Now we have finished the book of Leviticus, we can breathe a big sigh of relief and then dive into Numbers. Here is a summary of what we find in the first half of the book. Let’s go!
In the first chapter, when the warriors are counted, we see the first evidence of the half-tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Notice also that there are no warriors from the priestly tribe of the Levi.
Israel sets up camp surrounding the tabernacle, again according to God’s directions. Wherever they wander, when they camp, they always set up the tents in the same formation. This may seem mighty particular of God, but remember, He is a God of order and not chaos. When 600,000 men need to start marching, it helps if all members of each tribe are camped in the same place.
A note about Numbers 5: It’s not just about adultery and jealousy. Yes, it is on the surface. But look deeper. God wanted the people of Israel to be clean, pure, set apart. He would tolerate nothing less. When a problem existed in a marriage relationship, it needed to be dealt with, in public. This is a picture also of our relationship with God, whose name is Jealous (Exodus 20:5). God wants our total devotion to Him. He’s (probably) not going to make us drink bitter water if we skip church to go on a picnic, but we need to remember to live our lives for Him.
Chapter 6 gives us information about the Nazarite Vow, which was a temporary vow a man would make setting himself apart for a certain amount of time. One man we will learn about who was a Nazarite his whole life (very unusual) was Samson, of “and Delilah” fame.
The (supposedly short) journey towards the Promised Land begins in chapter 10. In 10:29 we meet Reuel, Moses’ father-in-law, who was also known as Jethro (Exodus 2:18, 3:1). I appreciate the fact that even Moses needed a mentor. We all need someone we can turn to for wisdom.
What happened next? “And God said, ‘You want meat? I’ll give you meat! You’ll eat meat until it comes out your nose!’ ” (Numbers 11:18-20, Laura Condensed Version). And people say the Bible is boring! But with the quail came plague, for God was angry at the people’s foolish attitude. This is an example of group penalty for group sin. Then, Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ own brother and sister, grumble against him. “How come God doesn’t speak to us?” Miriam, with her leprosy, bears the individual penalty for her individual sin.
Chapter 13 is best summed up by a song I learned as a child:
Twelve men went to spy on Canaan, Ten were bad and two were good.
What did they see when they spied on Canaan? Ten were bad and two were good.
Some saw the giants great and tall, Some saw grapes in clusters fall
Some saw that God as Lord of all, Ten were bad and two were good.
And yet, in spite of God’s provision and protection, Israel whines. Again. Moses and Aaron beg God not to destroy the Israelites. Again. And God forgives, again, for He is merciful. But here is the moment you’ve been waiting for: in Numbers 14:20-24, God declares that none of the men living on that day will enter the Promised Land.
The story of Korah’s rebellion in chapter 16 both fascinates and frightens me because here you have three people who were called to certain duties, but they wanted a bigger piece of the priestly pie, and so they whined about it, and refused to appear before the assembly when called to account. Then the earth opened up and swallowed them. Gone. Just like that. An impressive display of God’s authority, no? And yet…
THE NEXT DAY the Israelites were grumbling again. So I asked a chaplain friend, “Why were the Israelites so stupid and why did they whine so much?” And he asked me, “How come you’re so stupid and why do you whine so much?” And oddly enough, I was not offended. Humanity continues asking for more and more, despite the fact that God continually provides all we need.
Once again, God forgives. He establishes, with a sign, Aaron’s right to the priesthood (everyone happy now? good!) and gives more commands to the Levites.
This week has been intense! Keep reading, and remember to give thanks for God, for He does supply all we need.
Laura
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