Numbers 26

It looks like the time of wandering - or more precisely of living outside the Promised Land - is finally over. Today's reading covers a second census, much like the one back in Numbers 1, but this time after those who refused to go into the Promised Land have died off (with a couple of special exceptions). It is interesting to note that the population of men above the age of 20 has decreased, which would normally be the opposite of what would be expected - but several thousand have died in various plagues and other tribulation brought on by their disobedience.

When one looks at the breakdown of the tribal populations, most either gained or lost a few thousand - but there are exceptions. A couple gained in excess of 10,000, and one tribe lost a massive number to offset those gains. The tribe of Simeon went from 59,300 to only 22,200; a loss of nearly two thirds the group's original size! It makes me wonder if they were some of the worst offenders at various points, and were therefore the hardest hit by God's wrath. No details are really given on that point that I can find, though.

I am hoping that soon we will get an account of the taking of the Holy Land, as I could use a bit of action :)

Numbers 25

Today's reading was quite short, but further reinforces two of the commandments God had given the Israelites: do not commit adultery, and do not have any gods before Yahweh. This is a theme we will see recur throughout the history of the nation of Israel - they will be tempted away by other peoples around them (whether sexually or otherwise) and then that leads to worship of foreign gods, which incurs God's wrath. On this occasion that resulted in over 24,000 deaths by plague; I suspect in the future the punishment may be even more severe.

Numbers 24

Today's chapter is the final one in the story of Balaam, and the third time he speaks mirrors the first two from yesterday - though he goes even further this time and prophesies the end of the nations who brought him forth to curse Israel.

One verse here stands out, and I think its sentiments are found in other locations in the Bible as well: "Blessed is the one who blesses you [Israel], and cursed is the one who curses you!" (verse 9, NET). Many people these days think we should keep our noses out of the conflicts in the Middle East, but even if nothing else in the Bible touched on the subject this alone would be enough for me to believe confidently that we should always be ready to support Israel and fight at her side.

Numbers 23

Today we get more of the story of Balaam, this time focusing on the words God gave him to speak about Israel. It is rather funny how many times King Balak tries to get him to curse Israel, despite the insistence of Balaam that he can only say what God has determined already - and furthermore that God does not change His mind. We are left with a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, as Balak asks for a third time that Balaam curse the Israelites; I assume that the outcome will mirror the first two attempts, but we'll have to see...

Numbers 22

This chapter contains the first half of the story of Balaam, including the popularly-known tale involving his donkey. I've always found this story interesting, as it is the only place I am aware of where we are told that God gave an animal the ability to talk. Such ability has been the topic of many movies and books, but here we have it in real-life! Also, the fact that before the donkey is given speech it acts in an intelligent manner does lend credence to the idea that some animals have a level of understanding we might not always appreciate.

It is also noteworthy that Balaam seems to revere God, though he is not from among the Israelites. I wonder why that is, and how someone from a different nation and people knew of Yahweh - and moreover had contact with Him!

Numbers 21

Ah, now this chapter is more to my liking! The middle half talks about the route the Israelites used in their journeys, and yet another minor rebellion on the way, but the beginning and end both cover battles in which they defeated other peoples and occupied their lands. What I found most interesting here was that they not only conquered people on their travels but they also occupied their enemies lands. I was under the impression that the time between the Israelites refusing to enter the Promised Land the first time and their eventual entrance was spent in constant wandering, but it seems I was wrong. I wonder how long they spent in each of the countries they took?

There were also two other interesting references in this section:

- Verses 24 and 25 contain an excerpt from "the Book of the Wars of the Lord"; I wonder if that is something that modern Jewish scholars have found, or if it has been lost to history. Sounds like it would have been an interesting read.

- The last verse, 35, notes that with at least one of the nations the Israelites conquered they left "no survivors" (NET). That level of total war is often looked down upon today, and considered barbaric, but I would argue that based on this and several other passages in the Bible it is sometimes appropriate. The trick is that in these wars the Israelites had God directing their actions, and telling them when and when not to spare their enemies - today we do not have the same level of divine guidance.

Numbers 20

Ah, yes, today we have the account of why Moses and Aaron did not get to enter the Promised Land. Moses disobeyed God's command, and so sealed his fate. What is most interesting here is that when God told them it was time for Aaron to die, and to pass the mantle of priesthood on to his son, Aaron went so willingly. How must it have felt to know the hour of your own death? Perhaps by his age, and with the things he had lived through, it was a blessing to die peacefully like that.

