay camped. The Cloud would cover the Tabernacle by day and by Fire by night. When the Cloud was taken up, they would journey. As soon as the cloud would settle, they would make camp.
The Jews only traveled through the wilderness when the cloud was lifted; this could be a day, a month, or a year. Only when the cloud was lifted did they travel. The vision of the cloud was the presence of God. When God is speaking to us and giving us direction, it is better for us to be obedient and ‘listen’ then to wonder off and miss His guidance. Wow! I just realized, as I was reading this last sentence back to me what God is telling me; be still…I’m working.
Numbers 10: The two silver trumpets.
Here we see a different ‘trumpet’, not the ram’s horn. These two horns were made of hammered silver and blown to tell the Jews to get up and start moving. “It’s time to sound the trumpets!” It’s time to move on.
God instructed Moses to make two silver trumpets. These silver trumpets were to be used to summon the people of Israel when it was time to journey on or go to war against any enemy that would try to oppress them.
1 – 2 God directs Moses to make two silver trumpets to be used for directing the movement of the people around the camp. Here, there is a direct distinction between a shofar, a ram’s horn, and a manmade horn. For example, when the trumpet was blown around Jericho, these were ram’s horns. Trumpets, either manmade or shofars, were loud so they were used where large gatherings needed to be notified.
3 The sons of Aaron were charged to blow the trumpets. If Moses wanted the entire congregation to gather to the tabernacle, he would summon both men to blow both trumpets. The sound of two trumpets would be rather distinct. Though God enabled men to be very gifted artisans, no two trumpets would be perfectly in pitch with each other. Therefore, not only would two trumpets be much louder than one but also there would be a distinct difference in the sound of two trumpets rather than just one.
4 Moses would instruct the sons of Aaron to blow only one trumpet if he wanted only to summon the leaders and the heads of the families of the camps.
5 – 8 Sound the advance literally means sound the alarm. When the trumpets were blown to gather the people and/or leaders, they were short, loud blows. The blows for the advances were given, they were loud and longer. This signaled the camps to pack up and start their journey. There were specific advances directed for the camps to keep them organized as they moved forward.
9 If any enemy were to try to oppress the Jews during their journey or at camp, Moses would summon the sons of Aaron to sound the alarm of the trumpets. This was God’s promise to Moses that He would save and protect them and they would prevail over their enemies.
Numbers 10: 10 God instructed the Jews through Moses to sound the trumpets for all of the appointed feasts.
11 – 13 Their first departure was to through the wilderness and to settle in Paran.
14 – 28 God had instructed Moses, as Moses noted in Numbers 4, how the families of Levi were to disassemble the tabernacle and carry it during their journey.
29 – 32 In these verses Moses refers to Hobab, the son of Reuel, as his father-in-law. We know that by Exodus 2 and Exodus 18 that Jethro and Reuel are the same person and he is Moses’ father-in-law. Per Ellicott’s commentary, the root word used hothen (Strong’s 3606) as an adverb means ‘in the proximity of or nearness’. When the word is used as a cognate noun, hathan, its meaning changes to ‘being related by blood or descended from a common maternal ancestor’. In Judges 4:11, Hobab is called Moses’ father-in-law. Hobab was more likely Moses’ brother-in-law but scripture is just not clear. We need to have faith that God is not an author of confusion but man and translators can be. Either way, they departed ways and Moses went on.
33 – 36 So Moses set out with the Jews on their journey through the wilderness.
Numbers 11: 1 – 3 ‘The people complained’ seems to be a common theme throughout the Torah. In the first journey through the wilderness, Moses led the Jews to Paran. There, some of the Jews complained. As the Lord led them by night with Fire, when they complained, He consumed them with fire. There, Moses named that place Taberah, literally means ‘burning’. Original word, תְַבְ עָרָה. Strong’s 8404.
4 – 15 Now, everyone was complaining to Moses. Moses had seemingly forgot what Jethro told him about bearing the entire burden on himself. The people were complaining that they had no substance, meat, to eat. They only had the manna. They had prepared the manna to taste like coriander or cilantro. Moses too was overly frustrated and started complaining to the Lord stating that he could not bear this burden alone.
16 – 17 God told Moses to direct the seventy elders and leaders to the tabernacle and He would take the Spirit that was upon him and place it upon them to relieve him of taking on the burden all by himself.
18 – 34 The Jews constantly forgot how God had freed them from the bondage the Egyptians had on them. How God had miraculously slayed the Egyptians as He parted the sea as they crossed it. As He guided them by day and by night. The Jews kept complaining to God through Moses about how well they had it in Egypt. This is where our prayer life comes in. Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, we should be giving God praises for what He has given us and pray fully asking Him for our needs if it is His will. God’s response to Moses was purely telling him that Moses’ implication was that God was not capable of handling hundreds of thousands of Jews. By the Jews complaining, God was going to give them what they requested but to the point to where they would die. God struck some of the people with a severe plague, due to their craving so Moses called the place Kibroth Hattaavah
(Hebrew: קְִבְרוֹת הַתַאֲָוָה, graves of craving).
35 From there, they journeyed to Hazeroth.
Numbers 12: 1 – 16Bitterness and jealousy had been stirring between Miriam and Aaron against Moses. There appeared to have been a couple of reasons. One was that why would Moses marry an Ethiopian woman and not a Jew and why would God only speak through Moses and not through them as well.
God heard this rumbling, brought all three of them to the tabernacle, and confronted them. God told them that Moses was set apart distinctly for his humbleness. He was not just spoken to in a dream or in a vision but figuratively face to face. The bible doesn’t state why God chose Miriam to become a leper but perhaps, as being Moses’ sister, she may have started the confrontation with Aaron against her brother.
Only after 3 days, the Israelites started to murmur, complain to Moses. We often complain when things don’t go our way. This goes back to the theme Oswald Chambers gave for this day; abandonment. The Israelites, the chose ones, forgot about God. Things are always in His plans.
These verses clearly indicate the lack of faith on Moses’ part. When the people complained that there was no meat, he instantly complained to God. “Why have You done this to me?” Everything that God had done prior should have given Moses undue faith.
16 The Lord tells Moses to gather only 70 elders. That doesn’t seem like much since earlier we read that there were over 603,550, that’s less than .02%! It seems that the appointment of elders was a very select group of men.
