The Book Of NUMBERS
Numbers 21:8 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole:
and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."
 CHAPTER 32: The events recorded in this chapter are directly connected to the successful conquest of the Transjordan region that was recorded in Numbers 21:21-35, as seen in the map above, courtesy of Logos Bible Software. Verses 1-5: The tribes of Reuben and Gad come before Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel to make a special request. The lands of the Transjordan are rich and fertile for the grazing of livestock. (v.3-4) They request that their people not cross over the Jordan River with the rest of the nation when the time comes to enter the promised land. (v.5) They would prefer to settle in the regions that are listed in verse 1 and 3, which is the land that was formerly occupied by the Amorites and the kingdom of Og. (Numbers 21:21-35, Deuteronomy 3:13, Joshua 13:17, 25-26, 2 Samuel 24:5) Verses 6-15: Moses is understandably upset by this request, and he responds rather harshly. While still within the borders of the promised land, God intends for the nation as a whole to conquer all the promised land first before settling any of it. That’s the central issue with this request, and Moses rightly points out to these men that it’s not fair to their fellow tribes for them to remain behind in a life of ease and comfort while the rest of the nation goes to war on the other side of the Jordan. Doing so will be a great discouragement to the other tribes. (v.6-7) Moses then compares this request to the lack of faith and courage displayed by their fathers thirty-eight years earlier when the twelve spies returned from their mission when the nation was camped at Kadesh-barnea. (v.8-13) Moses briefly summarizes God’s wrath and judgment against that generation because of their disobedience, and he warns the men of Reuben and Gad that they are in danger of committing the same sin. (v.14-15) Verses 16-32: The men reassure Moses three times that their soldiers will go to war with the rest of the nation for as long as is needed in order to conquer the promised land. (v.17-18, 27, 32) Moses reminds them that if they renege on this promise they will be sinning against the LORD, and He will punish them accordingly. “…be sure your sin will find you out…”. (v.23) (Genesis 4:7, 44:16, Joshua 7:1, Isaiah 59:12, Galatians 6:7) Part of that punishment will be that some of that land east of the Jordan will go to the other tribes and not Reuben or Gad. (v.30) Moses confirms this agreement with Eleazar and Joshua since he will not be around to see this agreement fulfilled. Verses 33-42: It’s not just Reuben and Gad that will inherit the land of the Transjordan. Half the tribe of Manasseh is also given some of that land (v.33), possibly because of the inheritance law that was changed when the daughters of Zelophehad presented their case in chapter 27. Further repercussions of that law are dealt with in chapter 36, which also probably affects Moses’ decision to include part of Manasseh in this agreement. (Deuteronomy 3:13-15, Joshua 13:29-31, 17:1-2) The two and a half tribes not only build new cities but also rename existing ones. (v.34-42) CHAPTER 33: This chapter is a travel summary of all the places where Israel camped since their exodus from Egypt. There’s a total of forty locations named in this passage, and with some of them is a mention of the important event that took place there. Their journey began in Rameses (Exodus 12:37), on the 15th day of the first month (Exodus 12:2, 13:4), the morning after the first Passover was held (v.3). Moses reaffirms in verse 4 that God’s judgment, the death of all the firstborn (Exodus 12:29), was on the Egyptians because of their belief and worship of false gods. (Exodus 12:12, 18:11, Isaiah 19:1) The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea is mentioned in verse 8, and verse 14 names the location where the LORD brought forth water from the rock the first time. (Exodus 17:1, 6) Kibroth-hattaavah, which is literally “The Graves of Craving”, is where God provided quail because the people complained about the manna. (v.16) (Numbers 11:34) They ate to the point of gluttony, thus incurring God’s wrath. Verses 18-36 are a list of campsites with no previous mention in the books of Exodus, Leviticus or Numbers. My study Bible suggests that verses 31-33 possibly relate to Deuteronomy 10:6-7, probably because of the name “jaakan” in both passages, as well as the mention of Aaron’s death in the Deuteronomy passage. Here in chapter 33, though, it’s recorded in verses 38-39 as taking place after the Israelites moved from those campsites to that of Kadesh at the base of Mount Hor, near the border of Edom. It’s likely, then, that the campsites listed in 31-35 are all in the same region near Kadesh. Though not recorded in chapter 20, Moses writes here in verse 39 that Aaron was 123 at the time of his death up on Mount Hor. He also records the day, month and year in verse 38. The victory against King Arad and his army is recalled in verse 40. (Numbers 21:1-3) Verses 41-47 is another list of campsites, only a few of which have been mentioned in the previous chapters, and verses 48-49 brings us to the current day, the aftermath of the victory over the Midianites and the request of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and part of Manasseh for the land west of the Jordan River. The warning given by the LORD to Moses in verses 50-56 relates directly to that request that was recorded in chapter 32, as well as the brief travel summary of Israel’s journey since the exodus from Egypt recorded here in chapter 33. As He did forty years earlier, God reminds the children of Israel of what they are to do to the peoples of Canaan once they cross into the promised land. The first command is to tear down their idols and destroy their places of pagan worship. (v.52) (Exodus 23:24, 33, 34:13, Deuteronomy 7:2, 5, 12:3, Judges 2:2, Psalm 106:34) They are to completely drive out all the inhabitants and fully possess the whole promised land before settling there permanently. (v.53) (Deuteronomy 11:31, Joshua 21:43) Verse 54 is a reminder of how they are to divide up the land. The size of the tribe determines the amount of land that each one gets. Verses 55-56 are both a reminder and a warning. Failure to obey the commands of verses 52-53 will cause the children of Israel much grief and suffering. (Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3) But more than that, it will bring upon them the same wrath that has come upon those very nations whom God has already judged and condemned. As we already know, the Israelites failed to heed this warning, and it resulted in the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. (Leviticus 26:31-33, Deuteronomy 28:64-66)  CHAPTER 34:
