Front matter (continued, part 23)
The swift judgment (vv. 4–10). God heard their 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 4 the three names are reversed from the order in verse 1. 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.
God made it clear that Moses was more than a prophet, because God communicated with him personally and even revealed His glory to him (Ex. 19:16–19; 24:17–18; 34:5–11). 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.
The impassioned plea (vv. 11–13). 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 remove the affliction.
The embarrassing delay (vv. 14–16). Though Miriam was healed, she had to remain outside the camp for seven days (see Lev. 13:1–6; 14:1–8; 15:8) because she had been defiled. This meant shame for Miriam, for the whole camp knew what had happened. But it also meant delay for the people, for the camp had to wait for her restoration before it could move. The rebellious sinner is always a cause of holding back the progress of God's people.
It's a serious thing 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 [elders] who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear" (1 Tim. 5:20 nkjv). Jesus warned that our enemies might be those from our own household (Matt. 10:34–36; Mic. 7:6).
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you" (Heb. 13:17).
"Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way when you came out of Egypt" (Deut. 24:9 nkjv).
Numbers 13
in battle (Deut. 1:22; James 1:5–8). Moses endorsed their request (Deut. 1:23) and got permission from the Lord to carry out the plan (Num. 13:1–3). However, it appears that God was letting the Jews have their own way, not because their way was the right way, but because He wanted to teach them a lesson. They needed to learn to trust the Word of God and do the will of God His way and not their own way (Prov. 3:5–6). The twelve spies chosen were different men from the leaders named in Numbers 1—2; 7; and 10. These spies had to be younger men who could endure the rigors and dangers involved in reconnoitering the land. We meet Caleb for the first time in 13:6, but he'll be mentioned thirty-one more times in the Old Testament. He and Joshua were the only members of the older generation to enter the Promised Land. The rest of them died in the wilderness.
CHAPTER FIVE Numbers 13—14 CRISIS AT KADESH A
t Kadesh-Barnea, on the border of Canaan, the people of Israel foolishly forfeited their opportunity to enter the Promised Land and claim their inheritance. This tragic failure has made the name "Kadesh" a synonym for defeat and lost opportunity. Israel's downfall at Kadesh is a reminder to us today that it's a dangerous thing to trifle with the will of God. You may end up spending the rest of your life wandering around, just waiting to die.
III. At Kadesh: Rebelling against the Lord (13—14) A.Exploring the Promised Land—13
In spite of what some of our hymns declare, Canaan is not a picture of heaven. Certainly there won't be any battles in heaven! Rather, Canaan is a picture of the inheritance God has planned for each of His children today, the work He wants us to do, and the places He wants us to occupy. Paul called it "good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10 nkjv). The Lord has a perfect plan for each of His children, but we can claim these blessings only by faith and obedience.
We first meet Joshua in Scripture as Israel's general (Ex. 17:8–16), defeating the Amalekites, and then as the servant of Moses (24:13; Num. 11:28). He eventually became Moses' successor (27:15–20) and led Israel in their conquest of the Promised Land. His original name was Hoshea, which means "salvation," but Moses changed it to "Joshua" which means "Jehovah 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.
Like the people of Israel centuries ago, many believers today walk by sight and not by faith, and therefore they fail to enjoy the good things God has for them. They can't say with David, "The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance" (Ps. 16:6 nkjv). What did Israel do at Kadesh that brought about their shameful defeat? They committed at least five blatant sins, and God's children today can commit those same sins and suffer the same kind of shameful defeat.
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 (Gen. 15:18–21), that it was a good land (Ex. 3:8) and a rich land flowing with milk and honey (vv. 8, 17). They saw the incredible fruit of the land and brought back a huge bunch of grapes for the people to see. They even visited Hebron, where the patriarchs of Israel were buried with their wives (Num. 13:22; Gen. 23:2, 19; 49:29–31; 50:13). Did the reminder of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph encourage their own trust in God? For ten of the spies, the answer is no.
Doubting God's Word (13:1–25) God delivered His people from Egypt that they might enter the Promised Land and enjoy the blessings prepared for them. Forty years later, Moses reminded the new generation, "And he brought us out from there [Egypt], that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to give unto our fathers" (Deut. 6:23; see Ezek. 20:6). The Lord had promised the land to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 28:13; 35:12) and had reaffirmed that promise through Moses (Ex. 3:8, 17; 6:4, 8; 13:5; 33:3). But even more, the Lord had reminded the people of His promise when they broke camp at Sinai (Deut. 1:6–8) and when they arrived at Kadesh (vv. 20–21). God's promise was Israel's title deed to the land as well as His guarantee that they would defeat their enemies. God's promise was all Israel needed, but the nation doubted God's Word and began to walk by sight instead of by faith.
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 (Num. 10:33–36), 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.
Discouraging God's people (13:26–33; Deut. 1:26–28) Someone has defined a committee as "a group of people who individually can do nothing and collectively decide nothing can be done." Because they lacked faith, all the spies except Caleb and Joshua
They took their first wavering step of doubt when they asked Moses to let them search out the land before the entire nation went in to engage the enemy
Numbers 13—14
However, the Jews had a long record of complaining against the Lord and their leaders, and being judged for it. Their murmuring began on the night of the exodus when they were sure Pharaoh's army was going to kill them (Ex. 14:10–14). As Israel entered the wilderness of Shur, they complained because they didn't have water to drink (15:22–27), and then they murmured because they missed the delicious meals that were provided in Egypt (Ex. 16). "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!" was their favorite lament. At Rephidim, the people were ready to stone Moses because they had no water (17:1–7), and at Taberah some of the people complained and were killed by fire (Num. 11:1–3). Shortly after that, the mixed multitude incited the Jews to ask for meat to eat, and Moses became so discouraged he wanted to die (v. 4ff.).
were discouraged at the prospect of entering the land and fighting the enemy, and their discouragement quickly spread throughout the camp. Doubt had turned into unbelief, and unbelief is rebellion against God (Num. 14:9; Heb. 3:16–19).