Numbers 19

The chapter today deals with rules regarding cleanliness again, as many past chapters have. I think I've mentioned it before, but I will say again that I don't really understand the reasoning God would have had for such procedures - what would it be about touching a dead body, or being in a tent with someone when they died, or any of the other myriad of things that made one "unclean" was so problematic? Was it purely to teach the Israelites to respect the Lord their God, or was there something scientific or health-related to it? Specifically at times of war and the like I can't imagine how the cleansing rituals were maintained reliably; imagine thousands of troops all needing to be sprinkled with water on a constant basis because they were in battle daily?

Numbers 18

This chapter covered the use of all kinds of offerings made to the Lord as the sustenance of the Levites, the priests of Israel. It is very similar to how tithing works in churches today - we give a portion of what we make so that the pastor and other church staff can be paid, and so that the facilities can be maintained. It is quite a logical setup, and when done correctly it scales quite well: with more people, more ministers are needed and larger buildings... but more money is also provided. I imagine the same was true in Israel: as the community as a whole grew, so would the Levite population and the amount of offerings that they were given as their portion.

One other interesting thing to note here is that the Levites were not to have any other part of the inheritance with their brothers. I wonder if that meant they could not own land at all, or if it just meant that when the time of the Year of Jubilee rolled around they had no "native" lands of their own.

Numbers 17

The chapter today is short, but contains a very cool miracle. Just in case God's direct statements to the Israelites that Moses was to lead them, and His confirmation of such things time and again, He gives one more proof here by causing Aaron's staff to bloom from among several placed before Him. I wonder if this will really put the people's doubts behind them for good - only time (and the remaining chapters) will tell...

Numbers 16

Ah, the rebellion of Korah - I remember this story from High School (I went to a private Christian school, and courses in Biblical history were standard fare). The number of times that the Israelites themselves or members of their community attempted to rebel, complain, or otherwise disrespect the God that saved them from slavery amazes me; that Moses stuck up for them in spite of it all even more so. On this occassion, though, Moses called for God to destroy Korah and his followers (verses 28-30).

One thing I remember reading before, but which struck me particularly when going over the chapter tonight, was that the entire families of those who strayed were consumed with them: as the text describes it, they "stationed themselves in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers" (v 27) and then "the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households" (v 32). Having a young child of my own it is hard to swallow that mistakes I make could affect his very life - but that is how the world works.

Numbers 15

After the preceding passages, I wasn't really expecting the reading today to drop back into rules and regulations about sacrifices. The section demonstrating the differences between unintentional and deliberate sins is quite interesting, though, and a good reminder to us today that intentionally violating God's laws is a very serious matter. In older times it would have been a death sentence, but now with the gift of Jesus' sacrifice for us it is not quite so lethal any more - but that does not mean we should take our freedom lightly or for granted.

Numbers 14

Today we read about the results of the folly from the previous chapter. I'm not sure how the Israelites could be so cowardly after everything God had done for them! I wish the things I needed to do in life were as simple as taking a massive army and attacking a land God had promised to give me :/ Or perhaps they are, and I just don't see it?

I'm also amazed that Moses hasn't taken God up on the offer given in verse 12: "I will strike them with the pestilence, and I will disinherit them; I will make you into a nation that is greater and mightier than they!" (NET). This isn't the first time that God gave Moses this option, but I gues by this point Moses had given a lot for the Israelites and must have cared for them a great deal. I wonder how history might have been different, though, if he had accepted...

Numbers 13

Today's chapter covers a classic story - the spies being sent in to scout out the Promised Land. Unfortunately, the majority of them were cowards and reported that the land would be too hard to take; so far we've only heard that Caleb spoke out in favor of going in and claiming the land God was giving to them. If I'm not mistaken we will see that Joshua, one of the other spies, will also side with Caleb (and God); but that is for a future chapter.

One of the reasons given by the rest of the spies for not invading was that descendants of the Nephilim were there - presumably giants, from the description they gave. That, in tandem with another reference in Genesis, has always interested me; furthermore, they are called here the "sons of Anak". I think later books will tie this name in again with Goliath, which fits with the idea that they were giants (as he was). If they were accurate in their description of these as real Nephilim, then it indicates that that race existed both before and after the flood - again fitting with the lines in Genesis 6.

Numbers 12

The short chapter today is interesting on several levels. For starters, Moses' siblings - Aaron and Miriam - who were helping to lead the Israelites seem to have become jealous of Moses on some level. They complained of his marriage to an "Ethiopian", but then switch tracks and suggest that they too have been given the gift of prophesy and should be qualified to lead. God has Moses' back in this, though, and gives them both a stern talking to. Furthermore, he strikes Miriam with leprosy... though at the behest of Moses he makes it temporary, rather then a permanent ailment.

