Numbers Chapter 16
Korah, one of the Kohathite Levites, along with Dathan, Abiram and On of the tribe of Reuben rebelled against Jehovah. Along with 250 other community leaders they came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron saying that these two men had set themselves up as leaders over the whole community, something that they had no right to do. Moses then proceeded to fall on his face in an effort to plead with them not to take this rebellious course but they were adamant. He then said to them that the following morning Jehovah would show who belonged to him and who was holy and would approach Him. On the next day they were to take their censers, put fire and incense on them and stand before Jehovah at the Tent of Meeting. He then retorted that they, the Levites, had gone too far. They were the ones that Jehovah had separated from the rest of the people to do the sacred work of the Tabernacle and to minister on behalf of the people. They had been chosen to draw near to Jehovah but this was not enough. They also wanted the priesthood. Moses would let Jehovah settle this matter.
Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram but they refused to obey. They accused Moses of leading them away from the ‘land of milk and honey,’ that is, Egypt, so that they would die in the wilderness. Nothing that he had promised them had happened, so that they were not obliged to obey him. The question, “Will you gouge out the eyes of these men?” according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 234, meant this: “Moses’ hope to blind the people to his true intentions would fail.” At this Moses became very angry and said to Jehovah that he had not wronged any of these people. He had not asked for anything from them as their leader.
The next morning when Korah and the 250 men stood before Jehovah, Jehovah said to them “Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” (Verse 21) But Moses and Aaron prostrated themselves before Jehovah and asked if He, the God of the spirits of all mankind, would be angry with everyone when only one man had sinned? Moses knew that Jehovah was well aware of what humans were like. Moses again intercedes in behalf of the nation. Jehovah then told Moses to warn the people to move away from the tents of Dathan and Abiram and not touch any of their belongings or they would be swept away along with these families.
Moses then stated to the people looking on that they would know whether these men had treated Jehovah with contempt on the basis of what happens to them. He said that if they continued to live a normal life and died a natural death, then Jehovah had not sent him. But if something unusual happened, something out of the ordinary like the earth opening its mouth and swallowing them alive along with everything they possessed, then that would be proof that these men had sinned and Jehovah was backing Moses. No sooner had Moses spoken these words that the earth split apart and these men, their families and possession were swallowed up. Then fire came out from Jehovah and consumed the 250 men who were offering incense.
Eleazar was instructed by Jehovah to collect the incense holders that the 250 men were using and hammer them into sheets to overlay the altar as they had been presented to Jehovah and were therefore holy. They were to serve as a sign to Israel. No one other than a descendant of Aaron was to approach Jehovah to burn incense.
The very next day the entire assembly grumbled against Moses and Aaron saying that they were responsible for the deaths of the families of Korah, Dathan and Abiram as well as the 250 men. When they gathered to oppose Moses and Aaron, the glory of Jehovah appeared suddenly at the Tabernacle and Jehovah said, once again, to Moses and Aaron, “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” But Moses intercedes again on behalf of this people and tells Aaron to take his censer and put fire and incense on it and go among the people in order to make atonement for them. Jehovah had sent a plague among them to annihilate them. When Aaron offered the incense, and stood between those already dead and those still living, the plague stopped. But 14,700 people had died as a result of the plague.
Numbers Chapter 17
Jehovah now instructed Moses to take a staff from each leader of the twelve tribes. Aaron would represent the tribe of Levi. The name of each tribal leader was to be written on his staff. These were to be placed in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony. Jehovah would show, beyond a shadow of doubt, who was chosen to serve before Him. It would be done in such a unique way that it would stop the people’s continual grumbling against Moses. The next day when Moses entered the Tent of Meeting, the staff with Aaron’s name on it had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. Then Moses brought the staffs out for all the Israelites to see and there was Aaron’s staff with blossoms on it. There could be no doubt of Moses and Aaron’s authority. Jehovah now told Moses to put Aaron’s staff in front of the Testimony to be kept as a sign to the rebellious, to put an end to their rebellion or they would die. The Israelites took this as a sign that they could not even come into the vicinity of the Tabernacle or they would die. They may have finally gotten the point.
