Chapters 1319 (or 21 if travel sections are included) take place in the wilderness at Kadesh Barnea. The chapter moves backwards and forwards between these two connected narratives seamlessly. In other words, they were far from fulfilling their promise; the release in Joshua 22 is best seen as being spoken to the righteous remnant of those tribes who did do what they had said to Moses they would. 36:14 One problem regarding the daughters has already been solvedcan they as women inherit the land from their father: the answer is yes. The grumbling now spreads to Mosess siblings: Miriam and Aaron. For example, if you are trying to find Proverbs 31:25-27, you would look in the book of Proverbs for chapter 31, verse 25-27. The word jealous appears 5 times in just a few verses. 34:112 The southern (34:35), western (34:6), northern (34:79) and eastern (34:1012) borders of the land are now described. He does pardon (14:20), but nothing will stop his plan for the whole earth to see his glory (14:21), especially not the rebellious Israelites. Either way, this fits with the narrative in 22:20 where we saw that Balaams departure to Moab was itself a judgement against him. The complaining begins, and it soon spreads to the whole nation. The people mourn for 30 days, as they will do for Moses when the time comes (Deut 34:8). 20:2229 This section describes the death of Aaron at Mount Hor on the borders of Edom. Whilst this does give rise to some internal conflicts (see discussion below on 4:4051) the growth of Israel since 70 first entered Egypt (Exodus 1:5) is not mathematically impossible. They are permitted to celebrate the Passover exactly one month on, in the second month. If you wish to include Bible quotations with the translated work, you will need to obtain permission from a publisher of a Bible translation in the same language. Communication with Moses is direct not indirect, and they should have been afraid to grumble against him. This is clear from 16:2, which adds to their number and includes 250 chiefs. 17:811 A remarkable thing happens: the staff of Levi does more than budit blossoms and produces ripe fruit: the miracle is much more than expected and the LORD has encouraged them to look for. The reader already knows this story will not end well. Yet they have not actually turned to other gods (breaking the first commandment). For example:[9], For the citation of verses from the Bible in Wikipedia, see. There is no rebuke from the LORD to Moses (compare 20:12) and, though it is an argument from silence, we must therefore assume his anger is not misplaced. Sydney, Aquila Press, 2006. Joshua 4:1213 seems to imply they did; as does Joshuas release of them from their obligation in Joshua 22:2. One of the most challenging interpretative questions arises herethat of the large numbers present in the census (see introduction for more discussion). The individual parts constitute a grain offering, a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering (sometimes called a fellowship offering). 5:1116 This is an introduction to the process which starts because of the husbands jealousy. 20:29 At first, this seems just like another water story (see also Exod 15:2228; 17:17). 35:934 The function of cities of refuge is described. Throughout this commentary, I have followed major Bible translations and referred to the divine name for God (sometimes written as YHWH) as the LORD. Five tribes have reduced in size (Reuben -6%, Gad -11%, Simeon -63%, Ephraim -20% and Naphtali -15%). As before they should be careful what they wish for, because the LORDs judgement is giving them up to their desires and their fate will prove to be just this (14:2831). 31:2147 This central section deals with the plunder collected. Although some Jewish commentators believed so, such a total is only achieved by applying fuzzy math to Exodus 16. 5:2931 The summary reminds us that the whole process is carried out before the LORD. Second, 29:39 has made an almost casual reference to vow offerings. Clearly, chapters 28 and 29 are dealing with national offerings. What happens if one of the daughters marries a man from another tribe? Is. To this they add the sin of lying because there is no evidence so far that the land devours its inhabitants. At first glance, it seems a rather minor sin, but the LORD makes clear in 20:12 what Moses has done: he has not only been disobedient (see 20:24) or spoken rashly (Psalm 106:33), he has acted with unbelieflike the Israelites in 20:29, he has demonstrated a lack of faith. 25:15 Whoring (or being unfaithful) is a Bible term that is applied to both spiritual and physical prostitution. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 1:1The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. Why does Aaron deserve this extra over and above what is promised in 18:820? But there is a sharp warningif they are not faithful to this promise they will be found out and have to deal with the consequences. Moreover, lighting a fire on the Sabbath (Exod 35:3) is a very public defiance; the smoke would be seen by many. On this basis, the tribes of Gad and Reuben are best seen as breaking the unity of Israel and Moses doing his best to limit the damage. Second, the verse describes the location of the Israelites in the wilderness. This phrase (also a Jewish title for the whole book) is an accurate description of their physical location and also their spiritual state. The book is a complex balance of almost equal parts narrative (story) and law with a small number of poetry and prophecy sections. 