Christian scholars have traditionally held that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch, which includes the book of Numbers. As with the other books in the Pentateuch, Numbers is anonymous, but Moses is a central character throughout. Moses kept a journal (33:2), and the phrase “The LORD spoke to Moses” is used thirty one times. It is possible that a few portions were later added by scribes, such as the reference to Moses’s humility (12:3) and the reference to the “Book of the LORD’s Wars” (21:14). Moses remains the primary writer.
Numbers continues the historical narrative begun in Exodus. It picks up one month after the close of Exodus (Ex 40:2; Nm 1:1), which is about one year after the Israelites’ departure from Egypt. Numbers covers the remaining thirty nine years of the Israelites’ stay in the wilderness, from Sinai to Kadesh, and finally to the plains on the eastern side of the Jordan River.
Numbers shows us how God responded to the unbelief of the Israelites. There are consequences to our disobedience, but God’s grace remains, and his redemptive plan and desire for us will not be stopped. The book of Numbers underscores for us the importance of obedience in the life of a Christian, and Paul reminded us of the value of learning from the way God has worked in the past (Rm 15:4; 1Co 10:6,11).
Numbers reflects the challenging message of faithfulness. The book consists of seven cycles of material, with the repetition of the following types of material: (1) a statement of the historical setting, (2) reference to the twelve tribes of Israel and their respective leaders, (3) matters related to the priests and Levites, and (4) laws for defining the nature of the faithful community. This book of the Law is primarily narrative with portions of case law interwoven into a vibrant literary fabric.
The Lord our God is a jealous God. He will be served with holy reverence or not at all. Hence he says to Moses and Aaron, “Take care that you do not lead these men into any mistake. You go in first, and point out to each man what he is to carry. See that all is covered up, for if you do not, they may die in their work. Do not be accessories to their act and bring on them this terrible judgment.” I often wish God’s people would be careful not to cause sin in any of his servants when they are engaged in the ministry.
1The LORD spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Wilderness of Sinai, on the first day of the second month of the second year after Israel’s departure from the land of Egypt: 2 “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their fathers’ families, A counting the names of every male one by one. 3 You and Aaron are to register those who are twenty years old or more by their military divisions — everyone who can serve in Israel’s army. B 4 A man from each tribe is to be with you, each one the head of his ancestral family. C 5 These are the names of the men who are to assist you:
Elizur son of Shedeur from Reuben;
6Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai from Simeon;
7Nahshon son of Amminadab from Judah;
8Nethanel son of Zuar from Issachar;
9Eliab son of Helon from Zebulun;
10from the sons of Joseph:
Elishama son of Ammihud from Ephraim,
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur from Manasseh;
11Abidan son of Gideoni from Benjamin;
12Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai from Dan;
13Pagiel son of Ochran from Asher;
14Eliasaph son of Deuel D from Gad;
15Ahira son of Enan from Naphtali.
16 These are the men called from the community; they are leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of Israel’s clans.”
17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18 and they assembled the whole community on the first day of the second month. They recorded their ancestry by their clans and their ancestral families, counting one by one the names of those twenty years old or more, 19 just as the LORD commanded Moses. He registered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:
20 The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting one by one the names of every male twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 21 those registered for the tribe of Reuben numbered 46,500.
22 The descendants of Simeon: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, those registered counting one by one the names of every male twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 23 those registered for the tribe of Simeon numbered 59,300.
24 The descendants of Gad: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 25 those registered for the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650.
26 The descendants of Judah: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 27 those registered for the tribe of Judah numbered 74,600.
28 The descendants of Issachar: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 29 those registered for the tribe of Issachar numbered 54,400.
30 The descendants of Zebulun: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 31 those registered for the tribe of Zebulun numbered 57,400.
32 The descendants of Joseph:
The descendants of Ephraim: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 33 those registered for the tribe of Ephraim numbered 40,500.
34 The descendants of Manasseh: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 35 those registered for the tribe of Manasseh numbered 32,200.
36 The descendants of Benjamin: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 37 those registered for the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400.
38 The descendants of Dan: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 39 those registered for the tribe of Dan numbered 62,700.
40 The descendants of Asher: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 41 those registered for the tribe of Asher numbered 41,500.
42 The descendants of Naphtali: according to their family records by their clans and their ancestral families, counting the names of those twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in the army, 43 those registered for the tribe of Naphtali numbered 53,400.
44 These are the men Moses and Aaron registered, with the assistance of the twelve leaders of Israel; each represented his ancestral family. 45 So all the Israelites twenty years old or more, everyone who could serve in Israel’s army, were registered by their ancestral families. 46 All those registered numbered 603,550.
47 But the Levites were not registered with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the LORD had told Moses: 49 “Do not register or take a census of the tribe of Levi with the other Israelites. 50 Appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, all its furnishings, and everything in it. They are to transport the tabernacle and all its articles, take care of it, and camp around it. 51 Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever it is to stop at a campsite, the Levites are to set it up. Any unauthorized person who comes near it is to be put to death.
52 “The Israelites are to camp by their military divisions, each man with his encampment and under his banner. 53 The Levites are to camp around the tabernacle of the testimony and watch over it, so that no wrath will fall on the Israelite community.” 54 The Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
A 1:2 Lit the house of their fathers, also in vv. 18,20,22,24,26,28,30,32,34,36,38,40,42,45
B 1:3 Lit everyone going out to war in Israel
2The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “The Israelites are to camp under their respective banners beside the flags of their ancestral families. A They are to camp around the tent of meeting at a distance from it:
3 Judah’s military divisions will camp on the east side toward the sunrise under their banner. The leader of the descendants of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 His military division numbers 74,600. 5 The tribe of Issachar will camp next to it. The leader of the Issacharites is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 His military division numbers 54,400. 7 The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The leader of the Zebulunites is Eliab son of Helon. 8 His military division numbers 57,400. 9 The total number in their military divisions who belong to Judah’s encampment is 186,400; they will move out first.
10 Reuben’s military divisions will camp on the south side under their banner. The leader of the Reubenites is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His military division numbers 46,500. 12 The tribe of Simeon will camp next to it. The leader of the Simeonites is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His military division numbers 59,300. 14 The tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the Gadites is Eliasaph son of Deuel. A 15 His military division numbers 45,650. 16 The total number in their military divisions who belong to Reuben’s encampment is 151,450; they will move out second.
17 The tent of meeting is to move out with the Levites’ camp, which is in the middle of the camps. They are to move out just as they camp, each in his place, B with their banners.
18 Ephraim’s military divisions will camp on the west side under their banner. The leader of the Ephraimites is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 His military division numbers 40,500. 20 The tribe of Manasseh will be next to it. The leader of the Manassites is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His military division numbers 32,200. 22 The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the Benjaminites is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 His military division numbers 35,400. 24 The total in their military divisions who belong to Ephraim’s encampment number 108,100; they will move out third.
25 Dan’s military divisions will camp on the north side under their banner. The leader of the Danites is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 His military division numbers 62,700. 27 The tribe of Asher will camp next to it. The leader of the Asherites is Pagiel son of Ochran. 28 His military division numbers 41,500. 29 The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the Naphtalites is Ahira son of Enan. 30 His military division numbers 53,400. 31 The total number who belong to Dan’s encampment is 157,600; they are to move out last, with their banners.”
32 These are the Israelites registered by their ancestral families. The total number in the camps by their military divisions is 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not registered among the Israelites, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
34 The Israelites did everything the LORD commanded Moses; they camped by their banners in this way and moved out the same way, each man by his clan and by his ancestral family. A
2:31 “They are to move out last.” The camp of Dan brought up the rear when the armies of Israel were on the march. Yet they were as truly part of the company as were the foremost tribes. They followed the same fiery/cloudy pillar, ate the same manna, drank from the same spiritual rock, and journeyed to the same inheritance. Even though last and least, it is our privilege to be in the army and to fare as those fare who lead the expedition. Someone must be at the rear in honor and esteem, someone must do menial work for Jesus, and why shouldn’t it be me? In a poor village among an ignorant peasantry or in a back street among degraded sinners, I will work and take my assigned place at the rear. The Danites occupied a useful place. Stragglers have to be helped along, and lost property has to be gathered from the field. Fiery spirits may dash forward to learn fresh truth and win more souls to Jesus, but some of a more conservative spirit may be well engaged in reminding the church of her ancient faith and restoring her fainting sons. Every position has its duties, and the slowly moving children of God will find their peculiar state one in which they may be eminently a blessing to the whole company. The rear guard is a place of danger. There are foes behind us as well as before us. Attacks may come from any quarter. Amalek attacked Israel and killed some who were at the rear. The experienced Christian will find much work for his weapons in aiding the doubting, desponding, wavering souls who are slowest in faith, knowledge, and joy. These must not be left unaided, and let it be the business of well-taught saints to bear their standards among the rear guard. My soul, watch tenderly to help the stragglers today.
A 2:2 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 32
3These are the family records of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of Aaron’s sons: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died in the LORD’s presence when they presented unauthorized fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai, and they had no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests under the direction of Aaron their father.
5 The LORD spoke to Moses: 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to the priest Aaron to assist him. 7 They are to perform duties for B him and the entire community before the tent of meeting by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting and perform duties for the Israelites by attending to the service of the tabernacle. 9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they have been assigned exclusively to him C from the Israelites. 10 You are to appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out their priestly responsibilities, but any unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
11 The LORD spoke to Moses: 12 “See, I have taken the Levites from the Israelites in place of every firstborn Israelite from the womb. The Levites belong to me, 13 because every firstborn belongs to me. At the time I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated every firstborn in Israel to myself, both man and animal. They are mine; I am the LORD.”