It's interesting how the ten spies identified Canaan as "the land to which you sent us" (Num. 13:27) and "the land through which we have gone" (v. 32), 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. They looked at the people of the land and saw giants; they looked at the Canaanite cities and saw high walls and locked gates; and they looked at themselves and saw grasshoppers. If only they had looked by faith to God, they would have seen the One who was able to conquer every enemy and who sees the nations of the world as grasshoppers (Isa. 40:22). "We are not able" is the cry of unbelief (Num. 13:31), but, "Our God is able" is the affirmation of faith (Dan. 3:17; see Phil. 4:13).
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 (14:3–4). This was rebellion against the will of God.
What John Gardner said about the political arena can be applied to the spiritual arena and the Christian's walk of faith: "We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems." A faith that can't be tested can't be trusted, and God tests our faith to help us make sure it's genuine (1 Peter 1:1–9) and to help make it grow. "Faith comes first to the hearing ear," said A. W. Tozer, "not to the cogitating mind." "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17 nkjv).
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 protect us. If our daily prayer is, "Thy will be done," and if we walk in obedience to God's will, then what is there to complain about? A complaining spirit is evidence of an ungrateful heart and an unsurrendered will. By our grumbling, we're daring to say that we know more than God does about what's best for His people! "Do everything without complaining or arguing" (Phil. 2:14 niv; and see 1 Cor. 10:10).
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 (Rom. 4:21). Israel had seen what the Lord did to the Egyptians and the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8–16), and they had every assurance that He would never fail His people.
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 Num. 16:4, 22, 45; 20:6; 22:31), but Caleb and Joshua spoke to the people and assured them that the Jewish 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.
Unbelief is serious because it challenges the character of God and rebels against the will of God. "But without faith it is impossible to please [God]" (Heb. 11:6). "For whatever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23). Moses reminded the people of what God had already done for them (Deut. 1:29–33), but they wouldn't stop complaining. They were sure that the best thing to do was return to Egypt and go back into bondage.
B.Refusing to claim the land—14:1–9 C.Turning away from the land—14:10–45
The ten unbelieving spies argued that the land of Canaan would "eat up" the Jewish people (13:32), but Joshua and Caleb saw the Canaanites as "bread" for the Jewish army to "eat up" (14:9). The Jews didn't appreciate what Joshua and Caleb were saying and decided to stone them along with Moses and Aaron (v. 10). When we walk by sight and not by faith, we don't have sense enough to know who our real friends are, and we turn against those who can help us the most.
Defying God's will (14:1–10) In the camp of Israel, unbelief and discouragement spread rapidly from heart to heart, and before long "all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night" (v. 1, and note vv. 2 and 10). 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.
The will of God is the expression of the love of God for His people, for His plans come from His heart (Ps. 33:11). God's will isn't punishment, it's nourishment (John 4:31–34), not painful chains that shackle us (Ps.
Numbers 14
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 (Rom. 3:21–31). 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.
2:3), but loving cords that tie us to God's heart so He can lead us in the right way (Hos. 11:4). Those who rebel against God's will are denying His wisdom, questioning His love, and tempting the Lord to discipline them. Sometimes God has to put a "bit and bridle" on rebels in order to control them (Ps. 32:8–9), and that's not enjoyable.
God wants us to know His will (Acts 22:14), understand His will (Eph. 5:17), delight in His will (Ps. 40:8), and obey His will from the heart (Eph. 6:6). As we yield to the Lord, trust Him, and obey Him, we "prove by experience" what the will of God is (Rom. 12:1–2). 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 (John 7:17). The British Anglican minister F.W. Robertson (1816–1853) was right when he said that obedience was the organ of spiritual knowledge. If we aren't willing to obey, God isn't obligated to reveal His will to us.
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 Jewish homes were comprised of three or four generations, this meant that the entire household would suffer because of the sins of the fathers.
Moses' final argument for Israel's forgiveness was the fact that the Lord had forgiven His people many times before (Num. 14:19). "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Ps. 103:10 nkjv; see Ezra 9:13). The fact that God forgives us isn't an encouragement for us to go on sinning, because the Lord chastens those who rebel against Him. He forgives us so we'll fear Him (Ps. 130:4) and have no more desire to sin (John 8:10–11). Forgiveness (vv. 20–22). God assured Moses that He did indeed pardon their sin (v. 20), 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. 21; Ps. 72:19; Isa. 6:3; Hab. 2:14), but they had failed miserably.
Deserving God's judgment (14:11–38) More than once, Israel in her pride tempted God in the wilderness, and He responded with judgment (Deut. 6:16; Ps. 78:17–18, 41, 56; 95:8–11; 106). Like a stubborn child, the Jews never seemed to learn their lesson. Instead of pleasing the Lord who had done so much for them, they provoked Him to anger and dared Him to act.
Intercession (vv. 11–19). As he had done when Israel worshipped the golden calf (Ex. 32), Moses interceded for the people and turned away the wrath of God. For a second time, God offered to make a new nation out of Moses and completely destroy the Jewish people (Num. 14:11), but Moses refused. It's the mark of great and godly leaders that they think only of the good of their people and not their own personal gain. In fact, Moses was willing to die for the nation rather than let God destroy it (Ex. 32:32; see Rom. 9:1–3).
Discipline (vv. 23–38). 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. 36–38).
