Numbers

Numbers

Book Outhne

Key theme: Man’s failure and God’s faithfulness

Key verses: ,

I. At Sinai: Obeying the Lord ()

A. Numbering the soldiers ()

B. Organizing the tribes ()

C. Assigning the duties ()

D. Purifying the people ()

E. Dedicating the tabernacle ()

F. Celebrating the Passover ()

II. To Kadesh: Tempting the Lord ()

A. The camp marches ()

B. The people complain ()

C. Aaron and Miriam criticize Moses ()

III. At Kadesh: Rebelling Against the Lord ()

A. Exploring the Promised Land ()

B. Refusing to claim the land ()

C. Turning away from the land ()

IV. In the Wilderness: Learning from the Lord ()

A. About sacrifices ()

B. About authority ()

C. About responsibility ()

D. About purity ()

E. About humility ()

V. In Moab: A New Beginning from the Lord ()

A. New victories (; )

B. A new priest ()

C. New dangers ()

D. A new generation ()

E. New regulations ()

F. A new leader ()

G. New commitment to the law ()

H. New commitment to the battle ()

I. New laws for the new land ()

Book Overview

The code name for the enterprise was “Operation Overlord.” The more popular name was “D-Day”—June 6, 1943, when the combined Allied forces landed on Omaha Beach and signaled the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. It was the largest assembly of military personnel and material in the history of warfare. Historian Samuel Eliot Morison wrote, “The Allied forces of soldiers, sailors, aviators, and supporting services amounted to 2.8 million men in England.”

Moses was about to launch his own “Operation Overlord,” and his greatest desire was that Jehovah, the Lord of Hosts, truly be Lord over the whole enterprise. More than two million Jews were anticipating entering Canaan, conquering the inhabitants, claiming the land, and enjoying their promised inheritance. But before all of this could happen, Moses had to organize this assembly of former slaves who had been enjoying their freedom for only a year. It wasn’t an easy task.

His preparation for conquest involved four stages: numbering the soldiers (ch. ), organizing the tribes (ch. ), assigning the priestly duties (chs. ), and celebrating the Passover ().

The Book of Numbers opens with a count of all the fighting men in the camp. They were counted, but they couldn’t be counted on, because all but two of them died during Israel’s march through the wilderness. Then the new generation was counted, and they were people that the Lord could count on. They trusted His Word, entered the Promised Land, and claimed it for their inheritance.

Studying the Book of Numbers can help us better understand how God directs His people, why being faithful to Him is important, and how we can grow spiritually in the difficulties of life. We don’t have to fail as did that first generation; instead, “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” ().

“Be Transformed”

The metaphors for life are many, and each one teaches us something important. Sometimes life is like a battle and sometimes it’s more like a race, but always it’s a school where we need to be awake and alert to what God is trying to teach us. To Moses and the people of Israel, life was a journey, but a very special journey: from bondage to freedom, from childishness to maturity, from selfishness to service, and from glorifying the past to anticipating the future.

From God’s point of view, there are only three locations on this journey: Egypt, the place of bondage that seems like security; Canaan, the place of inheritance where God wants to give us His best; the wilderness, the place of unbelief, discipline, and falling short of the good things God has planned for us. This truth is elaborated in .

Living the Christian life begins with deliverance from Egypt (bondage) through the grace and power of God. This we experience when we trust Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and commit our lives to Him. But the essence of Christian living is to enter into our spiritual inheritance as quickly as possible. When we reach the Kadesh Barnea place in life, and all believers do, we must trust His Word and enter into our inheritance by faith. We must not worry about the giants, the enemy, the walled cities, or our own weakness and insignificance. We must say with Caleb and Joshua, “The Lord is with us. Do not fear them!” (). “For we who have believed do enter that rest” ().

God’s desire is that we develop character and become more like Jesus Christ. That’s why He arranges the experiences of life and causes them to work together for our good and His glory (). We can’t grow in grace unless we grow in the knowledge of God as revealed in Jesus Christ ().

How do we learn about God? Primarily, we learn about God from His Word, both in private meditation and public worship. We also learn about God from personal experience, our own as well as that of others who share with us what He has done for them. In the difficult places of life, the Holy Spirit helps us recall and apply the truths of the Word. This ministry gives us wisdom to understand the situation better and faith to trust the promises we need to carry us through.

During their wilderness journey, Israel learned that God loved them and cared for them, but they didn’t always believe it. “What shall we eat? What shall we drink?” were the repeated questions the Jews asked (), when they should have been saying to one another, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” ().

Life is a journey that we make by faith, for only God knows the end from the beginning. Actually, everybody lives by faith in someone or something. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is the object of that faith. Christians put their faith in God and His Word, while non-Christians trust themselves, their experience and ability, their money, and perhaps their friends. But Israel had the bad habit of walking by sight, not by faith, and it was this failure to trust God that caused the nation so much trouble.

Faith is not “believing in spite of evidence”; that’s superstition. Faith is obeying God in spite of what we see or hear, how we feel, or what might happen. The Jews had been given all the evidence they needed that God was concerned about them and had the power to deliver them, protect them, and take them to the Promised Land. The devastation of the land of Egypt was proof of God’s power, so why should the nation not trust Him?

No sooner had the Lord delivered the people from Egypt than they stood by the Red Sea trembling with fear and wanting to go back. Why? Because they didn’t really believe that the God who had redeemed them could finish the task and see them through. But when God begins a work, He completes it ().

The First Census of Israel

2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,

4“And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.

5“These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

6“from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

7“from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

8“from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar;

9“from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

10“from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;

11“from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

12“from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

13“from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;

14“from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

15“from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.”

16These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.

17Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name,

18and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually.

19As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

20Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

21those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.

22From the children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

23those who were numbered of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

24From the children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

25those who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

26From the children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

27those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.

28From the children of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

29those who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were fifty-four thousand four hundred.

30From the children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

31those who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

32From the sons of Joseph, the children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

33those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.

34From the children of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

35those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

36From the children of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

37those who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.

38From the children of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

39those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

40From the children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

41those who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.

42From the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:

43those who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.

44These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each one representing his father’s house.

45So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel—

46all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

48for the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying:

49“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel;

50“but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle.

51“And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.

52“The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies;

53“but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”

54Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did.

The Tribes and Leaders by Armies

2“Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.

4And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.

5“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.”

6And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.

7“Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.”

8And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred.

9“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred—these shall break camp first.

10“On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.”

11And his army was numbered at forty-six thousand five hundred.

12“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.”

13And his army was numbered at fifty-nine thousand three hundred.

14“Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel.”

15And his army was numbered at forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty.

16“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty—they shall be the second to break camp.

17“And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.

18“On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.”

19And his army was numbered at forty thousand five hundred.

20“Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.”

21And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand two hundred.

22“Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.”

23And his army was numbered at thirty-five thousand four hundred.

24“All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, one hundred and eight thousand one hundred—they shall be the third to break camp.

25“The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.”

26And his army was numbered at sixty-two thousand seven hundred.

27“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.”

28And his army was numbered at forty-one thousand five hundred.

29“Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.”

30And his army was numbered at fifty-three thousand four hundred.

31“All who were numbered of the forces with Dan, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred—they shall break camp last, with their standards.”

32These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.

33But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

34Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.

The Sons of Aaron

3These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.

4Nadab and Abihu had died before the LORD when they offered profane fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.

The Levites Serve in the Tabernacle

5And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

6“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.

7“And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.

8“Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.

9“And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel.

10“So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

11Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

12“Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,

13“because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the LORD.”

Census of the Levites Commanded

14Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:

15“Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”

16So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

17These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

19And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.

22Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.

23The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward.

24And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.

25The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,

26the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.

27From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.

28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary.

29The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.

30And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

31Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.

32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.

33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.

34And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.

35The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.

36And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them,

37and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.

38Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.

39All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.

Levites Dedicated Instead of the Firstborn

40Then the LORD said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.

41“And you shall take the Levites for Me—I am the LORD—instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel.”

42So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded him.

43And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.

44Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

45“Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the LORD.

46“And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites,

47“you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.

48“And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”

49So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.

50From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

51And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Duties of the Sons of Kohath

2“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house,

3“from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

4“This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things:

5“When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.

6“Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles.

7“On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it.

8“They shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.

9“And they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it.

10“Then they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of badger skins, and put it on a carrying beam.

11“Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.

12“Then they shall take all the utensils of service with which they minister in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a carrying beam.

13“Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.

14“They shall put on it all its implements with which they minister there—the firepans, the forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar—and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins, and insert its poles.

15“And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16“The appointed duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”

17Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

18“Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;

19“but do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task.

20“But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die.”

Duties of the Sons of Gershon

21Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

22“Also take a census of the sons of Gershon, by their fathers’ house, by their families.

23“From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

24“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying:

25“They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of meeting with its covering, the covering of badger skins that is on it, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,

26“the screen for the door of the gate of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and altar, and their cords, all the furnishings for their service and all that is made for these things: so shall they serve.

27“Aaron and his sons shall assign all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their tasks and all their service. And you shall appoint to them all their tasks as their duty.

28“This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting. And their duties shall be under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

Duties of the Sons of Merari

29“As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house.

30“From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

31“And this is what they must carry as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,

32“and the pillars around the court with their sockets, pegs, and cords, with all their furnishings and all their service; and you shall assign to each man by name the items he must carry.

33“This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

Census of the Levites

34And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ house,

35from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting;

36and those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

37These were the ones who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

38And those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families and by their fathers’ house,

39from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting—

40those who were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty.

41These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.

42Those of the families of the sons of Merari who were numbered, by their families, by their fathers’ house,

43from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting—

44those who were numbered by their families were three thousand two hundred.

45These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

46All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ houses,

47from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tabernacle of meeting—

48those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty.

49According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service and according to his task; thus were they numbered by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

Ceremonially Unclean Persons Isolated

4And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the LORD spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

Confession and Restitution

6“Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the LORD, and that person is guilty,

7‘then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged.

8‘But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him.

9‘Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his.

10‘And every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.’ ”

Concerning Unfaithful Wives

12“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,

13‘and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—

14‘if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—

16‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD.

17‘The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.

18‘Then the priest shall stand the woman before the LORD, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.

19‘And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.

20“But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—

21‘then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—“the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell;

22“and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”

23‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.

24‘And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.

25‘Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall wave the offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar;

26‘and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.

27‘When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.

28‘But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.

29‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,

30‘or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her.

31‘Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’ ”

The Law of the Nazirite

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD,

4‘All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.

5‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

6‘All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body.

7‘He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head.

8‘All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the LORD.

9‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.

10‘Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting;

11‘and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day.

12‘He shall consecrate to the LORD the days of his separation, and bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

13‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

14‘And he shall present his offering to the LORD: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as a peace offering,

15‘a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering with their drink offerings.

16‘Then the priest shall bring them before the LORD and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;

17‘and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering.

18‘Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.

19‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them upon the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair,

20‘and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the LORD; they are holy for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.’

21“This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the LORD the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.”

The Priestly Blessing

23“Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

24“The LORD bless you and keep you;

25The LORD make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’

27“So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Offerings of the Leaders

2Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the leaders of the tribes and over those who were numbered, made an offering.

3And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox; and they presented them before the tabernacle.

4Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

5“Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the work of the tabernacle of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”

6So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites.

7Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service;

8and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

9But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders.

10Now the leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed; so the leaders offered their offering before the altar.

11For the LORD said to Moses, “They shall offer their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

13His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

14one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

15one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

16one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

17and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

18On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering.

19For his offering he offered one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

20one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

21one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

22one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

23and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

24On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, leader of the children of Zebulun, presented an offering.

25His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

26one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

27one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

28one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

29and for the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

30On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, leader of the children of Reuben, presented an offering.

31His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

32one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

33one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

34one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

35and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, leader of the children of Simeon, presented an offering.

37His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

38one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

39one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

40one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

41and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, leader of the children of Gad, presented an offering.

43His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

44one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

45one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

46one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

47and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

48On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, leader of the children of Ephraim, presented an offering.

49His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

50one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

51one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

52one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

53and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

54On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, leader of the children of Manasseh, presented an offering.

55His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

56one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

57one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

58one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

59and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

60On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, leader of the children of Benjamin, presented an offering.

61His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

62one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

63one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

64one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

65and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

66On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the children of Dan, presented an offering.

67His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

68one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

69one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

70one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

71and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

72On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, leader of the children of Asher, presented an offering.

73His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

74one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

75one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

76one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

77and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.

78On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, leader of the children of Naphtali, presented an offering.

79His offering was one silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;

80one gold pan of ten shekels, full of incense;

81one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb in its first year, as a burnt offering;

82one kid of the goats as a sin offering;

83and as the sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

84This was the dedication offering for the altar from the leaders of Israel, when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold pans.

85Each silver platter weighed one hundred and thirty shekels and each bowl seventy shekels. All the silver of the vessels weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

86The twelve gold pans full of incense weighed ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the pans weighed one hundred and twenty shekels.

87All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve young bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs in their first year twelve, with their grain offering, and the kids of the goats as a sin offering twelve.

88And all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace offerings were twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, and the lambs in their first year sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

89Now when Moses went into the tabernacle of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him.

Arrangement of the Lamps

2“Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’ ”

3And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing and Dedication of the Levites

6“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially.

7“Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

8“Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering.

9“And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

10“So you shall bring the Levites before the LORD, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites;

12“Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.

14“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.

15“After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them, like a wave offering.

16“For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel.

17“For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself.

18“I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

19“And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

20Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

21And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them, like a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

22After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

24“This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting;

25“and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more.

26“They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”

The Second Passover

2“Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.

3“On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.”

4So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover.

5And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

6Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day.

7And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

8And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning you.”

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the LORD’s Passover.

11‘On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

12‘They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.

13‘But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the LORD at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.

14‘And if a stranger dwells among you, and would keep the LORD’s Passover, he must do so according to the rite of the Passover and according to its ceremony; you shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and the native of the land.’ ”

The Cloud and the Fire

16So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

17Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents.

18At the command of the LORD the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped.

19Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and did not journey.

20So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the LORD they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the LORD they would journey.

21So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey.

22Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey.

23At the command of the LORD they remained encamped, and at the command of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the charge of the LORD, at the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

Two Silver Trumpets

2“Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.

3“When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

4“But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you.

5“When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey.

6“When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys.

7“And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance.

8“The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.

9“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.

10“Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”

Departure from Sinai

12And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran.

14The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

15Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar.

16And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

17Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.

18And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

19Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

20And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

21Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.)

22And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

23Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

24And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

25Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

26Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.

27And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.

28Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey.

30And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.”

31So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.

32“And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.”

33So they departed from the mountain of the LORD on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.

34And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out from the camp.

35So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said:

“Rise up, O LORD!

Let Your enemies be scattered,

And let those who hate You flee before You.”

36And when it rested, he said:

“Return, O LORD,

To the many thousands of Israel.”

The People Complain

3So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the LORD had burned among them.

5“We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;

7Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium.

8The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil.

9And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.

11So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me?

12“Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers?

13“Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’

14“I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.

15“If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!”

The Seventy Elders

16So the LORD said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.

17“Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.

18“Then you shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the LORD, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you shall eat.

19‘You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days,

21And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’

22“Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?”

23And the LORD said to Moses, “Has the LORD’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”

24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle.

25Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

27And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”

28So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”

29Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!”

30And Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel.

The LORD Sends Quail

31Now a wind went out from the LORD, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground.

32And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.

33But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague.

34So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.

35From Kibroth Hattaavah the people moved to Hazeroth, and camped at Hazeroth.

Dissension of Aaron and Miriam

2So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it.

3(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

5Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward.

6Then He said,

“Hear now My words:

If there is a prophet among you,

I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision;

I speak to him in a dream.