14 The LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: 15 “Register the Levites by their ancestral families D and their clans. You are to register every male one month old or more.” 16 So Moses registered them in obedience to the LORD as he had been commanded:
17 These were Levi’s sons by name: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 18 These were the names of Gershon’s sons by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 Kohath’s sons by their clans were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 Merari’s sons by their clans were Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans by their ancestral families.
21 The Libnite clan and the Shimeite clan came from Gershon; these were the Gershonite clans. 22 Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 7,500. 23 The Gershonite clans camped behind the tabernacle on the west side, 24 and the leader of the Gershonite families E was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 The Gershonites’ duties at the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance to the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, and the tent ropes — all the work relating to these.
27 The Amramite clan, the Izharite clan, the Hebronite clan, and the Uzzielite clan came from Kohath; these were the Kohathites. 28 Counting every male one month old or more, there were 8,600 A responsible for the duties of B the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the Kohathites camped on the south side of the tabernacle, 30 and the leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 Their duties involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the sanctuary utensils that were used with these, and the screen C — and all the work relating to them. 32 The chief of the Levite leaders was Eleazar son of Aaron the priest; he had oversight of those responsible for the duties of the sanctuary.
33 The Mahlite clan and the Mushite clan came from Merari; these were the Merarite clans. 34 Those registered, counting every male one month old or more, numbered 6,200. 35 The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they camped on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The assigned duties of Merari’s descendants involved the tabernacle’s supports, crossbars, pillars, bases, all its equipment, and all the work related to these, 37 in addition to the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes.
38 Moses, Aaron, and his sons, who performed the duties of D the sanctuary as a service on behalf of the Israelites, camped in front of the tabernacle on the east, in front of the tent of meeting toward the sunrise. Any unauthorized person who came near it was to be put to death.
39 The total number of all the Levite males one month old or more that Moses and Aaron E registered by their clans at the LORD’s command was 22,000.
40 The LORD told Moses: “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites one month old or more, and list their names. 41 You are to take the Levites for me — I am the LORD — in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.” 42 So Moses registered every firstborn among the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43 The total number of the firstborn males one month old or more listed by name was 22,273.
44 The LORD spoke to Moses again: 45 “Take the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of their cattle. The Levites belong to me; I am the LORD. 46 As the redemption price for the 273 firstborn Israelites who outnumber the Levites, 47 collect five shekels for each person, according to the standard sanctuary shekel — twenty gerahs to the shekel. F 48 Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess among the Israelites.”
49 So Moses collected the redemption amount from those in excess of the ones redeemed by the Levites. 50 He collected the silver from the firstborn Israelites: 1,365 shekels G measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 51 He gave the redemption silver to Aaron and his sons in obedience to the LORD, just as the LORD commanded Moses.
B 3:7 Or to guard, also in v. 8
C 3:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Sam read me ; Nm 8:16
D 3:15 Lit the house of their fathers, also in v. 20
E 3:24 Lit a father’s house, also in vv. 30,35
B 3:28 Or for guarding, also in v. 32
C 3:31 The screen between the most holy place and the holy place; Ex 35:12
E 3:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr omit and Aaron
4The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Among the Levites, take a census of the Kohathites by their clans and their ancestral families, H 3 men from thirty years old to fifty years old — everyone who is qualified A to do work at the tent of meeting.
4 “The service of the Kohathites at the tent of meeting concerns the most holy objects. 5 Whenever the camp is about to move on, Aaron and his sons are to go in, take down the screening curtain, and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6 They are to place over this a covering made of fine leather, B spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert its poles.
7 “They are to spread a blue cloth over the table of the Presence and place the plates and cups on it, as well as the bowls and pitchers for the drink offering. The regular bread offering is to be on it. 8 They are to spread a scarlet cloth over them, cover them with a covering made of fine leather, and insert the poles in the table.
9 “They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, with its lamps, snuffers, and firepans, as well as its jars of oil by which they service it. 10 Then they are to place it with all its utensils inside a covering made of fine leather and put them on the carrying frame.
11 “They are to spread a blue cloth over the gold altar, cover it with a covering made of fine leather, and insert its poles. 12 They are to take all the serving utensils they use in the sanctuary, place them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering made of fine leather, and put them on a carrying frame.
13 “They are to remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it, 14 and place all the equipment on it that they use in serving: the firepans, meat forks, shovels, and basins — all the equipment of the altar. They are to spread a covering made of fine leather over it and insert its poles. C
15 “Aaron and his sons are to finish covering the holy objects and all their equipment whenever the camp is to move on. The Kohathites will come and carry them, but they are not to touch the holy objects or they will die. These are the transportation duties of the Kohathites regarding the tent of meeting.
16 “Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has oversight of the lamp oil, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, the holy objects and their utensils.” D
17 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: 18 “Do not allow the Kohathite tribal clans to be wiped out from the Levites. 19 Do this for them so that they may live and not die when they come near the most holy objects: Aaron and his sons are to go in and assign each man his task and transportation duty. 20 The Kohathites are not to go in and look at the holy objects as they are covered E or they will die.”
21 The LORD spoke to Moses: 22 “Take a census of the Gershonites also, by their ancestral families and their clans. 23 Register men from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who is qualified to perform service, to do work at the tent of meeting. 24 This is the service of the Gershonite clans regarding work and transportation duties: 25 They are to transport the tabernacle curtains, the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering made of fine leather on top of it, the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the courtyard, the screen for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. They will carry out everything that needs to be done with these items.
27 “All the service of the Gershonites, all their transportation duties and all their other work, is to be done at the command of Aaron and his sons; you are to assign to them all that they are responsible to carry. 28 This is the service of the Gershonite clans at the tent of meeting, and their duties will be under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.
29 “As for the Merarites, you are to register them by their clans and their ancestral families. 30 Register men from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who is qualified to do the work of the tent of meeting. 31 This is what they are responsible to carry as the whole of their service at the tent of meeting: the supports of the tabernacle, with its crossbars, pillars, and bases, 32 the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment and all the work related to them. You are to assign by name the items that they are responsible to carry. 33 This is the service of the Merarite clans regarding all their work at the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
34 So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the community registered the Kohathites by their clans and their ancestral families, 35 men from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who was qualified for work at the tent of meeting. 36 The men registered by their clans numbered 2,750. 37 These were the registered men of the Kohathite clans, everyone who could serve at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron registered them at the LORD’s command through Moses.
38 The Gershonites were registered by their clans and their ancestral families, 39 men from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who was qualified for work at the tent of meeting. 40 The men registered by their clans and their ancestral families numbered 2,630. 41 These were the registered men of the Gershonite clans. At the LORD’s command Moses and Aaron registered everyone who could serve at the tent of meeting.
42 The men of the Merarite clans were registered by their clans and their ancestral families, 43 those from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who was qualified for work at the tent of meeting. 44 The men registered by their clans numbered 3,200. 45 These were the registered men of the Merarite clans; Moses and Aaron registered them at the LORD’s command through Moses.
46 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel registered all the Levites by their clans and their ancestral families, 47 from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who was qualified to do the work of serving at the tent of meeting and transporting it. 48 Their registered men numbered 8,580. 49 At the LORD’s command they were registered under the direction of Moses, each one according to his work and transportation duty, and his assignment was as the LORD commanded Moses.
4:15 “They are not to touch the holy objects or they will die.” This should produce a great awe and solemnity in our hearts. These men were chosen to carry the vessels of the most holy place, yet they must never see them. The Lord our God is a jealous God. He will be served with holy reverence or not at all. Hence he says to Moses and Aaron, “Take care that you do not lead these men into any mistake. You go in first, and point out to each man what he is to carry. See that all is covered up, for if you do not, they may die in their work. Do not be accessories to their act and bring on them this terrible judgment.” I often wish God’s people would be careful not to cause sin in any of his servants when they are engaged in the ministry.
4:24 “This is the service of the Gershonite clans.” There was a wise division of labor. I wish every member of the church occupied himself in that to which God has appointed him. But some want to do what they cannot do and do not care to do what they can do. God is not the God of uniformity. There is a wondrous unity of plan and design in all that he does, but there is also an equally marvelous variety. He did not command all these sons of Levi to carry one particular vessel or order them to bear one special curtain or board belonging to the tabernacle; one had to do this, and another had to do something else. Some of the Lord’s servants he raises up to teach, preach, exhort, and guide. These may be compared to the sons of Aaron, though the type must not be pressed too far. But the Lord has also a large number of his own dear children who do not open their mouths to speak for him in public and who could not fulfill the duties of leaders in his church. Will they be left without any service? They have but one talent—they have a shoulder strong enough to bear burdens of the Lord—though they have not much power in their head to think or a fluent tongue with which to speak. Is there no office for them to fill? Will all the body be a mouth? If so, what a vacuum there will be! Surely there must be—in a well-ordered body—eyes, feet, hands, shoulders, as well as the open mouth and the speaking tongue.
4:33 “This is the service of the Merarite clans.” They had the heaviest load to carry, but they were the more numerous. They carried the solid columns on which the covering of the tabernacle rested. They also had to carry the tent pegs. Sometimes God’s servants dislike carrying pegs. They feel themselves too big—but blessed is that servant who can be content to carry “bases, tent pegs, and ropes, including all their equipment.”