19 “You shall eat meat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?”’”
Again, in verses 20 & 21 Moses has forgotten what God is capable of accomplishing. 23 “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?”
Numbers 13: 1 – 2 In preparation of giving the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, God told Moses to send one man, a leader, from each tribe into the land.
3 – 15 These were the men that Moses sent from each tribe. From Reuben, he sent Shammua, from Simeon, he sent Shaphat, from Judah, he sent Caleb, from Issachar, he sent Igal, from Ephraim, he sent Hoshea, from Benjamin, he sent Palti, from Zebulun, he sent Gaddiel, from Joseph/Manasseh, he sent Gaddi, from Dan, he sent Ammiel, from Asher, he sent Sethur, from Naphtali, he sent Nahbi, and from Gad, he sent Geuel.
16 Moses called Hoshea, the son of Nun, Joshua. From the Hebrew name הוֹ שעַ֙ (Hoshe’a) meaning “salvation”. Moses gives the spy Hoshea the new name Yehoshu’a, which has a related origin.
17 – 20 Moses had sent the spies out with specific instructions. He wanted to know about the inhabitants of the land, strong or weak, few or many, he wanted to know about the condition of the cities themselves, whether they were strongholds or merely camps. Additionally, he wanted to know about the land itself. If the land had good soil, plentiful fruit and trees. He encouraged them to be strong and optimistic; this was the land that the Lord had promised them.
21 – 25 They spied out the land for forty days. They cut down a cluster of grapes, pomegranates and figs, placed them on a poled, and carried it back to Moses.
26 – 29 When they returned, they told the people that the land was, as promised, flowing with milk and honey and was fruitful. They also told them that the people who lived there were strong and large and the cities were very large and fortified. You could see that fear was starting to set in.
30- 33 Of the twelve spies sent out by Moses, only Caleb and Joshua had positive outlooks and believed in the Almighty God’s promise. We will find out later that because of the doubt and outcry out the Jews, based on the reports of the other spies, God had them wonder the wilderness another forty years, one year for every day the spies scouted the land. Only Caleb and Joshua, of the current generational Jews, would enter into the Promise Land.
Numbers 14: 1 – 4 The Jews continue to doubt God’s promise and lean on man’s understanding. Proverbs 3:5 -6. Through Moses, God had promised the Jews, once they left Egypt, that they would flourish and all of their needs would be kept. They would be led to the land filled with milk and honey. Now all they did was complain and weep. They wanted to choose another leader and take them back to Egypt.
6 – 10 Both Joshua and Caleb spoke to the children of Israel and reminded them of God’s promise. “If we just trust in Him, He will deliver us to the land and will take away that countries protection.” The Jews wanted to stone both Joshua and Caleb. We can easily look back at the Jews and, hindsight being 20-20, say to ourselves, “how could they be so stubborn?” “How can they continually turn away or keep doubting God’s Word?” At the same time, we continue to do the same thing. Trust in our own understanding and think we know the way better than God does. Are we any better?
11 – 23 This is a very personal conversation between Moses and God. God told Moses that none of them would inherit the land He promised them. Ten times during their journey through the wilderness, they doubted God’s Word. Moses pleaded with God to have mercy on them.
24 – 25 God instructed Moses to turn away and head back to the wilderness.
26 – 30 God instructed Moses to tell the children of Israel that none of them, besides Joshua and Caleb, would enter into the in which God had promised them but that everyone from twenty years and older would die in the wilderness.
31 – 35 God told Moses that they would again wonder in the wilderness for forty more years, one year for each day they spied out the land, and all of the children would be consumed and die there.
36 – 38 All of the remaining ten men who went out with Joshua and Caleb to spy out the land and gave the bad reports dies by the plague before the Lord.
39 – 40 Now that Moses had told the children of Israel the eminent news, they figured they could now go and take the land. However, this time, this was not what God had told them to do.
41 – 43 When Moses found out what they were going to do, he warned them not to go that they would die. Since they had turned away from God initially, God would not be with them.
44 – 45 Nevertheless, why start listening now, they did not listen to Moses and they were driven back by the inhabitants of the land.
Numbers 15: The Laws of Grain and Drink Offerings once the Jews actually enter into the Promise Land.
1 – 16 God instructed Moses that once they did enter into the Promise Land and they were to make either an offering to the Lord for to fulfill a vow or just a freewill offering, He gave explicit instructions. These offerings pertained to burnt, sin, or peace offerings. The word hin is used as a measurement, hin (hin): A liquid measure containing 12 logs, equal to about 8 quarts.
These offerings were to be done in this manner for all native-born or any strangers entering into the land.
17 – 21 Once they enter into the Promise Land, before any of them at of the bread of the land, they were to make a heave offering to the Lord and should be done throughout all generations.
The Law of Unintentional Sin
22 – 29 If anyone were to sin unintentionally, a sin offering was to be done before the entire congregation. The grain, the goats, whatever the sacrifice was, imagine how often they must have had to make these offerings. The children of Israel didn’t trust God or depend on Him unless something awful were to happen and then they came crawling. Wondering through the wilderness for eighty years and having to gather the wheat, grain, sheaths, and animals for all of their sins had to be an extensive burden especially for the sons of Aaron.
We have one intercessor in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ between the Father and us and our sins are forgiven eternally once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
30 – 31 Presumptuous Sin. A person who sins presumptuously is fully aware of what he is doing; he is fully educated and not in ignorance of what he is doing or the potential cost of doing it, and he deliberately sets his mind to do it. It is an act of rebellion, an audacious setting one’s will, despite all he knows, to go ahead and do it anyway.
God’s commandments were perfectly clear. Anyone who intentionally sinned, willingly and knowingly going against God’s commandments were cut off from his or her people. What a blessing it is to have a Savior in our Lord Jesus Christ.
32 – 36 The text here shows that a man was gathering sticks on the Sabbath. According to the Old Testament Law, a person was put to death for any work done on the Sabbath. The word
Sabbath is taken from the Hebrew word shabat, which means, “to cease” more than it does
“to rest”.