What stood out to me was as follows:

- The description of Moses as "very humble, more so than any man on the face of the earth." (verse 3, NET). This is especially odd to find here, as I thought that Numbers was written by Moses himself; perhaps God insisted that he include this, or maybe his scribe (if he was dictating) added that touch.

- Miriam was struck with leprosy, but Aaron was not. I wonder why God didn't strike them both? Actually, now that I think about it I bet I know the answer: Aaron was the high priest, but having leprosy would have made him ceremonially unclean and not fit for his post.

- The first complaint leveled against Moses in the opening verses is that he married an Ethiopian, but I thought that his wife Zippora (sp?) was from Midian. Perhaps she was of Ethiopian descent, though, or maybe just darker skinned like someone from that region - or could Moses have married a second time?

Numbers 11

Wow, an interesting chapter today! I suppose one could take this as a warning against gluttony, as well as against complaining about what God has provided. Often in our lives God may provide what we need, but we still desire other things in our sinful nature - and perhaps we should look to the example of the Israelites here as a lesson not to. Not only did God choose to give them what they wanted in excess quantities, but He also struck many of them down with a plague. While God doesn't seem to act in quite such direct methods today He is certainly active in our lives, so we should be careful what we wish for :)

That is something I should work on: wishing and praying for God's will to be manifest in my life, rather than the things I selfishly want. I'm sure I'd be happier and healthier if I pursued that goal instead of my own.

Numbers 10

Not a whole lot to comment about today, as the chapter largely concerned the marching order for the Israelite tribes as they traveled. However, the last few verses were interesting - the main reason Moses used to appeal to his in-laws, with the goal that they should travel with the Israelites, was that his father-in-law would know of good places to camp. This seems to fly in the face of God's instructions the day before, though, which said that His cloud would guide them and tell them where to stay and for how long. I wonder, then, if this was an appeal to Moses' father-in-law's ego - or perhaps just a nicety aimed at getting them to come along. I'll be curious to see if they are ever mentioned again, though, as the forty-year delay that is coming would likely have put a damper in any enthusiasm they might have had for the Promised Land.

Numbers 9

It is pretty crazy to think that a year has now passed since the events of early Exodus! This chapter covers the second Passover celebration - or more precisely, the first celebration since the real Passover in Egypt. This recognition of God's work was so important that even those ceremonially unclean were allowed to participate!

There is also a description of the way that God led the Israelites in their wanderings, and if it isn't sacreligious to say so it reminds me of the game "Red Light - Green Light". When God's presence lifted, they traveled - when it settled, they camped. Quite elegant, really :)

Numbers 8

The concept in this chapter, which was referred to in earlier sections of this book, is rather interesting. When God destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians - at the Exodus - He basically took the firstborn of the Israelites as His own (instead of killing them). Then, in trade for those He took just the Levites to serve in the Tabernacle. It almost seems like it mirrors the way that God has set apart us - as Christians - to be His followers.

The cleansing ritual He ordained for them was also pretty straightforward, at least compared to many of the ceremonies outlined in previous chapters.

Numbers 7

Hmm, how can I say this politely? This chapter was the best example of repetition I've yet seen in Scripture - the same exact phrases, over and over; 12 times in total (once for each of the leaders of the Israelite tribes). I'm sure this conveyed how important the dedication offerings they brought were, but when readnig it today it seems so unnecessary.

Oh well - at least it sounds like the next chapter should be interesting. We are left with a cliff-hanger at the end of the reading today: "Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the atonement lid that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. Thus he spoke to him." (verse 89, NET) Wow, 89 verses!

Numbers 6

Today's chapter covers the rules of Nazirite vows, like those that Samson was under which will be covered in the book of Judges. I guess the rules themselves are plain enough, but what I can't gather from the verses is for what reasons someone might put themselves under such a vow. Perhaps it was just if one felt indebted to God - but if there was any further social or religious reasoning it seems to have been left out.

The last part of the chapter is also pretty cool, as it is a blessing the priests were to put on Israel. I didn't know it at the time, but growing up my best friends' family used this blessing as a nighttime prayer - I thought it odd at the time, but in hindsight that was pretty cool.

Numbers 5

Wow, we went from rather mundane chapters about who had what responsibility in caring for the Tabernacle to a very interesting, and very controversial, test for a women suspected of infidelity. There are several things that come to my mind reading over this section of Scripture:

- We must remember that this is indeed Scripture, and as such cannot be dismissed as we would the idea of a witch trial. God put this law in place for a reason, and there is something we can learn from its inclusion in the Bible.

- That being said, this does seem to run a different course than many laws. Most deal with punishments for crimes or sins, but this one talks about a test for use in situations where wrongdoing was suspected but there was no proof or witnesses. That alone makes it stand out, but the methodology of the test is even more odd.