4:47 “From thirty years old to fifty years old.” We rejoice that it is not so among us under the gospel, for there is work for the young people and also for the aged. Little children and young men and maidens may take their places among the servants of the Prince of Peace. And he who leans on his staff will not find himself dismissed from his Master’s beloved service. No women are mentioned as bearers of the tabernacle and its holy furniture. It was a work for which they were scarcely fitted and an economy under which they were seldom employed. Yet never can women be forgotten in any enumeration of the forces of the church. What could we do without them? Let it not be forgotten, then, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the great head of the church, calls out all his redeemed to his service and that he lays on each one a burden which no one else can carry. Each one throughout life must be “steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work” (1Co 15:58).
H 4:2 Lit the house of their fathers, also in vv. 22,29,34,38,40,42,46
A 4:3 Lit everyone entering the service
B 4:6 Hb obscure, also in vv. 8,10,11,12,14,25
C 4:14 Sam, LXX add They are to take a purple cloth and cover the wash basin and its base. They are to place them in a covering made of fine leather and put them on the carrying frame.
5The LORD instructed Moses: 2 “Command the Israelites to send away anyone from the camp who is afflicted with a skin disease, anyone who has a discharge, or anyone who is defiled because of a corpse. 3 Send away both male or female; send them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps where I dwell among them.” 4 The Israelites did this, sending them outside the camp. The Israelites did as the LORD instructed Moses.
5 The LORD spoke to Moses: 6 “Tell the Israelites: When a man or woman commits any sin against another, that person acts unfaithfully toward the LORD and is guilty. 7 The person is to confess the sin he has committed. He is to pay full compensation, add a fifth of its value to it, and give it to the individual he has wronged. 8 But if that individual has no relative to receive compensation, the compensation goes to the LORD for the priest, along with the atonement ram by which the priest will make atonement for the guilty person. 9 Every holy contribution the Israelites present to the priest will be his. 10 Each one’s holy contribution is his to give; what each one gives to the priest will be his.”
11 The LORD spoke to Moses: 12 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: If any man’s wife goes astray, is unfaithful to him, 13 and sleeps with another, A but it is concealed from her husband, and she is undetected, even though she has defiled herself, since there is no witness against her, and she wasn’t caught in the act; 14 and if a feeling of jealousy comes over the husband and he becomes jealous because of his wife who has defiled herself — or if a feeling of jealousy comes over him and he becomes jealous of her though she has not defiled herself — 15 then the man is to bring his wife to the priest. He is also to bring an offering for her of two quarts B of barley flour. He is not to pour oil over it or put frankincense on it because it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering for remembrance to draw attention to guilt.
16 “The priest is to bring her forward and have her stand before the LORD. 17 Then the priest is to take holy water in a clay bowl, take some of the dust from the tabernacle floor, and put it in the water. 18 After the priest has the woman stand before the LORD, he is to let down her hair C and place in her hands the grain offering for remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. The priest is to hold the bitter water that brings a curse. 19 The priest will require the woman to take an oath and will say to her, ‘If no man has slept with you, if you have not gone astray and become defiled while under your husband’s authority, be unaffected by this bitter water that brings a curse. 20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, if you have defiled yourself and a man other than your husband has slept with you’ — 21 at this point the priest will make the woman take the oath with the sworn curse, and he is to say to her — ‘May the LORD make you into an object of your people’s cursing and swearing when he makes your womb A shrivel and your belly swell. 22 May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach, causing your belly to swell and your womb to shrivel.’
“And the woman will reply, ‘Amen, Amen.’
23 “Then the priest is to write these curses on a scroll and wash them off into the bitter water. 24 He will require the woman to drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and it will enter her to cause bitter suffering. 25 The priest is to take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman, present the offering before the LORD, and bring it to the altar. 26 The priest is to take a handful of the grain offering as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar. Afterward, he will require the woman to drink the water.
27 “When he makes her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her to cause bitter suffering; her belly will swell, and her womb will shrivel. She will become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is pure, she will be unaffected and will be able to conceive children.
29 “This is the law regarding jealousy when a wife goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband’s authority, 30 or when a feeling of jealousy comes over a husband and he becomes jealous of his wife. He is to have the woman stand before the LORD, and the priest will carry out all these instructions for her. 31 The husband will be free of guilt, but that woman will bear her iniquity.”
6The LORD instructed Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When a man or woman makes a special vow, a Nazirite vow, to consecrate himself to the LORD, 3 he is to abstain from wine and beer. He must not drink vinegar made from wine or from beer. He must not drink any grape juice or eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 He is not to eat anything produced by the grapevine, from seeds to skin, during the period of his consecration.
5 “You must not cut his hair B throughout the time of his vow of consecration. He may be holy until the time is completed during which he consecrates himself to the LORD; he is to let the hair of his head grow long. 6 He must not go near a dead body during the time he consecrates himself to the LORD. 7 He is not to defile himself for his father or mother, or his brother or sister, when they die, while the mark of consecration to his God is on his head. 8 He is holy to the LORD during the time of consecration.
QUOTE 6:4
Surely this is a lesson to the Lord’s separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes but even its spirit and likeness. Such strict walking is much despised in these days, but it is the safest and happiest path.
9 “If someone suddenly dies near him, defiling his consecrated head, he must shave his head on the day of his purification; he is to shave it on the seventh day. 10 On the eighth day he is to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 11 The priest is to offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to make atonement on behalf of the Nazirite, since he incurred guilt because of the corpse. On that day he is to consecrate his head again. 12 He is to rededicate his time of consecration to the LORD and to bring a year-old male lamb as a guilt offering. But do not count the initial period of consecration because it became defiled.
13 “This is the law of the Nazirite: On the day his time of consecration is completed, he is to be brought to the entrance to the tent of meeting. 14 He is to present an offering to the LORD of one unblemished year-old male lamb as a burnt offering, one unblemished year-old female lamb as a sin offering, one unblemished ram as a fellowship offering, 15 along with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and a basket of unleavened cakes made from fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers coated with oil.
16 “The priest is to present these before the LORD and sacrifice the Nazirite’s sin offering and burnt offering. 17 He will also offer the ram as a fellowship sacrifice to the LORD, together with the basket of unleavened bread. Then the priest will offer the accompanying grain offering and drink offering.
QUOTE 6:4
Careful living may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own that are more than sufficient reward.
18 “The Nazirite is to shave his consecrated head at the entrance to the tent of meeting, take the hair from his head, and put it on the fire under the fellowship sacrifice. 19 The priest is to take the boiled shoulder from the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them into the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated head. 20 The priest is to present them as a presentation offering before the LORD. It is a holy portion for the priest, in addition to the breast of the presentation offering and the thigh of the contribution. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.
21 “These are the instructions about the Nazirite who vows his offering to the LORD for his consecration, in addition to whatever else he can afford; he must fulfill whatever vow he makes in keeping with the instructions for his consecration.”
22 The LORD spoke to Moses: 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. You should say to them,
24“May the LORD bless you and protect you;
25may the LORD make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26may the LORD look with favor on you A
and give you peace.” ’
27 In this way they will pronounce my name over B the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
6:4 “He is not to eat anything produced by the grapevine.” Nazirites had taken, among other vows, one that debarred them from the use of wine. In order that they might not violate the obligation, they were forbidden to drink the vinegar of wine or strong liquors; and to make the rule even clearer, they were not to touch the unfermented juice of grapes or even to eat the fruit either fresh or dried. In order to secure the integrity of the vow, they were not even allowed anything that had to do with the vine; they were, in fact, to avoid the appearance of evil. Surely this is a lesson to the Lord’s separated ones, teaching them to come away from sin in every form, to avoid not merely its grosser shapes but even its spirit and likeness. Such strict walking is much despised in these days, but it is the safest and happiest path. He who yields a point or two to the world is in fearful peril; he who eats the grapes of Sodom will soon drink the wine of Gomorrah. A little crevice in the seawall in Holland lets in the sea, and the gap soon swells until a province is drowned. Worldly conformity, in any degree, is a snare to the soul and makes it more and more liable to presumptuous sins. The Nazirite who drank grape juice could not be completely certain whether it had fermented, and consequently he could not be certain that his vow was intact. In a similar way the yielding, vacillating Christian cannot have a clear conscience but is constantly aware of his double standard. Doubtful things we need not wonder about; they are wrong for us. Tempting things we must not play with but run from them speedily. Better to be sneered at as a Puritan than to be despised as a hypocrite. Careful living may involve much self-denial, but it has pleasures of its own that are more than sufficient reward.
6:24 “The LORD bless you and protect you.” The happy God would have us happy in the enjoyment of his blessing. To bring this blessing constantly to the remembrance of his chosen, the Lord appointed a representative who should publicly pronounce his blessing on the people. He chose Aaron, and he had Moses instruct him. Those who are old may appropriately pronounce a blessing on their children, as Jacob did on his twelve sons. And the minister of Christ may, in God’s name, pronounce a benediction on the people. This was the custom in early times. The congregation was dismissed with the gracious words, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2Co 13:13). Our God has appointed one above all others to bless his people, even our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the antitype of Aaron and his sons, and in the exercise of his high office he continually blesses his people. He began his ministry with the Sermon on the Mount and with the word “blessed.” His whole life was a stream of blessing, for “he went about doing good” (Ac 10:38). When he rose to heaven, having completed his ministry, it was as he lifted up his hands and blessed them. When he returns, he will bring blessings with him, even gifts for people. In the name of the triune God, the Lord Jesus, from the highest glory, effectually blesses us today.