Many times, in the New Testament, we find where either Jesus was performing miracles or his disciples were gathering food to eat on the Sabbath. It is important for Christians to know that the Sabbath was the sign of the Old Covenant, not the New Covenant (or Testaments as we call them). The covenants are very different, and the signs indicate that. The Old Covenant was the Law, and it was based on the Creator. The sign looked back to creation’s Sabbath. The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, and it looks forward to eternal redemption. Its sign is the cup of the New Covenant, which Jesus institutionalized in the upper room. Because Jesus fulfilled the Law in His life and His death, all Old Testament laws have to be interpreted through His fulfillment. The Sabbath for us is interpreted through the Christ event–when we believe in Jesus, we enter into the rest He promised (Matt. 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.), which is the eternal Sabbath”).
37 – 41 God knew that His people would forget His laws so as a reminder, He commanded Moses to tell them to all wear tassels on their garments. These tassels are small, knotted cords of strings, usually about six to 10 inches in length, worn about waist high.
Numbers 16: 1 – 3 As it is written in Numbers 12 when Aaron and Miriam rose against Moses, now some of the leaders, sons of Reuben and Kohath took several hundred people to rise against both Moses and Aaron, and for the same reasons, jealousy. Why should they just be among them?
4 – 7 When Moses heard of this, he prostrated himself to the Lord. The Lord spoke to Moses to instruct the leaders to all to come before the Lord tomorrow and He will show to whom He chooses.
8 – 11 Aaron and his decedents were chosen to be the priests through the lineage of Levi. K0rah also wanted to know why they couldn’t be priests as well. Moses said that it is not well enough that God chose you to the work of the tabernacle. Any now you complain against Aaron.
12 – 14 Moses called up the family of Eliab to come also but they refused. They blamed Moses for not letting them go into the Land full of milk and honey but to remain roaming the wilderness.
15 Moses spoke to God and requested that He not accept their offerings because of their stubbornness.
20 – 27 God told Moses to separate themselves from the congregation. Moses interceded for the congregation, God had favor with Moses, and Moses then instructed those to separate themselves from the houses of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
28 – 30 Moses prepared the people for what God was about to do. Moses humbled himself and told the congregation that they would now see that he did not do these things on his own terms but that God had appointed him. He told them that if these men died naturally, then truly the Lord had not sent him to lead His children. However, if the earth should open up and take them in, they would understand that they have rejected God.
31 – 35 The earth then opened up and swallowed all the men of Korah with everything they owed. As the earth closed up over them, God then consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense with fire.
36 – 40 God then instructed Moses to tell Eleazar to gather up the holy censors within the fire and to melt and mold them into a covering for the alter as a memorial. This memorial should be as a reminder that no one who is not a descendant of Aaron shall offer incense before the Lord.
41 – 50 I am in unbelief of how the children of Israel behave. God would not allow them to enter into the Promise Land and told them they would wonder through the wilderness for another forty years. Even after the Lord had proved to the people that Moses was the chosen leader, they still rebelled against him and blamed him for the killing of the people.
The Lord told Moses to move away from the congregation as a mighty plague was about to consume them for their stubbornness and sins. Quickly, Moses instructed Aaron to take a censor and move quickly through the congregation for atonement for their sins. Moses knew that what had happened displeased the Lord and he wanted to do what he could to help atone for their transgressions.
Aaron then stood among the people. The plague has already begun and many had died. As soon as Aaron stood there, God did stop the plague. At that point, besides the men of Korah that fell, fourteen thousand seven hundred had died from the plague.
Numbers 17: 1 – 7 God instructed Moses to gather a rod from every tribe by name. For Aaron, he was to use the name of Levi. He was to take all of these rods to the tabernacle of the Most Holy and God would perform a miracle to bud one rod. The controversy with Moses and Aaron about the priesthood was of such a nature and magnitude as required a decisive and authoritative settlement. For the removal of all doubts and the silencing of all murmuring in the future regarding the holder of the office, a miracle was wrought of a remarkable character and permanent duration; and in the manner of performing it, all the people were made to have a direct and special interest.
8 – 9 After Moses placed all of the rods at the altar, the next day, only one rod blossomed with buds and ripe almonds, that of Aaron’s.
10 – 13 This message/miracle was a sign to the people all complaints should cease or death would be imminent.
Numbers 18: 1 – 3 God then spoke to Aaron, charged him, and is sons to bear the sins associated to the sanctuary and associated to the priesthood. God reminded Aaron to bring with him the tribe of Levi to service you while at the sanctuary but not to permit any of them to touch anything of the Most Holy or they would both die.
4 – 7 These are very important and relevant verses. God has charged Aaron and the family of Levi, demonstrated by the budding of the rod, that are no question as to whom the priesthood belongs. Only Aaron, his sons, and the leaders of the family of Levi could approach the altar and only he and his sons, verse 7, “Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil.” Hebrews 10:19:20, “19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.”
8 – 14 God spoke to Aaron to tell him that only he and his sons have charge of all offerings to the Lord. Everything to do with the Most Holy must go through Aaron and his sons. Imagine not being able to go directly to God for your transgressions or needs. We now go directly to God through His Son; no veils, no priests, just a direct line.
15 – 18 Since the Passover in Egypt, God’s command on the firstborn and first fruits are continually holy to Him and only accepted by Aaron and his sons. All firstborn is to be redeemed to God through the priests. The only exception to this were the firstborn goat, sheep, and cow for they are holy to the Lord.
[5]All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take care of them. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. In addition, from the provision here made for the priests, the apostle shows that it is the duty of Christian churches to maintain their ministers. Scandalous maintenance makes scandalous ministers. The priests were to be wholly devoted to their ministry, not diverted from it, or disturbed in it, by worldly care or business. Also, that they might be examples of living by faith, not only in God’s providence, but also in his ordinances. The best should be offered for the first fruits unto the Lord. Those who think to save, by putting God off with the refuse, deceive themselves, for God is not mocked.
20 God’s promise to Aaron was much more than just the Promise Land. Aaron’s promise and portion were God Himself. No matter what land or gifts we have, it only matters that We have God first.