7Not so with My servant Moses;

He is faithful in all My house.

8I speak with him face to face,

Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;

And he sees the form of the LORD.

Why then were you not afraid

To speak against My servant Moses?”

9So the anger of the LORD was aroused against them, and He departed.

10And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.

12“Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!”

13So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”

14Then the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.”

15So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again.

16And afterward the people moved from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.

Spies Sent into Canaan

2“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”

3So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.

4Now these were their names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;

5from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;

6from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

7from the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;

8from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;

9from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;

10from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;

11from the tribe of Joseph, that is, from the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;

12from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;

13from the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;

14from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;

15from the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

17Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains,

18“and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many;

19“whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds;

20“whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

22And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

23Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs.

24The place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the men of Israel cut down there.

26Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

28“Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.

29“The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

30Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

32And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.

33“There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

Israel Refuses to Enter Canaan

2And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!

4So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

6But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;

7and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.

8“If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’

9“Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”

10And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

Moses Intercedes for the People

12“I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

13And Moses said to the LORD: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them,

14“and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.

15“Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying,

16‘Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’

17“And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying,

18‘The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’

19“Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

21“but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD—

22“because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice,

24“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.

25“Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”

Death Sentence on the Rebels

26And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

27“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me.

28“Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

29‘The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above.

30‘Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.

32‘But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.

33‘And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness.

34‘According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection.

35‘I the LORD have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’ ”

36Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land,

37those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

38But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive, of the men who went to spy out the land.

A Futile Invasion Attempt

40And they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!”

42“Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.

43“For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

44But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp.

45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah.

Laws of Grain and Drink Offerings

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving to you,

3‘and you make an offering by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or in your appointed feasts, to make a sweet aroma to the LORD, from the herd or the flock,

5‘and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering you shall prepare with the burnt offering or the sacrifice, for each lamb.

6‘Or for a ram you shall prepare as a grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-third of a hin of oil;

7‘and as a drink offering you shall offer one-third of a hin of wine as a sweet aroma to the LORD.

8‘And when you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering, or as a sacrifice to fulfill a vow, or as a peace offering to the LORD,

9‘then shall be offered with the young bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half a hin of oil;

10‘and you shall bring as the drink offering half a hin of wine as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

11‘Thus it shall be done for each young bull, for each ram, or for each lamb or young goat.

12‘According to the number that you prepare, so you shall do with everyone according to their number.

13‘All who are native-born shall do these things in this manner, in presenting an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

14‘And if a stranger dwells with you, or whoever is among you throughout your generations, and would present an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD, just as you do, so shall he do.

15‘One ordinance shall be for you of the assembly and for the stranger who dwells with you, an ordinance forever throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.

16‘One law and one custom shall be for you and for the stranger who dwells with you.’ ”

17Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

18“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land to which I bring you,

19‘then it will be, when you eat of the bread of the land, that you shall offer up a heave offering to the LORD.

20‘You shall offer up a cake of the first of your ground meal as a heave offering; as a heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall you offer it up.

21‘Of the first of your ground meal you shall give to the LORD a heave offering throughout your generations.

Laws Concerning Unintentional Sin

22‘If you sin unintentionally, and do not observe all these commandments which the LORD has spoken to Moses—

23‘all that the LORD has commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day the LORD gave commandment and onward throughout your generations—

24‘then it will be, if it is unintentionally committed, without the knowledge of the congregation, that the whole congregation shall offer one young bull as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats as a sin offering.

25‘So the priest shall make atonement for the whole congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it was unintentional; they shall bring their offering, an offering made by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their unintended sin.

26‘It shall be forgiven the whole congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who dwells among them, because all the people did it unintentionally.

27‘And if a person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring a female goat in its first year as a sin offering.

28‘So the priest shall make atonement for the person who sins unintentionally, when he sins unintentionally before the LORD, to make atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

29‘You shall have one law for him who sins unintentionally, for him who is native-born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwells among them.

Law Concerning Presumptuous Sin

31‘Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’ ”

Penalty for Violating the Sabbath

32Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day.

33And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.

34They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him.

35Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”

36So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.

Tassels on Garments

38“Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.

39“And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,

40“and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.

41“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

Rebellion Against Moses and Aaron

2and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.

3They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

5and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.

6“Do this: Take censers, Korah and all your company;

7“put fire in them and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!”

8Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi:

9“Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them;

10“and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?

11“Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?”

12And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come up!

13“Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, that you should keep acting like a prince over us?

14“Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

15Then Moses was very angry, and said to the LORD, “Do not respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, nor have I hurt one of them.”

16And Moses said to Korah, “Tomorrow, you and all your company be present before the LORD—you and they, as well as Aaron.

17“Let each take his censer and put incense in it, and each of you bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty censers; both you and Aaron, each with his censer.”

18So every man took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the tabernacle of meeting with Moses and Aaron.

19And Korah gathered all the congregation against them at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.

20And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”

23So the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.’ ”

25Then Moses rose and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

26And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.”

27So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.

28And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.

29“If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me.

30“But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD.”

31Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,

32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.

33So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.

34Then all Israel who were around them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up also!”

35And a fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense.

36Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

37“Tell Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to pick up the censers out of the blaze, for they are holy, and scatter the fire some distance away.

38“The censers of these men who sinned against their own souls, let them be made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar. Because they presented them before the LORD, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”

39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers, which those who were burned up had presented, and they were hammered out as a covering on the altar,

40to be a memorial to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not a descendant of Aaron, should come near to offer incense before the LORD, that he might not become like Korah and his companions, just as the LORD had said to him through Moses.

Complaints of the People

42Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

43Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting.

44And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.

46So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun.”

47Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people.

48And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped.

49Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident.

50So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.

The Budding of Aaron’s Rod

1And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

2“Speak to the children of Israel, and get from them a rod from each father’s house, all their leaders according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods. Write each man’s name on his rod.

3“And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi. For there shall be one rod for the head of each father’s house.

4“Then you shall place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you.

5“And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel, which they make against you.”

6So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod apiece, for each leader according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

7And Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

8Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds.

9Then Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD to all the children of Israel; and they looked, and each man took his rod.

11Thus did Moses; just as the LORD had commanded him, so he did.

13“Whoever even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD must die. Shall we all utterly die?”

Duties of Priests and Levites

2“Also bring with you your brethren of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, that they may be joined with you and serve you while you and your sons are with you before the tabernacle of witness.

3“They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die—they and you also.

4“They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; but an outsider shall not come near you.

5“And you shall attend to the duties of the sanctuary and the duties of the altar, that there may be no more wrath on the children of Israel.

6“Behold, I Myself have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel; they are a gift to you, given by the LORD, to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.

7“Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”

Offerings for Support of the Priests

9“This shall be yours of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every offering of theirs, every grain offering and every sin offering and every trespass offering which they render to Me, shall be most holy for you and your sons.

10“In a most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.

11“This also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them to you, and your sons and daughters with you, as an ordinance forever. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.

12“All the best of the oil, all the best of the new wine and the grain, their firstfruits which they offer to the LORD, I have given them to you.

13“Whatever first ripe fruit is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, shall be yours. Everyone who is clean in your house may eat it.

14“Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.

15“Everything that first opens the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the LORD, whether man or beast, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.

16“And those redeemed of the devoted things you shall redeem when one month old, according to your valuation, for five shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.

17“But the firstborn of a cow, the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and burn their fat as an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.

18“And their flesh shall be yours, just as the wave breast and the right thigh are yours.

19“All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to the LORD, I have given to you and your sons and daughters with you as an ordinance forever; it is a covenant of salt forever before the LORD with you and your descendants with you.”

20Then the LORD said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.

Tithes for Support of the Levites

22“Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die.

23“But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

24“For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’ ”

The Tithe of the Levites

25Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

27‘And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the winepress.

28‘Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the LORD’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest.

29‘Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them.’

30“Therefore you shall say to them: ‘When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress.

31‘You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting.

Laws of Purification

2“This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never come.

3‘You shall give it to Eleazar the priest, that he may take it outside the camp, and it shall be slaughtered before him;

4‘and Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of its blood seven times directly in front of the tabernacle of meeting.

5‘Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight: its hide, its flesh, its blood, and its offal shall be burned.

6‘And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the fire burning the heifer.

7‘Then the priest shall wash his clothes, he shall bathe in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp; the priest shall be unclean until evening.

8‘And the one who burns it shall wash his clothes in water, bathe in water, and shall be unclean until evening.

9‘Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin.

10‘And the one who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until evening. It shall be a statute forever to the children of Israel and to the stranger who dwells among them.

11‘He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.

12‘He shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not be clean.

14‘This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days;

15‘and every open vessel, which has no cover fastened on it, is unclean.

16‘Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword or who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

17‘And for an unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on them in a vessel.

18‘A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or a grave.

19‘The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall be clean.

20‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean.

21‘It shall be a perpetual statute for them. He who sprinkles the water of purification shall wash his clothes; and he who touches the water of purification shall be unclean until evening.

22‘Whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean; and the person who touches it shall be unclean until evening.’ ”

Moses’ Error at Kadesh

3And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying: “If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

4“Why have you brought up the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here?

5“And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.”

6So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

7Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

9So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him.

10And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”

11Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.

Passage Through Edom Refused

15‘how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time, and the Egyptians afflicted us and our fathers.

16‘When we cried out to the LORD, He heard our voice and sent the Angel and brought us up out of Egypt; now here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

17‘Please let us pass through your country. We will not pass through fields or vineyards, nor will we drink water from wells; we will go along the King’s Highway; we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.’ ”

18Then Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through my land, lest I come out against you with the sword.”

19So the children of Israel said to him, “We will go by the Highway, and if I or my livestock drink any of your water, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.”

20Then he said, “You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand.

21Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

Death of Aaron

22Now the children of Israel, the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

23And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying:

24“Aaron shall be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.

25“Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up to Mount Hor;

28Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

29Now when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days.

Canaanites Defeated at Hormah

2So Israel made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.”

The Bronze Serpent

4Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.

5And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”

7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

From Mount Hor to Moab

10Now the children of Israel moved on and camped in Oboth.

11And they journeyed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, in the wilderness which is east of Moab, toward the sunrise.

12From there they moved and camped in the Valley of Zered.

13From there they moved and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the wilderness that extends from the border of the Amorites; for the Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

14Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD:

“Waheb in Suphah,

The brooks of the Arnon,

15And the slope of the brooks

That reaches to the dwelling of Ar,

And lies on the border of Moab.”

17Then Israel sang this song:

“Spring up, O well!

All of you sing to it—

18The well the leaders sank,

Dug by the nation’s nobles,

By the lawgiver, with their staves.”

And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,

19from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

20and from Bamoth, in the valley that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah which looks down on the wasteland.

King Sihon Defeated

22“Let me pass through your land. We will not turn aside into fields or vineyards; we will not drink water from wells. We will go by the King’s Highway until we have passed through your territory.”

23But Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel in the wilderness, and he came to Jahaz and fought against Israel.

24Then Israel defeated him with the edge of the sword, and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, as far as the people of Ammon; for the border of the people of Ammon was fortified.

25So Israel took all these cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and in all its villages.

26For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and had taken all his land from his hand as far as the Arnon.

27Therefore those who speak in proverbs say:

“Come to Heshbon, let it be built;

Let the city of Sihon be repaired.

28“For fire went out from Heshbon,

A flame from the city of Sihon;

It consumed Ar of Moab,

The lords of the heights of the Arnon.

29Woe to you, Moab!

You have perished, O people of Chemosh!

He has given his sons as fugitives,

And his daughters into captivity,

To Sihon king of the Amorites.

30“But we have shot at them;

Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon.

Then we laid waste as far as Nophah,

Which reaches to Medeba.”

31Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

King Og Defeated

33And they turned and went up by the way to Bashan. So Og king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

34Then the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.”

Balak Sends for Balaam

1Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

2Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.

4So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

6“Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

8And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

10So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

11‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”

12And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

13So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

14And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

15Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they.

16And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;

17‘for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

18Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

19“Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.”

20And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”

21So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

22Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

24Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

25And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

26Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

29And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

30So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

31Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

32And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.

33“The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

34And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

36Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory.

37Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”

38And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.”

39So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.

40Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Balaam’s First Prophecy

2And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

3Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height.

4And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

5Then the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

6So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

7And he took up his oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

From the mountains of the east.

‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

And come, denounce Israel!’

8“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

And from the hills I behold him;

There! A people dwelling alone,

Not reckoning itself among the nations.

Or number one-fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my end be like his!”

12So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

13Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.”

14So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the LORD over there.”

16Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

17So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”

“Rise up, Balak, and hear!

Listen to me, son of Zippor!

19“God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

20Behold, I have received a command to bless;

He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

21“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,

Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

The LORD his God is with him,

And the shout of a King is among them.

22God brings them out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox.

23“For there is no sorcery against Jacob,

Nor any divination against Israel.

It now must be said of Jacob

And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’

24Look, a people rises like a lioness,

And lifts itself up like a lion;

It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

And drinks the blood of the slain.”

25Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

26So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”

Balaam’s Third Prophecy

27Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”

28So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland.

29Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

30And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

1Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

2And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

4The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

5“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!

Your dwellings, O Israel!

6Like valleys that stretch out,

Like gardens by the riverside,

Like aloes planted by the LORD,

Like cedars beside the waters.

7He shall pour water from his buckets,

And his seed shall be in many waters.

“His king shall be higher than Agag,

And his kingdom shall be exalted.

8“God brings him out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox;

He shall consume the nations, his enemies;

He shall break their bones

And pierce them with his arrows.

9‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;

And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

“Blessed is he who blesses you,

And cursed is he who curses you.”

10Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!

11“Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the LORD has kept you back from honor.”

12So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying,

13‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak’?

14“And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”

Balaam’s Fourth Prophecy

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;

16The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

And has the knowledge of the Most High,

Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

17“I see Him, but not now;

I behold Him, but not near;

A Star shall come out of Jacob;

A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

And batter the brow of Moab,

And destroy all the sons of tumult.

18“And Edom shall be a possession;

Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,

While Israel does valiantly.

19Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,

And destroy the remains of the city.”

20Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalek was first among the nations,

But shall be last until he perishes.”

21Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,

And your nest is set in the rock;

22Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.

How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

23Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?

24But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus,

And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber,

And so shall Amalek, until he perishes.”

25So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

2They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.

4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

5So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

6And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

8and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.

9And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

11“Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.

12“Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;

13‘and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

14Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites.

15And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

17“Harass the Midianites, and attack them;

18“for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

The Second Census of Israel

2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and above, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel.”

4“Take a census of the people from twenty years old and above, just as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt.”

5Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

8And the son of Pallu was Eliab.

9The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, representatives of the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD;

10and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign.

11Nevertheless the children of Korah did not die.

12The sons of Simeon according to their families were: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

13of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14These are the families of the Simeonites: twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15The sons of Gad according to their families were: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;

17of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them: forty thousand five hundred.

19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

20And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Parzites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

21And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them: seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23The sons of Issachar according to their families were: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puah, the family of the Punites;

24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them: sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26The sons of Zebulun according to their families were: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them: sixty thousand five hundred.

28The sons of Joseph according to their families, by Manasseh and Ephraim, were:

29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.

30These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

31of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

32of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them: thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

38The sons of Benjamin according to their families were: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

39of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

42These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.

43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44The sons of Asher according to their families were: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.

47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them: fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48The sons of Naphtali according to their families were: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

51These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.

52Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

53“To these the land shall be divided as an inheritance, according to the number of names.

54“To a large tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance. Each shall be given its inheritance according to those who were numbered of them.

55“But the land shall be divided by lot; they shall inherit according to the names of the tribes of their fathers.

57And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram.

59The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.

60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

61And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered profane fire before the LORD.

62Now those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and above; for they were not numbered among the other children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the children of Israel.