Number Chapter 18
Jehovah tells Aaron that any offenses against the sanctuary are to be borne by him and his entire family which includes the Levites as they have a responsibility in conjunction with the priests for the care of the Tabernacle. Any offenses against the priesthood are to be borne by Aaron and his sons alone. The Aaronic priests are to be assisted by their Levitical brothers. Jehovah specifically set the limits for duties of the Levites. They are not to go near the furnishing of the sanctuary or the altar while the sanctuary is in place. This would mean death for them as well as the priests who allow it. The priests are responsible for the care of the sanctuary. They are the only ones who may serve as priests in connection with the service at the altar and inside the curtain. The gift of the priesthood belongs to Aaron and his sons. Anyone else attempting to officiate will be put to death. The priesthood is really a gracious provision of Jehovah as it is the only provision by which the nation could gain forgiveness for their many sins otherwise the entire community would have died out.
The regular share and portion of the priests are outlined next. They were to have all the holy offerings presented by the Israelites. They would have the part of the most holy offering that is not put on the altar as a burnt offering. The grain, sin or guilt offering is something most holy and only the male members of the priestly family could partake of these. The families of the priests could eat of the gifts of the wave offering and of all that Israel brought as the firstfruits of their harvest to Jehovah. Everything that was devoted to Jehovah belonged to the priests. Any firstborn male and any firstborn of an unclean animal had to be redeemed for the redemptive price of five shekels. The firstborn of a clean animal could not be redeemed but was holy to Jehovah. Its blood had to be poured out at the base of the altar and its fat burned as an offering made to Jehovah by fire. The meat would belong to the priests and their families. No one ceremonially unclean could partake of these offerings. The priests would have no land inheritance among the other tribes, as Jehovah was to be their share and inheritance.
The Levites, like the priests, were given no land inheritance. They were to be given all the tithes that Israel presented as an offering to Jehovah as payment for their work at the Tabernacle. They were then to present a tenth of the best portion of these tithes to Aaron as an offering to Jehovah. Their tithe would be the product of the threshing floor or the winepress. They, like everyone else, were required to present only the best to Jehovah or they would die.
Numbers Chapter 19
Jehovah now gives Moses the requirement for providing the cleansing agent for anyone defiled by a corpse. The Israelites were to bring a red heifer without blemish and had never been used to plow. It was given to Eleazar who had it taken outside the camp and slaughtered. It was not sacrificed. Eleazar would then take some of its blood and sprinkle it seven times towards the Tent of Meeting. It would then be burned in its entirety. The priest would add cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool to the burning heifer. He would then wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He could return to the camp but he would be ceremonially unclean until evening. The man who burns the heifer must also wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until evening.
A man who was ceremonially clean would then remove the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. These ashes would be used in the water of cleansing for purification of sin. The man who removed the ashes will have to wash his clothes and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening.
If a person touches a dead body, whether the person dies in a tent or out in the open, or has died a natural death or has been killed by the sword, or if anyone touches a human bone or a grave, he will be unclean for seven days. To cleanse this person, some of the ashes from the burned heifer are put in a jar and fresh water is poured over them. Then a ceremonially clean person will dip some hyssop in the water and sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day. On the seventh day, the person must wash his clothes, bathe with water and that evening he will be clean.
The person who sprinkled the water of cleansing on the unclean person must also wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. Anyone touching the water of cleansing will be unclean until evening. If an unclean person refuses to purify himself as stated above, he is to be cut off from the community. He has defiled the sanctuary of Jehovah.
Paul, writing at Hebrews 9:13, spoke of this method of cleansing as being an outward cleansing. Something more would be needed.
Numbers Chapter 20
The Israelites arrived at the Desert of Zin and here Miriam died and was buried. Here the people again put Jehovah to the test. Forty years earlier, the nation had set out from the Desert of Sin and had arrived at Rephidim, near Mount Sinai. There they quarreled with Moses because there was no water for them to drink. (See Exodus 17:1-7) All the people of this generation 20 years of age and up had died out during the intervening forty year period, yet we see their descendants doing the exact same thing that their parents had done. (See Psalms 95:10, 11) They quarrel with Moses because there was no water. They even repeat some of the same words that their parents had uttered. (See verses 3-5) Moses and Aaron prostrate themselves before Jehovah and He told Moses: “Take the staff and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to the rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.” (Verse 8) They gathered the people before the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses proceeded to strike the rock twice with his staff and water came out so that the people and their livestock could drink. Then Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” A stern rebuke indeed! Moses had gone beyond Jehovah’s instruction to him. He had struck the rock rather than simply speaking to it as Jehovah had commanded. Jehovah included Aaron in this rebuke as well.