Moses reasoned with God and argued first of all that His glory would be tarnished if Israel were destroyed. The nations had heard what God did in Egypt, but they would no longer fear Him if Israel were destroyed. The nations would say, "He brought Israel out of Egypt but wasn't able to bring them into the land. This means that the gods of the land of Canaan are stronger than Jehovah!" The great concern of Moses was that God be glorified before the nations.
The Jews had lamented that they wanted to die in the wilderness (v. 2), and they had complained that their children would die in Canaan (v. 3), 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.1 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.
His second argument was the covenant God had made with the patriarchs years before (Num. 14:16). The Lord had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would give them the land, and He could not go back on His word (Gen. 13:17; 15:7–21; 28:13; 35:12). For his third argument, Moses pointed to the character of God and quoted what God Himself had declared to him on Mount Sinai (Num. 14:17–18; Ex. 34:6–7). Because He is a holy God, the Lord must punish sin, but because He is a gracious and merciful
Moses led the world's longest funeral march, and Caleb and Joshua watched their generation die.2 But Caleb and Joshua would be encouraged by God's promise that both of them would enter the land and enjoy their inheritance. This assurance alone would sustain them during the trying days of the nation's
Numbers 14
and obey, the Lord delights in doing wonders for them, because they glorify His name.
march, a discipline that wasn't the fault of either Caleb or Joshua. So the blessed hope of Christ's return encourages God's people today in spite of the trials we experience on our pilgrim walk.
The agnostic American newspaper editor Henry L. Mencken defined faith as "an illogical belief in the occurrence of the impossible." Mark Twain wrote that faith was "believing what you know ain't so." Both were wrong.
Disobeying God's command (14:39–45; Deut. 1:41–46) The day after their great failure, the Jews were supposed to start on their long march through the wilderness (Num. 14:25), but the nation refused to obey. Unbelief, a spirit of complaining, and a rebellious attitude are terrible masters that cause no end of trouble in the lives of those who cultivate them. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18 nkjv).
Evangelist D. L. Moody said that "real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength." It's taking God at His Word and proving it by obeying what He tells us to do.
That's where Israel failed. Let's not follow their example!
The Israelites may have "mourned greatly" (Num. 14:39) and said, "We have sinned" (v. 40),3 but this "mourning" was regret and not true repentance. The Jews 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.
1 The rabbis have noted ten times when the nation or individuals in the nation tested the Lord: at the Red Sea (Ex. 14:10–12); at Marah (15:22–24); when the manna was given (Ex. 16); when some of the Jews stored up the manna (vv. 19–20); when some of them looked for manna on the Sabbath (vv. 27–30); when the people cried for water (17:1–7); when they worshipped the golden calf at Sinai (Ex. 32); when they complained (Num. 11:1–3); when they cried for flesh to eat (vv. 4ff.); and when they rebelled at Kadesh-Barnea. However, the phrase "ten times" in 14:22 may simply mean "many times." 2 The KJV uses the word "carcasses" to describe the dead bodies of the Israelites (vv. 29, 32–33, 35), as though they were only animals being buried in the wilderness. But the Hebrew word simply means "dead bodies." When the KJV was translated, "carcass" meant the dead body of either a human or an animal, but since the middle of the eighteenth century, the word has been applied primarily to animals. 3 Some people say, "I have sinned," and really mean it, like Achan (Josh. 7:20), David (2 Sam. 12:13; Ps. 51:4; 1 Chron. 24:8, 17), and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:18, 21); others are merely saying pious words, like Pharaoh (Ex. 9:27), Balaam (Num. 22:34), King Saul (1 Sam. 15:24, 30; 26:21), Shimei (2 Sam. 19:20), and Judas (Matt. 27:4). It takes more than words to exhibit true repentance. 4 It's helpful to read Joshua 1—5 and see how God prepared the new generation for entering the land and confronting the enemy. The men were circumcised as the covenant was renewed, and the nation celebrated Passover, remembering God's great victory over Egypt. The ark went before the people and God was glorified as they crossed the Jordan and entered the land. From start to finish, the entire enterprise was directed by God, and the people obeyed.
Admitting sin isn't the same as confessing sin and turning to the Lord to seek His mercy. The Jews 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.4
Neither Moses nor the ark left the camp (see 10:33–36), the cloud didn't move from the tabernacle, and the silver trumpets didn't blow. Yet the makeshift army went out to do battle! The word translated "presumed" in 14:44 comes from a Hebrew word that means "to be lifted up," that is, "to be proud, arrogant, and swelled up with one's own importance." The soldiers' boast, "We will go up and fight," was answered by God's warning, "I will not be with you" (Deut. 1:41–42 niv). Man's efforts without God's blessing do more harm than good, for Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
The Lord's prediction came true and the Israelite army was defeated ignominiously. Not only did the Amalekites and Canaanites rout the Jewish forces as they attacked, but they chased the Jewish army over 100 miles north, as far as Hormah. It was a sad day for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
CHAPTER SIX Numbers 15—17 A QUESTION OF AUTHORITY T
IV. In the Wilderness: Learning from the Lord (15:1—20:13) A.About sacrifices—15:1–31
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
he events described in these chapters probably occurred shortly after Israel's tragic failure at Kadesh-Barnea, and they reveal clearly that the people still hadn't learned how to trust and obey. No
Numbers 15
per was bringing to the Lord the fruits of his labor and the evidence of God's goodness. Today, we bring money as an offering to the Lord, but we wouldn't have that money if He didn't give us jobs and the ability to work (Deut. 8:18).
wonder the Lord rejected the older generation and made a new beginning with the younger generation!
God had a special word of encouragement for the younger generation: "After you enter the land I am giving you as a home" (15:1 niv). The younger generation faced thirty-eight years of wandering, but the Lord guaranteed that they would one day enter the land and claim their inheritance. The children suffered because of the sins of their fathers and had to participate in history's longest funeral march.