- The way it is described almost seems shamanistic, or magical, but we must remember that God can do anything. The only conclusion I can come to is that God would honor this test if used, and actually step in and make the mixture affect or not affect an accused woman as appropriate (since of course He knows all events, motives, and thoughts).

- It is also possible that the threat of this 'curse', on a woman who had committed adultery, might have been enough to get a confession from the vast majority of people rightly accused. I suppose the traditional punishment for adultery was death, so maybe this isn't correct, but it is something to consider. Also, those who were truly innocent would have nothing to fear if they believed that God was indeed in charge.

- For some reason, this test is only described as applying to a woman... what if a wife suspected her husband of cheating? Why was that left out, or will it be dealt with in a later section?

Numbers 4

Further info today on clan assignments for transporting the Tabernacle. It sounds like there were enough men employed in that line of work that they could easily take shifts as they traveled, so as not to have a few bear too much burden. I wonder if these responsibilities were carried over into service in the Temple when it was constructed under Solomon - but I'm sure we'll get more details when the time comes.

Numbers 3

Today's reading included a census of the Levites, who were left out of the previous chapters' counts. Nothing much stood out to me as being of particular import, but it was interesting to see how much detail God went into about responsibilities - giving each family their own part of the tabernacle to take care of, and a different side of it to camp around.

Numbers 2

There isn't much to say about the chapter today - just a description of where the various Israelite clans would camp relative to each other. It does remind me of how important their family ties were, though, which was something fairly common among ancient cultures that has largely been lost in modern American society. I wonder why they felt the need to identify themselves with a far-removed ancestor so much, to the point where if a woman married into another 'clan' she was now identified with them, rather than her genetic relatives. It seems to me that it artificially created barriers where none need exist.

Numbers 1

Ah, a new book of the Bible! This first chapter was rather repetetive, but I like the topic: a census of the men capable of fighting; effectively a count of the army that Israel could muster. At over 600,000 men, it rivals the size of our standing army today - that must have been quite large for that time period!

It is interesting that here God commanded Moses to make the count, but later in David's reign I think God forbids the same thing. I suppose a lot of that has to do with motivations; here I suspect God was showing the Israelites that they had the manpower to take the land He was leading them to, but in David's time God wanted him to remember that it was God who fought for him and assured vistory, not the numbers of his troops.

Leviticus 27

This chapter was by far the most strange, or at least the most foriegn, part of the Bible I've ready yet. I know that probably sounds like an odd way to refer to any part of the Bible, but I'm currently a bit weirded out by it - especially verses 28 and 29:

"But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the LORD - whether man or animal or family land - may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD. No person devoted to destruction may be ransomed; he must be put to death." (NIV)

The whole idea of devoting something to the Lord by a vow in this chapter seems disconnected from the preceding chapters, but assuming that there was a good reason that people would do this then I really don't get the last line quoted above. Did people really dedicate themselves or their family members to God with the result of them being put to death? I truly hope that something is just not making the translation to English clearly, or that there was a cultural understanding about this which we simply lack today. I know that many times in the Bible people devoted children to the Lord's service, but they all were simply servants of God during their lives - so what is the "devoted to destruction" bit about? I consulted several translations and tried to find online commentary, with little beneficial results. If anyone out there has some insight on this, or can point me to a good resource for more info, I would appreciate it :/

Leviticus 26

Wow, this chapter describes both beautiful blessings for the Israelites if they obey God and horrifying punishments if they turn against Him. As we will see later on, they do indeed fall away from God from time to time throughout their history - and many sadnesses befall because of that. In fact, I sometimes wonder if things as recent as the Holocaust might have been a portion of this; the imagery about fleeing constantly and being consumed in the lands of their enemies in particular remind me of the stories from the oppressed Jews in World War II. They are now back in their land, though, the land God promised them so many ages ago. I am pretty sure that God's hand can be seen in that too :)

Leviticus 25

Today's reading was all about Sabbath years for letting fields lie fallow, and Jubilee years. I've always been fascinated by the practice of giving back land to its ancestral owners, as the Israelites did every fifty years; in a capitalist society it seems so backwards, but as we have come into a period of financial crisis here in the US I can very much appreciate the idea of a periodic "reset" of assets. Returning land and freeing Israeli slaves would allow even the poor among their people to have a chance at getting back on their feet, but it only happened rarely so that people wouldn't become lazy and dependent on it. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at the novelty and effectiveness of such a policy, though - after all, it was God's idea :)

Leviticus 24

More laws in this chapter, along with an example of God's laws in action. I wonder why the man who was stoned was not named, though, especially as his mother and tribe were named. The reminder that God's name is holy and should be revered is very good, though; all too often in modern society we see people disrespecting it, and thereby Him.