7On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, along with the altar and all its utensils. After he anointed and consecrated these things, 2 the leaders of Israel, the heads of their ancestral families, C presented an offering. They were the tribal leaders who supervised the registration. 3 They brought as their offering before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen, a cart from every two leaders and an ox from each one, and presented them in front of the tabernacle.
4 The LORD said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them to be used in the work of the tent of meeting, and give this offering to the Levites, to each division according to their service.”
6 So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave the Gershonites two carts and four oxen corresponding to their service, 8 and gave the Merarites four carts and eight oxen corresponding to their service, under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. 9 But he did not give any to the Kohathites, since their responsibility was service related to the holy objects carried on their shoulders.
10 The leaders also presented the dedication gift for the altar when it was anointed. The leaders presented their offerings in front of the altar. 11 The LORD told Moses, “Each day have one leader present his offering for the dedication of the altar.”
12 The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah. 13 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds D and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, E measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, F full of incense; 15 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, leader of Issachar, presented an offering. 19 As his offering, he presented one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 21 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering; 23 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
24 On the third day Eliab son of Helon, leader of the Zebulunites, presented an offering. 25 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, leader of the Reubenites, presented an offering. 31 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 33 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering; 35 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, leader of the Simeonites, presented an offering. 37 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 39 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, A leader of the Gadites, presented an offering. 43 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44 one gold bowl weighing four ounces full of incense; 45 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a sin offering; 47 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel. A
48 On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, leader of the Ephraimites, presented an offering. 49 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 51 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a sin offering; 53 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, leader of the Manassites, presented an offering. 55 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 57 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a sin offering; 59 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, leader of the Benjaminites, presented an offering. 61 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 63 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a sin offering; 65 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, leader of the Danites, presented an offering. 67 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 69 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a sin offering; 71 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ochran, leader of the Asherites, presented an offering. 73 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 75 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a sin offering; 77 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ochran.
78 On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, leader of the Naphtalites, presented an offering. 79 His offering was one silver dish weighing 3 1/4 pounds and one silver basin weighing 1 3/4 pounds, measured by the standard sanctuary shekel, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80 one gold bowl weighing four ounces, full of incense; 81 one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a sin offering; 83 and two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, for the fellowship sacrifice. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
84 This was the dedication gift from the leaders of Israel for the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver dishes, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold bowls. 85 Each silver dish weighed 3 1/4 pounds, A and each basin 1 3/4 pounds. A The total weight of the silver articles was 60 pounds B measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold bowls full of incense each weighed four ounces measured by the standard sanctuary shekel. The total weight of the gold bowls was 3 pounds. C 87 All the livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offerings, and twelve male goats for the sin offering. 88 All the livestock for the fellowship sacrifice totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. This was the dedication gift for the altar after it was anointed.
89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. He spoke to him that way.
C 7:2 Lit the house of their fathers
D 7:13 Lit dish, 130 its shekel-weight, also in vv. 19,25,31,37,43,49,55,61,67,73,79
E 7:13 Lit 70 shekels, also in vv. 19,25,31,37,43,49,55,61,67,73,79
F 7:14 Lit 10 (shekels), also in vv. 20,26,32,38,44,50,56,62,68,74,80,86
8The LORD spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to Aaron and tell him: When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps are to give light in front of the lampstand.” 3 So Aaron did this; he set up its lamps to give light in front of the lampstand just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 4 This is the way the lampstand was made: it was a hammered work of gold, hammered from its base to its flower petals. The lampstand was made according to the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.
5 The LORD spoke to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them. 7 Do this to them for their purification: Sprinkle them with the purification water. Have them shave their entire bodies and wash their clothes, and so purify themselves.
8 “They are to take a young bull and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering. 9 Bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community. 10 Then present the Levites before the LORD, and have the Israelites lay their hands on them. 11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the LORD’s work. 12 Next the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls. Sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 “You are to have the Levites stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the LORD as a presentation offering. 14 In this way you are to separate the Levites from the rest of the Israelites so that the Levites will belong to me. 15 After that the Levites may come to serve at the tent of meeting, once you have ceremonially cleansed them and presented them as a presentation offering. 16 For they have been exclusively assigned to me from the Israelites. I have taken them for myself in place of all who come first from the womb, every Israelite firstborn. 17 For every firstborn among the Israelites is mine, both man and animal. I consecrated them to myself on the day I struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. 18 But I have taken the Levites in place of every firstborn among the Israelites. 19 From the Israelites, I have given the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf, so that no plague will come against the Israelites when they approach the sanctuary.”
20 Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community did this to the Levites. The Israelites did everything to them the LORD commanded Moses regarding the Levites. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented A them before the LORD as a presentation offering. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them ceremonially. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting in the presence of Aaron and his sons. So they did to them as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.
23 The LORD spoke to Moses: 24 “In regard to the Levites: From twenty-five years old or more, a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting. 25 But at fifty years old he is to retire from his service in the work and no longer serve. 26 He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities B at the tent of meeting, but he must not do the work. This is how you are to deal with the Levites regarding their duties.”
8:5 “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them.” This chapter tells us how the Levites were to be consecrated to their service. They were to be sprinkled with the water of separation, and both their bodies and their clothes were to be washed with water. “Purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD” (Is 52:11) is an injunction that is still binding on believers. We need to have both the water and the blood applied to us to prepare us for our life of service as the consecrated Levites of God. All who believe in Jesus, all the twice-born, all who are washed in his precious blood, all who are set apart by the Holy Spirit, are dedicated to his service even as the Levites were of old. Besides this, the Levites had all the hair of their bodies shaved off, as if to show us that in the day when we are consecrated to God, even our external life becomes changed. That which appertained to our old flesh is taken away; and if there is to be, in the future, any beauty or ornament to our humanness, it must be a new growth, springing out of that body that has been dedicated to God. All our old attractiveness is turned to corruption, and what we once gloried in is altogether removed.
8:14 “The Levites will belong to me.” We are to offer up to God our spirit, soul, and body, which is our “true worship” (Rm 12:1). And if we are, indeed, God’s children, we are to feel that, henceforth, we are not our own, for we are “bought at a price” (1Co 6:20; 7:23). We belong wholly to God—all that we are and all that we have is to be his through life and in death—and throughout eternity.
8:17 “Every firstborn among the Israelites is mine.” God’s people are the elect; they have escaped from death. In that day when the sword of the Lord was drawn, they were shielded by the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the lintel and on the two side posts; and, henceforth, because they have been thus preserved, they belong to the Lord.
8:22 “After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting.” We are not to begin blunderingly to serve God while we are yet in our sins—before we have been sprinkled with the blood, before we have been washed in the water that flowed with the blood, before we have felt that razor that takes away from us all our own pride and glory. No, but when all that is done, then there is to be no delay.
9In the first month of the second year after their departure from the land of Egypt, the LORD told Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: 2 “The Israelites are to observe the Passover at its appointed time. 3 You must observe it at its appointed time on the fourteenth day of this month at twilight; you are to observe it according to all its statutes and ordinances.” 4 So Moses told the Israelites to observe the Passover, 5 and they observed it in the first month on the fourteenth day at twilight in the Wilderness of Sinai. The Israelites did everything as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6 But there were some men who were unclean because of a human corpse, so they could not observe the Passover on that day. These men came before Moses and Aaron the same day 7 and said to him, “We are unclean because of a human corpse. Why should we be excluded from presenting the LORD’s offering at its appointed time with the other Israelites? ”
8 Moses replied to them, “Wait here until I hear what the LORD commands for you.”
QUOTE 9:8
How wisely we would give advice if we would never decide till we had prayed about the matter.
9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 10 “Tell the Israelites: When any one of you or your descendants is unclean because of a corpse or is on a distant journey, he may still observe the Passover to the LORD. 11 Such people are to observe it in the second month, on the fourteenth day at twilight. They are to eat the animal with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; 12 they may not leave any of it until morning or break any of its bones. They must observe the Passover according to all its statutes.
13 “But the man who is ceremonially clean, is not on a journey, and yet fails to observe the Passover is to be cut off from his people, because he did not present the LORD’s offering at its appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin.
14 “If an alien resides with you and wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, he is to do it according to the Passover statute and its ordinances. You are to apply the same statute to both the resident alien and the native of the land.”
15 On the day the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and it appeared like fire above the tabernacle from evening until morning. 16 It remained that way continuously: the cloud would cover it, A appearing like fire at night. 17 Whenever the cloud was lifted up above the tent, the Israelites would set out; at the place where the cloud stopped, there the Israelites camped. 18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at the LORD’s command they camped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they camped.
19 Even when the cloud stayed over the tabernacle many days, the Israelites carried out the LORD’s requirement and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud remained over the tabernacle for only a few days. They would camp at the LORD’s command and set out at the LORD’s command. 21 Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning; when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out. Or if it remained a day and a night, they moved out when the cloud lifted. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or longer, A the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle. But when it was lifted, they set out. 23 They camped at the LORD’s command, and they set out at the LORD’s command. They carried out the LORD’s requirement according to his command through Moses.