63These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

64But among these there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai.

65For the LORD had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” So there was not left a man of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Inheritance Laws

2And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying:

3“Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the LORD, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.

4“Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

5So Moses brought their case before the LORD.

6And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.

8“And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

9‘If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

10‘If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

11‘And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

Joshua the Next Leader of Israel

13“And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.

14“For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

16“Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

17“who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

18And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him;

19“set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight.

20“And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

21“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

23And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Daily Offerings

2“Command the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall be careful to offer to Me at their appointed time.’

3“And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering.

4‘The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening,

5‘and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil.

6‘It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

7‘And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the LORD as an offering.

8‘The other lamb you shall offer in the evening; as the morning grain offering and its drink offering, you shall offer it as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.

Sabbath Offerings

9‘And on the Sabbath day two lambs in their first year, without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering—

10‘this is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.

Monthly Offerings

12‘three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for each bull; two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, for the one ram;

13‘and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with oil, as a grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering of sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

14‘Their drink offering shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, one-third of a hin for a ram, and one-fourth of a hin for a lamb; this is the burnt offering for each month throughout the months of the year.

15‘Also one kid of the goats as a sin offering to the LORD shall be offered, besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Offerings at Passover

17‘And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast; unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

18‘On the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

19‘And you shall present an offering made by fire as a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish.

20‘Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah you shall offer for a bull, and two-tenths for a ram;

21‘you shall offer one-tenth of an ephah for each of the seven lambs;

22‘also one goat as a sin offering, to make atonement for you.

23‘You shall offer these besides the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a regular burnt offering.

24‘In this manner you shall offer the food of the offering made by fire daily for seven days, as a sweet aroma to the LORD; it shall be offered besides the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

25‘And on the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

Offerings at the Feast of Weeks

26‘Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work.

27‘You shall present a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year,

28‘with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

29‘and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

30‘also one kid of the goats, to make atonement for you.

31‘Be sure they are without blemish. You shall present them with their drink offerings, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering.

Offerings at the Feast of Trumpets

2‘You shall offer a burnt offering as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish.

3‘Their grain offering shall be fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram,

4‘and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

5‘also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, to make atonement for you;

6‘besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

Offerings on the Day of Atonement

7‘On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall afflict your souls; you shall not do any work.

8‘You shall present a burnt offering to the LORD as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish.

9‘Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram,

10‘and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs;

11‘also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

Offerings at the Feast of Tabernacles

12‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work, and you shall keep a feast to the LORD seven days.

13‘You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year. They shall be without blemish.

14‘Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two-tenths for each of the two rams,

15‘and one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs;

16‘also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

17‘On the second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

18‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

19‘also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

20‘On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

21‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

22‘also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

23‘On the fourth day present ten bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year, without blemish,

24‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

25‘also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

26‘On the fifth day present nine bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

27‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

28‘also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

29‘On the sixth day present eight bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

30‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

31‘also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

32‘On the seventh day present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen lambs in their first year without blemish,

33‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

34‘also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

35‘On the eighth day you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work.

36‘You shall present a burnt offering, an offering made by fire as a sweet aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven lambs in their first year without blemish,

37‘and their grain offering and their drink offerings for the bull, for the ram, and for the lambs, by their number, according to the ordinance;

38‘also one goat as a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering, and its drink offering.

39‘These you shall present to the LORD at your appointed feasts (besides your vowed offerings and your freewill offerings) as your burnt offerings and your grain offerings, as your drink offerings and your peace offerings.’ ”

40So Moses told the children of Israel everything, just as the LORD commanded Moses.

The Law Concerning Vows

2“If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

4“and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand.

5“But if her father overrules her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the LORD will release her, because her father overruled her.

6“If indeed she takes a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself,

7“and her husband hears it, and makes no response to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself shall stand.

8“But if her husband overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and the LORD will release her.

9“Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.

10“If she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath,

11“and her husband heard it, and made no response to her and did not overrule her, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement by which she bound herself shall stand.

12“But if her husband truly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeded from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her, it shall not stand; her husband has made them void, and the LORD will release her.

13“Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband may confirm it, or her husband may make it void.

14“Now if her husband makes no response whatever to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind her; he confirms them, because he made no response to her on the day that he heard them.

15“But if he does make them void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt.”

Vengeance on the Midianites

2“Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

3So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian.

4“A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

5So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

6Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand.

7And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.

8They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

9And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods.

10They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts.

11And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.

Return from the War

13And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.

14But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

15And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive?

16“Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

17“Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.

18“But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.

19“And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

20“Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

21Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses:

22“Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23“everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water.

24“And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

Division of the Plunder

25Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:

26“Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

27“and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.

28“And levy a tribute for the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep;

29“take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the LORD.

30“And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.”

31So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

32The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,

33seventy-two thousand cattle,

34sixty-one thousand donkeys,

35and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately.

36And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;

37and the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.

38The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two.

39The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one.

40The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty-two persons.

41So Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

42And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought—

43now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,

44thirty-six thousand cattle,

45thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,

46and sixteen thousand persons—

47and from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

48Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;

49and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing.

50“Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”

51So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments.

52And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the LORD, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

53(The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

54And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

The Tribes Setthng East of the Jordan

1Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock,

2the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying,

3“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon,

4“the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”

5Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.”

7“Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them?

8“Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land.

9“For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

10“So the LORD’s anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying,

11‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me,

12‘except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.’

13“So the LORD’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.

14“And look! You have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel.

15“For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

16Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones,

17“but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

18“We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance.

19“For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

21“and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,

22“and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

23“But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.

24“Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth.”

25And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your servants will do as my lord commands.

26“Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead;

27“but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says.”

28So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.

29And Moses said to them: “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

30“But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

31Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do.

32“We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan.”

34And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer,

35Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah,

36Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

37And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim,

38Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

39And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.

40So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it.

41Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair.

42Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.

Israel’s Journey from Egypt Reviewed

2Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the LORD. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:

3They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians.

4For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them. Also on their gods the LORD had executed judgments.

5Then the children of Israel moved from Rameses and camped at Succoth.

6They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.

7They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol.

8They departed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah.

9They moved from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.

10They moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.

11They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.

12They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

13They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush.

14They moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

15They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.

16They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

17They departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

18They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

19They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

20They departed from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

21They moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22They journeyed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23They went from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24They moved from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25They moved from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26They moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah.

28They moved from Terah and camped at Mithkah.

29They went from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

30They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

31They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

32They moved from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Hagidgad.

33They went from Hor Hagidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

34They moved from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

35They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

36They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

37They moved from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom.

38Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

39Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40Now the king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.

41So they departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth.

44They departed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, at the border of Moab.

45They departed from Ijim and camped at Dibon Gad.

46They moved from Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

47They moved from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.

48They departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

Instructions for the Conquest of Canaan

51“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

52‘then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places;

53‘you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.

54‘And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.

55‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.

56‘Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’ ”

The Appointed Boundaries of Canaan

2“Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its boundaries.

3‘Your southern border shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom; then your southern border shall extend eastward to the end of the Salt Sea;

4‘your border shall turn from the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and be on the south of Kadesh Barnea; then it shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon;

5‘the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the Sea.

6‘As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your western border.

7‘And this shall be your northern border: From the Great Sea you shall mark out your border line to Mount Hor;

8‘from Mount Hor you shall mark out your border to the entrance of Hamath; then the direction of the border shall be toward Zedad;

9‘the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your northern border.

10‘You shall mark out your eastern border from Hazar Enan to Shepham;

11‘the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; the border shall go down and reach to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth;

12‘the border shall go down along the Jordan, and it shall end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding boundaries.’ ”

13Then Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying: “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.

14“For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and the half-tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance.

15“The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, across from Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

The Leaders Appointed to Divide the Land

16And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

17“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.

18“And you shall take one leader of every tribe to divide the land for the inheritance.

19“These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

20“from the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud;

21“from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;

22“a leader from the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogh;

23“from the sons of Joseph: a leader from the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod,

24“and a leader from the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;

25“a leader from the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;

26“a leader from the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan;

27“a leader from the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;

28“and a leader from the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”

Cities for the Levites

1And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying:

2“Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities.

3“They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals.

4“The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around.

5“And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.

7“So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land.

8“And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”

Cities of Refuge

9Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

10“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

11‘then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there.

12‘They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.

13‘And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge.

14‘You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge.

15‘These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

16‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17‘And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18‘Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19‘The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.

20‘If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies,

21‘or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait,

23‘or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm,

24‘then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

25‘So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

26‘But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled,

27‘and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

28‘because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.

29‘And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30‘Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty.

31‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.

32‘And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

33‘So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.

34‘Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’ ”

Marriage of Female Heirs

2And they said: “The LORD commanded my lord Moses to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.

3“Now if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance.

4“And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

5Then Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying: “What the tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks is right.

6“This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’

7“So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

8“And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers.

9“Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance.”

10Just as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad;

11for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to the sons of their father’s brothers.

12They were married into the families of the children of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

13These are the commandments and the judgments which the LORD commanded the children of Israel by the hand of Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

Annotations for Numbers

The second month of the second year, thirteen months after the Exodus, Israel had to start preparing for battle. If Genesis is the book of beginnings and Exodus the book of redemption, then Numbers is the book of warfare. The Israelites were in enemy territory, marching toward the land God would help them conquer, and they had to organize for confrontation and conflict.

Catalyst

Some people are disturbed by the emphasis on warfare in certain parts of the Bible, and a few denominations have even removed from their hymnals militant songs like “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” But their fears and criticisms are unfounded. “The LORD is a man of war” () when it comes to punishing sin and removing evil. The nations that Israel destroyed in Canaan were living in abominable moral filth and sinning against a flood of light, and the Lord had been longsuffering with them (; .). Would anybody today criticize a surgeon for removing a cancerous life-threatening tumor from a patient’s body? Yet that’s what God did for society when He used Israel to judge the degenerate nations in Canaan.

The military image is used frequently in the New Testament, even by Jesus () and especially by Paul (; ; ; ; ). The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground, and there’s an enemy to fight and territory to gain for the Lord. God declared war on Satan long ago (), and there can be no neutrality in this spiritual conflict, for Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” ().

Go to the

The phrase “able to go to war” is used many times in this chapter. If God were to number the believers in the church today according to their ability to wage spiritual warfare, we wonder how big the army would be.

Because of their important ministry as assistants to the priests, the Levites were exempted from military duty. The tabernacle was the most important structure in the entire camp, and only the priests and Levites could attend to it. Therefore, they weren’t counted in the military census. Worship and warfare may seem unrelated, but in God’s economy, they go together. One of the major themes of the Book of Revelation is God’s warfare against evil on earth and His receiving worship in heaven. Unless the people of God are right with the Lord in their worship, they can’t face their enemies and defeat them in warfare. “Let the praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand” ().

, When the motions of the pillar of cloud over the tabernacle announced that the camp would move, it would have been difficult if not impossible to break camp and start the march quickly and efficiently without some kind of order in the camp. “Let all things be done decently and in order” () is an admonition for God’s people in every age, “for God is not the author of confusion” ().

The twelve tribes had to be careful not to camp too close to the tabernacle, for that area was reserved for the priests and Levites (v. ). To venture too near to the sacred tent could mean death (). Also, each tribe was to display its standard and each family its banner (; ). Nowhere in Scripture are we told the colors of these tribal banners or the emblems that were on them, and it’s useless to conjecture. Jewish tradition suggests that the colors were those of the twelve gems in the high priest’s chest piece (), but we can’t be certain what some of those colors were.

In God’s plan, Israel and the church are two different peoples (), but you can’t help but see Israel’s camp as an illustration of what God’s church ought to be in this world: a pilgrim people following the Lord, with His glory at the heart of everything and His presence leading the way. Israel was one people, united in the Lord and to each other. Yet each separate company was recognized by God, displayed its own unique banner, occupied its own special place, and marched at the Lord’s command.

The next two chapters are devoted to the Levites, the men who served the Lord by assisting the priests in their ministry at the tabernacle. Moses records two numberings of the Levites, those one month old and older and those twenty years old and older, as well as the duties assigned to them. The Levites had no inheritance in the Promised Land but lived from a tithe of the gifts that the people brought to the Lord ().

The priests were the descendants of Aaron, the first high priest, who had four sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar (). The entire nation of Israel was to be a “kingdom of priests” before God (, ), and He appointed a special priesthood to help His people obey His law and bear witness of His goodness. The Levites were God’s gift to the priests, substitutes for the redeemed firstborn sons of Israel who already belonged to God. The Levites did for the Lord and the priests the service that the firstborn sons would have done, for the Levites ministered in their place.

The Gershonites and Merarites had wagons for carrying their burdens, but the Kohathites had none (). The sacred furniture of the tabernacle had to be borne on the shoulders of the sanctified servants of God. When David had the ark brought into Jerusalem, he didn’t obey this rule, and it led to the death of Uzzah (). The Kohathites were burden-bearers, but their burdens were precious, very important to the people, and appointed by the Lord. Certainly they considered it a privilege to carry the sacred furnishings of the sanctuary on their shoulders through the wilderness.

All this information about the ministry of the Levites reminds us that our God is concerned with details and wants His work to be done by the people He has chosen and in the way He has appointed. Nothing in the camp of Israel was left to chance or human contrivance. Each Levite and priest knew his responsibilities and was expected to “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (). Caring for the tabernacle was serious work, a matter of life and death.

The division of labor among the Levites also reminds us that not everybody has the same burdens to bear. The Gershonites and Merarites could put their burdens on wagons, but the Kohathites had to carry their burdens on their shoulders. There are some burdens we can share (), but there are other burdens that only we can bear ().

The specific duties and safeguards related to the work of the Levites exhibit a high level of organization. Our God believes in organization, but the organization is a means to an end and not an end in itself. I have heard it said, “Remember, the church is an organism, not an organization.” But I would respond that if an organism isn’t organized, it will die! Yes, the church is a living spiritual organism, but it’s also an organization. If an army isn’t organized, it can’t fight the enemy successfully; if a family isn’t organized, it will experience nothing but chaos and confusion.

We live in an age not unlike that described in the Book of Judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (; ). But God’s Word to His people is just the opposite: “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (; see ). When God’s work is done God’s way, in obedience to God’s truth, it will never lack God’s blessing.

The concepts of “clean” and “unclean” were vital to daily life in Israel. Cleanliness involved much more than personal hygiene; it involved being acceptable to God in what they ate, what they wore, and how they conducted themselves at home and in public. The Israelites were in the infancy of their faith, and God used familiar pictures to teach them spiritual truth. He compared sin to disease and defilement and holiness to health and cleanliness (). Unclean people were put out of the camp until they had met the ceremonial requirements for reentry.

Scholars aren’t agreed on what leprosy involved in ancient days, but whatever it was, it was a dreaded disease that made the victims ceremonially unclean. The second defiled group was made up of people from whose bodies fluid was being discharged (see ). The discharge might be natural (, ) or unnatural (, ), but it still made the people unclean. The third group was composed of people who had touched a dead body, whether human or animal.

God’s glorious presence dwelt in the camp of Israel (see ), and therefore the camp had to be pure and holy in His sight. “I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people,” was His promise (), and with that gracious promise came the solemn responsibility: “You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (, ).

The person who committed a trespass against another had to confess it and make restitution. (See ; .) It wasn’t enough just to confess the sin, say, “I’m sorry,” and then bring a trespass offering to the priest. The offender had to pay the injured party (or a relative, or the priest) an amount of money equivalent to the loss incurred and add to it another 20 percent. In this way, the Lord taught His people that sin is costly and hurts people, and that true repentance demands honest restitution.