Christians today see in the fine flour a picture of Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life (John 6), who offered Himself to God for us "as a sweet-smelling aroma" (Eph. 5:2). The flour also acknowledges God as the generous source of all our food. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (Zech. 4), and the wine reminds us of the joy of the Lord (Ps. 104:15).4 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 older generation of Israelites repeatedly refused to submit to the authority of God's Word as well as the authority of God's appointed leaders. Believers today commit the same sins, and the consequences are evident: divided churches, dysfunctional families, and disobedient individuals who wander from church to church but never accomplish much for the Lord. Unless we submit to God's Word and God's chosen leaders (Heb. 13:7–9, 17), we can't successfully claim our inheritance in Christ (Eph. 2:10) and accomplish what God wants us to do.
The drink offering, poured out at the base of the altar, symbolized life poured out for God. On the cross, Jesus "poured out His soul unto death" (Isa. 53:12 nkjv) 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 (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6; and see 2 Sam. 23:14–17). The resident aliens who lived among the Jews were permitted to bring sweet savor offerings to the Lord (Num. 15:14–16), but nothing is said here about their having to be circumcised (Ex. 12:48). Even the Jewish boys weren't given the mark of the covenant during Israel's years of wandering because the nation had rebelled against God and broken His covenant. The males in the new generation were marked with the covenant sign when they entered the Promised Land (Josh. 5:1–8).
The authority of God's Word (15:1–41) The Lord wanted the new generation to enter the Promised Land and enjoy it for many years, but that enjoyment depended on their obedience to His Word.1 Moses gave them four special instructions that believers today would do well to heed.
Please the Lord (vv. 1–21). The phrase "to make a sweet savor [aroma] unto the Lord" is found five times in this paragraph (vv. 3, 7, 10, 13–14) and means "an aroma pleasing to the Lord." The five basic Mosaic offerings were the burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering (Lev. 1—7). The first three were "sweet savor" sacrifices, designed to please the Lord, but the sin offering and the trespass offering were not "sweet savor" because they dealt with guilt and sin, and there's nothing pleasing to God about sin.
Finally, the women were commanded to give a portion of their dough to the Lord, an offering of firstfruits to acknowledge Him as Lord of their lives (Num. 15:17–21). "Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase" (Prov. 3:9). This is the Old Testament version of Matthew 6:33. Seek the Lord (vv. 22–29). The sacrifices described in Leviticus 1—7 took care of sins of commission, but the instructions here have to do with unintentional sins of omission, things that the people should have done but didn't do. The sin might be corporate and involve the entire nation (Num. 15:24–26) or it might be the transgression of an individual (vv. 27–29). Even though the people who sinned didn't realize their failure, what they didn't do was still a sin and had to be dealt with. "I didn't know" will not avail at the throne of God.
The burnt offering typified the worshipper's complete devotion to God, for the animal was totally consumed on the altar. The meal (grain) offering spoke of the worshipper's dedication of his labor to the Lord, and the peace (trespass) offering represented joyful fellowship and thanksgiving to God for His blessings.2
The sacrifices discussed in these verses were spontaneous expressions of love and gratitude to God. Along with these sacrifices, the worshipper was instructed to offer two quarts of fine flour3 mixed with about a quart of oil, a portion of which was placed on the altar and the rest given to the priest. The worshipper also brought a quart of wine which the priest poured out at the base of the altar where the blood of the sacrifice was poured out. When larger animals were sacrificed, the amounts of meal, oil, and wine were increased proportionately.
The sinners had to come God's appointed way so He could forgive them and restore them to fellowship and blessing. If the whole nation sinned, they had to bring a young bull for a burnt offering (dedication), plus the required drink offering and grain offering, and a male goat for a sin offering (atonement). The individual who sinned had to bring a year-old female goat as a sin offering. God promised to forgive those who truly
The Jews wouldn't become an agricultural people until they settled in the land, and then they could cultivate vineyards, olive trees, and fields of grain. In adding flour, oil, and wine to the sacrifice, the worship-
Numbers 15—16
Zech. 8:23; Matt. 23:5.) Modern orthodox Jews have tassels on their prayer shawls.
sought Him by faith (vv. 25–26, 28). Of course, forgiveness didn't come because of the blood of animals, but because Christ shed His blood for sinners, fulfilling what these animals symbolized (Heb. 10:1–18).
When they dressed each morning, the Jews 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" (Ps. 103:2).
Sometimes we sin against the Lord by what we do, and sometimes by what we don't do (Luke 7:36–50). Sins of ignorance aren't automatically forgiven just because we unintentionally forgot God's commands; these sins must be confessed to the Lord just as we confess sins of commission (1 John 1:9).5 The fact that God forgave sins of omission didn't mean He was "easy on sin," because blood still had to be shed before the sinner could be forgiven.
Fear the Lord (vv. 30–36). To sin "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" (Rom. 3:18).
The authority of God's servants (16:1—17:13) When you review the history of Israel, from Egypt to Canaan, you discover that the nation got into trouble every time they resisted the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Whenever God sought to build the people's faith by bringing them into a difficult situation, they immediately rebelled against Moses and Aaron, blamed them for their plight, and made plans to return to Egypt.
B.About authority—15:32—17:13
God commanded that such sinners be cut off from the nation, which means they were stoned to death. Not only had they disobeyed God's law, but they did it in such a way that they defied God's will and despised God's Word. No sacrifices were provided for deliberate high-handed sins, so there was no forgiveness offered at the altar.6
These chapters record two challenges to the leadership of Moses and Aaron, one from a group of Levites (16:1–35) and one from the people as a whole (vv. 41–50). Out of each of these confrontations came a visible reminder to the Jews of their rebellion: the brass covering on the altar (vv. 36–40) and Aaron's rod that budded (17:1–13).