21 – 24 God’s further promise to Aaron was that all tithes of any of Israel’s inheritances be given to them as their inheritance. [6]As Israel was a people not to be numbered among the nations, so Levi was a tribe to be distinguished from the rest. Those who have God for their Inheritance and their Portion forever ought to look with holy contempt and indifference upon the possessions of this world. The Levites were to give God his dues out of their tithes, as well as the Israelites out of their increase. See, in ver. 31, the way to have comfort in all our worldly possessions, to bear no sin because of them. 1. We must be sure that what we have is got honestly and in the service of God. That meat is best eaten which is first earned; but if any will not work, neither shall he eat, 2Th 3:10. 2. We must be sure that God has his dues out of it. We have the comfort of our substance, when we have honored the Lord with it. Ye shall bear no sin because of it, when ye have heaved the best from it. We should give alms of such things as we have, that all may be holy and comfortable to us.
25 – 28 Of all of the tithes collected from the children of Israel, a tenth of that offering was to be given to the Levites for their work.
Numbers 19: 1 [7]The people had complained of the strictness of the law, which forbade their near approach to the tabernacle. The sudden death of so many by the late plague had put such numbers of their friends and relations into a state of legal uncleanness, which rendered them incapable of approaching it. It filled them with a fear of perishing in their uncleanness; in answer, therefore, to their complaints, and to free them from this fear, they are here shown how they might be purified from the greatest legal uncleanness. This was how they were to approach God in his ordinances and among his people, without either fear or danger.
2 – 10 [8]The heifer was to be wholly burned. This typified the painful sufferings of our Lord Jesus, both in soul and body, as a sacrifice made by fire, to satisfy God’s justice for man’s sin. These ashes are said to be laid up as a purification for sin, because, though they were only to purify from ceremonial uncleanness, yet they were a type of that purification for sin which our Lord Jesus made by his death. The blood of Christ is laid up for us in the word and sacraments, as a fountain of merit, to which by faith we may have constant recourse, for cleansing our consciences.
11 – 13 The law of purification was extreme to the children at that time. Jesus Christ became our purification. 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”,
14 – 22 Due to the fall of man and God’s laws, no one was spiritually clean until they were presented before the priests. This represents our spiritual cleanliness we have through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we take on the saving grace that the Father has granted us, the Holy Spirit lives in us keeping us spiritually clean. We need to stay close in koinónia with God.
Absolutely NO ONE is spiritually clean without taken on the blood of Jesus Christ.
Koinónia – Strong’s Greek 2842.
Original Word: κοινωνία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: koinónia
Phonetic Spelling: (koy-nohn-ee’-ah)
Short Definition: participation, communion, fellowship
Definition: (lit: partnership) (a) contributory help, participation, (b) sharing in, communion, (c) spiritual fellowship, a fellowship in the spirit.
Numbers 20: 1 God had Moses lead the children to the wilderness of Zin and they stayed in Kadesh (see map below). Moses’ sister, Miriam, had dies here and was buried.
Numbers 21: 1 – 3 in the wilderness of Paran, with an evil report of the land, they quickly repented of their conduct, and presumed to go up “to the head of the mountain,” seeking to enter the Promised Land, but without the presence of the Lord, without the ark of the covenant, and without Moses. The Amalekites and the Canaanites came down and “smote and discomfited them even unto Hormah” (Numbers 14:45).
This place, or perhaps the watchtower commanding it, was originally called Zephath (Judges
1:17).
Afterward (Numbers 21:1-3) Arad, the king of the Canaanites, at the close of the wanderings, when the Israelites were a second time encamped at Kadesh, “fought against them, and took some of them prisoners.”
However, Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord to destroy the cities of the Canaanites; they “banned” them, and hence the place was now called Hormah. However, this “ban” was not fully executed until the time of Joshua, who finally conquered the king of this district, so that the ancient name Zephath became “Hormah” (Joshua 12:14; Judges 1:17).
4 – 7 After all God had provided for the children of Israel, from Egypt to continually providing for them through their wilderness journey, they were still bitter. When the spies came back and told the multitude that they should not enter into the Promise Land. God punished them by telling them that none of the current generation, twenty or older, would enter into the Promise Land. They repented and praised God and asked for His favor. However, again they are complaining about no water or food as if God cannot provide as they spoke evil against God and Moses. God sent serpents into the land and many of the people died there.
8 – 9 When God killed the thousands, as referenced in Numbers 19, the people repented. Now again, after God smited them with the fiery serpents and killed many of the people, they repented. As a reminder of the promise of God, and to heal the repented souls, God told Moses to take a serpent, make it into bronze, and put it on a pole. Anyone who had bitten, believed, and looked at the bronze serpent would be healed.
10 – 13 Moses led the Jews past Edom directing them towards Moab and they set camp at Oboth.
14 – 15 [9]BOOK OF THE WARS OF THE LORD (Heb. מלְחֲֹּמֹּת סֶפֶר יהוה, Sefer Milḥamot YHWH), book, mentioned only once in the Bible (Num. 21:14), which apparently contained an anthology of poems describing the victories of the Lord over the enemies of Israel. The only extant piece contains a fragmented geographical note, which is very obscure. According to a tradition preserved in the Septuagint and in the Aramaic Targums the words “The Wars of the Lord” are the beginning of the poetic quotation and are not part of the name of “the Book.” The book referred to then would be the Torah. However, according to the Vulgate and medieval and modern exegetes, this is the complete title of a book, which, like several other literary works, has not been preserved.
16 – 17 In need of water, Moses lead them to Beer where they say praises to the Lord. Beersheba also spelled Beer-Sheva is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. … Be’er is the Hebrew word for well; sheva could mean “seven” or “oath” (from the Hebrew word shvu’a).
18 – 20 They continued their journey and settled at Pisgah.
See Appendix I for detailed map of the Wilderness journey.
On the map, go to G13 for where they are now.
21 – 26 As Moses lead the children of Israel; they were ready to enter into the land of the Amorites. Moses sent messengers to Sihon, the King of the Amorites, requesting permission to pass through assuring him that they would not take of anything from their vineyards or drink from their wells.
The King would not grant them passage through the land. So as they came to Jahaz (I 13 on the detailed map), the Amorites fought against Israel. God favored Israel and gave them all of the land from Heshbon to Arnon.
27 – 30 Then the Jews spoke in Proverbs giving thanks to God for the land that He had given to them.
31 They then spied out Jazer (I 10 on the map), and took its villages as well.
33 – 35 They then continued to Bashan (H-I 6 on detailed map). The King of Bashan, Og, fought against them at Edrei (L 6) and God delivered the entire land to them to possess.