Verses 1-15: God now instructs Moses on the precise borders of the promised land. (See map above, courtesy of Logos Bible Software.) The southern border is from the end of the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) along the Wilderness of Zin that borders Edom, including Kadesh-barnea, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea whose coast is the western border. (v.3-6) (Numbers 20:1, Joshua 15:1, Ezekiel 47:13, 19) The northern border begins near Mount Hor (not the one where Aaron died) and ends at Hazar-enan. (v.7-9) This border also includes Hamath. (Numbers 13:21, Joshua 13:5, 2 Kings 14:25) The eastern border begins at Hazar-enan and extends all the way past the Sea of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee), following the Jordan River all the way to the Salt Sea. (v.10-12) These borders, however, do not include the land east of the Jordan River that has already been granted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. (v.13-15) (Numbers 32:33) Verses 16-29: Next, God commands Moses to select a leader of the ten tribes that will be settling the land west of the Jordan to assist Joshua and Eleazar when the time comes to actually divide up the land. (v.17-18) Once again, the tribe of Judah is mentioned first (v.19) and Caleb is named as its representative. He is the only leader mentioned here that is also named elsewhere in the Scriptures. The fact that God names these men specifically signifies the importance of this task. It’s also important to note that the tribe of Levi does not inherit any land, but instead will receive specific cities throughout the land. This will be addressed in more detail in the next chapter. According to Matthew Henry’s commentary, as well as other commentaries and online Biblical sources, the total area of the borders as described in this chapter is about 160 miles long and 50 miles wide, which doesn’t include the land east of the Jordan that is given to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. That’s a massive area, but as I already noted in the previous chapter, Israel doesn’t fully conquer and settle all of this land. Their failure to completely drive out all of Canaan’s inhabitants causes them to forfeit most of the promised land, a consequence that it is, sadly, still in effect today. The land that the current nation of Israel now occupies is less than half of what God promised them here in Numbers. But a day is coming when all of this land will belong to the re-gathered nation of Israel; a day when Jesus Christ will sit on His throne in Jerusalem in the newly restored temple, and He will reign over all the earth. Israel will the preeminent nation, the one to whom all nations of the earth are subject, and the twelve tribes will each reside in their respective regions as described here in chapters 32 and 34. God’s chosen people will receive their full inheritance, amen!
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CHAPTER 30:
As noted in the previous chapter, verse 39 was a reminder from the LORD of the importance of the various voluntary offerings and sacrifices, including those that are done in connection with vows. Now, in chapter 30, God gives more detailed instructions through Moses to the Israelites regarding vows. Leviticus 27 introduced legislation for redeeming those who had made a vow of lifetime service to God or had donated an animal to the priest for his use in the tabernacle. Now God is giving more detailed case law to Moses regarding vows, specifically when it’s a daughter, wife, widow, or a divorced woman that is making a vow to the LORD. Vows made to God are a serious matter and not to be treated lightly or done impulsively. Verse 2 makes it clear that whatever oath or vow a man swears unto the LORD shall not be broken. He is to keep that vow, no matter the cost. (Leviticus 5:4, 27:2, Deuteronomy 23:21, Judges 11:30-31, 35, Ecclesiastes 5:4, Matthew 14:9, Acts 23:14) That cross reference from Deuteronomy makes it clear that to break a vow to God is sin. If a woman who is unmarried and still living in her father’s house makes a vow unto the LORD, and her father hears her vow and says nothing, then that vow will stand and the woman is bound to obey it. (v.3-4) But if her father immediately objects to the vow and declares it void, then the woman is not obligated by God to keep it. (v.5) The same law applies to a woman who is married. (v.6-8, 10-13) If her husband overhears a vow made by his wife and keeps his peace, then she must keep the vow. But if her husband immediately objects and disallows her from making the vow, then it is void. By their silence, the father or husband is giving approval of the vow made by his wife or daughter, and all that she says to the LORD is binding. (v.14) She is required to fulfill all that she vowed to God. However, if the father or husband does not immediately object to the daughter’s or wife’s vow, and then sometime later changes his mind and tries to annul the vow, he is too late. God will hold him accountable for the sin of forcing his daughter or wife to break her vow. (v.15) If a woman is divorced or is a widow, she is free to make a vow unto the LORD, and the LORD expects her to honor it. (v.9) The whole purpose of this particular law is to ensure that the patriarchal system of authority is not subverted by the daughter or wife that might make a rash, impulsive vow. Whether we like it or not, God ordained the men to rule over the women as His natural, proper design, and the daughters and wives are to submit accordingly. That is the principle behind this law, and God is making it clear to the children of Israel that the fathers and husbands are responsible for leading their homes in all things. That means guiding and watching over all that their daughters and wives do or say. CHAPTER 31: The narrative thread now resumes, picking up where chapter 25 left off. God had commanded Moses at the end of that chapter to attack the Midianites as part of His judgment against them and Balaam for drawing Israel into the sin of idolatry and immorality. (Numbers 25:16-18) Moses commands each tribe to select from among them a thousand men (v.4), and the army of twelve thousand marches against Midian, led by Phineas, the son of Eleazar the high priest. (v.6) (Numbers 25:7-8) The fact that Phineas is at the head of the army, carrying the holy instruments and sounding the trumpets, indicates that