Moses records an example of high-handed sin in the account of the man who gathered fuel on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32–36). Certainly this man knew God's commandments (Ex. 20:8–11; 31:12–17), and yet he deliberately disobeyed them. Apparently he was gathering sticks to start a fire, and it was unlawful to kindle a fire on the Sabbath (35:1–3). This was a new experience for the Jews, so Moses sought the Lord's will, and God told him to have the people stone the impudent offender to death.
The first confrontation (16:1–35). No matter how much God did for them or taught them, Israel was not a spiritually minded people (Deut. 31:16–30). They still had Egypt in their hearts, and their lust for idols stayed with them even while they marched through the wilderness (Amos 5:25–26; Acts 7:42–43). Moses was a godly leader, and Israel could have been a godly people if they had obeyed what he taught them.
It's a dangerous thing 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 1 John 1:9 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 (Rom. 6; 1 John 3:7–10; 5:1–5, 18), and true believers who adopt that careless attitude will be chastened by the Father until they submit to His will (Heb. 12:3–15). When the German poet Heine said on his deathbed, "Of course God will forgive me; that's His job," he understood neither the awfulness of sin or the high cost of God's grace.
1. Korah, a notable leader (16:1–3). A Levite in the family of Kohath, Korah must have been a distinguished leader to be able to enlist the support of 250 "men of renown" from the other tribes. The fact that the text gives his genealogy is another hint that he was an important man. Numbers 27:3 suggests that men from other tribes were involved in the rebellion, so it was a nationwide conspiracy. The Kohathites carried the tabernacle furniture when Israel marched to a new location, and they camped on the south side of the tabernacle, across from Gad, Simeon, and Reuben. Perhaps this explains how Korah was able to get Dathan, Abiram, and On, three Reubenites, to join him in his crusade.
Remember the Lord (vv. 37–41). A busy life has its share of demands and distractions, so the Lord gave His people a simple way to remember their obligation to obey His law. He commanded them to put tassels on the corners of their upper outer garment, with blue thread woven into each tassel. These tassels were reminders that the Jews were God's covenant people and different from the other nations. (See Deut. 22:12;
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
Numbers 16
Undoubtedly these spiritually ignorant men had envy in their hearts and wanted to take over the leadership themselves.
more democracy in the camp. After all, the Lord dwelt in the entire camp and all the people were "a kingdom of priests" (Ex. 19:3–6), so who were Moses and Aaron to elevate themselves above everybody else? The hidden reason was that Korah wanted the Levites to have the same privileges as Aaron and his sons (Num. 16:10). Korah wasn't satisfied to be assisting the priests; he wanted to be a priest.
Again, 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 (Ex. 32:19; 2 Cor. 11:29; Mark 3:5; Eph. 4:26). 4. Jehovah, the righteous Judge (16:18–35). The next morning, Korah and his followers showed up with their censers and stood with Moses and Aaron at the entrance of the tabernacle, while Dathan and Abiram stood with their families at the doors of their tents on the south side of the tabernacle. We can imagine the awesome silence that prevailed, and then the glory of the Lord appeared (14:10; 20:6; Ex. 16:10–12) and the voice of the Lord spoke. The hour of God's judgment had arrived!
Whether it's the ancient camp of Israel or a modern city, no society can function without subordination.7 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 (Rom. 13; 1 Peter 2:11ff.). When this kind of order breaks down, then 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, whether it's Korah opposing Moses and Aaron, Absalom defying his father (2 Sam. 15), Adonijah claiming the crown (1 Kings 1), the disciples arguing over which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:44), or Diotrephes loving to have preeminence in a local church (2 John 9–10). And 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 a spiritual gift to be used for serving others, and therefore every member is important to God and to the church (1 Cor. 12:14–18).
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 (Num. 14:10–12; Ex. 32:7–14).
God warned the Jews to move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; then the earth opened up and swallowed those evil men and their households, and fire from God destroyed the 250 would-be priests (Num. 11:1–3; Lev. 10:1–7).8 God made it very clear that the Jews were to accept their appointed leaders and respect their authority. It's a dangerous thing for people to challenge God's order and promote themselves to become leaders. They not only rebel against the Lord (Num. 16:11) but against their own lives (v. 38). Dr. A. W. Tozer used to say, "Never follow a leader until you see the anointing oil on his head."
2. Moses, a humble leader (16:4–11). As he had done before, Moses fell on his face before the Lord (14:5, 22; 16:22, 45; 20:6; 22:31). He didn't debate with Korah and his crowd and try to change their minds, because he knew their aim was to seize the priesthood, something the Lord would never permit. The Lord would show Korah and his followers how wrong they were, and their pride would ultimately lead to their destruction (Prov. 16:18).
5. Eleazar the faithful priest (16:36–40). Since the 250 censers had been offered to the Lord, they were sanctified, even though the men who held them were wicked, so the censers couldn't be treated like common metal. God ordered Aaron's son Eleazar to gather them up and have them beaten into plates to be put on the altar of burnt offering. These plates would be a lasting reminder to the people that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb. 10:31). Whether these plates replaced the original bronze network on which the sacrifices were burned, or were added to it, we aren't told.
The test Moses proposed was a simple one. If Korah and his men were indeed priests acceptable to God, then let them bring their censers to the tabernacle and see if God would accept them. Surely the rebels remembered what happened to Nadab and Abihu when they rashly brought "strange fire" before the Lord (Lev. 10), but even this warning didn't deter them.