This is an interesting story in the journey of Moses in the bible. God uses even the evil to direct those in His ways.
Let’s set the stage for this section.
Balak (Hebrew: בָָׁׁלָׁק Ḇālāq, “etymology uncertain”) was a king of Moab. Moab is the historical name for a mountainous tract of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archaeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over an unnamed son of King Omri of Israel. The Moabite capital was Dibon.
Balaam /ˈbeɪlæm/ (Hebrew: בלְָעָם , Standard Bilʻam Tiberian Bilʻām) is a diviner in the Torah, his story occurring towards the end of the Book of Numbers (Hebrew: במדבר). The etymology of his name is uncertain. Every ancient reference to Balaam considers him a non–Israelite, a prophet, and the son of Beor, though Beor is not clearly identified. Though some sources may only describe the positive blessings he delivers upon the Israelites, he is reviled as a “wicked man”. [Return]
1 – 6 Moses was leading the children of Israel towards Jericho through the plains of Moab. When the King of Moab, Balak, knew of this, he feared for him and his land for what had been done prior to the Amorites.
Moab then sent for Balaam, who was an evil prophet, to assist him in defeating Israel.
7 – 11 Balaam seeks God to curse the Jews on his behalf.
12 – 14 God told Balaam that He would not curse His people and to return to their land.
15 – 19 Balak was not satisfied with Balaam’s advice and sent more honorable men to convince Balaam to curse the Jews. Balaam told them to stay put for the night and he would seek God again.
20 – 21 God was going to set up Balaam to fail. God told Balaam to go out with them but do only what God was to tell him to do. Balaam saddled his donkey and went out.
- God had told Balaam to go but to go on His Word alone; Balaam proceeded without listening. God was not pleased with Balaam.
- – 27 God sent an angel. At this point, it is not clear if this was an angel or the Son of man. The original Hebrew text has
| כג וַתֵֶרֶא הָָׁׁאָׁתבֿן ֶאֶת-ַמַ לַאַךְ יהָׁוָׁה נִָׁצָׁב בַדֶֶרֶךְ, וַחַ רבבֿ שלוָּׁפָׁה בָׁיָׁדבֿ, וֵַתֵט הָָׁׁאָׁתבֿן ִמִן-הַדֶֶרֶךְ, וַתֵֶלֶךְ בַשֶָׁדֶה; וַַיַךְ ִבִ לָׁעָׁם ֶאֶת-הָָׁׁאָׁתבֿן, להַטָֹׁתָׁהּ הַדֶָׁרֶךְ. | 23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field; and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. |
The original Hebrew text and the Wycliffe Bible has angel with a small ‘A’. The 1611 KJV has this with a capital ‘A’.
The Angel of the Lord held a sword and only the donkey saw it. On three different occasions, the donkey diverted his path and backed them into a corner but Balaam struck the donkey all three times.
28 – 30 God then spoke to Balaam through a dumb animal bringing more sense than Balaam had himself. Balaam was talking to a donkey and didn’t realize what was going on.
31 – 33 God revealed the Angel to Balaam. The Angel told Balaam that he was so perverse that only the donkey had more sense than he did. If the donkey didn’t stop him, God would have killed him for not listening to him.
34 – 35 God told him again to go with the men but only by the Words He spoke to him.
36 – 41 Balaam then met up with Balak. Balak was a bit upset that it took Balaam to take so long. Balaam told Balak that he was only doing what the Lord had instructed him to do.
Numbers 23: 1 – 12 Balak and Balaam meet up again. Balaam directs Balak to prepare an altar of sacrifice to the Lord. Balak’s assumption is that Balaam is going to curse and denounce Israel. Balaam turns the table on Balak and proclaims that he cannot go against what God has chosen and that is to bless Israel. When Balak hears these words, he is mad and tells Balaam that I brought you here to curse Israel not to bless them. Balaam, in return, tells Balak that he can’t go against God’s Word.
13 – 15 Balak then asks Balaam to come with him to the field of Zophim, on the top of Pisgah (H 12 on the wilderness map) and offer a second sacrifice to curse Israel.
16 – 24 God prophesizes to Balaam a second time. God was not going to curse Israel. Therefore, Balaam spoke these things to Balak that God cannot lie, nor the Son of Man. He is true to His promises. God has delivered Israel out of the hand of Egypt that God will prevent anyone from overcoming Israel, and if anyone does try, Israel will overcome anyone and slay them.
25 – 26 Balak is obviously taken back by this as he brought Balaam to curse them. Balak tells Balaam to neither bless nor curse them. Balaam, in return, tells Balak, “Did I not tell you that I must do what the Lord speaks?”
27 – 30 Balak is very stubborn and thinks if they move to a different location, God would indeed then curse Israel. Balak, and his people, take Balaam to the top Peor (H12 right above Pisgah) there to build seven more altars and to offer sacrifices.
Numbers 24: 1 – 9 Balaam was a diviner or sorcerer but was now seeing the power of the Almighty God, and how He was blessing His children. Balaam now refuses to go with Balak to Peor as God speaks to him again with all the blessings that He has in store for His children and how mighty they would become.
10 – 14 Balak was furious that he had brought Balaam to curse Israel and he had done of that but in fact blessed them this third time. As a Christian in our daily walk with God, we are tested continuously by the outside world. If our walk with God is not intimate, we can fall to the temptations of the world. Even Balaam, a false prophet, a sorcerer, was tempted by Balak and offered bountiful gift but sought the Lord every time Balak tried to temp him. Our intimate walk with God will not please man necessarily. The rewards that God will give us for our faith and trust in Him outweighs any material gift man could possibly provide.
15 24 God now gives Balaam his fourth prophecy. God gives Balaam again His oracle (God’s prophecy to Balaam) how no one shall stand against Israel. Balaam is proclaiming what will happen. Moab shall be destroyed, Edom, and all of its possessions shall be taken by Israel and the remains of the city shall be given to Jacob.