Faithfulness in marriage is a foundation stone for every society, for as goes the home, so goes the nation. In Israel, adultery not only defiled the people involved but also the land itself, and it was a sin detestable to God (, ). Adultery was a capital offense. If proved guilty, both the adulterer and the adulteress were stoned to death ().

There’s no record in Scripture that any husband ever used this law or that any accused wife asked for it. Perhaps its very existence proved a barrier to adultery and a warning that sin would be found out. There are clearly some built-in “roadblocks” that would make a husband hesitate to rush to the priest and ask for his wife to be tried.

There are many perplexing questions associated with this ritual, but let’s not miss the major message: God wants purity in marriage, and husbands and wives can’t escape the bitter consequences of marital unfaithfulness. God can forgive adultery (), and husbands and wives can make new beginnings in the Lord. However, adultery hurts everybody, and it’s sometimes difficult to live with the consequences of forgiven sin.

Don’t confuse “Nazirite” with “Nazarene.” Jesus was called a “Nazarene” because He came from Nazareth, a city despised by the people of Judea (). The word “Nazirite” comes from a Hebrew word that means “to set apart, to dedicate.” Jesus was not a Nazirite because He touched dead bodies and drank the fruit of the vine, both of which were forbidden to Nazirites.

Each Nazirite had a different goal in mind, but all of them wanted to glorify the Lord and obey His Word. They didn’t isolate themselves from society but rather were witnesses to others of the importance of total devotion to the Lord. Their vow was for a specified period () and a specified purpose.

Three responsibilities were involved in the Nazirite vow. First, they were not to drink wine, grape juice, vinegar, or fermented drinks, nor were they allowed to eat grapes, raisins, or even the skins and seeds of grapes! Second, they had to let their hair grow as a sign they were devoted especially to God. Since female Nazirites would already have long hair, perhaps they left it loose and somewhat unkempt as a mark of their dedication. Third, they were never to touch a corpse, even that of a close relative.

Nobody is saved by making and keeping a vow. Salvation is the gift of God to those who believe, not a reward to those who behave. However, there are some people who are led of the Lord to make special vows to God, not to get something from Him but to give something to Him, and as long as these vows don’t contradict Scripture, they can be blessed of God (; ; , ; ; ).

The priests were given the privilege of serving at the altar and ministering in the sanctuary, but they were also allowed to bless God’s people in the name of the Lord. We use this blessing today, for it belongs to us as well as to Israel. The church has been blessed with “every spiritual blessing” through the Lord Jesus Christ (), and we can claim this benediction through Him.

The threefold use of the name of the Lord suggests that our God is a Trinity of persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is the Lord (), and so is the Son (), and so is the Spirit (). You see the Trinity in , ; , ; , ; and , as well as many other places in the Bible. is actually a hymn to the Trinity: Father (), Son (), and Spirit (, ).

We need the blessings that God lists here: to be cared for by the Lord who watches over us; to have the smile of His face upon us and the riches of His grace given to us; to have Him pay attention to us when we call; and, as the result of these things, to enjoy His peace in our hearts.

Peace (shalom) is one of the great words in the Hebrew vocabulary, and it means much more than the absence of storm and trouble around us. It involves quietness of heart within us, spiritual health and spiritual prosperity, adequacy for the demands of life, and the kind of spiritual well-being that rises above circumstances. Peace describes that deep and satisfying rightness with God, which is what Paul had in mind when he wrote .

On the first day of the first month, in the second year after Israel was delivered from Egypt, the tabernacle was erected and dedicated to the Lord (). On that day the twelve tribes of Israel began to bring special offerings to the Lord to be used by the priests and Levites in the tabernacle service. The people had donated generously to the building of the tabernacle (; ), and now they were contributing to its ministry and maintenance.

A cursory reading of this long chapter (the longest in the Pentateuch) might give the impression that it contains nothing but repetition, for on twelve successive days each of the tribal leaders brought identical gifts. But we must not miss the point that God took notice of each gift, each leader, and each tribe on each successive day. In fact, each leader is mentioned twice, at the beginning of the report and at the end. We met these leaders in and . The order is the same as that established for Israel whenever they marched to a new location.

The fact that God noted and recorded each name and each gift indicates His love for and interest in the individual believer. He knows our names () and has recorded them individually in His heavenly register (; ). When we stand before the Lord, He will see us individually, “then each one’s praise will come from God” () and every man “will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (). Nobody will be overlooked and nobody will be lost in the crowd.

Just as with His ancient people, God wants His people today to be clean and separated, “to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (). We are a people blessed of the Lord, and with these blessings comes the obligation to be a blessing to others. God wants us to be a generous people, supporting the local church and helping the work of the Lord around the world as He directs us.

When the tabernacle was dedicated to the Lord, God’s glory moved in (, ) and God’s fire consumed the sacrifices on the altar (, ). But God didn’t light the seven lamps on the gold lampstand in the Holy Place. This was the obligation of Aaron, the high priest, for he and his sons and their descendants would have the solemn responsibility of caring for the lampstand, trimming the wicks, adding the sacred oil, and making sure the light was shining. (See ; , ; ; .)

Catalyst

Since the tabernacle, its furnishings, and its service speak of the person and work of Jesus Christ (), the lampstand is certainly a symbol of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world (). “God is light” (), and it’s only through His revelation that we can see and understand spiritual truth.

The lampstand was a reminder to the priests that Israel was called to be a light to the Gentile world (; ). Unless the people obeyed God and worshiped Him as He commanded, Israel’s light of witness would become dim and eventually go out. That’s just what happened, and part of the blame lay with the priests (). Only God could see the priests as they ministered in the Holy Place, but that should have been enough to motivate them to be obedient and reverent.

The oil for the lamps is a symbol of the Holy Spirit of God, who alone can empower us to witness effectively for Christ (; ). A church that is filled with the Spirit can face opposition and continue to bear witness courageously to Jesus Christ ().

Go to the

If Aaron and his sons were the “official clergy” in the camp, serving at the altar and in the tabernacle, then the Levites were the “dedicated laity” who assisted the priests in their ministry. They were taken and “set apart from the rest of the people of Israel” (vv. , , , ) as substitutes for the firstborn males who belonged to the Lord (vv. ; see and ). The Levites belonged to the Lord (), and He gave them to the priests as His special gift (v. ). The Levites cared for the tabernacle, took the structure down for each march, carried it during the march, and then erected it again in the new location.

Some practical principles relating to Christian service emerge from the consecration of the Levites. First of all, it is God who chooses, equips, and consecrates His people for spiritual service, and we must accept His will. The priests were in charge of the tabernacle ministry and the Levites assisted them. Every priest had to come from Aaron’s family, and no Levite was allowed to take the place of a priest. Levites were not permitted to serve at the altar, wear the priestly garments, or enter the sanctuary (, ; ; ; ; ).

A second principle is that those who serve must first of all serve the Lord and then serve His people. God’s servants must be living sacrifices, an “offering to the Lord” (see ). We serve the Lord by serving His people, but our orders must come from God. “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (). No matter what task the Lord assigns to us, it is important to His work, and we must do it cheerfully and carefully.

The priests and Levites camped immediately around the tabernacle precincts and served as a protective wall against those who wanted to invade the holy area and thus invite the judgment of God. So today, leaders in local churches must be diligent to protect the flock from those who would destroy it. “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock,” was Paul’s admonition to the leaders of the Ephesian church (), and he warned them that dangerous enemies would arise from both outside the church and within the congregation (). God’s servants must ever be on the alert and courageous to confront the enemies of God’s truth.

The events recorded in were preceded by those described in . We are now in the second year of Israel’s national history (; ). The tabernacle was erected on the first day of the first month (, ). The twelve tribal leaders began to bring their gifts on that day (), a procedure that lasted twelve days (). On the thirteenth day, the Levites were consecrated (ch. ), and on the fourteenth day, the Israelites celebrated Passover ().

It was only fitting that the Israelites began their second year of freedom by commemorating the awesome night when God delivered them from Egyptian bondage. Unless parents remind their children of what the Lord has done, it won’t be long before the next generation will drift from the faith (; see ).

To assist us today in determining and doing God’s will, we have the Holy Spirit within us (, ; , ), the Word of God before us (), and the interceding Savior above us who providentially works on our behalf (). To guide Israel in their journey, God gave them the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (), and to announce the will of God to the people, He ordered the priests to blow two silver trumpets ().

This miraculous pillar first appeared at the exodus (, ), and it remained with Israel throughout their journey (). When the Israelites set up camp, the pillar hovered over the tabernacle at the center of the camp, reminding the people day and night that their God abode with them (; this is the Hebrew word shekinah) and would guide them a day at a time, a step at a time. It must have been an awesome sight!

Catalyst

During the exodus from Egypt and the years of wandering in the wilderness, God displayed His continual presence in the form of a pillar of fire and cloud. It’s interesting to note that this miraculous pillar brought light to the people of Israel but darkness to their enemies (, ). In this respect, it symbolizes the Word of God, because those who don’t know Christ by faith simply can’t understand what the Word is saying (). In order to know the mind of God, we must submit to the will of God, and the first step is to put saving faith in Jesus Christ (, ). Then you move out of darkness and into God’s wonderful light (; ; ; ).

Jesus called Himself “the light of the world” (), and He promised those who followed (trusted) Him that they would never walk in darkness. It’s a great privilege to “walk in the light” and enjoy fellowship with God and God’s people (). To walk in darkness means to be out of the will of God, apart from the blessing of God, and in danger of the discipline of God. Why live in the shadows or in the darkness when you can have God’s smiling face shining on you ()?

Go to the

These two silver trumpets were blown by the priests, not the Levites, although the Levites became the official musicians for the nation (; ). These two trumpets were used, not to accompany worship, but to communicate orders quickly to the camp of Israel. Not only did the leaders and people have to keep their eyes open and pay attention to the pillar over the tabernacle, but they also had to keep their ears open for the sound of the trumpets.

Even after the nation settled in the Promised Land, the blowing of the trumpets was important to remind them of the special festivals that were a part of their religious calendar (). The Festival of Trumpets ushered in the special religious events of the seventh month: the Day of Atonement and the Festival of Shelters (.; ; ). The blowing of trumpets announced the special celebrations of the Israelites, including the beginning of the Year of Jubilee ().

Like the Old Testament people of God, the children of God today are awaiting “the sound of the trumpet” that signals our gathering together to Jesus as well as God’s declaration of war against a wicked world ready for judgment (; ). Until that hour, we remain a pilgrim people in this wilderness world, following His directions and serving Him faithfully.

Israel’s history for the next thirty-eight years () is for the most part a record of unbelief and failure. They were years during which the people opposed Moses and rebelled against God’s will. Because of their disobedience at Kadesh Barnea, Israel wandered in the wilderness for thirty-eight years, leaving behind a trail of graves as the older generation died off. Of that generation, only Joshua and Caleb survived to enter Canaan.

In contrast, the first ten chapters of Numbers have recorded the activities of a nation obeying the Lord. “Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so they did” () is a theme often repeated in these chapters (; , ; ; ; , , ; , ). In obeying God, Israel had everything to gain and nothing to lose, yet they often refused to trust Him and follow His commandments. It’s not until that the picture changes, when Moses takes a census of the new generation and prepares them to enter the land, conquer the enemy, and claim their inheritance.

Where each tribe marched in the procession wasn’t an option; it was an obligation, an order from Almighty God. If the tribe of Dan or Asher grew tired of being at the end of the march and asked to take the lead, Moses would have refused their request, for the will of God in this matter wasn’t negotiable. The people of Israel weren’t on a pleasure trip, looking at the scenery. They were an army invading enemy territory and commanded by the Lord of Hosts. Each tribe was a division in the Lord’s army, and each division had to be in its proper place.

Bible students disagree over whether Moses was right or wrong when he asked Hobab to be Israel’s “eyes” as they traveled in the wilderness. After all, wasn’t the nation being led by the pillar of cloud and the ark of the Lord? And didn’t God speak to Moses personally and reveal His will to Him? Then why draft a human guide when they had so much help from heaven? But divine providence doesn’t minimize or destroy human ability or responsibility. Israel didn’t need Hobab to tell them where to march or where to camp; God would do that. But Hobab’s knowledge of the land would assist them in making other decisions as they moved from place to place.

But let’s not miss the main thrust of what Moses did: He invited others to come with Israel to enjoy the blessings God had prepared for them. The church today is a pilgrim people in this world (; ), traveling toward heaven, and it’s our privilege to invite others to come along with us. The journey isn’t easy, but God is blessing His people now and will bless them forever. How many have we invited lately?

History repeats itself. Three days after the great praise service by the Red Sea, the Israelites complained against Moses and God because they didn’t have water to drink (). Now, three days after leaving Sinai (), the Israelites complained again. It takes faith to be able to accept God’s providential leading (), and Israel’s faith wasn’t very strong.

The people who complain the most about God and their spiritual leaders end up coming to those leaders for help! How gracious Moses was to intercede on their behalf, and how like our Lord Jesus Christ! “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (). More than once when Israel sinned, it was the intercession of Moses that stayed God’s hand of judgment. On one occasion, Moses even offered to die so that Israel might be spared ().

How tragic it is when professed believers in churches crave substitutes from the world instead of desiring the heavenly manna of the Word of God (; ). In trying to attract and please the “foreign rabble,” churches have turned their sanctuaries into theaters and their ministries into performances, and worship has become entertainment. Paul had to deal with this crowd in his day (), so it’s nothing new.

It isn’t enemies outside the local church who do the damage but counterfeiters who get inside the church fellowship (; ). These intruders might march with the church crowd and act like they are God’s people, but they don’t have an appetite for spiritual things, and eventually their true allegiance is revealed (, ).

It’s a serious mistake to complain against the Lord, attack His servants, and ask for “religious substitutes” that satisfy our fleshly desires. These murmurers in Israel were eventually judged by God and used by Paul as a warning to the churches today (). “Do all things without complaining and disputing” (). An unthankful heart makes it easier for people to commit all kinds of sins (.).

Few experiences discourage God’s servants more than people criticizing them unjustly and complaining about the blessings the Lord has given. This is the first of two occasions when the attitude of the people caused Moses to sin (see ). Knowing as we do how ungrateful and hardhearted the people of Israel were, we wonder that Moses wasn’t discouraged more often!

Moses lost his perspective and got his eyes off the Lord and on himself, something that is easy to do in the difficult experiences of life. His inability “to bear all these people alone” () reminds us of when God called Moses and assured Him of His help (, ). But at least Moses took his burden to the Lord and accepted God’s counsel ().

The Lord had warned Israel that the way they treated the daily manna would be a test of their obedience to His Word (; ). In rejecting the manna, Israel really rejected the Lord, and it was this rebellious attitude that invited the judgment of God. This reminds us that the way we treat God’s Word is the way we treat the Lord Himself. To ignore the Word, treat it carelessly, or willfully disobey it is to ask for the discipline of God (). Instead of feeding on the things of the world that bring death, let’s cultivate an appetite for the holy Word of God (; ; ; ; ; ).

Moses wasn’t the only servant of God to face this problem of “spiritual exclusiveness.” John the Baptist faced it (), and so did Jesus () and Paul (). However, Joshua felt that Moses and God were losing something by allowing these two men to receive the Spirit. The first time we meet Joshua in Scripture, he is leading the army of Israel in victory over the Amalekites (). Then we see Him on Mount Sinai with Moses (; ), and now we learn that he is Moses’ servant (). Later, he will become Moses’ successor.

People in places of spiritual leadership know that problems usually come in clusters of twos or threes. Why? Because Satan is alive and busy (, ) and sinful human nature fights the holy will of God (, ). Just about the time the Lord helps you settle one crisis, another one appears.