3. Moses, an angry leader (16:12–17). Moses called Dathan and Abiram to come to the meeting, but they refused. Nothing is said about On, so perhaps he wisely dropped out of the rebellion. The arrogance of these two men is painful to see, for they not only refused to obey Moses, but they blamed him for Israel's sin at Kadesh-Barnea! Even more, they called Egypt a "land of milk and honey" and accused Moses of making himself a prince and "lording it over" the people.
When Jude wrote to warn the early church about false teachers, he used Korah as an example, associating him with Cain and Balaam (Jude 11).9 The word "gainsaying" (kjv; "rebellion," niv) means "to say against, to oppose in word and deed, to rebel." In his farewell message to the Ephesian elders (Acts
Numbers 16—17
the rulers of each tribe and many of the people saw the rods 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.
20:28–31), Paul warned about proud people who would seek to seize authority in the local church and promote themselves. It's likely that more churches have been divided because of arrogant leadership than because of false doctrine.
The second confrontation (16:41—17:13). 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" (Rom. 3:18). 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 Jews 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 (1 Cor. 2). The nation beheld God's acts, but Moses understood God's ways (Ps. 103:7). Again, the glory of the Lord appeared and the judgment of the Lord began to consume the Israelites; for the second time in two days, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and interceded for the people. Aaron took a censer and ran into the ranks of people who were already smitten, and he "stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed" (Num. 16:48). When they counted the corpses, they found that 14,700 people had died because of their foolish rebellion against the Lord. "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).
As usual, the Israelites overreacted when they heard the news and concluded that anybody who came near the tabernacle would perish (vv. 12–13; see 14:40–45). 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 Jews, 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.
The Lord gave Israel three reminders to encourage them to obey His law and submit to His will: the tassels on their garments, the brass plates on the altar, and Aaron's rod in the Holy of Holies. To encourage believers today to be obedient children, the Lord has given us His Word (John 17:17), the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19–20), the Lord's Supper, reminding us of the death of Christ and His promised return (11:23–34; 1 John 3:1–3), and the interceding Savior in heaven (Heb. 4:14–16; Rom. 8:34). Before we judge God's ancient people, perhaps we'd better examine our own hearts to see if we've submitted to the authority of His Word and of His appointed leaders.
What is there about the human heart that makes it so easy to follow the crowd and disobey the Lord? "But what experience and history teach us is this, that peoples and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it." So wrote the German philosopher Hegel in the introduction to his Philosophy of History, and he was right. The one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history, and that includes church history.
1 Thirty-eight years later, Moses will rehearse the law to the new generation in what we call the book of Deuteronomy; he'll emphasize the fact that obedience brings life and blessing to the nation but disobedience brings death and cursing. Joshua will repeat this message after the nation enters Canaan and begins its conquest (Josh 8:30–35). These same principles apply to God's people today. 2 Of course, the offerings point to Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1–18). He gave Himself completely on the cross (burnt offering) and paid for the sins of the world (sin offering, trespass offering). He is our peace and made peace on the cross (peace offering), and He is the satisfying bread of life (meal offering). For a study of the Levitical sacrifices, see Be Holy (Cook). 3 Fine flour would be the very best they had to offer. The Jews usually ate a coarse bread made from ordinary meal. 4 Wine is also connected with the Spirit in Acts 2:13 and Ephesians 5:18, but only by way of contrast. People who are drunk lose their self-control, but self-control is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). The hilarity of drunken people is foolish and embarrassing, but the joy of the Lord glorifies God and gives opportunity for witness. 5 Christ's prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), did not automatically
1. A second reminder (17:1–13). God would prove once and for all that He had chosen Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, and that any attempts on the part of any other tribe to seize the priesthood would meet with the wrath of God.
The test was a simple one. The leader of each tribe gave Moses a rod (staff) bearing the tribal name, and all twelve rods plus Aaron's rod were put before the Lord in the Holy of Holies. The fact that all the tribes were included in the test suggests that all of them had been represented in the insurrection. The rod that sprouted would belong to the man God had chosen to be the nation's priest. When Moses brought out the rods the next day, everybody could see that only Aaron's rod had produced life. Aaron's staff "had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds" (v. 8 niv). What more evidence could the Israelites want?
If Moses put Aaron's rod back into the Holy of Holies, how could it be a reminder to the nation that the tribe of Levi was the priestly tribe? For one thing,
Numbers 18
ple of Israel were terrified even to have the tabernacle in their camp. "Are we all going to die?" they cried (17:13 niv). Actually, God's presence in their camp was the distinctive mark of the people of Israel (Ex. 33:1–16), for Israel was the only nation to have the glory of the living God present with them and going before them (Rom. 9:4).
bring divine forgiveness to the Jewish nation or the people responsible for His death. But it did postpone the judgment that the nation deserved and finally received in AD 70. See Acts 3:17, and note Paul's testimony in 1 Timothy 1:13. 6 When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, it was a deliberate sin that defied God's will, and it was especially heinous because he was the king and not only knew the laws of God but had the responsibility of enforcing them. He could bring no sacrifice (Ps. 51:15), so he threw himself completely on the mercy of God. The Lord forgave him, but David had to suffer the painful consequences of his sin (2 Sam. 12:13–14). 7 Subordination doesn't imply inferiority. A buck private may have more character and wisdom than the general, but he's still a buck private who has to obey orders. 8 It seems that the sons of Korah were not a part of their father's rebellion because they become well-known musicians in Israel. "For [or by] the sons of Korah" is part of the heading of eleven psalms (Ps. 42; 44—49; 84—85; 87—88). They were important musicians in the tabernacle and temple worship. 9 Cain belonged to the devil (1 John 3:12), Balaam seduced Israel to indulge in sins of the flesh (Num. 25), and Korah acted like the people of the world in promoting himself and defying the will of God. Believers must constantly beware of temptations from the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1–3).
