Saturday - Numbers 5 - Trial by Ordeal

This chapter begins with instructions from God requiring Israel to expel certain unclean individuals from their camp.  That severe injunction certainly sets the tone for what is to come. The second matter that is brought up briefly here is the proper way to deal with sin. "Confess your guilt; make amends for the damage you have done" - that was the admonition given in Numbers 5:7. Then there are a few comments about the proper role of priests in the exchanges between God and His people. But, the primary issue at hand is the jealousy that can arise between a husband and his wife.

If and when a man became jealously suspicious of his wife's fidelity, God ordained a particular ritual to handle such situations. If the woman was guilty then she would suffer from it and his anger would be justified. If she was innocent, then her virtue would be vindicated and his confidence in her would be restored. It was to be a trial by ordeal.  In modern times the idea of using ordeals to discover truth seems asinine. However, under certain circumstances God did indeed ordain specific ordeals that would require His supernatural intervention in order for them to work.  Such is the case here.

Friday - Numbers 4 - The Actual Moving Team

After the total count of the males in the tribe of Levi was complete, a new count was ordered. God commanded that Moses count just those men who would be actively involved in the work of setting up and taking down the Tabernacle. Only men from the age of 30 to 50 were assigned to the actual work. So, the total number of Kohathite workers was 2,750, and there were 2,630 Gershonite workers and 3,200 Merarite workers.  Hence, the total number of men responsible for taking down and setting up the Tabernacle was 8,580. That is a whole heaping pile of workers to do what might seem like a relatively simple task. It goes to show just how important it was to God that every detail be done precisely in order to preserve a proper respect for His things, and, by extension, for Him. Not only that, I'm sure that the burden bearers were only too happy to have substitutes ready as they marched along carrying every single piece of the Tabernacle.

Now, before the worker inventory was taken, God gave them instructions for just how they were to disassemble the Tabernacle. First of all, Aaron and his sons had to cover all of the furniture of the Tabernacle with particular cloth coverings before any of the Kohathites even came into the area.  In other words, the Kohathites didn't even get to see or touch the very items that their lives were devoted to carrying. After that, lthamar was in charge of supervising the Gershonites as they took down all of the cloth parts of the complex and also the Meraites as they deconstructed and reconstructed the framework. Obviously it was a highly organized plan that required a considerable level of management skill.

Thursday - Numbers 3 - The Camp of the Levites

The tribe of Levi, led by Moses and Aaron, had the responsibility to keep all of the instruments of the Tabernacle.  And, just like all of the other tribes, they had a prince to lead them; Aaron was their leader.

Now, when God had Moses count the armies of all of the other tribes of Israel, they were numbered from the age of 20, and up. But when God had the Levites counted, He included all of the males from one month old and up.  Of course, they weren't warriors ... they were worship leaders.

Now, the tribe of Levi was significantly smaller than all of the other tribes. And, Levi was segmented into 3 groups according to the names of Levi's 3 sons (Genesis 46:11); Gershon, Kohath and Merari.  And, the Levites camped (by families) immediately around the Tabernacle.  The whole tribe of Levi was only 22,000, or 22,300 if you add the families as they were listed previously (Numbers 3:39).  Matthew Henry attributes the discrepancy of 300 to the fact that some of the Levites were firstborn themselves, and so, though they were counted in their families they were not counted in the total comparison of Levites to firstborn Israelites since they certainly could not be counted twice (for themselves and for others). This fits well because the very theme of this section relates to that fact.  God did indeed claim the tribe of Levi for Himself in place of all of the firstborn males in the whole nation... which, at that time amounted to 22,273 (Numbers 3:43). In fact, since there were 273 more firstborn sons in Israel than there were Levites to substitute for them, God required a payment from the 22,273 eldest Israelites to make up the difference.

Tuesday - Numbers 2 - Everything a Place, & Everything in Its Place

It might be a little tedious, but it was certainly important in its time. For the tribes of Israel, God had a specific plan for the order of encampment and marching.

The nation camped according to the directions of the compass. Each quarter of the camp had three tribes in it with the Tabernacle and the Levites camping in the middle.  There were four (4) prominent tribes that had the four (4) campgrounds named after them:  Judah, Reuben, Ephraim and Dan. These four tribes and their respective partnering tribes (2 each) would evidently set up camp clockwise beginning with Judah in the east, followed by Reuben in the south, Ephraim on the west side of the Tabernacle and Dan on the north. When they struck camp to march, the four groups proceeded with Judah and her two companions (lssachar & Zebulun) in the front, Reuben and her two companions (Simeon & Gad) second in line, the Levites safely in the middle carrying the Tabernacle with its implements, Ephraim with her two companions (Manasseh & Benjamin) following after the Tabernacle and Dan with her two companions (Asher & Naphtali) bringing up the rear. If you can imagine what that would have looked like, well, it was a very reasonable, logical and orderly arrangement.