this war is a holy one, reinforcing the statement by God to Moses in verse 2: “Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites…”. (Numbers 10:9) Verses 7-11: The Israelites are more than victorious. They utterly destroy the Midianites, slaying all the men – including Balaam (v.7-8) – and taking captive all the women and children, as well as all their livestock and wealth. (v.9) (Deuteronomy 20:13-14, Judges 21:11, 1 Samuel 27:9, 1 Kings 11:15-16) The cities and fortresses of the Midianites are burned to the ground. (v.10) The names of the slain listed in verse 8 alongside Balaam’s are also significant. (Numbers 25:15, Joshua 13:21) It’s important to note here that only the Midianites living in the plains of Moab are conquered and destroyed. The Midianites that are named in Judges 6 are a different clan that currently occupies the promised land. Verses 12-20: Moses is angry with the soldiers because they saved all the women of Midian, including those that had seduced the men of Israel to sin. (v.14-16) (Numbers 25:1-2) Moses then orders the army to slay all the male children and any woman that is not a virgin. (v.17) The virgins, presumably, are allowed to marry any eligible Israelite man. (v.18) Moses also reminds the soldiers of the law regarding those who have been defiled by either touching or being in the presence of a dead body. They must remain outside the camp for seven days and then wash themselves, their clothing, and anything else that came into contact with the slain Midianites. (v.18-20) (Numbers 5:2) One of the many problems that non-Christians have when confronted by scenes such as this in the Bible, particularly in the OT, is that they cannot understand how a loving and just God would condone that kind of murder of the innocent, especially babies and young children. Even some believers struggle with reconciling God’s attributes of love, mercy, longsuffering, and graciousness with passages such as this one. Moses is relaying the word of the LORD (v.2), not his own decision or judgment, so therefore it is God who is commanding His chosen people to execute all the male children – yes, even the babies – and the women who had enticed the men of Israel into idolatry and adultery – both physical and spiritual. The killing of the male children and the adult women that committed adultery ensures that there will be no future rebellion against Israel by the Midianites. There’s a couple of important points to remember when reading these passages: 1) God had promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “…I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee…”. The destruction of the nation of Midian in this chapter is God fulfilling that promise. The princes of Midian, along with King Balak, had cursed the nation of Israel. Therefore, because God is perfect He cannot lie, nor can He go back on His word. It’s impossible for Him to do so. This passage demonstrates God keeping His promise to Abraham’s descendants. 2) The idolatry of the Midianites, which involved not only their worship of Baal but also their sexual immorality, has so angered the LORD, that He brings swift and immediate vengeance upon the entire nation. That includes not only the men, but the some of the women and the male children as well. God so despises adultery that He made it a capital crime. (Leviticus 20:10) Again, God cannot go back on His word, and that means that sin must be punished accordingly. The sins of idolatry, immorality, and adultery are not trifle matters, and that, too, is shown here in Moses’ command to the Israelite soldiers. We must keep in mind that while God is a loving and merciful God, He is also a just and jealous God who, because of His perfect and holy nature, cannot abide by even the slightest sin. Any sin, no matter how slight or microscopic, is an abomination to Him, and He must punish it accordingly, precisely because of His perfect and holy nature. Therefore, scenes like the one here in Numbers 31, as well as that of Genesis 19, are examples of God displaying His holiness, perfection, justice, and sovereignty over all His creation. Verses 21-24: The instructions in these verses by Eleazar to the soldiers are in keeping with the ordinances of the law that require purification by those who have been in contact with the dead as well as other causes of general uncleanness that are a side effect of both war and sin. (Leviticus 11:25) Verses 25-47: This section lists not only the numbers of the women and children taken captive by the Israelites, but all the different animals as well: sheep, oxen, donkeys, goats, etc. Both the people and the livestock are divided equally among the soldiers as well as the congregation, minus portions that are given to Eleazar as a tithe to the LORD and provision for the priests (v.41), and to the tribe of Levi for tribute and provision since they do not share in any inheritance like the other tribes according to the law (v.47). After carrying out Moses’ command earlier regarding the captive women who were non-virgins and the male children, those that remained of the virgins are a total of thirty-two thousand. (v.35, 40) A tenth of them, three hundred and twenty, are given as tribute, or tithe, to the LORD. They will serve in the tabernacle. (Exodus 38:8) As noted earlier, the rest of the virgins are, presumably, given to the men of Israel as wives. Verses 48-54: In accordance with the law, the soldiers come to Moses and Eleazar and present an offering of gold from the spoils of war “…to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.” (v.50) (Exodus 30:12) Since there is no record in this chapter of any Israelite soldier dying in the battle with the Midianites, it’s possible that this offering is also a gift to God as gratitude for their victory. Eleazar receives it as a memorial, also in accordance with that same law. (Exodus 30:16) Verses 1-11: The four daughters of Zelophehad first mentioned in the previous chapter now take center stage in the beginning of Chapter 27. (v.1) They come before Moses, Eleazar, and all the congregation of Israel at the door of the tabernacle to present a legal case involving the law of inheritance. (v.2-4) Zelophehad had died in the wilderness as part of the faithless generation that came out of Egypt. He was not involved in Korah’s rebellion, and he had no sons. It’s unclear from the text why this specific distinction is made, but perhaps it has something to do with dilemma that his four daughters now face. If Zelophehad had been part of Korah’s rebellion, perhaps God wouldn’t have allowed his daughters to inherit their family’s portion of the promised land?