God spoke expressly to Aaron (Num. 18:1, 8, 20) 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.1 As long as the priests and Levites obeyed this rule, there would be no judgment sent to the people (v. 5).
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 (Ex. 28:35, 42–43) or if they washed regularly (30:17–21). God held Aaron and his sons responsible for offenses committed against the sanctuary and the priesthood.
The priesthood was God's gift to Israel, for without priests the people couldn't approach God. The Levites were God's gift to the priests, relieving them of menial tasks so they could devote themselves fully to serving God and the people. The seven men appointed in Acts 6, usually called deacons, had a similar relationship to the apostles. There's nothing demeaning about serving tables, but the apostles had more important work to do.
C.About responsibility—18
CHAPTER SEVEN Numbers 18—20 ANOTHER CRISIS AT KADESH I
t's probable that the instructions in chapters 18 and 19 were given by the Lord while Israel was still at Kadesh-Barnea. However, when you get to chapter 20, the nation has completed its thirty-eight years of wandering and is back at Kadesh (20:1, 16).
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 (Acts 7:48), but He does dwell in our bodies by His Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19–20) and among His people in the local assembly (3:16ff.). We must be careful how we treat our bodies and what we do to the church of Jesus Christ. "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple" (v. 17 niv).
Very little is written in Numbers about Israel's years of wandering, although a list of their camping places in found in Numbers 33. Miriam died in the first month of the fortieth year (20:1), when the nation had returned to Kadesh, and Aaron died in the fifth month of that same year (33:38). When Moses died at the end of the fortieth year (Deut. 1:3), the entire older generation had perished, except for Joshua and Caleb, who were permitted to enter Canaan.
God's people had been stubborn and rebellious, and the Lord had chastened them for it, but in spite of their disobedience, the Lord had been faithful to care for them. "Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known" (Ps. 106:8). Consider some of the Lord's concerns on behalf of His people as expressed by the instructions and events found in these chapters.
Caring for His servants (18:8–32) As servants of God, the priests and Levites deserved to be cared for by the people of God. Unlike the other tribes, Levi would have no inheritance in the Promised Land, for the Lord was their inheritance (v. 20; Deut. 10:8–9; Josh. 13:14, 33; 14:13; 18:7), and the Levites would be given forty-eight towns to live in (Num. 35:1–8; Josh. 21).2 Both the priests and Levites were cared for by means of the sacrifices, offerings, and tithes of the people.
Guarding the sanctuary (18:1–7) Because of the Lord's judgments against the rebels at the tabernacle (16:31–35) and His miraculous defense of Aaron's high priestly ministry (17:10–13), the peo-
The priests (vv. 8–20). God assigned to the priests portions of the meal offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings, and peace offerings (Lev. 6:14—7:38), as
Numbers 18—19
holy for I am holy," a statement found eight times in the Bible (Lev. 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 21:8; 1 Peter 1:15–16). The regulations about "clean and unclean" are spelled out in detail in Leviticus 11—15, 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 Jews the difference between holiness and sin and encourage them to walk in holiness.
well as the firstfruits (Deut. 26:1–11) 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 (vv. 21–32). They were given the tithes which the people brought to God's sanctuary, for 10 percent of the produce belonged to the Lord. The Jews were obligated to pay three different tithes: a tithe to the Levites (vv. 21–24), a tithe "eaten before the Lord" (Deut. 14:22–27), and a tithe every three years that was given to the poor (Lev. 27:28–29). 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 preparation (vv. 1–10). There are several unique features about this ritual. The animal chosen was not male; it was slain outside the camp, away from the tabernacle and the altar; it was slain by a layman and not a priest; the blood was not caught and poured out before God but burned with the carcass; and the ashes were gathered to be mixed with water and used for ceremonial purification.
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 hire" (Luke 10:7; Matt. 10:10), said Jesus, and Paul wrote, "Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel" (1 Cor. 9:14 nkjv). Paul further explained this principle in Galatians 6:6–10; Philippians 4:10–19; and 1 Timothy 5:17–18. The Jewish people didn't always obey this law and bring their tithes to the Lord, and as a consequence the ministry at the tabernacle and temple suffered. (See Neh. 10:35–39; 12:44–47; 13:10–14; Mal. 1:6—2:9.) If the priests and Levites didn't have food for their families, then they had to leave the sanctuary and go to work in the fields (Neh. 13:10). It's tragic when God's people don't love the Lord and the Lord's house enough to support it faithfully.
First, the animal that was selected had to be without blemish, red in color, and never yoked for service. The red color may point to the blood being shed, but perhaps the color speaks of the red earth out of which the first man was made (Gen. 2:7). The name "Adam" comes from the Hebrew word adamah which means "red earth."
Aaron's son and successor Eleazar led the heifer outside the camp where a layman killed it in the presence of the priest. The word used for the slaughtering of the animal is not the word used for sacrificing an animal, and there is no altar involved. Eleazar caught some of the blood and sprinkled it toward the tabernacle seven times.
The carcass with the blood was then burned, and the word used here is not the normal word for "the burning of a sacrifice." While the body was burning, Eleazar dropped three important items into the fire: cedar wood, hyssop (a porous plant that absorbs liquid), and scarlet wool, all of which were used in the cleansing ceremony for a healed leper (Lev. 14:4, 6, 49, 51–52; and see Ps. 51:7). 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.
God expected the Levites to tithe what they received and share it with the high priest (Num. 18:25–32). 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 full time, yet they tithed what they received.
