Bible

Today in the “Getting Started Bible” we will complete reading the summaries of the book of Numbers, Part 2, chapters 19 – 36.

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Numbers – Part 2

Chapter 19. Cleansing

The Lord commands the sacrifice of a red heifer:

• The ashes of the red heifer are mixed with water;
• This is now the cleansing water to purge unclean things.

Chapter 20. Consequences

Rebellion over lack of water:

• At Kadesh, Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron, dies;
• The Israelites complain of a lack of water;
• The Lord tells Moses, with Aaron, to speak to a rock;
• Moses strikes the rock, twice, with his staff, water comes out;
• Moses and Aaron disobeyed God, consequently they will never enter the Promised Land;
• Soon after this, Aaron dies at Mt. Hor.

Chapter 21. Snakes

Israel moves to circumvent the land of Edom:

• On the trip, more grumbling against Moses;
• God sends poisonous snakes as punishment;
• Moses has a bronze likeness of a snake erected on a pole;
• Looking at the pole heals the snakebite.

Chapter 22. Donkey

Roaming the plains of Moab east of the Salt Sea, then North to the banks of the Jordan River, across from Jericho:

• Israel’s army overwhelms every King and city in the area;
• Balaam, a diviner in Midian, is retained by the Moabites to put a curse on the Israelites;
• God knows Balaam, tells him not to place such a curse as those strangers are Jacob’s people, blessed by God;
• In defiance, Balaam sets out on his donkey;
• God puts words in the donkey’s mouth to question Balaam;
• An angel tells Balaam to go to the Moabites but say only what God puts in his mouth.

Chapter 23. Proclamations

Three times Balaam is taken to higher ground where he can view Israel’s encampment:

• At each place God forces him to proclaim blessings on Israel, not a curse, as the Moabites had demanded.

Chapter 24. Prophecy

A fourth time Balaam is taken to a high place:

• ‘the utterance of a man whose eyes are opened…one who hears the words of God.’ v. 3,4 (NKJV)
• Again, God uses the voice of Balaam to declare blessings over the nation of Israel;
• Balaam issues God’s prophecy concerning the future of Israel, and the Star (meaning Jesus: see Isaiah) who will come later from Jacob;
• Balaam’s prophecies indicate Israel’s greatness over the entire region.

Chapter 25. Seduction

Men of Israel agree to be seduced by the women of Moab:

• An illicit coupling takes place in front of the Tabernacle;
• An Israelite man and a Moabite woman are killed with a spear inside the Tabernacle;
• Plague is brought on rebellious people:  24,000 perish.

Chapter 26. Recount

On the plains of Moab, a new census is taken of the Israelites:

• The number of males above twenty years old:  601,730;
• The number of Levites:  23,000;
• Except for Moses and Caleb and Joshua, this census is a totally new generation of Israelites;
• The Lord had said that all those who were at Sinai would die in the desert because of rebellion–they would not see Canaan.

Chapter 27. Succession

The Lord invites Moses to a mountain top:

• Looking across the Jordan into the Promised Land, Moses knows he will not go over there because he disobeyed when he struck the rock;
• He is told to appoint Joshua as his successor to lead Israel across the Jordan to possess the land of Canaan.

Chapter 28. Offerings

At the Lord’s direction Moses again issues commands to Israel:

• Original offering requirements issued at Mt. Sinai;
• Daily Offerings, Sabbath Offerings, Monthly Offerings, Passover Offerings, Offerings at Feast of Weeks.

Chapter 29. Feasts

Special events:

• There is to be a special day to sound trumpets;
• Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles.

Chapter 30. Pledges

Pledges made are to be kept, with certain exceptions:

• Pledges by a daughter at home may be voided by her father;
• Pledges by a wife may be voided by her husband.

Chapter 31. Vengeance

The Lord determines that vengeance must be taken on the Midianites for their prior behavior:

• Moses selects 1000 soldiers from each tribe for an attack;
• Every Midianite man is killed;
• Five “kings” are killed, Balaam is killed;
• Every city and camp is plundered, burned;
• Moses is angry that not everyone is killed, demands that every Midianite, except virgin women, are killed;
• All the Midianite possessions are divided out to each tribe.

Chapter 32. Settlement

The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh entreat Moses to let them have the land east of the Jordan and not cross over into Canaan with the rest of Israel:

• They reach a settlement with Moses:  They will help Israel defeat the Canaanites first, then go back over the Jordan;
• Their inheritance will be on the east side of the Jordan.

Chapter 33. Itinerary

Israel’s journey from Egypt is described, goes generally as follows:

• From Ramses, escape Pharaoh, cross the Red Sea on dry land;
• Three days in the desert to Marah, Moses strikes the rock;
• From Marah on to the oasis at Elim;
• On to Mt. Sinai, receive God’s Law;
• Roam the Sinai Desert, many camping places, stop near Kadesh;
• Send twelve spies into Canaan: Take a vote;
• Vote is not to enter Canaan yet;
• From Kadesh to Mt. Hor; Aaron dies;
• All those who were present at Mt. Sinai die off during the trek, except Moses, Joshua, Caleb;
• New generation of Israelites gets to the banks of the Jordan;
• Moses tells them they will cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the natives, take permanent possession of the land for Israel as God originally promised to Abraham.

Chapter 34. Boundaries

Moses describes the extents of Canaan as inherited by Israel:

• Canaan land extends from Sinai on the South to Syria on the North, from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea on the West to the Jordan River and Dead Sea on the East, plus:
• The land given to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh lying east of the Jordan, including the Golan;
• Joshua and Eleazar are to divide and assign the land of Canaan to the other nine and one-half tribes;
• One leader from each tribe will assist.

Chapter 35. Exceptions

Moses makes the Levites the exceptions in the land divisions:

• Levites are given their own towns and farmland to possess among all the tribes, proportioned to the size of each tribe;
• Cities of refuge are part of the Levite towns;
• Wrong doers are protected in refuge cities until their trial.

Chapter 36. Issues

Moses settles certain issues concerning daughters and their inheritances:

• A daughter cannot take her inheritance from her tribe if she marries into another tribe.

END OF THE BOOK OF NUMBERS – PART 2