23:1117 Balak is unsurprisingly furious despite Balaams protestations, and invites him to try againa standard procedure with false gods when you do not get the answer you first wanted. The alliance is sealed because Balak is a Zipporite (22:2), a Midianite name (see Exod 2:21). Many parts of Numbers are perplexing, and some contain some very hard things, but the total and apparently brutal destruction waged in this chapter is among the hardest. These are wilderness wanderings and reflect the nations rebellion against the LORD alongside his faithfulness in finally bringing them to the land he has promised. Some modern Bible translations abbreviate 7:1283 because of the repetition that occurs, but the author uses the repetition to make an important point: each tribedespite variations in sizeis considered the same when it comes before the LORD. At the LORDs direction, the people fight and win another conclusive victory. 22Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 23those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300. Numbers 21:16 is key. A common format for biblical citations is Book chapter:verses, using a colon to delimit chapter from verse, as in: The range delimiter is an en-dash, and there are no spaces on either side of it.[3]. All rights reserved. Chapter 11 marks the second half of the first section (see the introduction for discussion of structure). The team at The Bible Project is doing some incredible work at both animating and summarizing every book in the Bible along with some topical themes. 28:18 Regular daily offerings remind the people of the LORDs presence in the camp. Two long chapters collect together all the laws and regulations concerning offerings under one main summary statement (28:2)that the offerings (note how the LORD calls them my offerings) are a pleasing aroma which must be offered at the proper time. First, in 14:1316 he appeals to the LORDs reputation, especially in Egypt. Second, this is a theological battle, not an earthly one, and the killing of the women, when seen as a judgement, also makes sense. All these themes are explored in Numbers. The clock on his one-year role is reset (6:12). Each water story follows a different pattern: in Exodus 15 Moses throws a piece of wood into bitter water to make it drinkable; in Exodus 17 Moses strikes the rock; here he is to speak to the rock. 22:22 Now the story takes another odd turn as Balaam is confronted by the angel of the LORD. He, however, has not become soft on sinas the laws in 15:2236 demonstrate. A new phrase holy convocation is used for the first (28:18) and seventh (28:25) day, a phrase which will be attached to each subsequent festival or celebration in this section. And they have clearly not learnt from Miriam and Aarons rejection of Mosess leadership. Importantly, the wife agrees to the process with a double Amen.. They are to be used to call people to war when they are in the land (a reminder of the faithfulness of God towards his people in getting them there). The dual occurrence is not immediately clear; perhaps both incidents depict crises in leadership (in Numbers 16, a failed coup against Moses, and here, a divinely directed succession). Now, as they enter the land, they need to learn that he dwells in the land itselfthe inheritance he freely gives to his chosen people. Who is this mystery man? This common refrain of obedience will feature often in the next chapter but then disappear from view. 7:89 Moses enters the tent to speak with the LORD (implying a conversation), but the end result is that the LORD speaks to him, a point emphasized by the repetition. Two other sons remain (Eleazar and Ithamar). This approach reflects the first Passover where non-participants were subject to the death of the firstborn (see Exod 12:13). In New Testament terms, this is the equivalent of forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:13). 23:1824 The second oracle, like the first, is a beautiful poem made up of couplets; this time there are nine; most, though not all, are parallelisms. The wilderness is not a sandy desert, but it is inhospitable. Their complaint combines all previous food and water complaints and once again calls the gracious gift of manna worthless. Judgement comes swiftly (no opportunity for repentance this time) in the form of snakes in the camp which bite and kill. Moreover, because of their faithlessness (14:33), they will wander in the wilderness one year for every one day the spies were in the land40 years in total. 32:2527 The two tribes agree to Mosess request, repeating the every man demand in contrast to their first offer in 32:17. The solution is straightforward and achieves the stated aim: inheritance (note that this word is used, not the more neutral land) shall not be transferred. How will this be achieved? He thinks the provision of food is his responsibility; like the people he also has forgotten about the miraculous manna. Nevertheless, the LORD still has something in mind for this wretched man to do, so he allows him to continue on his way. The issue of Mosess wife is probably an attempt to dress up their personal anger in religious terms. As an example, the Sabbath-breaker knows what the fourth commandment says but chooses to ignore it. For instance, 7,482 is read as seven thousand, four hundred, eighty-two. Traditionally, many commentators have understood the book in this way. His passion is for helping people in need. The argument of the tribes seems of a similar order to the rebellion of Numbers 1314. What do Bible verse numbers mean? By far the greatest problem with this approach, however, is that it fails to take account of the spiritual state of the nation and the framing of the book around the two generations and the two respective censuses (chapters 1 and 26). The place is named Meribah which means quarrellingprobably a familiar name rather than an official one because the name has already been used to describe another of the water stories (Exod 17:7). Bible Numbers | Bible Universe 6:2227 The Aaronic blessing should not be detached from the previous four sections, all of which begin in the same way. These tribes are also in the front of the marching order. 