This place came to be called the waters of Meribah because it was here that the people quarreled with Jehovah and where he showed himself holy among them. Psalms 106:32, 33 says of this account: “They angered the LORD [Jehovah] also at the waters of Meribah so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes; for they provoked [Moses’] spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.” -The Amplified Bible
From Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom asking that they be allowed to pass through their country. They would travel along the king’s highway and would not go through any field or vineyard or drink any water as they passed through. The king answered back that he would not allow them to pass through and if they tried, he would attack them. Moses sent a message back that they were only interested in passing through on foot and would pay for any water that they drink. But the king was adamant, they could not pass through and he came out with a large army to assure that they would not try to pass through his country. Israel then turned away from Edom.
The people then left Kadesh and arrived at Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, and Jehovah told Moses that Aaron would die there. Moses was to take both Aaron and Eleazar up Mount Hor and he was to remove Aaron’s official garments and put them on Eleazar. Aaron then died and Moses and Eleazar came down the mountain. When the people learned that Aaron had died, they mourned for him for thirty days.
Numbers Chapter 21
The Israelites now face their first encounter with Canaanites living in the Negeb. The King of Arad heard that they were coming along the road to Atharim and he came out and attacked them and took some captive. He obviously viewed their movement as a threat to his territory. Israel then made a vow to Jehovah that if He gave them the victory, they would totally destroy the cities of these Canaanites. The term ‘destroy’ (Hebrew, haram) means ‘to put under the ban,’ that is, these cities would be devoted to Jehovah as an offering. The people would take nothing for themselves. Jehovah gave them the victory over the Canaanites living in that region and they completely destroyed them and their towns and named the area Hormah, which means ‘destruction.’
“Moses recognized the impossibility of penetrating Canaan from the south and so took a circuitous route around the eastern frontier of Edom. This is why he led Israel from Hor along the route to the Red Sea.” - The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 239.
It seemed to the people that they were wandering again and they became impatient and began to speak against God and Moses. They complained that they had no bread, no water and they hated the manna that Jehovah had provided. Jehovah then sent venomous snakes among them to bite them. Many died. They came to Moses acknowledging their sin and asking that he pray in their behalf to Jehovah to take the snakes away. Instead of taking the snakes away, Jehovah told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. When anyone who had been bitten looked at it, they would not die. Moses did as Jehovah commanded.
Jesus made reference to this incident at John 3:14, 15. He said: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the son of man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” In like manner, the Israelite who had been bitten by a snake would have to have faith that if he looked at the copper snake he would continue living.
Israel then traveled in a northerly direction towards Moab. They camped at Oboth then Iye Abarim. From there they moved to the Zered Valley which at that time formed the border between Moab and Edom. From there they came to the Arnon River which constitutes the border between Moab and the Amorites. This part of their journey is written in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, an extant writing. They continued from the Arnon to a place called Beer where Jehovah gave them water by means of a well that He provided miraculously. Israel composed a song to commemorate this event. They continued until they came to Pisgah, a mountain located near the Plains of Moab across from Jericho. They were finally nearing their goal.
Moses sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites asking if they could pass through their country on the king’s highway. They would not turn aside into any field or vineyard or drink any of their water. But Sihon refused this request and mustered his entire army and came against Israel. Israel, however, defeated him and put him to the sword and took over his land. This land had originally belonged to Moab but Sihon had defeated a former king of Moab and had taken his land up to the Arnon River. Verses 28-30 records an Amorite taunt song that describes his victory over Moab. Now Israel was in control of this land. Then they defeated Og the king of Bashan and put him and all his army to death. They did the same to other Amorite settlements and they now controlled the entire Transjordan from Moab to Mount Herman. This territory would later be given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and one half of the tribe of Manasseh.