Whatever the reason, the daughters come before Moses with a bold request. Under the current Levitical law, if there are no living sons to inherit a man’s land and/or goods, the inheritance would pass on to the nearest male relative, starting with his brothers, or his uncles if no brothers remained living. Because of this, the man’s name and lineage could be forever lost since his daughters would be taking on the family name of their husbands when they married. (Deuteronomy 25:6) What Zelophehad’s daughters are requesting now of Moses is a change to the inheritance law that would give them equal property rights to those of a son regarding their father’s inherited portion of the promised land. (v.4) There is a magnificent demonstration of faith on the part of these four women. Unlike their father’s generation, these children believe in the promise of God to Abraham that they will, indeed, inherit the promised land. There is no doubt in their minds about this, and that faith is what emboldens them to come forward with this request. The Moody Bible Commentary states it this way: “This request by the daughters models what the author of Numbers wanted to highlight, namely, great faith. These daughters so trusted the LORD that they were confident of receiving an inheritance of their father’s estate. They took the effort to deal with the issue of property rights before any property in the promised land was actually parceled out. Earlier they expressed concern that they did not want their father’s name to be withdrawn from among his family (v. 4) so they seem to have believed in the LORD who established the Abrahamic covenantal blessing, and they did not want their father’s household to miss out on the legacy that covenant provided. In spite of the murmuring and rebellion of the nation in the wilderness, these daughters exemplified great faith in God’s promises to Israel, and they wanted to lay hold of them. They provide a role model as to how this new generation should respond to God’s promises.” Moses, in a familiar demonstration of wise, godly leadership, promptly takes their case to the Lord. (v.5) God rewards the faith of these four daughters, granting them their request. (v.7) Furthermore, He amends the law to allow for a man’s inheritance to pass to his surviving daughter(s) if he has no living sons. (v.8) If he has no children at all, then his land and goods will pass to his brother(s) (v.9), and if he has no brothers, then his inheritance will pass to his paternal uncle(s) (v.10). If he has no uncles, then it will go to the nearest surviving kinsman. (v.11) Verses 12-23: The last half of this chapter deals with the impending death of Moses. God tells Moses to ascend Mount Abarim, which is actually a range of mountains east of the dead sea. (Deuteronomy 32:49-50 names Mount Nebo, which is part of this range, as the actual site of Moses’ death.) From this peak Moses will be able to view the promised land, and after that “…thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.” (v.13) Because of Moses’ sin of rebellion in the desert of Zin, at the rock of Meribah in Kadesh, both he and Aaron were forbidden by God to enter the promised land. (v.14) (Numbers 20:12, 24, Deuteronomy 1:37, 32:51, Psalm 106:32-33) In another display of humility and true leadership character, Moses has one last request for the LORD: the selection of a new leader for the children of Israel. (v.16-17) Moses has no concern for himself but instead is worried “…that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” (v.17) Moses recognizes the need for a godly, upright, strong leader because of the nation’s propensity to go astray so easily. Once again, he is assuming the role of a mediator between the Israelites and God, pleading on their behalf that the LORD not leave His chosen people without a man to take Moses’ place as they enter the promised land. Moses, as we see him here towards the end of his life, is a radically different man than the one we met at the beginning of Exodus. That man was a coward, quick to anger, rash, impulsive, and utterly lacking in any of the characteristics required for true, godly leadership. Moses, along with Abraham and Joseph and King David, is an excellent example of the old saying, “God does not call the qualified, but instead qualifies the called.” Moses initially threw up every excuse in the book for why he wasn’t the man to confront Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he was absolutely right. He wasn’t an eloquent, persuasive orator. He lacked self control, he was impatient and quick to anger. And his only experience in leadership was as a sheep herder. But none of that mattered to God, and Moses eventually surrendered his will and his life to the LORD. God used him in a mighty and miraculous way, transforming Moses into one of the greatest and godliest leaders of Israel. The man that we see now displays the opposite of all those characteristics that I listed above. He is wise, humble, and unselfish. He isn’t perfect by any means, as proven by his sin at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, but God changed him over the years, refining Moses’ upright qualities, and teaching him how to subdue his faults to bring them under the will of God. It was only after Moses surrendered to the LORD’s calling for his life that God began to work in him in a mighty way. Moses is the prefect example of how every believer today must first surrender, beginning at the point of salvation. We must set aside our pride and all other excuses, humble ourselves and seek God’s face, and acknowledge our need for a savior if we are to be truly saved. After that, as we continually surrender ourselves daily (Romans 12:1-2), God will begin to work in us to qualify us for whatever calling He has already given us at the time of our salvation. The more that we allow God work in us and through us, the more that we study His word and grow in faith, the more we will see of His transforming power in our lives. That day at the burning bush, on the backside of the desert where he had spent forty years, Moses must have thought his life was pretty much done. He was then eighty, and he probably assumed his remaining years would be spent with his family in Midian, herding sheep and watching his children grow into adulthood, get married, and father children of their own. He could not have imagined the wild, crazy, radical new adventure that was about to begin when he first spied the sagebrush that was on fire, yet not consumed. Now, as he nears the end of his life, Moses pleads with the LORD to not leave His chosen people without a leader. God tells Moses to bring Joshua, son of Nun, “…a man in whom is the spirit…”, before Eleazar to lay hands on him in the presence of all the congregation of Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:9) Moses is to “…give him a charge in their sight…” (v.19) and “…transfer some of thine honour upon him…” (v.20). (Deuteronomy 3:28, 31:3, 7-8, 23) Furthermore, God will not speak directly with Joshua as He did with Moses. Instead, Joshua will seek the LORD’s counsel through Eleazar who will use “…the judgment of Urim before the LORD…” (v.21). This references the Urim and Thummim that are kept in the breastplate of judgment worn by the high priest. (Exodus 28:30, 1 Samuel 28:6) The reference in verse 18 of Joshua possessing the spirit indicates that God had already chosen Joshua to succeed Moses. (Genesis 41:38, Judges 3:10, 1 Samuel 16:13) Joshua has been Moses’ faithful servant ever since the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 17:9), and he has demonstrated all of the same qualities of true, godly leadership the LORD instilled in Moses. Moses has taught Joshua well, as is seen by Joshua's obedience in the last two verses of this chapter, as well as the book that bears his name. Verse 22: “And Moses did as the Lord commanded him…”. Though Moses’ story is not yet finished, this phrase accurately sums up his life from the moment God called and ordained him at the burning bush. In the forty years since that time, there are only two instances of disobedience on record (Exodus 4:24-26, Numbers 20:10-12), demonstrating a career of genuine faithfulness and striving for godliness that has set an example for all the children of Israel to follow. It is an epitaph that every believer today should strive for. Because of his submission and obedience, God used a violent, angry, coward in a mighty way, making Moses one of the greatest leaders that