9:2 “The Israelites are to observe the Passover.” I should almost fear that they had omitted the keeping of the Passover for a year. There was a first celebration of it when they came out of Egypt, but then it was not so much a type as a matter of fact. It was the thing itself—not the remembrance of the coming out of Egypt, but the actual coming out, the exodus. One would gather from this command of the Lord that, on the first anniversary of that memorable season, the children of Israel had omitted its observance. Therefore, Jehovah gave these instructions to Moses. If this conjecture is correct, it is significant that a rite belonging to the law of God (and destined to pass away) was so soon neglected; and certainly it was afterwards neglected for many, many years. Whereas the great memorial ordinance of the Christian dispensation—the Lord’s Supper—was not neglected even when Christians were under fierce persecution from the Jews or other nations. Although the observance of that rite among the heathen was pretty sure to bring death, Christians met together on the first day of the week and continually broke bread in remembrance of their Lord’s death, even as we do to this day. I suppose the Supper, which is the memorial of Christ our Passover, has never been altogether neglected throughout the world but has been a matter of constant observation in the church of Christ and will be “until he comes.”
9:8 “Wait here until I hear what the LORD commands for you.” How wisely we would give advice if we would never decide till we had prayed about the matter. Possibly we think ourselves so experienced and so well acquainted with the mind of God that we can answer offhand. Or perhaps we think we need not consult the Lord at all, but our own opinion will be a sufficient guide. Moses was greater and wiser than we are.
9:11 “Such people are to observe it in the second month.” From this I gather, learning a lesson from the type, that whatever may be the experiences through which we come to salvation, Christ is always the same, and we must partake of him in the same way. We who have been so defiled that we have, as it were, to eat of the second Passover, even at the eleventh hour, long after others have been feeding on Christ, still there is the same Christ for us as there is for those who come at the right time—who seek the Lord early and find him while yet the dew of their youth is on them.
9:13 “That man will bear the consequences of his sin.” What a solemn sentence that is! Because he did not present the Lord’s offering at its appointed time, he will bear the consequences of his sin. The great offering of the Lord, the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the only way by which sin can be put away. If any person will not bring that—in other words, if he will not believe in Jesus—then here is his certain doom. No more terrible judgment can be pronounced on any one of us than that we should bear the consequences of our sin. “If you do not believe that I am he,” said Christ, “you will die in your sins” (Jn 8:24).
9:16 “The cloud would cover it, appearing like fire at night.” This was the sign of the presence of God in the midst of that vast canvas city. I suppose the great cloud rose up from the most holy place and probably covered the whole camp of the tribes, so that it shielded them from the fierceness of the sun, while at night the entire region was lit up by this marvelous illumination. The chosen nation had the pillar of cloud by day for a shelter, and the pillar of fire by night for a light. God’s presence acts on us in much the same way as the cloudy/fiery pillar acted on Israel: we get shelter from the fierce heat of the world’s day and deliverance from the darkness of the world’s night through our Lord’s gracious presence.
9:18 “At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at the LORD’s command they camped.” They were blessed people to be thus divinely guided. But they could never tell when they would have to be on the move. They had no abiding city. When their tents were pitched and they were just getting comfortably settled, perhaps that morning the pillar of cloud moved, and at other times, when they desired to be marching, it stood still. They could never be certain of staying long in any one place. It is just so with you and me—our Lord intends to keep us with a loose hold on all things here below. We cannot tell what changes may come to any one of us, and, therefore, we reckon on nothing that God has not plainly promised. Be certain of nothing but uncertainty, and always expect the unexpected. We cannot tell between here and heaven where our Guide may take us—happy will we be if we can truly say that we desire always to follow where the Lord leads.
10The LORD spoke to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpets of hammered silver to summon the community and have the camps set out. 3 When both are sounded in long blasts, the entire community is to gather before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 However, if one is sounded, only the leaders, the heads of Israel’s clans, are to gather before you.
5 “When you sound short blasts, the camps pitched on the east are to set out. 6 When you sound short blasts a second time, the camps pitched on the south are to set out. Short blasts are to be sounded for them to set out. 7 When calling the assembly together, you are to sound long blasts, not short ones. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to sound the trumpets. Your use of these is a permanent statute throughout your generations.
9 “When you enter into battle in your land against an adversary who is attacking you, sound short blasts on the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God and be saved from your enemies. 10 You are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your fellowship sacrifices and on your joyous occasions, your appointed festivals, and the beginning of each of your months. They will serve as a reminder for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”
11 During the second year, in the second month on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up above the tabernacle of the testimony. 12 The Israelites traveled on from the Wilderness of Sinai, moving from one place to the next until the cloud stopped in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time according to the LORD’s command through Moses.
14 The military divisions of the camp of Judah’s descendants with their banner set out first, and Nahshon son of Amminadab was over their divisions. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar’s descendants, 16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun’s descendants. 17 The tabernacle was then taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting the tabernacle.
18 The military divisions of the camp of Reuben with their banner set out, and Elizur son of Shedeur was over their divisions. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon’s descendants, 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel B was over the division of the tribe of Gad’s descendants. 21 The Kohathites then set out, transporting the holy objects; the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.
22 Next the military divisions of the camp of Ephraim’s descendants with their banner set out, and Elishama son of Ammihud was over their divisions. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants, 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin’s descendants.
25 The military divisions of the camp of Dan’s descendants with their banner set out, serving as rear guard for all the camps, and Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was over their divisions. 26 Pagiel son of Ochran was over the division of the tribe of Asher’s descendants, 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants. 28 This was the order of march for the Israelites by their military divisions as they set out.
29 Moses said to Hobab, descendant of Reuel the Midianite and Moses’s relative by marriage: Reuel the Midianite: “We’re setting out for the place the LORD promised: ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.”
30 But he replied to him, “I don’t want to go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.”
31 “Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. 32 If you come with us, whatever good the LORD does for us we will do for you.”
33 They set out from the mountain of the LORD on a three-day journey with the ark of the LORD’s covenant traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them. 34 Meanwhile, the cloud of the LORD was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say:
Arise, LORD!
Let your enemies be scattered,
and those who hate you flee from your presence.
36 When it came to rest, he would say:
Return, LORD,
to the countless thousands
of Israel.
10:31 “You know where we should camp in the wilderness.” The people of God in the wilderness were led instrumentally by the wisdom of Moses and his father-in-law Hobab, but their guiding star was really the visible presence of God in the fiery/cloudy pillar. The possession of this pillar as a guide apparently did not remove from them the duty and necessity of using the judgment of Moses and Hobab as to the place they should camp. They had the guidance of God, yet they were not to neglect the wisdom God had given to his servants. We ought to learn from this that while we ever seek the guidance of God in providence, yet we may frequently find direction and guidance in the use of our own common sense, our own discretion with which the Lord has endowed us.
10:35 “Arise, LORD! Let your enemies be scattered.” To what use are we to put this prayer of Moses, for no passage of Scripture is of private interpretation. No single text in the Word relates simply to the occasion on which it is spoken, “for whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction” (Rm 15:4). The Word of God is a living Word, not only living in the day of Moses but living to us at this hour. We use it, first, as the watchword of God’s Israel in every age. Whether it was the hosts of Egypt or the mighty ranks of Babylon, or Media, or Persia—can we not say concerning them all, “Your right hand, Lord, has done wonderful things”? But when we have read the Bible story through, the book of God’s triumph has only begun. Second, we are warranted by Psalm 68 in referring this text, typically and mystically, to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think it no fantastic imagination if we conceive that the angels did in that hallowed day come down from heaven before the sun had risen, and while one of them rolled away the stone, the rest stood waiting on the wing and chanting, “Arise, LORD! Let your enemies be scattered.”
11Now the people began complaining openly before A the LORD about hardship. When the LORD heard, his anger burned, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. 3 So that place was named Taberah, B because the LORD’s fire had blazed among them.
4 The riffraff C among them had a strong craving for other food. The Israelites wept again and said, “Who will feed us meat? 5 We remember the free fish we ate in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. 6 But now our appetite is gone; A there’s nothing to look at but this manna! ”
7 The manna resembled coriander seed, and its appearance was like that of bdellium. B 8 The people walked around and gathered it. They ground it on a pair of grinding stones or crushed it in a mortar, then boiled it in a cooking pot and shaped it into cakes. It tasted like a pastry cooked with the finest oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.
10 Moses heard the people, family after family, weeping at the entrance of their tents. The LORD was very angry; Moses was also provoked. C 11 So Moses asked the LORD, “Why have you brought such trouble on your servant? Why are you angry with me, D and why do you burden me with all these people? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth so you should tell me, ‘Carry them at your breast, as a nanny carries a baby,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13 Where can I get meat to give all these people? For they are weeping to me, ‘Give us meat to eat! ’ 14 I can’t carry all these people by myself. They are too much for me. 15 If you are going to treat me like this, please kill me right now if I have found favor with you, and don’t let me see my misery E anymore.”
16 The LORD answered Moses, “Bring me seventy men from Israel known to you as elders and officers of the people. Take them to the tent of meeting and have them stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and speak with you there. I will take some of the Spirit who is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.
18 “Tell the people: Consecrate yourselves in readiness for tomorrow, and you will eat meat because you wept in the LORD’s hearing, ‘Who will feed us meat? We were better off in Egypt.’ The LORD will give you meat and you will eat. 19 You will eat, not for one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month — until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you — because you have rejected the LORD who is among you, and wept before him: ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt? ’ ”
21 But Moses replied, “I’m in the middle of a people with six hundred thousand foot soldiers, yet you say, ‘I will give them meat, and they will eat for a month.’ 22 If flocks and herds were slaughtered for them, would they have enough? Or if all the fish in the sea were caught for them, would they have enough? ”
23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm weak? F Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen to you.”