Numbers Chapter 22
Balak, the king of Moab, has watched Israel defeat Sihon, Og and others Amorites and he is terrified that they may be next. They are not aware that Jehovah would not give their land to Israel. In fact, Jehovah was very clear that the land of Moab, Ammon and Edom would never belong to Israel. (See Deuteronomy 2:5, 9, 19) Since he does not know this, he wants to find a way to defeat the Israelites because as he says ‘they are too powerful for him.’ If he can put a curse on them, he believes that this will prepare the way for victory for him. So he sent messengers to Balaam, son of Beor, who was a diviner, to come and curse the Israelites. When the elders of Moab and Midian reach Balaam and tell him what Balak wants of him, he tells them to wait until morning so that he could find out what Jehovah wanted him to do.
The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume I, page 213 says this of Balaam: “He was a pagan, foreign national whose mantic acts centered on animal divination, including the dissection of animal livers, the movement of animals, and the flight of birds. He believed that he had a way with the gods, a hold on them. To him, Israel’s Lord was not the Lord of heaven, but just another deity whom he might manipulate. He was in for the surprise of his life. That God did speak to Balaam is not to be denied; it is just that Balaam did not yet realize that the God of Israel was not like the supposed deities of his usual machinations.”
Jehovah did appear to Balaam and asked him who the men with him were. Balaam told him what they wanted and God told him not to go with them because the people he is to curse were blessed. Balaam told them what God said to him and they returned to Balak to report this to him. Balak sent a second group with the promise of even greater rewards for Balaam. Balaam had the men spend the night and wait until morning so that he could find out what else God would tell him. When God appeared to him, he told Balaam that he could go with the Moabite princes but he was to do only what God tells him.
Balaam got up the next morning, saddled his donkey and left with the princes of Moab. But God was angry with him possibly because of his motivation in being so ready to obtain the reward that Balak offered. On the road, an angel stood in Balaam’s path and the donkey saw him and turned off the road into a field. Balaam proceeded to beat the donkey to get it back on the road. Meanwhile the angel moved and stood in a narrow path between two vineyards. The donkey still trying to avoid him pressed close to the wall crushing Balaam’s foot. He beat her again. Finally the angel moved ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to go in any direction. So the donkey lay down and Balaam beat her again. Jehovah then opened the donkey’s mouth and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Balaam answers the donkey as though it was an everyday occurrence that the donkey spoke to him. Finally Jehovah allows Balaam to see the angel of Jehovah standing in the road. The angel asked Balaam why he was mistreating the donkey when the donkey was only trying to avoid him. The angel told Balaam that his main purpose in being there was to oppose his reckless course. Balaam said that he recognized that he had sinned and would go back if that were what he should do. But the angel told him to go ahead provided he did only what he was told to do.
We find a warning recorded at 2 Peter 2:15, 16 to avoid the course that Balaam took. Peter wrote: “forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.” (New American Standard Version)
Numbers Chapter 23
Balaam tells Balak to build seven altars and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for him. When he does this, they offer a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam moves away from the altars to learn what Jehovah wants him to say. When Balaam uttered the first of his seven oracles, he made known that he could not curse what God had not cursed nor denounce what God had not denounced. Israel was a people who lived apart from other nations and one could not number even a fourth part of them. Balak was upset because Balaam was blessing and not cursing Israel. Balaam reiterates that he is only able to speak what God permits him to.
Then Balak moved the place of divination to the top Mount Pisgah and he set up the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each one. Balaam met with Jehovah and he gave Balak this message. Balaam told him that he had received a command to bless and he could not change that command. No misfortune or misery is seen in Israel, no sorcery can be used against them because Jehovah is with them. They will rise like a lion that does not rest till he devours his prey. Balaam utters nothing but praise and Balak again is upset. Balak moves the place of divination to the top of Peor and sets up the altars and offers the sacrifices.