Israel has ever known, even to this present day. CHAPTER 25: Chapter 24 is the end of Balaam’s meeting with King Balak, but it’s not the end of Balaam’s story. We know from Numbers 31:16 and Revelation 2:14 that Balaam advised the Moabites on the best way to lure the Israelites into sin and disobedience against God, which is described here in chapter 25. Shittim is the last encampment of the Israelites before crossing the Jordan River. (v.1) (Joshua 2:1) Because of its close proximity to Moab, it’s easy for the daughters of Moab to entice the men of Israel to idolatry and immorality. (v.1-2) (Exodus 34:15, Deuteronomy 32:38, Joshua 22:17, Hosea 9:10, 1 Corinthians 10:20) Nearly all of the Canaanite religions require orgies as part of their worship rituals, and Baal, specifically, is the god of fertility. The name “Baal-peor” very likely refers to a shrine built at the place where Balaam delivered his final oracle to Balak. (v.3) The term “whoredom” in verse 1 refers to both sexual immorality and spiritual infidelity. Israel violates her covenant with God once again by becoming involved in the pagan worship practices of the Moabites. Psalm 106:28-29 specifically mentions the practice of eating “…the sacrifices of the dead…” as part of this incident, which could refer to food that had first been offered to the idols or possibly some form of ritualistic cannibalism. Whatever the case, this egregious sin angers the LORD, and He commands Moses to slay any man who has gone to worship Baal-peor. (v.4) Their bodies are to be hung in the center of camp for all to see. (Deuteronomy 4:3) The judges of Israel mentioned in verse 5 are most likely the sons of the men appointed by Moses at Mount Sinai to help lead the nation, since most of the first generation has already passed away during the forty years of wandering in the desert. (Exodus 18:21-22) Moses instructs them to “Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.” (v.5) (Deuteronomy 13:6, 9) While the text doesn’t say specifically, the man described in verse 6 is most likely one of the Baal worshipers. His name is Zimri, and he is a leader in the tribe of Simeon (v.14) The Midianites are allies of the Moabites (Numbers 22:4), and this man doesn’t even attempt to hide his sin from Moses or the people who are mourning at the entrance of the tabernacle. The implication here is that the judgment of the LORD has already begun, and the ones who are weeping are the families of the men who have been slain. That makes this man’s disobedience even more egregious and galling, which is the reason for Phineas’ furious reaction. (v.7) He spies the man and the Midianite prostitute, whose name is Cozbi, a daughter of one of the leaders of Midian (v.15), as they enter the man’s tent, and he takes immediate action. (v.8) (Psalm 106:30) Phineas, the grandson of Aaron, enters the tent and kills both the man and the woman by stabbing them with a large javelin in a single, vicious stroke. This action, along with the executions carried out by the judges, stays the wrath of the LORD. (Numbers 16:46) In addition to the slaying of the sinners, God had also sent a plague among the people, and Phineas’ swift, decisive judgment ends that as well. (v.8) The death toll for this latest act of rebellion is twenty-four thousand. (v.9) Because Phineas “…was zealous for my sake…” (v.11), God makes a covenant with him. (v.12-13) (Malachi 2:4-5, 3:1, Acts 22:3, Romans 10:2) He promises Phineas, the son of Eleazar, that the Levitical priesthood will continue through his specific bloodline, “…an everlasting priesthood…”. (v.13) While God had earlier promised this to Aaron (Exodus 40:15), He was now narrowing it further to the specific lineage of Phineas. The latter half of verse 13 implies that Phineas’ zealous and swift action saved the nation of Israel by serving as an atonement for their disobedience, in much the same manner as Aaron’s action with the incense in the incident following Korah’s rebellion. (Numbers 16:46-47) Some theologians and Biblical scholars, including John MacArthur, believe that Phineas’ bloodline is still present to this day, even though the twelve tribes of Israel as recorded in the Bible have long ago been lost to history, beginning in the first century when the Jews were scattered throughout the world following the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. When the sacrificial system is reinstated during the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom, as described in Ezekiel, it is believed that the descendants of Phineas will be serving as priests in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. Given the promise by God in verse 13, that theory seems very likely. What we do know for certain is that Phineas’ bloodline did indeed continue throughout the OT and during the time of Christ’s ministry here on earth. We know this because the Levitical priesthood, the temple, and the sacrificial systems remained in place until the crucifixion of Christ. That is the essence of God’s promise to Phineas here in chapter 25. This chapter concludes with a command from the LORD to Moses. (v.16) The Israelites are to attack the Midianites because they enticed His chosen people to sin. (v.17-18) This is carried out in chapter 31, as already noted earlier regarding the death of Balaam. CHAPTER 26: This chapter opens with a command from God to have Moses conduct another census of the nation. (v.1-2) This instruction, following an account of new revelation from the LORD and then grievous disobedience of the Israelites, closely parallels the incident of the golden calf from Exodus 32 while Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Law of God. The following table is courtesy of the Moody Bible Commentary:  What follows in this chapter is a census record similar to that of Numbers 1 and 3. Almost forty years has passed since that first census which was taken in the second month of the second year after the exodus. The purpose of that was to record all the men of Israel, twenty years and older, who were capable of going to war. The same purpose is given here (v.2) since a military campaign against Midian has just been announced. This census, though, has a secondary purpose: the proper division of the promised land among the tribes following their conquest of it. (v.53) The tribes with larger populations will receive a larger portion of land, while the smaller tribes will receive a portion equal to their populations. (v.54) The land will divided up fairly and equally by lot. (v.55-56) (Numbers 33:54, 34:13, Joshua 11:23, 14:2) There’s also a few more details of the clans within the tribes given here that is not found in chapters 1 and 3, including proper names and brief genealogies. (v.5-51, 58-62) The point of this is to show that the entire first generation that God decreed would never see the promised land due to disobedience (Numbers 14:22-23) has now passed away, save for Caleb and Joshua. (This also means that all those who were still alive of the first generation in chapter 25 were killed in the plague of God’s judgment for the sin of idolatry.) The Levites, of course, are counted separately as they are not allowed to inherit any land. (v.62) Dathan and Abiram are listed in verse 9, and Korah’s rebellion is briefly recalled (Numbers 16:1-2), but verse 11 reminds the reader that Korah’s children were not killed as part of God’s judgment against their father. Verse 33 mentions Zelophehad, of the tribe Manasseh, who has no sons. His daughters, who are also named, will be the focus of the first half of chapter 27. The following table illustrates the results of this second census:  Two things are immediately apparent: 1) despite the death of the first generation of the Exodus, the nation’s total population still increased in those forty years; 2) the most striking decrease in population occurred among the tribe of Simeon. This is most likely due to the recent incident of idolatry described in chapter 25. Zimri was a leader of that tribe, so it’s a reasonable assumption that the majority of the worshipers of Baal-peor were Simeonites. The Moody Bible Commentators have this to say of the census: “With the numbers given in this chapter, it is possible to calculate approximately on average how many of the first generation died per day during the wilderness-wandering period. Massive deaths occurred at the Korah rebellion and the plague of Baal-peor, but an average of 90 funerals a day would have had to be conducted during this period.”