QUOTE 11:23
God as a sovereign gives an absolute promise; and he can do it without fear of mistake because he has the omnipotence to fulfill his greatest word.
24 Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. He brought seventy men from the elders of the people and had them stand around the tent. 25 Then the LORD descended in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed the Spirit on the seventy elders. As the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they never did it again. 26 Two men had remained in the camp, one named Eldad and the other Medad; the Spirit rested on them — they were among those listed, but had not gone out to the tent — and they prophesied in the camp. 27 A young man ran and reported to Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 Joshua son of Nun, assistant to Moses since his youth, A responded, “Moses, my lord, stop them! ”
29 But Moses asked him, “Are you jealous on my account? If only all the LORD’s people were prophets and the LORD would place his Spirit on them! ” 30 Then Moses returned to the camp along with the elders of Israel.
31 A wind sent by the LORD came up and blew quail in from the sea; it dropped them all around the camp. They were flying three feet B off C the ground for about a day’s journey in every direction. 32 The people were up all that day and night and all the next day gathering the quail — the one who took the least gathered fifty bushels D — and they spread them out all around the camp. E
33 While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the LORD’s anger burned against the people, and the LORD struck them with a very severe plague. 34 So they named that place Kibroth-hattaavah, F because there they buried the people who had craved the meat.
35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people moved on to Hazeroth G and remained there.
11:23 “Is the LORD’s arm weak?” God had made a positive promise to Moses that for the space of a whole month he would feed the vast host in the wilderness with flesh. Moses, being overtaken by a fit of unbelief, looks to the outward means and is at a loss to know how the promise can be fulfilled. Will the flocks and the herds be slain? How, then, should they have cattle to stock the land into which they hoped soon to enter? And if they should slaughter all their beasts, there would not be food enough for ravenous people for a month. Will all the fish of the sea leave their watery element and come to the tables of these hungry men? Even then, there would be scarcely enough food to feed so vast a host for a month. But Moses was looking to the creature instead of the Creator. Does the Creator expect the creature to fulfill his promise? No, his promises do not depend for their fulfillment on the cooperation of puny human strength. God as a sovereign gives an absolute promise; and he can do it without fear of mistake because he has the omnipotence to fulfill his greatest word. Will we look to the top of the Alps for summer heat? Will we journey to the North Pole to gather fruits ripened in the sun? Or will we take our journey toward the equator so that our body may be braced by cool invigorating breezes? We would act no more foolishly if we did this than when we look to the weak for strength, or the creature to do the Creator’s work. The great folly of Moses is the folly of most believers. The ground of faith is not the sufficiency of the visible means for the performance of the promise but the all-sufficiency of the invisible God most surely to do as he has said.
C 11:4 Or The mixed multitude ; Hb obscure
A 11:6 Or our lives are wasting away, or our throat is dry
B 11:7 A yellowish, transparent gum resin
C 11:10 Lit and it was evil in the eyes of Moses
D 11:11 Lit Why have I not found favor in your eyes
E 11:15 Alt Hb tradition reads your misery
F 11:23 Lit the LORD’s arm too short
A 11:28 Or Moses, from his elite young men
C 11:31 Or They were three feet deep on
12Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because of the Cushite woman he married (for he had married a Cushite woman). 2 They said, “Does the LORD speak only through Moses? Does he not also speak through us? ” And the LORD heard it. 3 Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.
4 Suddenly the LORD said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the LORD descended in a pillar of cloud, stood at the entrance to the tent, and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them came forward, 6 he said:
“Listen to what I say:
If there is a prophet among you from the LORD,
I make myself known to him in a vision;
I speak with him in a dream.
7Not so with my servant Moses;
he is faithful in H all my household.
8I speak with him directly, I
openly, and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
So why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? ” 9 The LORD’s anger burned against them, and he left.
10 As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, resembling snow. J When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased 11 and said to Moses, “My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Please don’t let her be like a dead baby A whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother’s womb.”
13 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “God, please heal her! ”
14 The LORD answered Moses, “If her father had merely spit in her face, wouldn’t she remain in disgrace for seven days? Let her be confined outside the camp for seven days; after that she may be brought back in.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was brought back in. 16 After that, the people set out from Hazeroth and camped in the Wilderness of Paran.
J 12:10 A reference to whiteness or flakiness of the skin
A 12:12 Alt Hb tradition reads baby who comes out of our mother’s womb and our flesh is half eaten away.
13The LORD spoke to Moses: 2 “Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I am giving to the Israelites. Send one man who is a leader among them from each of their ancestral tribes.” 3 Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran at the LORD’s command. All the men were leaders in Israel. 4 These were their names:
Shammua son of Zaccur from the tribe of Reuben;
5Shaphat son of Hori from the tribe of Simeon;
6Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;
7Igal son of Joseph from the tribe of Issachar;
8Hoshea son of Nun from the tribe of Ephraim;
9Palti son of Raphu from the tribe of Benjamin;
10Gaddiel son of Sodi from the tribe of Zebulun;
11Gaddi son of Susi from the tribe of Manasseh (from the tribe of Joseph);
12Ammiel son of Gemalli from the tribe of Dan;
13Sethur son of Michael from the tribe of Asher;
14Nahbi son of Vophsi from the tribe of Naphtali;
15Geuel son of Machi from the tribe of Gad.
16 These were the names of the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and Moses renamed Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua.
17 When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up this way to the Negev, then go up into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 Is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications? 20 Is the land fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous. Bring back some fruit from the land.” It was the season for the first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and scouted out the land from the Wilderness of Zin B as far as Rehob near the entrance to Hamath. C 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were living. Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt. 23 When they came to the Valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes, which was carried on a pole by two men. They also took some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol D because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut there. 25 At the end of forty days they returned from scouting out the land.
26 The men went back to Moses, Aaron, and the entire Israelite community in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back a report for them and the whole community, and they showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They reported to Moses: “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey, and here is some of its fruit. 28 However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites are living in the land of the Negev; the Hethites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb quieted the people in the presence of Moses and said, “Let’s go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it! ”
31 But the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can’t attack the people because they are stronger than we are! ” 32 So they gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted: “The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. 33 We even saw the Nephilim there — the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim! To ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them.”
13:32 “They gave a negative report to the Israelites about the land they had scouted.” The land of Canaan is a picture of the Christian faith. I do not think it was ever intended to be a picture of heaven, for there are no Canaanites, no sons of Anak, no giants, and no kings with iron chariots in heaven. The children of Israel must stand this morning as the representatives of the great mass of mankind who will never try Christianity for themselves. They neither search our sacred books nor taste and try our religion. But this is what they do. They consider those who make a profession of faith as spies who have entered the land, and they look on our character and our conduct as the message that we bring back to them. The ungodly person does not read his Bible in order to discover whether the religion of Christ is holy and beautiful. No, he reads the living Bible—Christ’s church—and if the church is inconsistent, he condemns the Bible, though the Bible is never to be accountable for the sins of those who profess to believe it. Ungodly people, of course, do not enter into covenant with the Lord Jesus, or else they would soon discover that it is a good land that flows with milk and honey. Instead they say, “Let us see what these Christians make of it. Do they find it to be a happy thing? Does it support them in their hour of trouble? Does it comfort them in the midst of their trials?”
14Then the whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night. 2 All the Israelites complained about Moses and Aaron, and the whole community told them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? ” 4 So they said to one another, “Let’s appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who scouted out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite community: “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. 9 Only don’t rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, for we will devour them. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t be afraid of them! ”
10 While the whole community threatened to stone them, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the Israelites at the tent of meeting.
11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them with a plague and destroy them. Then I will make you into a greater and mightier nation than they are.”
QUOTE 14:11
He may bear with unbelief for a long time, for he remembers that we are dust. But when it comes to willful perseverance in unbelief, the Lord will not forever be thus provoked.
13 But Moses replied to the LORD, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by your strength you brought up this people from them. 14 They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, LORD, are among these people, how you, LORD, are seen face to face, how your cloud stands over them, and how you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you kill this people with a single blow, A the nations that have heard of your fame will declare, 16 ‘Since the LORD wasn’t able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them, he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17 “So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as you have spoken: 18 The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation. 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”
20 The LORD responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested. 21 Yet as surely as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the LORD’s glory, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me, 23 will ever see the land I swore to give their fathers. None of those who have despised me will see it. 24 But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it. 25 Since the Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the lowlands, B turn back tomorrow and head for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”
26 Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long must I endure this evil community that keeps complaining about me? I have heard the Israelites’ complaints that they make against me. 28 Tell them: As surely as I live — this is the LORD’s declaration — I will do to you exactly as I heard you say. 29 Your corpses will fall in this wilderness — all of you who were registered in the census, the entire number of you twenty years old or more — because you have complained about me. 30 I swear that none of you will enter the land I promised A to settle you in, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 I will bring your children whom you said would become plunder into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it. 32 But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. 33 Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years and bear the penalty for your acts of unfaithfulness until all your corpses lie scattered in the wilderness. 34 You will bear the consequences of your iniquities forty years based on the number of the forty days that you scouted the land, a year for each day. B You will know my displeasure. C 35 I, the LORD, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against me. They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”
36 So the men Moses sent to scout out the land, and who returned and incited the entire community to complain about him by spreading a negative report about the land — 37 those men who spread the negative report about the land were struck down by the LORD. 38 Only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh remained alive of those men who went to scout out the land.