Numbers Chapter 24
Balaam now recognizes that to bless Israel is pleasing to Jehovah so he dispenses with the sorcery and simply utters words of praise that show the kind of blessings Israel will enjoy. The words recorded in this oracle are reminiscent of paradisiacal conditions. Balak is now so upset with Balaam that he dismisses him without pay. He tells him that Jehovah had kept him from being rewarded. But before he leaves, Balaam warns Balak about the future. He tells him that a star will come out of Jacob who will crush the foreheads of Moab, who will conquer Edom and Israel will grow stronger. He then says of Amalek that though they were the first among nations, they will come to their ruin. He then sees the Kenites and says that their dwelling place is secure, built in a rock, but Asshur (Assyria) will take them into captivity. Ships will come from Kittim to subdue Asshur and Eber but they will also come to ruin. Balaam and Balak now return to their respective homes. (Verses 17-24)
This last oracle is prophetic in nature and has overtones down to even our day and time. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 245, says of this last oracle: “Fulfillment of these prophecies about Moab and Edom have already come to pass in some respects (cf., e.g., 1 Kings 11:15-18) but they still have prophetic overtones.” These nations do not exist today, so we know that they are to be viewed in a symbolic way. (See Daniel 11:41)
The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume I, page 216, comments on verse 17 this way: “The terms “star” (GK 3919; cf. 2 Pe 1:19; Rev 22:16) and “scepter” (GK 8657; cf. Ge 49:10) certainly may speak of the promise of a king like David, Israel’s greatest king in the historical period. But ultimately these words reach beyond him. The setting for the text is “in days to come” (see again v. 14), an eschatological notice. The inclusion of these words in the text is for the final victory over the enemies of Israel. The section reaches to the end because it reaches all the way to the Savior.” We, of course, recognize this Savior to be the Modern Day Servant.
Numbers Chapter 25
While camped at Shittim, Israel has now been enticed to engage in sexual immorality by Moabite and Midianite women. They began to join in a Canaanite fertility rite in worship of Baal of Peor. Jehovah’s anger kindles against them and He tells Moses to kill all of the leaders involved in this worship and expose them in broad daylight before Him so that his fierce anger will turn away. This was to be a warning to the rest of the nation about the seriousness of idolatry. Moses gave this order to the judges of Israel to carry out. Then Zimri, the son of a leader of a Simeonite family, brought a Midianite woman into Israel’s camp right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly while they were supplicating Jehovah in front of the Tent of Meeting. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, took a sword and went into the tent and killed both of them. This act caused the plague to stop but not before 24, 000 had died. Because of his zeal for Jehovah and his atoning act, Phinehas was given a covenant for a lasting priesthood. (Psalms 106:30, 31)
The apostle Paul made reference to this event at 1 Corinthians 10:8, but he speaks of only 23,000 people being killed in one day. A possible explanation is given in the Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, page 246. It reads: "This apparent discrepancy can be explained by Paul's mention of "one day" with the understanding that another 1,000 may have died on another day or days. Or 24,000 may have included the leaders, whereas 23,000 did not."
The woman involved was the daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midian family. Therefore Jehovah told Moses to “treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them because they treated you as enemies in the affair of Peor.” We will learn in chapter 31 that Balaam was involved in this affair, that he probably instigated it because as 2 Peter 2:15 tells us Balaam “ loved the wages of unrighteousness.”
Numbers Chapter 26
After the plague Jehovah told Moses to take another census of the Israelite community of all those 20 years of age and up who are able to serve in the army. This was the second census taken in nearly forty years. The results of the first and second census are as follows:
- Tribe --- First Census-- Second Census--- Results
- Reuben------ 46,500------ 43,730---- This tribe decreased in population
- Simeon------ 59,300------ 22,200---- This tribe decreased in population
- Gad---------- 45,650------ 40,500---- This tribe decreased in population
- Judah-------- 74,600------ 76,500---- This tribe increased in population
- Issachar----- 54,400------ 64,300---- This tribe increased in population
- Zebulun------ 57,400------ 60,500---- This tribe increased in population
- Ephraim------ 40,500------ 32,500---- This tribe decreased in population
- Manasseh---- 32,200------ 52,700---- This tribe increased in population
- Benjamin---- 35,400------ 45,600---- This tribe increased in population
- Dan---------- 62,700------ 64,400---- This tribe increased in population
- Asher-------- 41,500------ 53,400---- This tribe increased in population
- Naphtali----- 53,400------ 45,400---- This tribe decreased in population
- Totals---- 603,550---- 601,730
The Levites were not counted along with the other tribes because they would not receive a tribal inheritance. But they were counted and all the males a month old or more numbered 23,000. In the previous census, they numbered 22,000.