Furthermore, there is the logical question of why Eleazar is still alive, since he was at least thirty when he began to serve in the tabernacle. (Numbers 3:2-3, 4:46-47) One possible answer is that only those of the first generation who actually rebelled against God died in the wilderness. It’s very likely that none of the Levites, especially those serving in the tabernacle, were part of that rebellion. This answer makes even more sense given Eleazar’s display of godly zeal in the previous chapter. However, the more likely answer is that the Levites were excluded altogether from God’s judgment of the first generation, just as they were excluded in the first census at Mount Sinai. Verse 64 clearly states that not a single member of that generation is alive at the time of this second census, and verse 62 also confirms that the Levites are again “…not numbered among the children of Israel…” this second time around. The only exception to this is Caleb and Joshua. (v.65) This proves God’s faithfulness and justice. He rewards those that obey Him and keep His covenant, while also keeping His word that those who rebel and disobey will be punished accordingly.  Verse 1: Between chapters 19 and 20, a period of about thirty-eight years has passed. We know this because Aaron’s death is recorded in verse 28, and Numbers 33:38 tells us that he dies in the fortieth year after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. All the events of the book thus far have taken place in the second year following the exodus. (Numbers 9:1) This is also the third and last travel narrative found in Exodus through Numbers. The first was from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai (Exodus 13-19), and the second was from Sinai to Kadesh (Numbers 11-12). Now, thirty-eight years later, the children of Israel return to the site of their last major rebellion against God and the reason for their wandering in the desert for this whole time.
Shortly after arriving in the wilderness of Zin and setting up camp at Kadesh, Miriam dies and is buried there. (Exodus 15:20, Numbers 26:59) Verses 2-13: It’s clear from verse 2 that the nation’s rebellious attitude and predilection for complaining has not changed since their last visit here. The incident described in this passage is very similar to the one from Exodus 17, and Moses even gives both sites the same name: Meribah. (v.13) In both cases there is no water readily available, and the people immediately resort to complaining against Moses. This time, rather than wishing they had died in Egypt, they moan, “…Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!” (v.3) (Exodus 17:2, Numbers 14:2) The brethren they are referring to are all the ones that died instantaneous deaths for rebellion against God. (Numbers 11, 14 and 16) Since the ones complaining here are the remnant of the first generation that will be dead within a year, perhaps they feel they have nothing to lose by murmuring and grumbling now. Thirty-eight years of wandering in the desert has done nothing to correct their contentious spirit and bad attitude. Not only that, the Israelites actually blame Moses for bringing them back to Kadesh, as if it wasn’t their own disobedience that caused them to wander in the wilderness since their last sojourn here! (v.4) Yet they also have the audacity to call themselves the “…congregation of the LORD…” as if they have always been upright, faithful and obedient to God since the exodus! But then they throw in the usual complaint about Moses bringing them out of Egypt where they had plenty to eat and drink (v.5), as if it was all Moses’ plan in the first place and had nothing at all to do with the LORD! (Exodus 17:3) In response to all of this, Moses and Aaron, as usual, throw themselves prostrate before God at the entrance of the tabernacle. (v.6) (Numbers 14:5, 16:4, 22, 45) God, as always, is quick to appear and give guidance to His faithful servants. (v.8) As with the previous incident with the rock in Horeb, He will bring forth water, but this time Moses is to “…take the rod…”, gather the people in the presence of the rock, and then speak the command instead of striking the rock with the rod. (Exodus 17:6, Deuteronomy 8:15, Nehemiah 9:15, Psalm 78:15-16, Psalm 105:41, Isaiah 43:20, 48:21, 1 Corinthians 10:4) Verse 9 states that Moses takes “…the rod from before the LORD…” which suggests that God was referring to the rod of Aaron that is within the ark of the covenant (Numbers 17:10) instead of Moses’ own staff, another key difference between this miracle and the previous one. As before, Moses does all that God commands him, but this time his anger gets the better of him, and he makes two critical errors. The first is in verse 10: “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Psalm 106:33) God didn’t tell Moses to say anything to the children of Israel. He was told to speak only to the rock. Furthermore, by using the pronoun “we”, Moses implies that it is him and Aaron that are responsible for this miracle, not the LORD. The second transgression is in verse 11: Moses strikes the rock twice with Aaron’s rod. In spite of Moses’ disobedience, God still provides water for the Israelites, but both Moses and Aaron are rebuked by God afterwards for their sin of unbelief. Though the text does not say so specifically, it can be logically inferred that Aaron’s sin was not standing up to Moses and correcting him when he first spoke in anger to the people. Instead, Aaron once again displays an inability to stand for what’s right and be a godly example to the people. He stands by and remains silent when he knows that Moses is not doing what God commanded them. In this way, Aaron is also culpable in Moses’ sin of faithlessness and rebellion against the LORD. That’s why God uses the phrase “…ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel…”. (v.12) (Leviticus 10:3, Ezekiel 20:41, 36:23, 1 Peter 3:15) This is