Three pieces of evidence lead to the conclusion that Miriam was the leader in this family rebellion: she is mentioned first among the siblings; the verb “criticized” is feminine in form, and Miriam alone was disciplined by the Lord.

God heard Miriam and Aaron’s words, saw the evil motives in their hearts, and acted swiftly lest their sin spread among the people, because when leaders sin, the consequences can be disastrous. Note that in verse the three names are reversed from the order in verse . God put Moses first! He called all three to the tabernacle, spoke to the two (Miriam and Aaron), and pronounced judgment on the one—Miriam.

Miriam and Aaron each had their assigned ministries, but Moses was God’s chosen leader for Israel and nobody could take his place. It was God who gave Moses his position and authority, and it was wicked for Miriam to challenge her brother. In judgment, God afflicted Miriam with leprosy.

Aaron knew the significance of the leprosy and he begged Moses to intercede for Miriam and himself, for the pronouns are plural: “We have sinned.” Aaron was the interceding high priest for Israel and yet he needed an intercessor! As further evidence of his meekness, Moses prayed for his sister, and the Lord did eventually remove the affliction.

It’s a serious duty to be a spiritual leader, for the greater the honor, the greater the responsibility. It’s also a serious thing to try to usurp the authority God has given to others. “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear” (). Jesus warned that our enemies might be those from our own household (; see also ). The writer of Hebrews made this same point: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” ().

Israel was on the threshold of their objective. God delivered His people from Egypt that they might enter the Promised Land and enjoy the blessings prepared for them. Years later, Moses reminded the new generation, “He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers” (; see ). The Lord had promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (; ; ; ; ) and had reaffirmed that promise through Moses (, ; , ; ; ).

The name Hoshea means “salvation,” but Moses changed it to “Joshua,” which means “Yahweh is salvation.” It was the kind of name that would encourage the faith of a soldier and remind him that the Lord was fighting for him.

The twelve spies traveled about 500 miles during the forty days of their survey of Canaan, but they discovered nothing that God hadn’t already told them! They already knew the names of the pagan nations that lived in the land (), that it was a good land () and a rich land flowing with milk and honey (, ).

, The survey of the land may have been a good idea from a conventional military point of view, but not from a spiritual point of view. God had already given them the land and had commanded them to go in and take it. He had promised them victory, so all they had to do was “trust and obey.” The Lord would go before them and scatter His enemies (), but His people had to follow by faith. That was where they failed. They doubted that God was able to keep His promises and give them the land.

Notice how the ten spies identified Canaan as “the land through which we have gone as spies” (v. ), but not as “the land the Lord our God is giving us.” Because these ten men were walking by sight, they didn’t really believe God’s promises.

To the unbelieving world, it’s unreasonable for anybody to trust a God they’ve never seen or heard, but we have all the evidence we need to convince us that God is dependable and has the power to accomplish what He says He will do. What He promises, He is able to perform (). Israel had seen what the Lord did to the Egyptians and the Amalekites (), and they had every assurance that He would never fail His people.

Unbelief is serious because it challenges the character of God and rebels against the will of God. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (). Moses reminded the people of what God had already done for them (), but they wouldn’t stop complaining. They were sure that the best thing to do was return to Egypt and go back into bondage.

In the camp of Israel, unbelief and discouragement spread rapidly from heart to heart, and before long “the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night” (see also vv. and ). The next day, the whole congregation criticized Moses and Aaron and lamented the fact that the nation hadn’t perished in Egypt or in the wilderness. When your eyes are on yourself and your circumstances, you lose your perspective and say and do ridiculous things.

In most churches, there are two or three chronic complainers who plague the spiritual leaders and sometime must be disciplined, but here was an entire nation weeping over a plight that they had caused by their own unbelief! They didn’t admit their own failings; instead, they blamed God and decided to choose a new leader and return to Egypt (vv. , ). This was rebellion against the will of God.

When the child of God is in the will of God, there is no place for complaining, even if the circumstances are difficult. The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God can’t provide for us or the power of God can’t protect us.

There were four men of faith in the camp—Moses, Aaron, Caleb, and Joshua—and they tried to change the situation. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and interceded with God, something they would do often in the years ahead (see , , ; ; ), but Caleb and Joshua spoke to the people and assured them that the Israelite army could easily take the land because God was with them. These two men saw the nation’s sin for what it really was: rebellion against God.

God wants us to know His will (), understand His will (), delight in His will (), and obey His will from the heart (). As we yield to the Lord, trust Him, and obey Him, we learn by experience what the will of God is (, ). The Spirit of God opens up the Word of God to us and helps us discern what God wants us to do. But it’s important that we are willing to obey, or He won’t teach us what we need to know (). If we aren’t willing to obey, God isn’t obligated to reveal His will to us.

, Because He is a holy God, the Lord must punish sin, but because He is a gracious and merciful God, He forgives sin. How does God solve this dilemma? By giving His own Son on the cross to pay for the sins of the world. Because of the cross, God is both just and the justifier of those who trust in Christ (). He upholds His holy law and is true to His own character, and at the same time makes forgiveness available to sinners who repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

God in His grace and mercy forgives sin, but in His divine government He allows that sin to have its sad effects in the lives of sinners. He doesn’t hold the children responsible for the sins of their parents, but children can suffer because of their parents’ sins. Since many Israelite homes were comprised of three or four generations, this meant that the entire household would suffer because of the sins of the fathers.

God assured Moses that He did indeed pardon their sin (v. ), but that He would not prevent their sin from working out its terrible destructive consequences. The rebellious Israelites weren’t concerned about the glory of the Lord, even though His glory guided them day by day and hovered over the tabernacle each night. God wanted to use Israel to magnify His glory throughout the whole earth (v. ; ; ; ), but they had failed miserably.

God’s judgment was threefold: (1) The nation would wander for thirty-eight years, thus making forty years in the wilderness, one for each day the spies had explored the land; (2) during that time, the older generation, twenty years and upward, would die and not enter the land, except for Caleb and Joshua; (3) the ten unbelieving spies died because of the evil report they delivered (vv. ).

The Israelites had lamented that they wanted to die in the wilderness (v. ), and they had complained that their children would die in Canaan (v. ), but God declared that their children would live in Canaan and the adults would die in the wilderness! Out of their own mouths, God passed judgment. Be careful what you say to God when you complain, because He may take you up on it! After all, God’s greatest judgment is to let people have their own way.

, The Israelites may have been “mourned greatly” and said, “We have sinned,” but this “mourning” was regret and not true repentance. The Israelites regretted the consequences of their sins but not the sins themselves. Israel had rebelled against God and robbed Him of glory, yet they exhibited no brokenness of spirit or sorrow for sin. Unlike Moses and Aaron, they didn’t fall on their faces and seek the Lord’s help. Instead, they went from rebellion to presumption and tried to fight the enemy on their own.

Admitting sin isn’t the same as confessing sin and turning to the Lord to seek His mercy. The Israelites thought that they could make a new beginning because God had granted them forgiveness, but they were wrong. God had forgiven their sins, but He had also instituted a new plan that would delay Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land for nearly forty years. An unbelieving people with an arrogant attitude could never defeat the heathen nations in Canaan. If Israel wasn’t right with God, they could never claim God’s help as they sought to conquer the land.

The Lord’s prediction came true and the Israelite army was defeated ignominiously. Not only did the Amalekites and Canaanites rout the Israelite forces as they attacked, but they chased the Israelite army over 100 miles north, as far as Hormah. It was a sad day for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The entire experience at Kadesh Barnea teaches us that there is no substitute for faith in God’s promises and obedience to His commandments. Faith is simply obeying God in spite of how we feel, what we see, or what we think might happen. When God’s people trust and obey, the Lord delights in doing wonders for them, because they glorify His name.

The phrase “a sweet aroma to the Lord” is found five times in this paragraph (vv. , , , , ). The five basic Mosaic offerings were the burnt offering, grain offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering (). The first three were “sweet aroma” sacrifices, designed to please the Lord, but the sin offering and the trespass offering were not “sweet aroma” because they dealt with guilt and sin, and there’s nothing pleasing to God about sin.

Christians today see in the choice flour a picture of Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life (), who offered himself to God for us as “a sweet-smelling aroma” to God (). The flour also acknowledges God as the generous source of all our food. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (), and the wine reminds us of the joy of the Lord (). It pleases the heart of God when His people spontaneously thank Him for the material and spiritual blessings that He sends so faithfully and bountifully. The drink offering, poured out at the base of the altar, symbolized life poured out for God. On the cross, Jesus “exposed Himself to death” (literally “poured out Himself”—) so that those who trust Him might have eternal life. As we serve the Lord sacrificially, we’re like a “drink offering,” poured out in the service of others and to the glory of God (; ; and see ).

To sin “brazenly” or “presumptuously” means to disobey God’s law deliberately and arrogantly, knowing full well the danger involved. The Hebrew literally means “to sin with a high hand” as though the person were shaking his or her fist in the face of God, daring God to do something. Presumptuous sins are committed by people who have “no fear of God before their eyes” ().

It’s a dangerous practice for Christians to say, “I’ll go ahead and sin, because afterward, I can ask God to forgive me.” They see God’s promise in as a “religious rabbit’s foot” to get them out of trouble after they’ve deliberately disobeyed God. Professed Christians who repeatedly and deliberately sin probably aren’t Christians at all (; ; , ), and true believers who adopt that careless attitude will be chastened by the Father until they submit to His will ().

When they dressed each morning, the Israelites would see the tassels and be reminded that they were God’s people, obligated to obey His will. Perhaps the blue threads would remind them that their God was in heaven, seeing everything they did. As they walked about during the day, they would notice the tassels and remember God’s commandments, and likewise when they prepared for sleep at night. No matter how many idols they might see during the day, the tassels reminded them that it was Jehovah, the God of Israel, who had delivered them from Egypt, and they were to worship and serve Him alone. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” ().

What objects, practices, or habits in your life are most likely to remind you of your commitment to God?

Whenever you find complaining and rebelling among God’s people, there’s usually a “stated reason” and a “hidden reason.” Korah’s public complaint was that Moses and Aaron were “running things” and not giving the people opportunity for input. He wanted more democracy in the camp. The hidden reason was that Korah wanted the Levites to have the same privileges as Aaron and his sons (v. ). Korah wasn’t satisfied to be assisting the priests; he wanted to be a priest.

Whether it’s the ancient camp of Israel or a modern city, no society can function without subordination. Somebody has to be in charge. Parents have authority in the home, teachers in the classroom, managers in the factory or office, and civil servants in the city or nation (; .). When this kind of order breaks down, society is in serious trouble. God had chosen Moses to be leader of the nation and Aaron to be the high priest, and to resist this arrangement was to rebel against the will of God and bring serious division to the camp.

The selfish desire for greatness and authority is a common theme in Scripture, yet the most important place in the Christian life is the place of God’s choice, the place He’s prepared for us and prepared us to fill. The important thing isn’t status but faithfulness, doing the work God wants us to do. Every member of the church, the body of Christ, has at least one spiritual gift to be used for serving others, and therefore every member is important to God and to the church ().

Moses didn’t argue with the rebels; he prayed to the Lord and asked Him to vindicate His servant. Moses’ anger wasn’t selfish irritation; it was the righteous indignation of a man of integrity who sought only the glory of the Lord. There is a righteous anger that God’s people ought to feel when sinners defy the will of God and tempt others to sin (; ; ; ).

Moses and Aaron, being true leaders, immediately fell on their faces before the Lord and interceded for the nation. Why should all the people die because of the sin of these men? Moses frequently had to intercede for the people, and they probably didn’t appreciate what he did for them. On two occasions, God was ready to destroy the entire nation, but Moses’ intercession saved them (; ).

The deaths of over 250 people should have brought reverent awe into the hearts of the Israelites, but there was “no fear of God before their eyes” (). What began with several hundred rebels had now become a national uprising! Instead of falling to their knees and crying out to God for forgiveness and mercy, the Israelites were rebelling against Moses and Aaron just as Korah had done! Carnally minded people can’t perceive the spiritual meaning of what God does because they lack spiritual discernment (). The nation beheld God’s acts, but Moses understood God’s ways ().

What is there about the human heart that makes it so easy to follow the crowd and disobey the Lord? The one thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history, and that includes church history. Seeing a clear example of what to do or not to do is not a guarantee that we will do it! We need God’s help even to learn from our mistakes!

If Moses put Aaron’s staff back into the Most Holy Place, how could it be a reminder to the nation that the tribe of Levi was the priestly tribe? For one thing, the rulers of each tribe and many of the people saw the staffs and could bear witness that Aaron’s was the only one that produced life. Each day, when the tribal leaders took up their staffs, they would be reminded that God had chosen Aaron’s sons to serve at the altar. Furthermore, the high priest could always bring out the staff of Levi as unchanging evidence that Aaron’s family alone was chosen for the priesthood.

The Lord gave Israel three reminders to encourage them to obey His law and submit to His will: the tassels on their garments (), the bronze sheet on the altar (), and Aaron’s staff in the Most Holy Place. To encourage believers today to be obedient children, the Lord has given us His Word (), the indwelling Holy Spirit (, ), the Lord’s Supper, reminding us of the death of Christ and His promised return (; ), and the interceding Savior in heaven (; ). Before we judge God’s ancient people, perhaps we had better examine our own hearts to see if we have submitted to the authority of His Word and of His appointed leaders.

, As usual, the Israelites overreacted when they heard the news and concluded that anybody who came near the tabernacle would perish (see ). At least they had a fear of judgment, but they didn’t have a true fear of God in their hearts. But the presence of the tabernacle in the camp should have been a source of confidence for the Israelites, for it meant that Jehovah was present with them. He would guide them through the wilderness, defeat their enemies, receive their sacrifices, and grant them forgiveness. To calm their fears, Moses in the next two chapters explained the ministry of the priests and the importance of the tabernacle of the camp.

God spoke expressly to Aaron (vv. , , ) and thereby elevated his high priestly ministry even more. The Lord made it clear that it was the responsibility of the priests to minister in the tabernacle and protect it from defilement, and it was the responsibility of the Levites to assist the priests in their tabernacle ministry. As long as the priests and Levites obeyed this rule, there would be no judgment sent to the people (v. ).

The priestly ministry was a serious matter, for if the priests didn’t follow God’s instructions, they might die. If they permitted an unauthorized person to come near the tabernacle or to minister there, God could slay them. It was dangerous to disobey even in the matter of how they dressed (, , ) or if they washed regularly (). God held Aaron and his sons responsible for offenses committed against the sanctuary and the priesthood.

Everything rises or falls with leadership, and Aaron was the leader of the priestly family. He was accountable to God for what happened at the sanctuary. God doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands (), but He does dwell in our bodies by His Holy Spirit (, ) and among His people in the local assembly (.). We must be careful how we treat our bodies and what we do to the church of Jesus Christ. “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” ().

God assigned to the priests portions of the grain offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings, and peace offerings (), as well as the first produce from each crop () and the firstborn animals that the people brought to the Lord. Some of this food only the priests could eat, but much of it could be shared with their families. However, whoever in the priestly family ate of the sacrifices given to God had to be ceremonially clean and treat the food with reverence, because it had been sanctified by being presented to God.

The Levites were given the tithes which the people brought to God’s sanctuary, for 10 percent of the produce belonged to the Lord. The Israelites were obligated to pay three different tithes: a tithe to the Levites (vv. ), a tithe “eaten in the presence of the Lord” (), and a tithe every three years that was given to the poor (, ). The Levites in turn were to take a tithe of what they received, offer it to the Lord, and give it to the high priest.

The principle here is clear and is emphasized often in Scripture: Those who serve the Lord and His people should be supported from the material blessings God gives His people. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (; see ), said Jesus, and Paul wrote, “The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel” (). Paul further explained this principle in ; ; and , .