We are reminded here that not one of the men twenty years of age or more who were counted in the first census are included in the second one other than Joshua and Caleb. Jehovah had determined that they would all die in the wilderness because of their unfaithfulness.
Some scholars have suggested that the reason for the large decrease in the population of the tribe of Simeon is that a good portion of them may have participated in the idolatrous worship of the Baal of Peor. Hence, if this were true, they would have accounted for a large portion of the 24,000 who died.
Numbers Chapter 27
Zelophehad, a member of the tribe of Manasseh, had four daughters and no sons. They approached Moses, Eleazar and the entire assembly because they wanted to know if they would have an inheritance among their tribal clans. Their father had died in the wilderness before producing any sons. They said to Moses: “Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father’s relatives.” Moses took their case to Jehovah for his decision. Jehovah told Moses that Zelophehad’s daughters were right in that they could inherit their father’s land inheritance and Moses was to turn the inheritance over to them. More specifics will be given in chapter 36 in regard to marriage for women who inherit their father’s land.
Jehovah now gave Moses guidelines regarding exceptions and irregularities in the inheritance laws. If a man dies and has no sons, his land is to go to his daughters. If he has no daughters, it will go to his brothers. If he has no brothers, it will go to his father’s brothers. If his father has no brothers, then the land will go to whoever is the nearest relative in his clan.
Before Moses dies, Jehovah will grant him a view of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo, a mountain in the Abarim range. Aaron has already died because of his failure to honor Jehovah before the nation when the Israelites rebelled in the Desert of Zin. Moses expresses his concern for a qualified leader for the people so that they will not be like ‘sheep without a shepherd.’ Jehovah tells him to have Joshua stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him by laying his hands on him thereby transmitting authority and power to him. Moses did exactly what Jehovah commanded him to do.
Number Chapters 28 and 29
Jehovah now reiterates His laws regarding the food for His offering at the appointed times to this second generation of Israelites who He will take into the land of Canaan.
Daily Offering
For the regular burnt offering: 2 lambs a year old without defect, one to be offered in the morning and the other at twilight.
For the grain offering: 1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of olive oil with each lamb.
For the drink offering: ¼ hin of fermented drink.
This daily burnt offering was to be made every day in addition to whatever other offerings are made.
Sabbath Offering
For the burnt offering: 2 lambs, each a year old without defect
For the grain offering: 2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of olive oil
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink.
Monthly Offering
For the burnt offering: 2 young bulls, 1 ram and 7 male lambs a year old, without defect
For the grain offering: 3/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of oil for each bull
----------------------------2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ⅓ hin of oil for the ram
----------------------------1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of oil for each lamb
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink for each bull
--------------------------- ⅓ hin of fermented drink for each ram
----------------------------¼ hin of fermented drink for each lamb
Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread
The Passover was to be observed on the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight. The Feast of Unleavened Bread began on the fifteenth day this month. It would last for seven days. No yeast was to be used at all. A sacred assembly was to be held on the first and the seventh day. For seven days the offerings were to be as follows, in addition to the daily offering:
For the burnt offering: 2 young bulls, 1 ram and 7 male lambs a year old, without defect
For the grain offering: 3/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of oil for each bull
----------------------------2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ⅓ hin of oil for the ram
----------------------------1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of oil for each lamb
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink for each bull
----------------------------⅓ hin of fermented drink for each ram
----------------------------¼ hin of fermented drink for each lamb
For the sin offering: one male goat without defect
Feast of Weeks
This feast, often referred to as Pentecost, represented the presentation of the first fruits of new grain offered to Jehovah. It was held 50 days after the barley harvest began.
For the burnt offering: 2 young bulls, 1 ram and 7 male lambs a year old, without defect
For the grain offering: 3/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of oil for each bull
----------------------------2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ⅓ hin of oil for the ram
----------------------------1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of oil for each lamb
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink for each bull
----------------------------⅓ hin of fermented drink for each ram
----------------------------¼ hin of fermented drink for each lamb
For the sin offering: one male goat without defect
For the wave offering: two loaves made with 2/10 ephah of fine flour baked with yeast
For the fellowship offering: 2 lambs a year old to be waved with the two loaves
Feast of Trumpets
On the first day of the seventh month, a sacred assembly was to be held. It is the day for sounding the trumpets. The offerings for this day are to be in addition to the regular daily offering and the monthly offering.