2:1016 Those on the south are described: Reuben, Simeon and Gad, totaling 151,450, plus the Levite clan of Kohath (see 3:29). The differences between the two categories should not be understood as whether the sin is defiant or not. At least 12 numbers in the Bible stand out in this regard: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 40, 50, and 70. 24:2324 In the seventh oracle we see that even the conquerors will be conquered. And the LORD1 said is an alternative which conveys the ongoing grace of God in speaking to his people and dealing with them, despite their almost continual rebellion. Every daughter who holds land in her own right must only marry within her tribe. Saying Here I am LORD, do not forget me (like some of the psalms do, e.g., Ps 119:49) is not saying that God is forgetful but is a way that we express our dependence on him. 15:110 The food and burnt offerings that are to be offered once the nation has entered the land are described. The offering of jealousy that he bringsalso called a grain offering of remembrance (5:15)is unknown elsewhere but might serve two complementary purposes. Method 1 Looking up a Verse by Number 1 Identify the book of the verse. Alongside these new rules comes a detailed section showing how the priests (18:1820) and the Levites (18:2132) will be provided for. 22:26 Balak, king of Moab (22:4) has heard of the Amorite battle (21:3135) and it fills him with dread. It does, however, take them nearer spiritually and anticipates what life in the Promised Land will be like. As with all Old Testament books, Numbers must be read in the context of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12; 15) and the promises made regarding people, place, and blessing. But opposition strength has not been a problem so far (they have defeated both Egyptians and Amalekites, see Exod 17:816). The explanation is entirely pragmatic: the land is a land for livestock, and we have livestock. There is no theological reflection or recognition that the LORD alone grants the land. 16:1215 Before the priestly challenge is carried out, Moses turns his attention to the other rebels. 13:1720 Moses has genuine questions for them to addresshe has not been in the land either. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Whilst solving some problems, this solution creates others, in particular how to read the totals of 1:46 and similar. 38Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 39those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700. 24:1519 Balaams fourth oracle now looks ahead. 6:18 Three ways in which the Nazirite who has made a special vow (probably for a specific task) is to conduct him or herself are outlined. This allowance also anticipates life in the Promised Land, where it is much more likely that strangers will be present and incorporated into Israel. Death is never to be taken lightlyhence the importance of having two witnesses, a law that is later repeated in Deuteronomy 17:6 and picked up in the gospel accounts (Matt 18:16). The final verse confirms that the root issue at stake is not really the vows themselves but the relationships that underpin them. On this basis the book divides into three. As they are from Manasseh, that tribe is mentioned first. Thus, the command to execute the LORDs vengeance against those women who have known man by lying with him is entirely appropriate. However the author has put it here as a natural conclusion to the previous sections which outline the holiness the LORD expects of his people. 30:12 Here Moses deals with the making of vows by men. Understanding Bible Verse Number References (With 9 Examples) Where, though, are they to live? When the incident is recalled in Psalm 106:1618, only Dathan and Abiram are mentioned (as is the case in 16:12). It fulfils the command of God in 25:1618 following the incitement of the Israelites to Baal-worship. 33:14 The LORD commands Moses to record all the places where the Israelites have stopped. 31:112 The initial battle begins, initiated by the LORD as retribution for both the offence they have committed against Israel (31:2) and the offence against the LORD (31:3). , 31.1.21. We now expect something to happen: the last few times the glory of the LORD has appeared (16:42) things have not gone well. 3 Incredible Things You Can Do to Reflect Christ in Dark Times. Ritual uncleanness is best seen as a kind of technical term to show the basis on which people can or cannot come before the LORD. Then, check for the chapter number and the verse numbers. Now the focus switches to what will happen in the future. The matter is taken out of the hands of the husband and handed over to the priest who stands before the LORD (who features at every stage: 5:11, 16, 18, 30).
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