Verse 19 is translated in the NKJV as, “Out of Jacob One shall have dominion”. One, being with a capital ‘O’ signifies a prophetic sign of Jesus coming out of Jacob. When we look at the original Hebrew text, we read, “מ עיר,ָשָ ריד וְהֱֶאֱ ביד ; מיַעֲֹּקֹּב ,ְוְ ירְְ֙דְ֙ , translated to, “And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” From the Wycliffe Bible we read, “a sterre schal be borun of Jacob, and a yerde schal rise of Israel.” Then from the KJV, we read, “Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.” Note the only version shows deity is the NKJV.
25 So they both departed.
Numbers 25: 1 – 3 The children of Israel stayed in the plains of Moab at a place called Acacia Grove. Abila (Arabic: ابيلا) – also, Biblical: Abel-Shittim or Ha-Shittim (or simply Shittim). This was an ancient city east of the Jordan River in Moab. Later Peraea, near Livias, about twelve km northeast of the north shore of the Dead Sea; the site is now that of Abil-ez-Zeit, Jordan. Abel-Shittim (Hebrew meaning “Meadow of the Acacias”). Ha-Shittim (Hebrew meaning “The Acacias”), evidently the same place. It was the forty-second encampment of the Israelites and the final headquarters of Joshua before he crossed the Jordan. Josephus states that there was in his time a town, Abila, full of palm trees, at a distance of sixty stadia from the Jordan, and describes it as the spot where Moses delivered the exhortations of Deuteronomy. There is to this day [when?] an acacia grove not far from the place, although the palms mentioned by Josephus are no longer there.
While they were there, the men began to commit adultery with the women of Moab. As Proverbs 6:26-29 says, “26 For by means of a harlot a manis reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.” These harlots invited the men to worship to their gods and bow down to Baal of Peor. The anger of God was moved against Israel again.
- The Lord told Moses to gather the leaders and hang the offenders. Most translations have this as “hang the offenders before the Lord in the sun” but as you will see later, Moses didn’t hang them but had them killed. Is this a contradiction? No. The original Hebrew text has. מ ישְָרָ אל ,יְהָוָה-ַאַף ֲחֲרוֹן וְיָֹּשֹּב ;הַשֶָמֶש נֶֶגֶד ,לַיהָוָה אוָֹתָם וְהוַֹקַע ,הָָעָם ָרָא שי-ָכָל-ֶאֶת ַקַח ,מֶֹּשֶה-ֶאֶל יְהָוָה
“This translated means, “And the LORD said unto Moses, take all the heads of the people, and cast them into the LORD against the sun. In other words, “And the Lord said to Moses took all the heads of the people and drove them to the Lord is against the sun and sat down the throat of the LORD from Israel.
God commanded Moses to gather all of the heads/leaders and find all of the guilty.
- Moses commanded the judges to kill all of the men who had fallen to Baal of Peor.
- 9 One of the children brought before the grandson of Aaron, Phinehas, a man and a Midianite woman. He took them into the tent, took a javelin, and pierced through both of them. This act of the priest then ended the killing plague the Lord brought against the guilty; twenty-four thousand had died by this plague. God had promised that none of the current generation would enter into the Promise Land.
10 – 13 God then told Moses that because of Phinehas’ zeal to please the Lord and make atonement of the children of Israel that his descendants would maintain the everlasting priesthood with God.
14 – 15 Ironically, the man and woman who were pierced by the javelin were from the leaders of both sides. The man, from the lineage of Simeon and the woman was from the daughter of the head of the Midian’s.
16 – 18 God then instructed Moses to attack the Midianites and destroy them.
Numbers 26: 1 – 5 After the plague and after the killing from the complaining in the Wilderness explained in Numbers 9, when the earth opened up and swallowed the family of Korah, the children of Korah did not die. God told Moses and Eleazar to take a second census of all able body males from the age of twenty to fifty in the plains of Moab.
The first census was taken in Numbers 1.
5 – 51 These were the leaders by tribe:
| Families | Children From the Family of Contended with the Lord and were killed |
| Reuben | Hanoch Palluites Pallu’s son Eliab and his family |
| Simeon | Nemuel Simeonites |
| Judah | Shelah & Zerah |
| Issachar | Tola Tolaites, Punites, & Shimronites |
| Zebulun | Sered Sardites, Elonites, & Jahleelites |
| Joseph Manasseh Benjamin Dan Asher Gad Naphtali Ephraim Family’s Rueben Simeon Gad Judah | Manasseh Machirites, Gileadites, Jeezerites, Helekites, Shechemites, & Hepherites Gamaliel Bela, Ahriam, & Hupham Belaites, Ashbelites, Shuphamites, & Huphamites Shuham Shuhamites Jimna & Beriah Jimnites, Jesuites, Berites, & Heberites Zephon Arelites Jahzeel Jahzeelites, Gunites, Jezerites, & Shillemites Shuthelah & Becher First census Second census Shuthalhites & Eranites 46,500 43,730 59,300 22,200 45,650 40,500 74,600 79,500 |
Issachar 54,400 64,300
Zebulun 57,400 60,500
| Joseph | 40,500 | ||||
| Manasseh | 32,200 | 52,700 | |||
| Benjamin 35,400 | 45,600 | ||||
| Dan 62,700 | 64,400 | ||||
| Asher 41,500 | 53,400 | ||||
| Naphtali 53,400 | 45,400 | ||||
| Ephraim | 32,500 | ||||
| Total | 601,730 able bodied men to serve. | ||||
53 -56 The Lord then told Moses that when they did inherit the Promise Land; the land was to be inheritably divided according to the size of the families.
60 The male children a month to twenty and under were numbered 23,000. Because of their ages, they were not counted in the census and not entitled to the inheritance.
63 – 65 Of all of the men who were counted in the census here in the plain of Moab, not one man remained from the first census taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. The only two men that were faithful and still remained were Caleb and Joshua.
Numbers 27: 1 – 11 After the second census was taken and the Lord instructed Moses how to divide the inheritances of the land, some of the daughters of the family of Manasseh came before Moses and Eleazar. The Lord had instructed Moses to divvy out the inheritances to the sons of the Levite’s families. In some instances, the fathers had died in the wilderness by their own sin but not part of the uprising in the wilderness about proceeding to the Promise Land nor concerning the adultery with the Moabs.
The daughter’s petition was that their father had no sons so how would they get any of the inheritances. Moses then went before the Lord and asked for His Word. God told Moses to give the inheritances to the daughters in those cases. If the family had no daughters, then to the brothers, if no brothers, then to their father’s brothers. If no males in the lineage, then to the closest relative.