For the burnt offering: 1 young bull, 1 ram and 7 male lambs a year old, without defect
For the grain offering: 3/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of oil for the bull
----------------------------2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ⅓ hin of oil for the ram
----------------------------1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of oil for each lamb
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink for each bull
----------------------------⅓ hin of fermented drink for each ram
----------------------------¼ hin of fermented drink for each lamb
For the sin offering: one male goat without defect
Day of Atonement
On the tenth day of the seventh month a sacred assembly was to be held. The high priest would make atonement for himself and the nation by taking the blood of a bull and a goat into the Most Holy. He would then send a second goat into the wilderness. Afterwards he would make the following offerings:
For the burnt offering: 1 young bull, 1 ram and 7 male lambs a year old, without defect
For the grain offering: 3/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of oil for the bull
----------------------------2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ⅓ hin of oil for the ram
---------------------------1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of oil for each lamb
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink for the bull
----------------------------⅓ hin of fermented drink for the ram
----------------------------¼ hin of fermented drink for each lamb
For the sin offering: one male goat without defect
Feast of Tabernacles or Booths
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, this seven-day feast would begin. A sacred assembly was to be held on the first and eighth day of the feast. The burnt offering for each of seven days would include one less bull. The ram and lamb offerings would not change except on the eighth day.
For the burnt offering:
Day one:--- 13 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day two:--- 12 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day three:- 11 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day four:--- 10 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day five:----- 9 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day six:------ 8 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day seven:-- 7 young bulls, 2 rams and 14 male lambs a year old, all without defect
Day eight:--- 1 young bull, 1 ram and 7 male lambs a year old, all without defect
For the grain offering: 3/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ½ hin of oil for each bull
----------------------------2/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ⅓ hin of oil for each ram
----------------------------1/10 ephah of fine flour mixed with ¼ hin of oil for each lamb
For the drink offering: ½ hin of fermented drink for each bull
----------------------------⅓ hin of fermented drink for each ram
----------------------------¼ hin of fermented drink for each lamb
For the sin offering: One male goat on each of the eight days
The freewill and votive offerings are to be presented at the above feasts also.
Numbers Chapter 30
Jehovah gives Moses instructions regarding those who make a vow to Jehovah or takes an oath to deny himself by means of a pledge.
If a man makes a vow or obligates himself by a pledge, he must not break his word his vows must stand.
If an unmarried woman living with her father makes a vow and her father hears about it, he can either nullify her vow or keep silent. If he nullifies her vow, then she is no longer under obligation to keep it. But if he say nothing, then she is under obligation and must keep her vows or sworn oaths. If she marries after she makes a pledge or vow and her husband hears about it and he forbids her to carry out the obligation, then she will be released from her obligation. If he says nothing, then she must keep her pledge or vow.
A widow or divorced woman is always under obligation to keep her vows or pledges just as a man is.
If a married woman living with her husband obligates herself by a pledge or makes a vow, her husband can forbid her to carry it out which will then nullify them. But if he say nothing, she must carry out her obligation. If her husband is going to nullify her vows or pledges, he must do so immediately when he hears about them. If he waits and at a later time he nullifies them and she does not carry them out, Jehovah will hold him responsible for her guilt.
Numbers Chapter 31
Jehovah tells Moses to carry out his command to destroy the Midianites for their part in the Baal of Peor incident. He is to select a thousand men from each tribe to make up the army. Phinehas accompanied them carrying the trumpets and articles from the sanctuary. The Israelites fought against the Midianites and defeated them including the five Midianite kings and Balaam, son of Peor. They burned all of their towns and camps and took captive the women and children, all of their herds, flocks and goods as plunder. These they took back to Moses. Moses became angry with the officers because they had spared the women of Midian who were the ones responsible for following Balaam’s advise to ensnare the Israelite men to turn away from Jehovah. So all women who had slept with a man and all the boys were put to death, leaving only virgins.