39 When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief. 40 They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let’s go to the place the LORD promised, for we were wrong.”
41 But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the LORD’s command? It won’t succeed. 42 Don’t go, because the LORD is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies. 43 The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The LORD won’t be with you, since you have turned from following him.”
44 But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the LORD’s covenant and Moses did not leave the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.
14:7 “The land we passed through and explored is an extremely good land.” One of the best spies I have ever met was a blind old man, who for twenty years had not seen the light of the sun. His gray locks hung from his brow and floated over his shoulders. He stood up at the table of the Lord and addressed us: “I will soon be taken from you. In a few more months I will gather up my feet upon my bed and sleep with my fathers. I have not the tongue of the learned or the mind of the eloquent, but I desire, before I go, to bear one public testimony to my God. Fifty-six years have I served him, and I have never found him once unfaithful. I can say, ‘Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life and not one good thing has failed of all the Lord God has promised.’” Nothing more tends to strengthen the faith of the young believer than to hear the veteran Christian, covered with scars from the battle, testifying that the service of his Master is a happy service and that if he could have served any other master he would not have done so, for his service was pleasant and his wages everlasting joy.
14:11 “How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs I have performed among them?” The children of Israel were prone to unbelief. They wanted something visible to worship and to trust. They could not learn the lesson of faith in the one great Invisible; and, therefore, they were one day bowing before an idol, and the next they were murmuring against the true God. Their life was according to the flesh, after the sight of the eyes and the hearing of the ears. They praised God when Pharaoh was drowned and when manna lay about their camp, but the moment they were in need or difficulty and saw no supply or relief, they began to mistrust and murmur. With what wonderful long-suffering the Lord bore them! His mercy seemed to outrun their unbelief. They cried for water, and the smitten Rock poured forth a crystal stream. Then they cried for bread; and in answer to their murmuring, the heavens were opened; and a shower of angels’ food fell for them to feast on. They then clamored for meat, and a strong wind brought them quail. Such liberal answers to their vexatious murmuring ought to have silenced their fears, and they should have exhibited confidence in their great Friend. Yet they did not do so, but for forty years they provoked the Lord. This time the Lord lifted his hand and swore that they should not enter into his rest. Let us be warned by this fact that there is a limit to the long-suffering of God, and especially when it is tried by distrust. He may bear with unbelief for a long time, for he remembers that we are dust. But when it comes to willful perseverance in unbelief, the Lord will not forever be thus provoked.
14:24 “My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me.” “Caleb” is a rough name. Most translators say it signifies “a dog.” But what matters a man’s name? Possibly the man himself was somewhat rough; many of the heartiest of men are so. As the unpolished oyster bears within itself the priceless pearl, so ruggedness of exterior often covers worth. A dog, moreover, is not all badness. It has this virtue, that it follows its master. And in that this Caleb was well named. For never did a dog so follow his master as Caleb followed his God. As we have seen the faithful dog following his master on horseback through mud and mire and dirt for many weary miles, so Caleb keeps close to God. The name, however, has another signification, and we like it rather better—it means “all heart.” Here was a fitting surname for the man whose whole heart followed his God. He says himself that he brought a report of the land according to all that was in his heart. He was a man of a healthy and mighty spirit. He did nothing heartlessly. His spirit was not the Laodicean lukewarmness, which is neither hot nor cold, which God spits out of his mouth; it was a spirit of holy heat, of noble daring. If I may not call him lionhearted, never lion had a braver heart than he.
15The LORD instructed Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you to settle in, 3 and you make a fire offering to the LORD from the herd or flock — either a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow, or as a freewill offering, or at your appointed festivals — to produce a pleasing aroma for the LORD, 4 the one presenting his offering to the LORD is also to present a grain offering of two quarts D of fine flour mixed with a quart E of oil. 5 Prepare a quart of wine as a drink offering with the burnt offering or sacrifice of each lamb.
6 “If you prepare a grain offering with a ram, it is to be four quarts A of fine flour mixed with a third of a gallon B of oil. 7 Also present a third of a gallon of wine for a drink offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
8 “If you prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or as a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow, or as a fellowship offering to the LORD, 9 a grain offering of six quarts C of fine flour mixed with two quarts D of oil is to be presented with the bull. 10 Also present two quarts of wine as a drink offering. It is a fire offering of pleasing aroma to the LORD. 11 This is to be done for each ox, ram, lamb, or goat. 12 This is how you are to prepare each of them, no matter how many.
13 “Every Israelite is to prepare these things in this way when he presents a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 14 When an alien resides with you or someone else is among you and wants to prepare a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, he is to do exactly as you do throughout your generations. 15 The assembly is to have the same statute for both you and the resident alien as a permanent statute throughout your generations. You and the alien will be alike before the LORD. 16 The same law and the same ordinance will apply to both you and the alien who resides with you.”
17 The LORD instructed Moses: 18 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: After you enter the land where I am bringing you, 19 you are to offer a contribution to the LORD when you eat from the food of the land. 20 You are to offer a loaf from your first batch of dough as a contribution; offer it just like a contribution from the threshing floor. 21 Throughout your generations, you are to give the LORD a contribution from the first batch of your dough.
22 “When you sin unintentionally and do not obey all these commands that the LORD spoke to Moses — 23 all that the LORD has commanded you through Moses, from the day the LORD issued the commands and onward throughout your generations — 24 and if it was done unintentionally without the community’s awareness, the entire community is to prepare one young bull for a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD, with its grain offering and drink offering according to the regulation, and one male goat as a sin offering. 25 The priest will then make atonement for the entire Israelite community so that they may be forgiven, for the sin was unintentional. They are to bring their offering, one made by fire to the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD for their unintentional sin. 26 The entire Israelite community and the alien who resides among them will be forgiven, since it happened to all the people unintentionally.
27 “If one person sins unintentionally, he is to present a year-old female goat as a sin offering. 28 The priest will then make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the person who acts in error sinning unintentionally, and when he makes atonement for him, he will be forgiven. 29 You are to have the same law for the person who acts in error, whether he is an Israelite or an alien who resides among you.
30 “But the person who acts defiantly, E whether native or resident alien, blasphemes the LORD. That person is to be cut off from his people. 31 He will certainly be cut off, because he has despised the LORD’s word and broken his command; his guilt remains on him.”
32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and the entire community. 34 They placed him in custody because it had not been decided what should be done to him. 35 Then the LORD told Moses, “The man is to be put to death. The entire community is to stone him outside the camp.” 36 So the entire community brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. 39 These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the LORD’s commands and obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes. 40 This way you will remember and obey all my commands and be holy to your God. 41 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.”
D 15:4 Lit a tenth (of an ephah)
E 15:4 Lit a fourth hin, also in v. 5
A 15:6 Lit two-tenths (of an ephah)
B 15:6 Lit a third hin, also in v. 7
C 15:9 Lit three-tenths (of an ephah)
16Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took 2 two hundred and fifty prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. 3 They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have gone too far! Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the LORD’s assembly? ”
4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will reveal who belongs to him, who is set apart, and the one he will let come near him. He will let the one he chooses come near him. 6 Korah, you and all your followers are to do this: take firepans, and tomorrow 7 place fire in them and put incense on them before the LORD. Then the man the LORD chooses will be the one who is set apart. It is you Levites who have gone too far! ”
8 Moses also told Korah, “Now listen, Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the Israelite community to bring you near to himself, to perform the work at the LORD’s tabernacle, and to stand before the community to minister to them? 10 He has brought you near, and all your fellow Levites who are with you, but you are pursuing the priesthood as well. 11 Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he A that you should complain about him? ”
12 Moses sent for Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, but they said, “We will not come! 13 Is it not enough that you brought us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? Do you also have to appoint yourself as ruler over us? 14 Furthermore, you didn’t bring us to a land flowing with milk and honey or give us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not come! ”
15 Then Moses became angry and said to the LORD, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them or mistreated a single one of them.” 16 So Moses told Korah, “You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD tomorrow — you, they, and Aaron. 17 Each of you is to take his firepan, place incense on it, and present his firepan before the LORD — 250 firepans. You and Aaron are each to present your firepan also.”
18 Each man took his firepan, placed fire in it, put incense on it, and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting along with Moses and Aaron. 19 After Korah assembled the whole community against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the whole community. 20 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, 21 “Separate yourselves from this community so I may consume them instantly.”
22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and said, “God, God who gives breath to all, A when one man sins, will you vent your wrath on the whole community? ”
23 The LORD replied to Moses, 24 “Tell the community: Get away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
25 Moses got up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He warned the community, “Get away now from the tents of these wicked men. Don’t touch anything that belongs to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.” 27 So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Meanwhile, Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrance of their tents with their wives, children, and infants.
28 Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the LORD sent me to do all these things and that it was not of my own will: 29 If these men die naturally as all people would, and suffer the fate of all, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But if the LORD brings about something unprecedented, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them along with all that belongs to them so that they go down alive into Sheol, then you will know that these men have despised the LORD.”
31 Just as he finished speaking all these words, the ground beneath them split open. 32 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah’s people, and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into Sheol with all that belonged to them. The earth closed over them, and they vanished from the assembly. 34 At their cries, all the people of Israel who were around them fled because they thought, “The earth may swallow us too! ” 35 Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were presenting the incense.