12 – 14 Moses was now about to learn his destiny. God told Moses to go up to the top of Mount Abarim (G 13 on the wilderness map) and look at the land the Lord had promised his children. The decision he had made at the waters of Meribah, where we read in Exodus 17 and Numbers 20, where, in his anger, Moses disregarded the command of God and smite the rock for water rather than just requesting of the Lord. This is where the Lord was going to rest Moses
15 -17 Moses asked God to set forth a leader for the children of Israel who would enter into the Promise Land for they were worthless sheep and then would not have a Shepard.
18 – 23 God told Moses to take Joshua, a true man of God and full of the Spirit, and bring him before Eleazar and the entire congregation. Moses was to give some of his authority to Joshua and make it known to the congregation to be obedient to his words. They stood before Eleazar by the judgement of the Urim.
The Urim (“lights”) and Thummim (“perfections”) were gemstones that were carried by the high priest of Israel on the ephod / priestly garments. They were used by the high priest to determine God’s will in some situations. Some propose that God would cause the Urim and Thummim to light up in varying patterns to reveal His decision. Others propose that the Urim and Thummim were kept in a pouch and were engraved with symbols identifying yes / no and true / false.
Numbers 28: Reminder of the offerings to be presented to the Lord.
Burnt offerings Young bulls, a ram, lambs, all without blemish
Grain offerings Fine flour mixed with oil mixed with the animals
Drink offerings Hin measured out for each animal
1 – 8 God then reminded Moses of their daily offerings to the Lord, one in the morning and one at evening. These were burnt, grain, and drink offerings.
9 – 10 Over and above the daily offerings to the Lord, on the Sabbath day, they were to additionally have a burnt, grain, and drink offering specifically dedicated to the Sabbath.
16 – 25 The offerings for the Passover. See all references to Exodus 12.
20 – [10]1 A reminder of the Feast of Weeks.
Numbers 29: 1 – [11] The Feasts of Trumpets.
7 – 11 Offerings on the Day of Atonement.
12 – 3[12] Offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles.
Numbers 30: 1 – 2 God takes making a vow and the swearing of an oath very seriously, especially one made to Him.
10 – 16 God now pens His Word in summary for the woman from her youth through her married life until widowed or divorced. God makes it clear that the woman is a servant to her father and her husband. Once she leaves her father’s house and marries, any vow previously bound or vow taken during the marriage, if heard by her husband, can be overruled.
Numbers 31: 1 – 4 God now commanded Moses to take revenge against the Midianites for influence on the adultery of the men of Israel at Peor and their rejection of God. Moses instructed each tribe to send him their best thousand men ready for battle.
5 – 8 So Moses sent out twelve thousand battle ready men along with Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, with all of the holy articles and the silver trumpets against the Midianites. With God by their side, they killed every male, all of the kings of Midians as well as Balaam the son of Beor. Earlier when God told the children of Israel to go into Canaan, but they were afraid, God took vengeance against the men. When the men decided to go into Canaan without seeking God first, they were set back. Listening to God in all matters and doing His will ensure us of eternal victory.
9 – 11 The children of Israel took all remaining property from the Midians. They took captive all of the women and children and destroyed everything of property in Midian.
15 – 20 When the men returned from battle and Moses saw that they took captive all of the women and the children of Midian, he became very angry. He reminded them that these were the women that started the adultery at Peor and initiated God’s plague against His people. He then told them to kill every male child and any woman who had been with a man intimately. He instructed them also to keep alive all the young virgin girls.
When they took them out of the camp to kill them, they were to remain outside of the camp until purification.
Numbers 32: See appendix K to locate Jazer & Gilead (I 10).
1 – 5 As the children continued their journey and entered into the land of Jazer near Gilead; the children of Reuben and Gad came to Moses and Eleazar and requested to have that land. The land appeared to be very open pasture with an abundance of vegetation and certainly seemed fit to hold of the huge amounts of livestock both tribes had. Both families would have been satisfied to settle there than move on over the Jordan.
6 – 15 Moses rejected the idea immediately and reminded them of what happened to the prior generation for not listening to God when they had the opportunity to make it to the Promise Land. He reminded them of how that past generation of people have all passed on and only Joshua and Caleb remained. Certainly, it is God’s purpose and plan or those to all enter into the Promise Land. God profoundly tells us not to trust our own ways but to trust in Him alone and His promise is to direct us (Proverbs 3:5-6).
16 – 19 The leaders of both families promised Moses, with great respect, that they would build shelters for their livestock and fortified cities for their children. They would then arm the men for battle to go with the rest of the children of Israel to the other side of the Jordan and only with victory will they then return to this land and endure their inheritance.
20 – 24 With Godly wisdom, Moses told the leaders of both Reuben and Gad that if they truly fought with the rest of the people to the other side of the Jordan, the Promise Land, then they could, without blame or sin, return to this land for their inheritance. He did tell them that this was the only condition and if they did not follow this entirely, their sin would be found guilty against the Lord.
The profound wisdom of Moses is prevalent here. When Moses was first instructed by God to lead the children of Israel from Egypt, he felt himself worthless of this responsibility. The abundance of wisdom Moses had received from God, while constantly seeking Him, is amazing to see. We should always remember that God promises to hive us His wisdom profoundly if we truly believe (James 1:5).
25 – 27 Both leaders bowed to Moses and promised to do as their lord had commanded. The reference of calling lord to Moses emphasizes the respect they had for him.
28 – 30 Moses came before Eleazar, Joshua, Caleb and the remaining children of Israel and told them of God’s promise to the children of Rueben and Gad. He told them that the leaders of those families would go with them into the land of Canaan with everyone to gain possession of that land. Moses repeated the same instructions to the other families that he did to the leaders of Reuben and Gad that only under those conditions would they then have inheritance to the land at Gilead.
31 – 32 Before Moses, Eleazar, Joshua, Caleb and the other families, the leaders of Reuben and Gad acknowledged and made their vow.
33 – 38 The bible is not clear how many years had passed just between these verses. Reasonably, we must believe numerous years had passed. Just during these verses, the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh conquered the lands where king Sihon, Og, Bashan and all surrounding cities were. They built up their new cities and strongholds during this time.