Tithing isn't necessarily a legalistic practice, for Abraham and Jacob tithed centuries before the law was given (Gen. 14:20; 28:22). If the Jews 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 2 Corinthians 8—9, we'll practice "grace giving" and go far beyond the tithe.3
The application (vv. 11–22). How were these ashes used? People who became ceremonially defiled from touching a dead body (vv. 11–13), being in a tent where somebody died (vv. 14–15), or touching anything that itself was defiled (v. 16), could be made clean again by using the ashes. They would have to wait three days after their defilement and then go out of the camp with a ceremonially clean man to the place where the ashes were kept. The man would mix some of the ashes with running water in a vessel, dip hyssop into the water and sprinkle it on the unclean person. This
D.About purity—19
Cleansing the defiled (19:1–22) In their daily lives, the Jewish people had to be sensitive to what was "clean" and what was "unclean," for this determined their relationship to the Lord and the other people in the camp. God's rule was, "You shall be
Numbers 19—20
problems no matter what the circumstances are, provided we trust Him and do His will.
would be repeated four days later on the seventh day. The cleansed persons would then wash themselves and their clothes and wait until evening to return to the camp.
An impulsive sin (vv. 10–11). Provoked in his spirit, instead of speaking to the rock, Moses smote it twice. He also spoke angrily to the people, calling them "rebels," and he gave the impression that he and Aaron had supplied the water. It was a sad demonstration of hostility by the meekest man on the earth (12:3), showing that we can fail in our strengths as well as our weaknesses.4
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 (vv. 13, 20) and He walked among the people (Lev. 26:11–12; Deut. 23:12–14); therefore, the camp had to be kept holy. Unclean people who refused to be cleansed were cut off from the nation (Num. 19:20) and stoned to death.
Moses was human, just as we are, and was no doubt weary as he drew near to the end of the wilderness march, during which he'd seen nothing but unbelief and heard nothing but complaining. Psalm 106:32–33 states that it was the people who provoked Moses to anger, and that isn't hard to believe. Perhaps he was emotionally drained because of the death of his sister. He may have been upset because, when the people complained, the Lord didn't reveal His glory and judgment as He had done before.
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 of all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1). God promises forgiveness and cleansing to His children if they turn from their sins and confess them to the Lord (1 John 1:9). An innocent animal had to die to provide ritual cleansing for the Jews, but the innocent Lamb of God had to die to provide cleansing for us (John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18–23).
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 (Ex. 17:1–7; John 7:37–39). Our Lord gave Himself for us on the cross only once and doesn't have to be crucified (smitten) again (Heb. 9:26–28). Now all that believers need do is ask, and God gives His Spirit to them.
E.About humility—20:1–13
Chastening His leaders (20:1–13) 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 (Ex. 2). She had led the praises of the women at the Red Sea (Ex. 15) and had endured the wilderness trials with her brothers. The only blemish on the record is her criticism of Moses (Num. 12), but is there any servant of God who has a spotless page?
The remarkable thing is that God gave the water, even though Moses' attitudes and actions were all wrong!5 "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Ps. 103:10 nkjv). "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" (130:3 nkjv) God in His grace met the needs of His people because He is a God of compassion and infinite goodness, but He did not overlook Moses' sins.
An old problem (vv. 1–5). 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 (James 1:2–8). 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 (1 John 2:15–17) and turns to the world for help whenever there's a problem!
A painful discipline (vv. 12–13). The people were helped but Moses was disciplined, and in a most painful way: He wasn't permitted to enter the Promised Land (Luke 12:48). 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 (Gal. 3:18). Joshua is a type of Jesus Christ the conqueror, and only he could lead the people into their promised inheritance (Heb. 4:1–11). Had Moses entered the land with the people, he would have ruined the message of the book of Hebrews!6
A divine solution (vv. 6–9). It was the people who should have been on their faces, confessing their sins and seeking God's forgiveness, but once again, Moses and Aaron fell before the Lord and sought His wisdom and help (14:5; 16:4, 22, 45; 22:31). Spiritual leaders pay a price as they seek to serve God's people, but the people usually don't appreciate it. The same people repeat the same sins and refuse to trust God and obey Him.
The first time God provided water for Israel, Moses called the place "Massah and Meribah" which means "testing and quarreling." On this second occasion, Moses called the place "Meribah" ("quarreling"), 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 (Deut. 3:23–29). Moses revealed his meekness by submitting to God's discipline and continuing to lead the people.
The rod 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
Numbers 20
Guiding His people (20:14–22) Israel was now marching north to the Plains of Moab (33:48) where Moses would prepare the new generation to enter the land. The easiest route was through Edom on the king's highway, the main trade route at that time. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau (Gen. 36) and therefore related to Israel, for Jacob was Esau's brother.
of Mount Hor, but that was where Aaron died and was buried.
Perpetuating the priesthood (20:23–29) Both Moses and Aaron had rebelled against God when Moses smote the rock, so neither of them would enter the Promised Land. On the first day of the fifth month of that fortieth year (33:38), Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar went somewhere on Mount Hor because it was now time for Aaron to die. Moses would say good-bye to a beloved brother and Eleazar to a revered father. Aaron was 123 years old (33:38–39).
V. In Moab: A New Beginning from the Lord—(20:14—36:13) A.New victories—20:14–21; 21:1–35 B.A new priest—20:22–29
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 Numbers 20:14–17 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.
However, Aaron's death didn't interrupt the ministry of the priesthood, for Eleazar took his place. As John Wesley used to say, "God buries His workmen but His work goes on." In fulfillment of the law (Ex. 29:29–30), Moses took the holy garments from his brother, Aaron, and put them on Eleazar. He probably anointed him as well for the new office. When Moses and Eleazar returned to the camp without Aaron, and the people saw Eleazar dressed in the robes of the high priest, they knew that Aaron's life had ended. They mourned for Aaron for thirty days, which takes us now into the sixth month.