God expected the Levites to tithe what they received and share it with the high priest. On occasion I’ve met people in Christian service who don’t give to the Lord’s work because they consider themselves exempt. “We’re serving the Lord and all that we have belongs to Him,” they argue, but their argument doesn’t hold water. The Levites were serving God fulltime, yet they tithed what they received.

Tithing isn’t necessarily a legalistic practice, for Abraham and Jacob tithed centuries before the law was given (; ). If the Israelites under the old covenant could give 10 percent of their income (produce) to the Lord, can Christians under the new covenant do less? For us, tithing is just the beginning! If we grasp the meaning of , we’ll practice “grace giving” and go far beyond the tithe.

The regulations about “clean and unclean” are spelled out in detail in , telling the Israelites what they could eat, how they should deal with bodily discharges and infections, and what to do about dead bodies. Certainly there was a hygienic purpose behind these laws, but there was also a spiritual purpose: to teach the Israelites the difference between holiness and sin and to encourage them to walk in holiness.

Because of their involvement with a dead body, Eleazar and the man assisting him were considered ceremonially unclean and had to wash themselves and their clothing before returning to the camp in the evening. A man ceremonially clean gathered up the ashes into a container and placed it in a clean place outside the camp, accessible to the people. He too had to wash before he could return to the camp.

It was a very serious offense if a defiled person refused to be purified, because defiled people defiled the camp. God’s presence dwelt in the tabernacle (see also v. ) and He walked among the people (, ; ); therefore, the camp had to be kept holy. Unclean people who refused to be cleansed were cut off from the nation () and stoned to death.

The church today doesn’t worry about external ritual uncleanness, but we should take to heart the lesson of this chapter that God wants us to be a holy people. We should “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (). God promises forgiveness and cleansing to His children if they turn from their sins and confess them to the Lord (). An innocent animal had to die to provide ritual cleansing for the Israelites, but the innocent Lamb of God had to die to provide cleansing for us (; ).

The death of Miriam must have affected Moses and Aaron deeply. It was Miriam whom the Lord used to save Moses’ life when he was a baby, and she even arranged for their own mother to raise Moses and be paid for it (). She had led the praises of the women at the Red Sea () and had endured the wilderness trials with her brothers. The only blemish on the record is her criticism of Moses (), but is there any servant of God who has a spotless page?

It was a conditioned reflex: Whenever the Israelites faced a difficulty, they complained about it to Moses and Aaron and wept because they hadn’t stayed in Egypt. Difficulties either bring out the best in people or the worst; they either mature us or make us more childish (). Israel’s words and attitudes revealed clearly that their hearts were still in Egypt. What a picture of the professed Christian who still loves the world () and turns to the world for help whenever there’s a problem!

The staff was the same one Moses had used to do wonders in Egypt, especially to open the Red Sea. The Hebrew word for “rock” means a high cliff, a place for a fortress, and not a boulder. God is able to solve our problems no matter what the circumstances are, provided we trust Him and do His will.

But no matter what mitigating causes we might produce, the fact still remains that Moses didn’t honor the Lord or obey His orders. By striking the rock, he ruined a type of the Messiah who gives living water to His people (; ). Our Lord gave Himself for us on the cross only once and doesn’t have to be crucified (smitten) again (). Now all that believers need do is ask, and God gives His Spirit to them.

, The people were helped but Moses was disciplined, and in a most painful way: He wasn’t permitted to enter the Promised Land (). He had glorified himself instead of glorifying God. Once again, an important Old Testament type is involved, for the law (Moses) cannot give us our inheritance (). Joshua is a type of Jesus Christ the conqueror, and only he could lead the people into their promised inheritance (). Had Moses entered the land with the people, he would have ruined the message of the Book of Hebrews! However, he did enter the land at our Lord’s transfiguration ().

The first time God provided water for Israel, Moses called the place “Massah (which means ‘test’) and Meribah (which means ‘arguing’)” (). On this second occasion, Moses called the place “Meribah” (“arguing”), but it was he who had been tested, and he failed the test. At one point, Moses begged God to let him go over the Jordan, but the Lord refused his request (). Moses revealed his meekness by submitting to God’s discipline and continuing to lead the people.

Knowing the history of conflict between Esau and Jacob, Moses used sound diplomatic tactics as he requested permission to pass through the land. Israel had conquered many kings and nations during their march, and the Edomites knew this, so Moses had to make it clear that this was a peaceful march. We get the impression that this passage was originally a written document taken to the king of Edom by ambassadors from Israel. While a prince in Egypt, Moses would have learned all about these diplomatic matters.

Jacob and Esau had met and settled their differences years before (), but Esau’s descendants were perpetuating the old family feud. Years later, when Jerusalem was attacked, the Edomites assisted the enemy and even stopped the Israelite fugitives from escaping (the Book of Obadiah; ). It’s tragic when a family feud is kept alive from generation to generation, poisoning hearts and minds and keeping brothers and sisters from helping one another.

Eleazar was the third son of Aaron (); the first two, Nadab and Abihu, were slain by the Lord for defiling the tabernacle with the wrong kind of fire (). Before becoming high priest, he was the chief leader of the Levites for caring for the tabernacle (; ). He would assist Moses in taking the census of the new generation () as well as in commissioning Joshua to succeed Moses (). When Israel had conquered the land, Eleazar helped Joshua assign each tribe its inheritance (; ; ).

Moses has experienced two family funerals, two confrontations with critics in the camp, and a personal failure at Kadesh, yet he picks up his rod and goes right back to work. Victorious Christian service, like the victorious Christian life, is a series of new beginnings. No matter what mistakes we’ve made, it’s always too soon to quit.

The Israelites completed their mourning for Aaron and were soon back on the road and back in the battle. Arad was a Canaanite town about twenty miles south of Hebron, so the new generation of Israelites was facing its first conflict with the Canaanites. The Israelite army would spend at least seven years conquering the nations in the Promised Land, so God gave them some military training as they marched on the road to Atharim.

To “utterly destroy” literally meant to devote something completely to the Lord (, ; ), wiping out the people and their cities and giving all the spoils to God. This is what Israel would do at Jericho (), and because Achan took what belonged to God, he was slain (). The Canaanite culture was unspeakably wicked, especially their religious practices, and God wanted these nations removed from the earth.

This first victory certainly encouraged the Israelites, but it’s one thing to “mount up with wings like eagles” and quite something else to “walk and not faint” (). Courage in the battle must be followed by endurance in the race. Because the Edomites wouldn’t give Israel right-of-way through their land, Moses had to lead the people east of Edom and then north through difficult terrain. It didn’t take long before the difficulty of the march made the people impatient, and they started complaining again. It’s easy for us to win the battle but lose the victory!

In the past, when Israel had sinned, the glory of the Lord would usually appear and the judgment of the Lord would follow. But this time, there was no warning. The judgment came immediately as the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people. They had rejected God’s gift of life and health from heaven, so God sent them suffering and death from the earth, and many of the people died.

The LORD sent “fiery serpents.” The Hebrew word is saraph, which means “burning” and also refers to the angelic creatures (seraphim) who minister before the holy throne of God (, ). “Fiery” doesn’t describe the appearance of the snakes but the inflammation and pain caused by their venom. Those bitten died quickly and apparently their death wasn’t an easy one. The wages of sin is still death.

, Moses did pray for the people, but the Lord didn’t answer in the way the people might have expected. Instead of immediately removing the snakes and healing the people who had been bitten, God instructed Moses to make a snake of bronze and put it on a pole where all the people could see it. If those who had been bitten looked at the snake, they would be instantly healed.

Jesus used the bronze snake to illustrate His own death on the cross (). (“Lifted up” was a phrase used in that day to refer to crucifixion.) The comparisons between the bronze snake in Moses’ day and the cross of Christ help us better understand the meaning of God’s grace in salvation. All people have been infected by sin and will one day die and face judgment (), but if they look by faith to Christ, He will save them and give them eternal life. Looking to the bronze snake saved people from physical death, but looking to Christ saves us from eternal death.

Catalyst

Why should Moses make a model of a snake, the very creature that was causing the people to die?, because on the cross, Jesus became sin for us—the very thing that condemns people—and bore in His body that which brings spiritual death (; ; ; ). Moses didn’t hide the bronze snake; he lifted it up on a pole and put the pole where everybody could see it! In the same way, our Lord was crucified publicly, outside the city of Jerusalem, and those who hear the gospel can “look to Him” and be saved. “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” ().

The uplifted snake was the only cure in the camp, just as Jesus Christ is the only Savior of sinners in the world (; ). Nobody could look at the bronze snake for another person; each dying sinner had to look for himself or herself. The salvation Christ offers is personal and individual, and each of us must look to Christ by faith. No matter how hard they tried, no dying Jew could save himself or herself. The only salvation available was what God had graciously provided, and if you rejected it, you died.

Imagine the joy in the camp of Israel when the word got out that there was a cure available for everybody! The only people who couldn’t be delivered from death were those who for some reason wouldn’t look by faith, or those who didn’t know that a remedy was available. How important it is for us to get the good news out that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” ().

Go to the

Here at the well, the people didn’t complain. Instead, they sang a song! As far as the record is concerned, this is the first time we find Israel singing since God delivered them from Egypt forty years before ().

This is a good place to pause and note the pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ that are found in the narrative so far. We’ve seen Him in the manna as the Bread of Life (), and now in the well He’s the giver of the living water (). In the Bible, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God, while water for washing is a type of the Word of God (). But before Jesus could send the Spirit, He had to die on the cross (), which leads us to the uplifted snake in and . The manna emphasizes His incarnation, the snake His crucifixion, and the water His ascension and the outpouring of the Spirit.

According to , the news of this victory spread to Jericho and brought fear to the hearts of the inhabitants. Ezra mentioned this victory in his prayer () and the psalmists in their songs of praise (; , ). Og had his capital in Ashtaroth () and ruled over sixty cities (), all of which Israel captured and destroyed, leaving no survivors (; ).

In their conquest of Canaan, Israel followed the pattern described in this passage. Joshua would send out spies to get the lay of the land. Then he would seek God’s special instructions for each attack, obey God’s orders by faith, and win the victory. The two times that Joshua didn’t follow this pattern he was defeated ( and ).

The entire region east of the Jordan River was now in the hands of the Israelites and was eventually turned over to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh (; , ). However, Israel would now confront the Moabites who would adopt a subtle strategy that would bring death to ,000 Israelites.

The key performer in the drama that fills the next three chapters is a mysterious soothsayer named Balaam, a Gentile who lived at a place called Pethor near the Euphrates River (). He had a reputation for success in divination (receiving hidden knowledge, especially about the future) and incantation (the use of occult power to grant blessing or cursing), and he was willing to sell his services to all who could pay his fee.

, Balak depended on two things to influence Balaam to come and help him: the impressive delegation of important elders from both Midian and Moab, and the wealth they carried to pay his fee. Balaam was definitely a hireling who was interested primarily in money (). Though twice he refused to accept Balak’s summons, Balaam deceptively maneuvered around God’s declared will so that he could go to Moab and receive his fee.

In those days, people believed that each nation had its own god, and Balaam knew that Jehovah was the God of the Israelites. Therefore, he went to seek the Lord’s will about the summons from Balak. It was God who came to Balaam, not Balaam who brought God to himself, and the Lord wouldn’t allow him to accept the invitation. God made His will very clear: “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed!” (v. ). Balaam knew that without the God of Israel on his side, he would fail in his assignment.

Balaam was acting like the “the horse or the mule, which have no understanding” (): He was impetuously running ahead of the Lord and at the same time stubbornly refusing to obey God’s clear directions. He knew that Israel was blessed, but he hoped he could curse the Israel nation and earn the wealth and honors the king had promised him. He was a hypocrite and a double-minded man.

, Why wasn’t Balaam shocked when his beast spoke to him? This certainly wasn’t an everyday occurrence even for a professional soothsayer. Satan spoke through a snake when he deceived Eve (.; ), and it’s possible that in the past Satan’s demons had spoken to Balaam through animals. A person has reached a very low level in life if God has to use brute beasts to communicate his mind.

In His permissive will, God allowed Balaam to continue on His journey, but He cautioned him to speak only the messages that God gave him. For the first time, Balaam realized that there was more involved in this adventure than cursing a nation and making some money. As the Lord used the donkey to rebuke her master, God would use Balaam to reveal great truths about Israel and Israel’s promised Messiah.

The next morning, Balak took Balaam to Bamoth Baal (“the high places of Baal”) where they could see the camp of Israel and offer more sacrifices to Baal. Balaam used these sacrifices as part of his sorcery and soothsaying () and didn’t simply wait for God’s promised message. In His grace and goodness, God used this evil man and endured his duplicity because He had a special message to declare about His people Israel.

The message God gave to Balaam emphasized several basic truths about the people of Israel. First, God had especially blessed the people of Israel and they could not be cursed (vv. ). This was part of God’s covenant with Abraham () and it has been fulfilled throughout their history. God has judged every ruler and nation that has caused His people to suffer, including Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Nazi Germany.

Balaam’s second basic truth was that the Israelites were chosen by God and therefore were a nation “dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.” The Lord had declared this to Israel at Mount Sinai (, ), and the laws that He gave them at Sinai made it possible for them to live as a special people. In his farewell message to Israel, Moses also emphasizes the uniqueness of Israel as the people of God (; , ; , ; , ; , , ) and reminded them that God chose them because He loved them (). See also ; , ; ; and .

Israel’s great temptation was in wanting to be like the other nations, and this is what led to their downfall and captivity. Instead of rejoicing in their uniqueness as the people of the true and living God, they imitated their neighbors in their worship and conduct, and God had to discipline them. Instead of letting God rule as their King, they asked for a king “like all the nations” (), and this brought the nation into all kinds of trouble.

Unfortunately, many people in the church today have the mistaken idea that being like the world is the way to reach the world. They forget that the church is the people of God, a very special people, saved by His grace. Instead of maintaining separation () they promote imitation (; ), so that it’s becoming more and more difficult to distinguish the people of God from the people of the world.

Balaam’s third emphasis was on the vastness of Israel’s camp, even though he was seeing only a small part of it (). His use of the word “dust” reminds us of God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants that they would multiply and become as numerous as the dust of the earth (; ). Nations come and go, but in spite of their many trials, the people of Israel have never been destroyed.

When God looked upon Israel, He didn’t behold iniquity or wickedness and therefore have reason to judge them. They were His “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (), even though He had to chasten them for their unbelief and disobedience. Believers today are God’s chosen people (), hidden in Christ (), clothed in His righteousness (, ) and seated with Him in the heavenly realms (). Because we are “in Christ,” God sees us as His own special people (, , ), and He deals with us accordingly.

The battles God’s people fight today are not with flesh and blood on earth but with Satan’s hosts in the heavenly realms (.), and we can’t win the victory in our own strength. We must first of all see ourselves as the people of God, purchased by the blood of Christ, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and “being more than conquerors” through Christ (). Our protection is the “whole armor of God,” and our chief weapons are the Word of God and prayer (; see also ).

While the first oracle pictured Israel as a chosen people because of the love of God; the second oracle presented them as a conquering people because of the faithfulness of God. God doesn’t lie, so all His promises and covenants are sure; He doesn’t change, so His character remains the same. He isn’t weak but is able to fulfill what He promises; nobody can manipulate Him or control Him. God was with the people of Israel and reigned as their King.

The emphasis in Balaam’s third oracle is on the contentment of God’s people in their own land. The conquest of Canaan is over (vv. , ), their enemies have been defeated, and Israel is enjoying the abundance of God’s provision in “the land of milk and honey.” The Promised Land is a paradise with an abundance of water, an important commodity in the East, and Israel’s dwelling places are situated like beautiful flowers and trees in a garden. Beauty and bounty are seen in the land because of the blessing of the Lord.