39 – 42 The remaining families of Manasseh took the remaining villages and built up their cities there.
Numbers 33: 1 – 2 Realizing that they were about to conquer and go into the land in which the Lord had promised them and this was the end of his journey, Moses then journaled their journey from Egypt.
We can follow this journey on the map of the wilderness journey.
5 – 9 Moses journaled their travels from Succoth to Elim. Points 1 – 5 on the wilderness map.
| Succoth Etham at Marah Migdol Marah Elim |
10 – 14 They continued their travels to where they came to Rephidim where there was no water to drink.
Below Elim by the Red Sea
- The wilderness of Sin
- Dophkah
- Alush
- Rephidim
15 – 37 They then departed from Rephidim and proceeded to Edom to Mount Hor.
Numbers 34: 1 – 15 God is giving Moses His children’s inheritance, from the land of Canaan and all of the outlying areas. The southern border was from the Wilderness of Zin, along the border of Edom. It would then extend to the east to the end of the Salt Sea (The Dead Sea) south side of the Ascent of Akrabbim.
1. Wilderness of Zin – Southern Border.
2. The border of Edom.
3. Eastward to the End of the Salt Sea.
4. The Ascent of Akrabbim to Zin.
5. South of Kadesh Barnea.
6. Continue to Hazar Addar.
7. To Azmon.
8. All the way to the Brook of Egypt.
6 The western border of their land was the Great Sea.
7 – 9 The Norther border.
10 – 12 Their Eastern Border.
13 – 29 Moses then told the children of Israel the land that the Lord has provided for their inheritance. The Lord then told Moses to gather the appropriate leaders of the eleven and a half tribes to divide the land up.
| Tribe | Leader |
| Judah | Caleb |
| Simeon | Shemuel |
| Benjamin | Elidad |
| Dan | Bukki |
| Joseph/Manasseh | Hanniel |
| Ephraim | Kemuel |
| Zebulun | Elizaphan |
| Issachar | Paltiel |
| Asher | Ahihud |
| Naphtali | Pedahel |
Numbers 35: 1 – 5 God commanded Moses to give the Levites not only land within the cities of the families with their inheritance but also a little over a half a mile all around the cities for them.
6 – 8 God further clarified to Moses that among the cities that were given to the families, forty-eight of those cities should be given to the Levites. They were to be given as possession from the children of Israel. From the larger tribes, they would give more and from the smaller tribes, less. Among the forty-eight cities, six cities shall be used for refuge for murderers who kill accidentally, strangers, and sojourners (temporary strangers).
In order to keep the daily sacrifices and the regular feasts, it was necessary that the Levites live among the children of Israel for administering the offerings and providing judgement for the sinners.
9 – 15 Since there were tribes that were staying on the east side of the Jordan and not entering into the Promise Land, God commanded Moses that of the six cities, three should be on the east side of the Jordan and three within Canaan.
16 – 21 The Avenger of Blood. [13](Hebrew “go’el”): The Hebrew name for the clansman, “next of kin,” upon whom devolved the duties. (1) of avenging, on the person of the murderer, the blood of a murdered kinsman—in this capacity the more specific term “go’el ha-dam” (bloodavenger) was generally used—and (2) of redeeming the property or the person of a relative that had fallen into debt.
Anyone found guilty of intentional murder was to be killed by the Avenger of Blood.
22 – 28 The act of unintentional murder. If a person should kill another person unintentionally, the children of Israel, in the appointed city(s) with the Avenger of Blood, shall come to judgement against the killer for the appropriate sentence. The guilty should be placed within the city of refuge until the current anointed high priest dies, no matter how long. Once his sentence is up, the death of the high priest, they would be released to their land. If the killer were to escape from the city of refuge prior to the death of the high priest, the Avenger of Blood may seek them, kill them, and not be found guilty.
29 – 34 Our founding fathers, I believe, created the constitution based on the Bible and these chapters. A person could not be found guilty of first-degree murder by one person alone but by many. If this person is found guilty, that person must die. God would not permit the land to be polluted by the blood of the guilty person for no ransom. Even a person, who kills unintentionally, should have no ransom and required to stay in the city of refuge.
Numbers 36: 1 – 4 The sons of the family of Joseph were now concerned about their overall inheritance. God had promised that if there were no sons to leave the inheritance to, the daughters of the tribe would receive their inheritance. Their concern was that if one of the daughters were to marry someone from another tribe, their inheritance would then go to that tribe. When the time of Jubilee came, and the inheritance was being added to, the married tribe would gain benefit from that inheritance.
5 – 9 Moses confirmed what the children of Joseph had stated but went on concerning what the Lord had said about marriage. The Lord had stated that when a daughter marries, and picks the right man, that man should be from her father’s family and thus, the inheritance would remain in the family. If a daughter were to marry outside of the tribe. The inheritance stays with the original family.
10 – 13 So it was the daughters of the family of Joseph married within their own family.
[1] Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
[2] A gerah Hebrew “גרה” is an ancient Hebrew unit of weight and currency, equivalent to one-twentieth of a shekel, a shekel being 180 barleycorns or 60 carobs divided by 20= 3 carob. This is 0.568 grams. A gerah is in Aramaic a ma’ah “מעה” (Mishnah Hebrew pl. ma’ot “מעות” which means “coins”).
[3] The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
[5] Matthew Henry
[6] Matthew Henry
[7] Benson
[8] Matthew Henry
[9] Jewish Virtual Library
[10] – 5 A vow or an oath a woman makes is taken extremely seriously as well. If either of them is overheard in the presence of her father’s house and he is in agreement with them, then the vows and oaths are firm. However, if, within the presence of her father’s house, either are heard by her father and he overrules them, she is not bound by either of them. Remembering that God puts the woman as a servant to the man and she must obey him in righteousness.
[11] – 8 Once a woman makes a vow and it has not been overruled, she is endowed to it. If the woman were to marry, subsequently, and takes another vow or an oath and her husband overhears them, he too can overrule her as well. If she were to utter or make mention of any previous vows or oaths taken prior to the marriage and he hears them, he can overrule them as well.
[12] Once a vow or oath is bound and the woman should become a widow or divorce, she shall remain bound. The woman remains bound under the authority of her heavenly Father.
[13] Jewish Encyclopedia
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