Those who had either killed or touched a dead body were to stay outside the camp for seven days. They must purify themselves and the captives as well as all garments and anything made of leather, goat hair or wood on the third day and the seventh day. Eleazar the priest told them that anything that could be put through the fire must be purified that way and the water of cleansing must also be applied before these would be clean. Anything else would have to be purified by means of the water of cleansing only. On the seventh day after purification was complete, they would need to wash their clothes and they could return to the camp.
The spoils were to be divided evenly, half to the soldiers and half to the people. So everything was counted. The plunder that the soldiers took amounted to 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys and 32,000 women. The tribute for Jehovah from the soldiers half of the plunder was 675 sheep, 72 cattle, 61 donkeys and 32 humans. This tribute was given to Eleazar the priest. The tribute for Jehovah from the people’s half was 6,750 sheep, 720 cattle, 610 donkeys and 320 of the people. This tribute was given to the Levites.
When the commanders of the troops counted their numbers, they found that not one man had been killed. So they brought a freewill offering to Jehovah because they realized that he had protected them. They brought all of the gold articles that they had taken from the Midianites as an offering to Jehovah to make atonement for themselves. Moses and Aaron accepted this gift from the men and its weight was 16,750 shekels and they put it into the Tabernacle as a memorial for the Israelites.
Numbers Chapter 32
The tribes of Reuben and Gad had very large flocks and herds and they saw that the land on the East Side of the Jordan was very suitable for livestock. They went to Moses and asked him if they could have this land as their inheritance since its inhabitants had already been removed. The land on this side of the Jordan was not originally a part of the Promised Land. Moses was not happy about their request as he believed that they wanted to settle down while their brothers had to continue fighting before they could claim their inheritance and this would be discouraging for them. They then explained to Moses that they only wanted to build pens for their livestock and fortified cities to protect their families then they would be ready to cross the Jordan River and help their brothers secure their inheritance. They would not expect to receive any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River, as this land would be their inheritance. Moses was pleased with the Reubenites and Gadites and he told them that if they did as they promised their obligation to Israel would be fulfilled and they would be free to return to the cities that they were building. If they did not do this, then they would be sinning against Jehovah and would have to accept their inheritance with the remainder of the people on the West Side of the Jordan River. They firmly averred that they would go across the Jordan to fight with their brothers. Then Moses assigned them the territories of Sihon, the king of the Amorites and Og, king of Bashan and all the land around them. The Gadites and Reubenites built pens for their flocks and fortified cities for their families. Half the tribe of Manasseh joined with them and they conquered Gilead and the surrounding areas from the Amorites and Moses gave them this land as their inheritance.
Numbers Chapter 33
Jehovah had Moses record the itinerary of the Israelites from their leaving Egypt until their arrival at Canaan. Most of the places on this listing were desert encampments therefore cannot be identified today with any certainty.
They left Rameses on Nisan 15 travelling in a southeasterly direction and camped at Succoth and then on to Etham. From Etham Jehovah had them turn back and go north toward Pi Hahiroth where they camped at Migdol. From there they traveled for three days to the Desert of Etham. At Etham they camped at Marah and Elim. Then they moved to the Red Sea. They are still in Egypt at this time. After crossing the Red Sea, they journey to the Desert of Sin located in the Sinai Peninsula arriving there on the fifteenth day of the second month. They continue towards Mount Sinai moving in a southeasterly direction. At Rephidim, there was no water to drink. After leaving Rephidim they camp in the Desert of Sinai located at the southern tip of the peninsula where they stay for eleven months during which time Jehovah gives them his law covenant.
When they leave Sinai, they traveled in a northerly direction until they arrived at Kadesh Barnea in the Desert of Zin where Miriam dies. They left Kadesh and traveled to Mount Hor where Aaron dies. This was on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after they came out of Egypt. The listing in verses 17-36 may represent all of the places where the nation encamped during the entire forty-year period. After Aaron’s death, they traveled to the Plains of Moab.
While on the plains of Moab, Jehovah told Moses to tell the nation that “when you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.” (Verses 52, 52) It was extremely important that they obey Jehovah’s command concerning the pagan inhabitants of this land because as Jehovah said: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.” (Verses 55, 56) They would be a constant source of trouble for the nation even to the point of causing Jehovah eventually to turn on his own people doing to them what they had failed to do to the Canaanites.
***©2005 by YORWW Congregation