the root of their sin: their lack of faith. God is not punishing them for Moses speaking angrily to the people, or taking credit for the miracle, or for striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Rather, God is rebuking them for the same sin which cost this current generation the promised land: the sin of unbelief. All the actions by Moses, as well as the inaction by Aaron to correct him, are just symptoms of a much greater problem, that of faithlessness. And by that sin they misrepresented God to the people. This is why Aaron’s punishment is as severe as Moses’, for he stood by silently as Moses failed to be the LORD’s messenger and representative, which is what God had called him to be from the very beginning. (Exodus 3:10) That is no small transgression and, therefore, the punishment is equally severe. Neither Moses nor Aaron will live to see the promised land. (Numbers 27:14, Deuteronomy 1:37, 3:26-27, 34:5) Moses names this place Meribah, the same name used for the location of the previous incident from Exodus 17, even though this site is a different place. (v.13) (Deuteronomy 33:8, Psalm 106:32) This verse also confirms that God was, in the end, sanctified before the Israelites, meaning that by His judgment and punishment of Moses and Aaron for their sin, the name of the LORD was honored and hallowed among the people. God will always have the honor and glory when all is said and done, despite mankind’s sin and disobedience. Verses 14-21: The Edomites are descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. (Genesis 36:8) They, along with the Moabites, settled in the land east of the Sinai Peninsula. (Refer to the map at the top of this post, courtesy of Logos.) Moses sends out messengers to the king of Edom (Genesis 36:31) to request safe passage for Israel through their country. (v.14) (Deuteronomy 2:4) Moses is hoping that there is goodwill on the part of the Edomites because of their distant relation to Israel. He relays to the king a brief history of Israel’s exodus from Egypt (v.15-16), perhaps in the hope that the king and his people will be sympathetic to their situation. He also promises that the Israelites will remain on established roads, leaving the fields and wells of the Edomites untouched and unmolested. (v.17) But the king refuses, threatening Israel with violence if they cross his border. (v.18) (Numbers 24:18, Judges 11:16-17, Psalm 137:7, Ezekiel 25:12-13, Obadiah 1:10) Even after a second plea where Moses promises to reimburse the Edomites for any water that Israel’s livestock might accidentally drink (v.19) (Deuteronomy 2:6, 28), the king still refuses and even calls out his army as a show of force along the border. (v.20) Moses and the Israelites have no choice but to turn away and start the longer route around the lands of Edom and Moab. (v.21) (Deuteronomy 2:8, Judges 11:18) Verses 22-29: The children of Israel journey from Kadesh to Mount Hor (v.22), which is along the coast of Edom (v.23). (Numbers 21:4, 33:37) God announces to Moses that the time has come for Aaron to “…be gathered unto his people…” (v.24), which is the typical phrase in the OT to describe the death of a righteous man. (Genesis 25:8, 17, 35:29, 49:33) He reminds Moses of the reason for this: “…ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.” (Deuteronomy 32:50) Moses is instructed to bring Aaron and Eleazar to the top of the mountain where Moses will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son. (v.25-26) Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar do as God commands. (v.27-28) (Exodus 29:29-30, Deuteronomy 10:6) After this, Aaron dies. He is 123 years old. (Exodus 7:7) The whole congregation of Israel mourns Aaron for thirty days. (v.29) (Genesis 50:3, 10, Deuteronomy 34:8) The Believer’s Bible Commentary includes a quote from Matthew Henry regarding these final verses of chapter 20: “Aaron, though he dies for his transgression, is not put to death as a malefactor, by a plague, or fire from heaven, but dies with ease and in honour. He is not cut off from his people, as the expression usually is concerning those that die by the hand of divine justice, but he is gathered to his people, as one that died in the arms of divine grace. Moses, whose hands had first clothed Aaron with his priestly garments, now strips him of them; for, in reverence to the priesthood, it was not fit that he should die in them.” Matthew Henry is alluding to the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ that is described in Hebrews. The act of Moses removing the garments of the high priest from Aaron before his death and then putting them on Eleazar symbolizes what Jesus is today for all believers. He is our eternal High Priest, the final one that makes the animal sacrifices of the OT under the law no longer necessary in our current dispensation of Grace. (Hebrews 9-10) Because of what Christ did on the cross and His resurrection from the dead three days later, He is forevermore the High Priest that is continually making intercession for us at the right hand of God the Father. In this chapter, God revisits the topic of uncleanness due to contact with corpses. Because of the punishment for their disobedience in chapter 14, the Israelites would be burying many dead over the next four decades as they waited for all of the first generation to pass away before entering the promised land. Because of this, God graciously allows another way for someone to purify him/herself after coming into contact with a corpse. Leviticus 11 and 15 spell out the required rituals and sacrifices that must be done to cleanse one of uncleanness, but at the rate that the Israelites would be preparing and burying their loved ones over the next forty years those standard cleansing rituals and animals sacrifices would be very time consuming and costly for the people. Therefore, God creates a new addition to the laws of purity here in chapter 19.