In Balaam’s fourth oracle the preface is similar to that of the third oracle (vv. , ), emphasizing that what Balaam saw and heard came from the Lord. It was so overwhelming that it left the prophet prostrate on the ground. You would think that such a remarkable experience with the living God would have brought Balaam to the place of submission and faith, but it did not. It only shows how close an unbeliever can come to the knowledge of the Lord and still reject the truth ().

The vision is brief and to the point; it focuses on the coming Messiah of Israel and His conquests “in the latter days” (). The images of the star and scepter speak of Messiah’s kingship and reign (; ), and “Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city” of Ir certainly refers to Messiah (; ; ; ). While a part of this vision may have been fulfilled in a lesser way in the conquests of David, Jesus the Son of David will fulfill them completely when He returns to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom on the earth ().

Catalyst

As God’s people today, we must not think that the Old Testament narratives are past history and simply interesting stories for us to read. Until the New Testament was written, the only Scripture the first-century church had was the Old Testament, and from it they were able to get encouragement and enlightenment. These events in Hebrew history serve as warnings to us not to disobey the Lord () as well as encouragements to build our faith () and hope ().

“Following the way of Balaam” () means following Balaam’s lifestyle as a soothsayer and false prophet. His motive was to make money, and he used his opportunities, not to serve God and his people, but to satisfy his craving for wealth. He used “religion” only to make money and to cover up his sinful cravings. He also used “religion” to entice people to sin. When are we “following the way of Balaam”? When we deliberately rebel against the revealed will of God and try to change it. When we have selfish motives and ask, “What will I get out of it?” that is when we cause other people to sin so we can profit from it.

Like Peter, Jude used the example of Balaam () to warn the church about false teachers (, ). In fact, Jude’s letter is an echo of what Peter wrote in , so the Lord has given us a double warning. This shows us how serious the danger is and how great is our responsibility to detect and defeat these insidious false teachers. Balaam’s error was not only thinking that he could disobey God and get away with it, but also in thinking that those he enticed to sin would get away with it.

John also warned the church about those “who hold the doctrine of Balaam” (). This refers to the time in Israel’s history when Balaam enticed Israel to attend the idolatrous feast for the Baal of Peor and to commit immorality with the Midianites (). The world would express it, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Don’t be a ‘holier than thou’ isolationist. Be a good neighbor and a good sport. After all, you live in a pluralistic society, so learn to respect the way other people believe and live.” But from God’s point of view, what Israel did was a compromise and a violation of their covenant made at Sinai.

Any teaching that makes it easy and permissible to sin is false doctrine, because the Word of God was given to us to enable us to live holy lives (, ; ).

Go to the

This is the first recorded occasion in Scripture of Israel worshiping Baal, but it certainly isn’t the last. Baal was the chief of the Canaanite gods and was especially responsible for rain and fertility. Until they went off to Babylon, the Israelites were an agricultural people, and whenever there was a drought, they often turned to Baal for help instead of to the Lord. The Canaanite fertility rites involved both male and female temple prostitutes and encouraged all kinds of sexual immorality. Both the idolatry and the immorality were forbidden by God’s law (, ).

You would expect the Israelites to remember the nation’s awesome experience at Sinai when they entered into their covenant relationship with the Lord. They would also be expected to recall the nation’s idolatry at Sinai when Aaron made the gold calf and God judged the nation (). That event also involved both idolatry and immorality. Israel is a special people, God’s “nation of priests,” and they had no business mixing with the pagan Moabites and Midianites and worshiping their false gods. Yet the ease with which they returned to old pagan habits reminds us how easy it is for us to revert to actions God has shown us are wrong. If we are not spiritually vigilant, we will end up imitating the very lives God tells us about as a warning ().

Because of his zeal for the honor of the Lord, Phinehas was given the special reward of a lasting priesthood for himself and his descendants. Phinehas knew nothing about this reward before he acted, so his motive wasn’t selfish. He was motivated by his zeal for the honor of God and the authority of his law. Phinehas went with Moses when Israel attacked the Midianites (, ), so he wasn’t afraid of a battle. He also was in charge of the gatekeepers at the tabernacle and had the presence of the Lord with him in his ministry (). Guarding God’s sanctuary was a very responsible task, but Phinehas had the conviction and courage to do it well.

Those who criticize the Lord and Scripture because of these national massacres fail to understand that God had been patient with these wicked nations for centuries () and had given them ample opportunity to repent. He had revealed Himself to them in nature (.; see ), and they had heard of the Lord’s judgments against Egypt (). Their religious practices were abominably filthy, and the only way God could remove this cancer was to wipe out the entire civilization. Israel had an important task to perform for the Lord, and the presence of those wicked nations was only a temptation to the Israelites to sin.

The transition between chapters and reminds us of the transition from chapter to chapter , for in both of them the Lord moved from judgment to mercy, from punishment to promise. At Kadesh Barnea and at Baal Peor, Israel had sinned greatly and God chastened them, but in His grace He forgave their disobedience and gave them a new start.

By the time Israel had entered the Zared valley (), the older generation had died off (, ), except for Moses, Caleb, and Joshua (); and very soon, Moses would die. Israel was making a new beginning, thanks to the faithfulness and mercy of God. It was time to take a census of the new generation and start looking toward the future.

Moses had two purposes in mind when he took the second census. As with the first census (), Moses needed to know how many men were available, twenty years and older, who could serve in the army. The second purpose for the census was to get an idea of how much land each tribe would need when Israel settled down in Canaan and claimed their inheritance (). Assigning each tribe its inheritance would be the task of Joshua, Eleazar the high priest, and ten leaders representing the tribes that were setthng west of the Jordan River ().

, , The available soldiers dropped in number in the tribes of Gad, Simeon, and Reuben, with the tribe of Simeon showing the biggest drop, from 59,300 to 22,200 (see ). These three tribes camped together on the south side of the tabernacle and may have been a bad influence on each other. Dathan and Abiram belonged to the tribe of Reuben and were part of Korah’s rebellion during which nearly 15,000 people died (; see , ). Perhaps many of the rebels came from that tribe. Also, Zimri, who arrogantly sinned in the matter of the Baal of Peor (), was a prince in the tribe of Simeon. His evil example may have influenced other men of Simeon to share in the Midianite idolatry and immorality, for which sins they too perished.

Naturally, the size of the tribe would help to establish the amount of land that would be assigned. According to the record in the Book of Joshua, some of the tribes gladly accepted their inheritance and went to work making it “home,” some complained about the land they were given, and some went out and conquered more territory. “According to your faith let it be to you,” writes Matthew ().

Since the land belonged to the Lord (), the Israelites couldn’t divide it or dispose of it as they pleased. Maintaining the inheritance from generation to generation was important to each family and to the tribes to which the families belonged.

Because Moses and Aaron had not honored the Lord at Meribah, they weren’t permitted to enter the Promised Land with the new generation (). Moses repeatedly asked God for permission to enter the land (), but the Lord refused to relent. Not only must Moses be disciplined because of his pride and anger at Meribah, but he must not mar the type that would be expounded in the Book of Hebrews. It isn’t the law (Moses) that gives us our spiritual inheritance but Jesus (Joshua; ; and context).

Many times during his long ministry, Moses had proved himself a true leader by being more concerned for the people than for himself. Twice God had offered to destroy the Israelites and start a new nation with Moses, but Moses had refused (; ), and often he had interceded for the people when God’s judgment was about to fall. He had been misunderstood, criticized, and nearly stoned, but he remained a faithful shepherd to his people.

Though he was about to die, Moses didn’t think about himself but about the future of the nation. His great concern was that God provide a spiritual leader for the people, for they were sheep (; see ; ; ; ; ), and sheep must have a shepherd (; ; ; ).

During his years of service with Moses, Joshua learned some valuable principles of spiritual life and service, principles that still apply today. When you read the Book of Joshua, you see that he was concerned for the glory of God and the welfare of the people, and that he was careful to obey the orders God gave him. The two times Joshua didn’t seek God’s will, he brought the nation into shameful defeat ( and ), but to his credit, he trusted God to make his mistakes work out successfully in the end.

One of the responsibilities of Christian leaders today is to see to it that the next generation is equipped to carry on the work (). Each local church is just one generation short of extinction, and unless we teach and train new leaders, we jeopardize the future of our homes, churches, and nation.

Some of the instructions given here had already been given at Sinai, while others were new. The basis for Israel’s worship was the calendar of special days outhned in , beginning with the weekly Sabbath and ending with the annual Festival of Shelters. The phrase “sweet aroma,” is used seven times in (, , , ; , , ). Each of the offerings had a different purpose to fulfill, but the ultimate goal was to please the Lord and delight His heart. God seeks for true worshipers () and delights in the worship of His loving people.

Each morning and each evening, the priests were to offer a lamb as a burnt offering. The new instruction was that on the Sabbath days they were to offer two lambs each morning and evening. (See and .) The burnt offering typified total dedication to the Lord, and we should begin and end each day by giving ourselves completely to the Lord (, ). The Christian life is a “continual burnt offering,” except that we are living sacrifices not dead ones.

This was a new instruction to the priests about monthly offerings. The Israelite people followed a lunar calendar () and “new moon” was joyfully celebrated by the nation as a whole (; ) as well as by individual families (, , ).

. Starting with Passover, five different annual events are named here and take up all of the next chapter. Pentecost was celebrated seven weeks after Passover (“pentecost” means “fiftieth day” in Greek), and was also called “The Festival of Weeks.” The seventh month of the Jewish year opened with the Festival of Trumpets (; ), signaling the beginning of the Jewish civil year (Rosh Hashanah). On the tenth day of that month, Israel celebrated the Day of Atonement (; ; ). Five days later, the Festival of Shelters began and lasted for a week. It was a joyful time of harvest celebration when the Israelites lived in shelters (traditionally, “booths”) to commemorate their time in the wilderness. For each of these special events, the priests were instructed to offer appropriate sacrifices. For believers today, these special annual events speak of Christ and what He has done for us.

For the Christian believer, Passover speaks of the death of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world (; ; ; ). Eating “unleavened bread” () is symbolic, because yeast is a picture of sin, and God’s redeemed people must put sin out of their lives and be a holy people (; ; see ; ; ).

Believers today can learn at least three practical lessons from these offerings. First, all of them are fulfilled in Jesus Christ (). The blood of animals can never take away sin (), but the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin (; see ; ). These sacrifices had to be repeated on a regular schedule; but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary accomplished eternal salvation once for all (; ).

Second, the nation could not have functioned without the ministry of the priests. They represented the people before God and offered the sacrifices that He required. Today, Jesus Christ is the believers’ High Priest in heaven () and “He always lives to make intercession for them” (). His sacrifice at Calvary was final, and now He is our High Priest, advocate (), and mediator in heaven (; ; ).

Third, these sacrifices were very expensive. Totally apart from the sacrifices that the people brought in their own personal worship, as well as the great number of lambs slain at Passover, each year the priests offered 113 bulls, 32 rams, and 1,086 lambs! If God’s people under law could do this, how much more should we do, who have experienced so much more of the grace of God!

How thankful we should be that the ancient sacrificial system has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and that we have the privilege of coming into the presence of God at any time through the “new and living” (). As priests of God, we can bring to Him our spiritual sacrifices (, ): our bodies (, ), people won to Christ (), money and material gifts (), worship and praise (), good works (), a broken heart (), and believing prayer (, ).

In Moses had touched on the subject of vows in terms of dedicating people and possessions to the Lord, but here he deals with personal vows and how they are affected by relationships. The chapter makes it clear that the home is basic to the nation, that there must be authority and subordination in the home, and that truth is what binds society together.

There is a difference between “vows” and “oaths,” but both were to be considered inviolate. The vow was a promise to do a certain thing for the Lord, while the oath was a promise not to do a certain thing. People who made vows or took oaths had to keep their word, because what they said was to the Lord. When people forget that God hears what they say, then they’re tempted to deceive, and lies cause the fabric of society to rip apart. (See ; ; .)

When the men made promises to God, they had to keep their promises and nobody could annul them, but what about the women? Moses deals with the vows of single women at home (vv. ), women formerly married (v. ), and married women (vv. ). The basic principle is that if the woman was under the authority of her father or husband, the father or husband had to approve the vow. He also had the power to cancel the vow.

Written into these rules are some important truths, not the least of which is the power of speech. To make a promise is to obligate oneself to the Lord, whether people realize this or not. The foundations of society today are eroding because of unkept promises, whether they be official contracts, marriage vows, political pledges, or words spoken on the witness stand. We expect the Lord to keep His promises, and He expects us to keep ours. Truth is the cement that holds society together.

A second truth is the importance of authority and subordination in society and in the home. While all people are created equal before God and the law, there are still levels of authority and responsibility that must be respected (). The unmarried maiden in her father’s home is subject to her father’s will, and the married woman is subject to her husband’s will. Before making vows, the maiden should consult her father and the wife her husband, and the engaged maiden should speak with her betrothed. Relationships bring responsibilities, and to rush into unwise commitments is to incur penalties that can be costly. (See and .)

Though the people of Israel were wrong in getting entangled with the Midianites at Baal Peor, Midian was wrong in following Balaam’s counsel and trying to destroy Israel. Those who curse Israel, God will curse (), and the time had come for God to punish Midian (). This battle would be a “dress rehearsal” for the battles Israel would fight in the land of Canaan. But this would be Moses’ last battle; then he would meet “the last enemy” which is death ().

We see here a pattern for the military engagements Israel would experience in Canaan: Israel received their instructions from God and trusted God to go before them and give them victory. We assume that Joshua led the army, but Phinehas, the son of the high priest, was also there with the priests who carried the ark of the covenant and blew the trumpets (). It was Phinehas who had demonstrated great courage and devotion to God when the sin of Baal Peor invaded the camp of Israel ().

In disobedience to God’s command, the soldiers did not exterminate all the Midianites but brought the women and children back as captives. This angered Moses, for the presence of the Midianite women and girls in the camp only gave further opportunity for the sin that had almost destroyed Israel. The nation had won the battle but was now in danger of losing the victory, a mistake that God’s people have made more than once down through the centuries.

A successful community or nation depends not only on keeping our word and trusting God for victory; it also depends on the loyalty of people to each other. Perhaps our word “patriotism” best describes this attitude, as long as we don’t turn love of country into idolatry.

Moses always had the entire nation at heart as well as the great challenge of conquering and claiming the Promised Land. To Moses, it was a terrible sin for any of the tribes to retreat from conflict and fail to do their part in conquering the land. Just as the ten spies had discouraged the whole nation at Kadesh Barnea, and led the people into thirty-eight wasted years, so these two tribes could discourage Israel by quitting at the very borders of their inheritance. More than that, their selfish attitude could arouse the anger of the Lord, and He might send judgment as He had done before when the people sinned. Even worse, He might just abandon the nation and let them die in the wilderness.

Moses repeated their promise to the Gadites and Reubenites and added a word of warning: If they didn’t keep their promise, they would be sinning against the Lord, and their sin would catch up with them! The phrase “Be sure that your sin will find you out” (v. ) is often used in evangelistic appeals, and it can have that application, but the original intent was to admonish God’s people. Their sin would be failure to keep their vow and unwillingness to assist their brothers and sisters in the task God had called them to do.

Moses wouldn’t be alive when the nation crossed the river, so he called Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the tribes and told them of the agreement. It would be their responsibility to see to it that the Transjordanic tribes kept their promise and crossed over the river to battle the nations in Canaan. The land they requested was theirs, but they would lose it if they didn’t keep their promise.