A Bedouin camp of 3 million refugees living for 40 years in the manner described in this chapter is a rather amazing accomplishment. No wonder God intervened so supernaturally with manna and such. If He hadn't, the nation would have disintegrated into civil war or starvation for sure.

Now, one more thing that is worth mentioning in this chapter is the fact that there were certain standards, ensigns, banners or (we would say) flags that were used in the camp and during their travels to mark the territory of each group, tribe and family. The colors or coat of arms (if you will) represented each segment of the nation and was conducive to preserving order within the nation. All of that may seem fairly distant and irrelevant to us unless we are willing to see the Messianic application in passages like Isaiah 11:10 where Jesus is called our ensign.

Monday - Numbers 1 - A Divinely Ordered Census

This census of the 12 tribes of Israel (excluding the tribe of Levi) was ordered by God and was a step in the direction of militarization (the number of soldiers in Israel at that time was 603,550). The nation had not been a fighting people up to this point, but that was about to change. God was indeed going to fight for them as he had done before, but He was also going to fight WITH them. What an honor for God to choose to work with us and through us. It is a blessing when He simply works FOR us, doing what we can't or won't do for ourselves. Yet, for Him to include us! Hey, "We are laborers together with God..." (1 Corinthians 3:9).  What glory!  What privilege!

I find it interesting that the exodus from Egypt represents our "new birth" soul salvation (from sin, Satan and the world). And, just like we have received the free gift of salvation, the Israelites received deliverance freely. But, just like we have battles to fight in the Christian life, even so the Jews had some important battles to fight. They still had to live by faith, but God was giving them some pretty big jobs to do; dangerous, difficult missions that would require extraordinary boldness and power.

Saturday - Leviticus 27 - Voluntary Vows & Obligatory Fulfillments

Here we find a long list of how the Israelites were to value various items which were dedicated to the Lord.  Now, before we even consider a few of the details of this chapter, let's look at the advice   of the wisest man who ever lived; Solomon. "When you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it... Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay” (see all of Ecclesiastes 5:4-6). Be cautious; be careful; be disciplined in this matter of promising God things. In fact, Jesus advised that we just make no vows at all (Matthew 5:34 and James 5:12). We don't know what tomorrow will bring; therefore we should live by simple and humble faith. Give God what you have at the moment and let tomorrow's opportunities present themselves in their own time. We are frail creatures and apt to variances, weaknesses and hesitations. Let God be the vow maker.

Now concerning dedication: a man, woman, boy or girl could be dedicated to God. Animals, both clean and unclean could be dedicated. Houses and fields could be dedicated.  But, there were some things that could not be part of a voluntary gift.  It seems obvious I suppose, but the people were forbidden from offering as a freewill gift anything that they had previously been commanded to be given anyway. If God had already claimed it then it was already His.  Sometimes we give a tithe and act as if we are doing some generous thing. Really! Is it generous to pay your taxes? No, it's required. To fail to pay them is to steal from God (Malachi 3:10).

Friday - Leviticus 26 - The Positive and the Pejorative

There are many places in the written revelation of God where we see God laying down different options before us. Because God is not the author of confusion, His line is always distinct. And, His promises and threats are never hollow. He always comes through. Now, in this chapter God juxtaposes the potential blessings of spiritual consummation against the consumption that was sure follow national disobedience.

This section is commenced with an optimistic perspective. It was an if/then proposition. If the people would obey, then God promised to: give rain as it was needed, bless the agricultural efforts of the people, provide them with enough food, keep them safe, give them peace, give them confidence, remove dangerous wild animals from their coasts, prevent famines, give them victory in their battles, pay attention to them, increase their population, give them more than they could handle, dwell among them and be their God. It sounds like a very good deal that God was offering to them, no?

On the other hand, the passage concludes with a very realistic view of the other side of the same if/then offer. If the people would not listen, neither obey... well, then God threatened them with terror, consumption, the burning ague, sorrow of heart, failure in agricultural endeavors, defeat, cowardice, shame, fruitless prayers, wasted efforts, wild beasts, decreases in population, domestic danger, pestilence, poverty, hunger, cannibalism, death, rejection, desolation and national eviction.