Verses 1-10: Once again, the Lord speaks to Moses and Aaron, telling them to speak to the people. (v.1-2) This new commandment, like all the others before it, is directly from the mouth of God. We can also infer from verse 1 that this conversation takes place immediately following the one in the previous chapter since both Moses and Aaron are being addressed. For this new cleansing ritual, the Israelite is to bring a red heifer, perfect in appearance and health (Leviticus 22:20), and which has never been yoked, to Aaron’s son, Eleazar. (v.2) (Deuteronomy 21:3, 1 Samuel 6:7) He is to take the heifer outside the camp to a predesignated spot where the animal is then slain in his witness by the one bringing it. (v.3) (Leviticus 4:12, 21, Hebrews 13:11-12) Note that comparison in Hebrews 13 between this act and the suffering of Christ on the cross outside Jerusalem as the ultimate and final sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Also take note of the many similarities between this sacrifice and cleansing ritual and that of the sin offering described in Leviticus 4. Eleazar will then take some of the blood, return to the tabernacle, and sprinkle the blood seven times before the door. (v.4) (Leviticus 4:6, Hebrews 9:13) Afterwards, he returns to the site of the sacrifice where the animal in her entirety – skin, flesh, blood, and bone – is burned. (v.5) (Exodus 29:14, Leviticus 4:11-12, 9:11) Because there’s no mention of any altar here, we can safely presume that this slaying and burning is done either on a temporary altar constructed for this purpose or on the ground in some form of a fire pit. As the animal is being consumed by the fire, Eleazar will add to the blaze cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet. (v.6) (Exodus 12:22, Leviticus 14:4, 6, 49, 1 Kings 4:33, Psalm 51:7) Afterwards, both he and the one that brought the animal will bathe themselves and wash their clothes, still outside the camp. (v.7-8) (Leviticus 11:25, 15:5, 16:26, 28) Both may return to camp but they will be unclean until sundown. Meanwhile, another “…man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer…”, storing them in a designated place outside the camp. (v.9) “The ashes were mixed with water to be used as water to remove impurity, that is, to symbolically purify from sin. The purification properties of this red bloodlike solution was reconstituted whenever water was added to these ashes and other agents, thus making a ‘ready-made’ mixture suitable for sprinkling purposes in this purification ritual.” (The Moody Bible Commentary) The one who gathers and stores the ashes must then also bathe himself and wash his clothes before returning to camp. (v.10) He, too, is unclean until sundown. The Believer’s Bible Commentary has this to say regarding the red heifer: “The one historical record of the use of the ashes of a heifer is in Numbers 31. Mantle says that: ‘… the ashes were regarded as a concentration of the essential properties of the sin offering, and could be resorted to at all times with comparatively little trouble and no loss of time. One red heifer availed for centuries. Only six are said to have been required during the whole of Jewish history; for the smallest quantity of the ashes availed to impart the cleansing virtue of the pure spring water.’ ” This new addendum to the purity law will remain in effect for all generations, for both the Israelite and the gentile that chooses to abide with them. (v.10) Curiously, there is no reason given in this chapter for why Eleazar is named specifically as the priest performing the sacrifice of the red heifer instead of Aaron. We know from the previous instructions in the law that any priest can perform any of the sacrifices and offerings. The only specific stipulation regarding the high priest is that he is the only one allowed in the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement. None of the other priests may perform that specific cleansing. So it seems especially odd here that God calls out Eleazar by name as the one who is to perform this specific sacrifice and ritual. The most logical explanation is that Eleazar is the oldest son of Aaron because of the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, and therefore he is next in line for the role of high priest after Aaron’s death. We also know from Numbers 33:38-39 that Aaron dies in the fortieth year of Israel’s wandering in the desert. He’s one hundred and twenty three years old, which means at the time of this instruction from the Lord in chapter 20 Aaron is approximately eighty-three. So perhaps Aaron has already begun to train his son for the role of high priest, and God takes this into account when giving this instruction regarding the sacrifice of the red heifer. Or perhaps Eleazar will be the one who is assisting Aaron the most with all these purification rituals due to the many deaths that will be occurring in the next forty years. Whatever the case, the text doesn’t give a reason for naming Eleazar and, ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the sacrifice and the ritual itself. Verses 11-16: This section of the passage is a reminder and review of the previous laws regarding uncleanness. Anyone that touches a dead body is unclean for seven days. (v.11) (Leviticus 21:1, 11, Numbers 5:2, 6:6, 9:6, 10, 31:19, Lamentations 4:14, Haggai 2:13) He must purify himself on the third day, for if he doesn’t then he’s not considered clean on the seventh day, even if he isolated himself away from the camp. (v.12) The one who doesn’t follow this command will be guilty of defiling the tabernacle and, by extension, the holiness of God. That person shall be cut off from the community. (v.13) (Leviticus 22:3) Anyone that enters a tent where someone has died will be considered unclean and must undergo the prescribed cleansing ritual. (v.14) Any open vessels within the tent are also labeled as unclean. (v.15) (Leviticus 11:32, Numbers 31:20) Anyone that touches a corpse on the battlefield or assists in the burial of a body will be considered unclean. (v.16) (Numbers 31:19) Verses 17-22: The mixture of water and the ashes of the heifer are to be used to purify the tent where the death occurred. (v.17) Anyone who is clean may perform this ritual of sprinkling the water, not just a priest. (v.18) The tent, any contaminated vessels within it, as well as anyone else that was in the tent at the time of death are all to be sprinkled with the water of purification. The water is also to be used to purify the ones who assist in the burial of the corpse. The clean person will then sprinkle the water on the those that are unclean on the third day of their isolation away from camp. (v.19) On the seventh day the unclean will bathe themselves and wash their clothes. (Leviticus 14:9) After sundown they are considered clean and may return to camp. The one who sprinkles the water is to use hyssop to do the actual dipping and sprinkling, for to touch the water itself will cause that person to become unclean until sundown. (v.21) He, too, must wash his clothes. Anything and anyone that is touched by an unclean person immediately becomes defiled and is considered unclean until sundown. (v.22) (Leviticus 15:5) Anyone that refuses to undergo the proper ritual for cleansing “…shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord…”. (v.20) |
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