The nation lingered long enough for the two and a half tribes to move into their land, defeat the enemies that remained, and get their families and flocks settled safely. But we can’t help wondering if these Transjordanic tribes made a wise choice. They were outside the land of promise and separated from the rest of the nation. They made their choice only on the basis of personal gain: The land was good for their flocks and herds. Like Lot, they were walking by sight and not by faith (, ). The tribes did keep their promise, but in spite of that, their location across the Jordan created some problems ().

According to , claiming the inheritance in the Promised Land is an illustration of the different ways believers today relate to the will of God and the inheritance He has for us now in Jesus Christ. Some people are like the older generation of Israelites that perished in their wandering and never entered the land. Others are like the ten spies who visited the land and saw its wealth but failed to enter in. The Transjordanic tribes entered the land but didn’t stay there. They preferred to live on the border and raise their cattle. God wants His people to be like the new generation that trusted God, entered the land, claimed the victory, and enjoyed the blessings.

This chapter is more than a list of places; it’s a testimony to the sovereignty of God in dealing with His people. As has often been said, “History is His story.” God doesn’t just write history; He plans history and sees that His plan is executed. “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations” (). When Israel didn’t permit God to rule, then He overruled. Israel lost the blessing but God achieved His purposes.

No difficulty was too great for God. He opened the Red Sea to let His people march through, and then He closed it and drowned the pursuing Egyptian army. When His people were in danger, God gave them victory over their enemies. When they were thirsty, He supplied water, and each morning He rained manna from heaven to feed them.

During this march, the older generation died off and the new generation took over. Miriam died at Kadesh () and another woman had to lead the choir. Aaron died at Mount Hor (), and his son Eleazar became high priest. Before Moses died, he named Joshua as his successor. But in all these changes, God remained the same and never forsook His people. “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations” ().

The sovereignty of God doesn’t destroy human individuality or responsibility. God is so great that He can will us the freedom to choose but still accomplish His purposes. What a mighty God is He! No wonder Paul wrote, “How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” ().

What were the reasons for the extermination of these nations? For one thing, this was God’s judgment because of their wickedness (, ; ). How they became so evil and what happened as a result is described in . God had been longsuffering with them for centuries, but now it was time for judgment to fall.

A second reason was that the way might be cleared for the tribes of Israel to claim their inheritance (). Just as a contractor must demolish buildings and clear land to make room for a new structure, so God had to wipe out the pagan societies in Canaan so that His people might move in and build a nation that would glorify God.

A third reason for the extermination of the pagan nations was to remove temptation from the people of Israel who were prone to worship idols (vv. , ).

In ancient days, there were no survey crews with scientific instruments for determining property lines. People cited towns and geographical features when they wanted to define boundaries. The Lord started with the south boundary of Canaan (vv. ), then moved to the western border, which was the Mediterranean Sea (v. ). Next came the north border (vv. ), the east border (vv. ), and the portion for the Transjordanic tribes (vv. , ).

The Lord gave His people a large land and a good land, but they didn’t defeat their enemies and claim it all by faith (; ; ; ). Their western border didn’t reach to the Mediterranean, for the Philistines still held that territory, nor did they get as far as Hamath on the north. On the east side of the Jordan, as you traveled north from the border of Manasseh, you would discover pockets of resistance in cities that Israel didn’t conquer and destroy. Moses’ prediction came true: The Canaanites became irritants in their eyes and thorns in their sides and led some of the Israelites into sin ().

Before we pass judgment on ancient Israel, what about the church today? Have we claimed by faith all that we have in Christ? Are there still pockets of resistance in our lives that draw us away from the Lord? “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” ().

In cases where death was caused by the hand of another, the accused could flee to one of the cities of refuge and present his case to the elders, who would hear him and the witnesses. If they thought he was guilty of murder, they would turn him over to the family and the authorities for punishment. If they concluded that he was innocent, they allowed him to stay in the city of refuge under their protection until the death of the high priest. Then he was free to return home. He was not allowed to pay a ransom and be freed sooner (v. ). If the man was guilty, he was stoned to death. Murder was a capital crime in Israel, for which there was no ransom (v. ). The blood of innocent victims polluted the land, and the land belongs to the Lord (vv. , ; see ; ). The only way the land could be cleansed was by the death of the murderer.

Guilty sinners today can flee by faith to Jesus Christ and find refuge from the judgment of God (). Because Jesus is the ever-living High Priest, salvation is secure forever; for “He always lives to make intercession for them” (). He bore the guilty sinner’s punishment; therefore, there can be no condemnation ().

As with the other nations of that day, Israel was a strongly masculine society, and fathers left their property to their sons. The eldest son received two-thirds of the inheritance and the other sons divided the remaining one-third (). If a man didn’t have a son, he left his estate to his nearest male relative, but not to a daughter. When a daughter was married, she received a dowry from her father and would no longer live in the family home. The dowry was her inheritance.

If a daughter who had inherited her father’s land married into another tribe, this would take the land away from the original tribe and make it part of her husband’s estate. At the Year of Jubilee (), it could not return to the original family, and this would rob a tribe of its property. Moses took the matter to the Lord (). The solution was to require daughters who had the inheritance to marry men who belonged to their own tribe. This simple procedure would permit the daughters to marry but would at the same time keep family property in the original tribe. The five sisters obeyed the edict and each one married a cousin.

Regulations like this are unnecessary in today’s society, but they were very important to God’s ancient people. God owned the land and allowed His people to use it as long as they obeyed Him. When the Israelites turned to idols and polluted the land, God allowed other nations to invade and steal the produce (see the Book of Judges). When Israel’s sins became so heinous that God could endure it no longer, He took the Israelites off the land and exiled them to Babylon. There they learned to appreciate what the Lord had given to them.

Numbers 1

1:1

1:1

1:1 ;

1:2 , ,

1:2 , ;

1:3 ;

1:14

1:14 Spelled Reuel in

1:16

1:16

1:16 ,

1:17

1:18

1:20 , ; ; , , ,

1:22 , ;

1:24

1:26

1:27

1:28 ,

1:30 , ; ,

1:32

1:34 , ;

1:36

1:38 ;

1:40 , ;

1:44

1:46 ;

1:47 ; ;

1:49 ;

1:50

1:50 , , ,

1:51 ; ,

1:51

1:51 , ; , , ;

1:52 , ;

1:53

1:53

1:53

Numbers 2

2:2 ;

2:2

2:3

2:3

2:9

2:10

2:14 Spelled Deuel in and

2:16

2:17 ,

2:17

2:24

2:31

2:32

2:33 ;

2:34

2:34 , ,

Numbers 3

3:1

3:2

3:2 ,

3:3

3:4

3:6 ;

3:7 ; , , ,

3:9 ; ,

3:9 Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint read Me.

3:10

3:10 ; ;

3:12 ; ;

3:12 ;

3:13

3:13

3:15 ;

3:17

3:18

3:18

3:19

3:19

3:20

3:23

3:25

3:25

3:25

3:25 ,

3:25

3:26 , , ,

3:26

3:26

3:27

3:28 Some manuscripts of the Septuagint read three.

3:29

3:30

3:31

3:31

3:31

3:31

3:31 ;

3:31

3:35 ;

3:36 ,

3:38

3:38

3:38 ,

3:38

3:39 ; ;

3:40

3:41 ,

3:45 ,

3:46 ,

3:46 ,

3:47

3:47 , ,

3:47

3:50 ,

3:51

Numbers 4

4:2

4:3 , , ;

4:4

4:4

4:5

4:5 ,

4:6

4:6

4:7 , ,

4:7

4:7 Literally the continual bread

4:9

4:9 ,

4:11

4:12

4:15

4:15 ,

4:15

4:16

4:16

4:16

4:16

4:19

4:20

4:22

4:23

4:24

4:25 ,

4:25

4:25

4:28

4:28 Literally hand

4:29

4:30 ;

4:31 ,

4:31

4:31

4:32 ;

4:33 Literally hand

4:34

4:35

4:41

4:45

4:46

4:47 , ,

4:49 , ,

4:49 ,

Numbers 5

5:2 , ,

5:2

5:2

5:3 ,

5:6

5:7 ; ,

5:7 ,

5:8 ; , ;

5:9

5:9 ; ,

5:10

5:13 ;

5:13

5:14

5:15

5:15

5:18

5:21

5:21

5:22

5:22

5:25

5:25 ,

5:26 ,

5:27 ; , ;

5:27

5:29

5:31 , ,

Numbers 6

6:2

6:3

6:5

6:6

6:7

6:8 [, ]

6:9 ,

6:10 ; ; ,

6:12

6:13

6:14 , ,

6:14

6:15

6:15

6:15 , ,

6:18 ,

6:19

6:19 ,

6:19

6:20 ,

6:24

6:24

6:25

6:25

6:26 ;

6:26

6:27

6:27

Numbers 7

7:1

7:1 ,

7:2

7:7

7:8

7:8 Literally hand

7:9

7:9

7:10 ,

7:12

7:13

7:13

7:14 ,

7:15

7:15

7:16

7:17

7:30 ;

7:36 ; ;

7:42 ; ;

7:42 Spelled Reuel in

7:45

7:48 ;

7:54 ;

7:60 ;

7:66 ;

7:72 ;

7:78 ;

7:84

7:88 ,

7:89 [, ]

7:89 ,

7:89 ;

Numbers 8

8:2

8:2 ;

8:4

8:4

8:4

8:7 , , ,

8:7 ,

8:8

8:9 ;

8:9

8:10

8:11

8:12

8:14

8:14 , ;

8:15 ,

8:16

8:16 ,

8:17 , , ,

8:19

8:19 ; ;

8:21

8:22

8:22

8:24

8:26

Numbers 9

9:2

9:2

9:5

9:6 ;

9:6

9:8

9:11 ,

9:11

9:12

9:12

9:12

9:13 ,

9:13

9:13

9:14

9:15 ,

9:15

9:15 , ;

9:17

9:18

9:19 ;

9:22 ,

9:23

Numbers 10

10:2

10:3

10:4

10:5

10:5

10:6

10:7

10:7

10:8

10:9

10:9 ; ; ; ,

10:9

10:10

10:10

10:11

10:12

10:12

10:12

10:13 ,

10:14

10:14

10:17

10:17 ;

10:18

10:21 ;

10:22

10:25

10:28

10:29

10:29 ; ;

10:29

10:29

10:29

10:29 Septuagint reads Raguel (compare ).

10:31

10:32

10:33

10:33

10:34

10:35 , ;

Numbers 11

11:1 ; ;

11:1

11:1

11:2 , ;

11:2 []

11:3 Literally Burning

11:4

11:4

11:4 []

11:5

11:6

11:7 ,

11:8

11:9 ,

11:10

11:11

11:12

11:12

11:12

11:13

11:14

11:15

11:16 ; ,

11:16

11:17

11:18

11:20 ;

11:20

11:20

11:21

11:22

11:23 ;

11:23

11:24

11:25

11:25

11:25 Targum and Vulgate read did not cease.

11:26

11:28 []

11:29

11:31

11:32

11:33 ;

11:34 Literally Graves of Craving

11:35

Numbers 12

12:1

12:1

12:1

12:2

12:2

12:2 ,

12:4 []

12:5 ;

12:6

12:6

12:7

12:7 ,

12:7

12:8

12:8 []

12:8

12:8

12:10

12:10 ;

12:11 ;

12:12

12:13

12:14

12:14

12:15

12:16 ; ,

Numbers 13

13:2 ;

13:3 ;

13:6

13:6 ,

13:8 Septuagint and Vulgate read Oshea.

13:16

13:16 Septuagint and Vulgate read Oshea.

13:17

13:20 , ,

13:21 ; ;

13:21

13:21

13:22 ,

13:22 ,

13:23 ,

13:24 Literally Cluster

13:26

13:27 , ; ;

13:27

13:28 ; ,

13:28 ,

13:29

13:30 ,

13:31 ;

13:32 ,

13:32

13:33 ;

13:33

13:33

13:33 Hebrew nephilim

Numbers 14

14:1

14:2 ;

14:3

14:4

14:4

14:7

14:8

14:8

14:8

14:9 ; , ,

14:9

14:9

14:9 , , ;

14:10

14:10

14:11

14:11

14:12

14:13

14:13

14:14

14:16

14:18 ,

14:18

14:18 ,

14:19 ;

14:19 ;

14:19

14:20

14:21

14:22

14:22

14:23 ;

14:24 , ,

14:24

14:25

14:27

14:27

14:28

14:29 , ;

14:30

14:31

14:31

14:32 , ;

14:33

14:33

14:33

14:34

14:34

14:34 []

14:35

14:35

14:37 []

14:38 ,

14:39

14:40

14:42 ;

14:43

14:44

14:45

Numbers 15

15:2

15:3 ,

15:3 ; ,

15:3 , , ,

15:3

15:4 ;

15:4

15:4

15:5 ,

15:5 ;

15:6 ,

15:8

15:9 ,

15:11

15:15 ;

15:16 Compare

15:18

15:19 ,

15:20 , ,

15:20 ; ,

15:22

15:24

15:24

15:24

15:25 []

15:27

15:28

15:29

15:30 ;

15:31

15:32 , ; ,

15:34

15:35 ,

15:35

15:38

15:39

15:39

15:39

15:40 [, ]

Numbers 16

16:1

16:1

16:2 ;

16:3

16:3

16:3

16:4 ;

16:5 []

16:5 ,

16:5 ; ,

16:9

16:9

16:11 ,

16:13

16:13

16:14

16:14

16:15 ,

16:15

16:16 ,

16:19

16:21

16:21 ;

16:22

16:22

16:22 ;

16:26 , , ,

16:27

16:28

16:28

16:29

16:30

16:30 []

16:31

16:32

16:35 ;

16:37

16:38

16:38

16:40

16:41

16:42

16:46

16:48

Numbers 17

17:4

17:4 ; , ;

17:5

17:5

17:7

17:8 []

17:10

17:10 ,

17:10

17:13 , ; ,

Numbers 18

18:1

18:1

18:2

18:2

18:3 , ,

18:3

18:3

18:4

18:5

18:5 ;

18:6 ,

18:6

18:7 ;

18:7 ,

18:7 ,

18:8 , ;

18:8 ; ,

18:9 , ; ,

18:9 ,

18:9

18:10 ,

18:11

18:11

18:12

18:12

18:13 ; ;

18:14

18:15

18:15

18:16

18:16

18:17

18:17 ,

18:18

18:19

18:20 ,

18:20

18:21

18:21 ,

18:22

18:22

18:26

18:27

18:31 []

18:32 ;

18:32 ,

Numbers 19

19:2

19:2

19:3 ,

19:4

19:5

19:6 , ,

19:6

19:7 ; ; ,

19:9 [, ]

19:9 , ,

19:9 Literally impurity

19:11 ,

19:12 ;

19:13

19:13

19:13 ;

19:13 ;

19:15

19:16 ;

19:17

19:18

19:19

19:20

19:22

19:22

Numbers 20

20:1 ;

20:1

20:1

20:2

20:2 ,

20:3

20:3 , ; ; ,

20:4

20:6 ; , ,

20:6

20:8 , ; ,

20:8

20:9

20:10

20:11 []

20:12 ; , ;

20:12

20:13

20:13 Literally Contention

20:14 ,

20:14

20:14

20:15

20:15

20:15

20:16 ;

20:16 ;

20:17

20:18

20:19 ,

20:20

20:21 ,

20:21

20:22

20:22

20:24

20:25

20:28 ,

20:28

20:29

Numbers 21

21:1

21:2

21:2

21:3 Literally Utter Destruction

21:4

21:5 ,

21:6

21:6

21:7

21:7

21:7

21:8 [, ]

21:8 ;

21:9 ,

21:10 ,

21:12

21:13