36 Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 37 “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron the priest to remove the firepans from the burning debris, because they are holy, and scatter the fire far away. 38 As for the firepans of those who sinned at the cost of their own lives, make them into hammered sheets as plating for the altar, for they presented them before the LORD, and the firepans are holy. They will be a sign to the Israelites.”
39 So the priest Eleazar took the bronze firepans that those who were burned had presented, and they were hammered into plating for the altar, 40 just as the LORD commanded him through Moses. It was to be a reminder for the Israelites that no unauthorized person outside the lineage of Aaron should approach to offer incense before the LORD and become like Korah and his followers.
41 The next day the entire Israelite community complained about Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the LORD’s people! ” 42 When the community assembled against them, Moses and Aaron turned toward the tent of meeting, and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the LORD’s glory appeared.
43 Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, 44 and the LORD said to Moses, 45 “Get away from this community so that I may consume them instantly.” But they fell facedown.
46 Then Moses told Aaron, “Take your firepan, place fire from the altar in it, and add incense. Go quickly to the community and make atonement for them, because wrath has come from the LORD; the plague has begun.” 47 So Aaron took his firepan as Moses had ordered, ran into the middle of the assembly, and saw that the plague had begun among the people. After he added incense, he made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was halted. 49 But those who died from the plague numbered 14,700, in addition to those who died because of the Korah incident. 50 Aaron then returned to Moses at the entrance to the tent of meeting, since the plague had been halted.
16:48 “He stood between the dead and the living.” The authority of Moses and Aaron had been disputed by an ambitious man belonging to an elder branch of the family of Levi, who had craftily joined with certain factious spirits of the tribe of Reuben the firstborn. By an amazing judgment from heaven, God had proven that rebellion against Moses was a mortal sin. He had bid the earth open its mouth and swallow all the traitors, and both Levites and Reubenites had disappeared, covered in a living grave. One would have imagined that from this time the murmurings of the children of Israel would have ceased. Yet the day after that solemn transaction the whole of the people of Israel with unholy clamors surrounded Moses and Aaron, charging them with having put to death the people of the Lord. There is the infuriated mass of people in tumult against two men; the two might have sufficient cause for trembling. But just as they are rushing up like the waves of the sea, the cloudy pillar which hung above the tabernacle descends and envelopes in its fold, as with a protecting baptism, the whole of the sacred place. The people stand back a little; Moses and Aaron fall on their faces in prayer. But the destroying angel begins to mow down the outer ranks of the vast tumultuous host. Moses calls for Aaron to snatch fire from the holy altar and run among the people, which he does. When the incense is accepted in heaven, death stops his work. On this side are heaps on heaps of corpses, and there stand the crowd of people, living only because of Aaron’s intercession. This picture is a great spiritual type of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for that erring multitude of people who “went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way” (Is 53:6).
17The LORD instructed Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites and take one staff from them for each ancestral tribe, A twelve staffs from all the leaders of their tribes. B Write each man’s name on his staff. 3 Write Aaron’s name on Levi’s staff, because there is to be one staff for the head of each tribe. 4 Then place them in the tent of meeting in front of the testimony where I meet with you. 5 The staff of the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of the Israelites’ complaints that they have been making about you.”
6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and each of their leaders gave him a staff, one for each of the leaders of their tribes, twelve staffs in all. Aaron’s staff was among them. 7 Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the testimony.
8 The next day Moses entered the tent of the testimony and saw that Aaron’s staff, representing the house of Levi, had sprouted, formed buds, blossomed, and produced almonds! 9 Moses then brought out all the staffs from the LORD’s presence to all the Israelites. They saw them, and each man took his own staff. 10 The LORD told Moses, “Put Aaron’s staff back in front of the testimony to be kept as a sign for the rebels, so that you may put an end to their complaints before me, or else they will die.” 11 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him.
12 Then the Israelites declared to Moses, “Look, we’re perishing! We’re lost; we’re all lost! 13 Anyone who comes near the LORD’s tabernacle will die. Will we all perish? ”
18The LORD said to Aaron, “You, your sons, and your ancestral family C will be responsible for iniquity against the sanctuary. You and your sons will be responsible for iniquity involving your priesthood. 2 But also bring your relatives with you from the tribe of Levi, your ancestral tribe, so they may join you and assist you and your sons in front of the tent of the testimony. 3 They are to perform duties for you and for the whole tent. They must not come near the sanctuary equipment or the altar; otherwise, both they and you will die. 4 They are to join you and guard the tent of meeting, doing all the work at the tent, but no unauthorized person may come near you.
5 “You are to guard the sanctuary and the altar so that wrath may not fall on the Israelites again. 6 Look, I have selected your fellow Levites from the Israelites as a gift for you, assigned by the LORD to work at the tent of meeting. 7 But you and your sons will carry out your priestly responsibilities for everything concerning the altar and for what is inside the curtain, and you will do that work. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift, A but an unauthorized person who comes near the sanctuary will be put to death.”
8 Then the LORD spoke to Aaron, “Look, I have put you in charge of the contributions brought to me. As for all the holy offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute. 9 A portion of the holiest offerings kept from the fire will be yours; every one of their offerings that they give me, whether the grain offering, sin offering, or guilt offering will be most holy for you and your sons. 10 You are to eat it as a most holy offering. B Every male may eat it; it is to be holy to you.
11 “The contribution of their gifts also belongs to you. I have given all the Israelites’ presentation offerings to you and to your sons and daughters as a permanent statute. Every ceremonially clean person in your house may eat it. 12 I am giving you all the best of the fresh oil, new wine, and grain, which the Israelites give to the LORD as their firstfruits. 13 The firstfruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the LORD, belong to you. Every clean person in your house may eat them.
14 “Everything in Israel that is permanently dedicated to the LORD belongs to you. 15 The firstborn of every living thing, human or animal, presented to the LORD belongs to you. But you must certainly redeem a human firstborn, and redeem the firstborn of an unclean animal. 16 You will pay the redemption price for a month-old male according to your assessment: five shekels C of silver by the standard sanctuary shekel, which is twenty gerahs.
17 “However, you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, or a goat; they are holy. You are to splatter their blood on the altar and burn their fat as a fire offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 18 But their meat belongs to you. It belongs to you like the breast of the presentation offering and the right thigh.
19 “I give to you and to your sons and daughters all the holy contributions that the Israelites present to the LORD as a permanent statute. It is a permanent covenant of salt before the LORD for you as well as your offspring.”
20 The LORD told Aaron, “You will not have an inheritance in their land; there will be no portion among them for you. I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.
21 “Look, I have given the Levites every tenth in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work they do, the work of the tent of meeting. 22 The Israelites must never again come near the tent of meeting, or they will incur guilt and die. 23 The Levites will do the work of the tent of meeting, and they will bear the consequences of their iniquity. The Levites will not receive an inheritance among the Israelites; this is a permanent statute throughout your generations. 24 For I have given them the tenth that the Israelites present to the LORD as a contribution for their inheritance. That is why I told them that they would not receive an inheritance among the Israelites.”
25 The LORD instructed Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and tell them: When you receive from the Israelites the tenth that I have given you as your inheritance, you are to present part of it as an offering to the LORD — a tenth of the tenth. 27 Your offering will be credited to you as if it were your grain from the threshing floor or the full harvest from the winepress. 28 You are to present an offering to the LORD from every tenth you receive from the Israelites. Give some of it to the priest Aaron as an offering to the LORD. 29 You must present the entire offering due the LORD from all your gifts. The best part of the tenth is to be consecrated.
30 “Tell them further: Once you have presented the best part of the tenth, and it is credited to you Levites as the produce of the threshing floor or the winepress, 31 then you and your household may eat it anywhere. It is your wage in return for your work at the tent of meeting. 32 You will not incur guilt because of it once you have presented the best part of it, but you must not defile the Israelites’ holy offerings, so that you will not die.”
C 18:1 Lit the house of your father
A 18:7 Or curtain. So you are to perform the service; a gift of your priesthood I grant
19The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, 2 “This is the legal statute that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red cow that has no defect and has never been yoked. 3 Give it to the priest Eleazar, and he will have it brought outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. 4 The priest Eleazar is to take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the tent of meeting. 5 The cow is to be burned in his sight. Its hide, flesh, and blood, are to be burned along with its waste. 6 The priest is to take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson yarn, and throw them onto the fire where the cow is burning. 7 Then the priest must wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may enter the camp, but he will remain ceremonially unclean until evening. 8 The one who burned the cow must also wash his clothes and bathe his body in water, and he will remain unclean until evening.
9 “A man who is clean is to gather up the cow’s ashes and deposit them outside the camp in a ceremonially clean place. The ashes will be kept by the Israelite community for preparing the water to remove impurity; it is a sin offering. 10 Then the one who gathers up the cow’s ashes must wash his clothes, and he will remain unclean until evening. This is a permanent statute for the Israelites and for the alien who resides among them.
11 “The person who touches any human corpse will be unclean for seven days. 12 He is to purify himself with the water A on the third day and the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean. 13 Anyone who touches a body of a person who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person will be cut off from Israel. He remains unclean because the water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him, and his uncleanness is still on him.
14 “This is the law when a person dies in a tent: everyone who enters the tent and everyone who is already in the tent will be unclean for seven days, 15 and any open container without a lid tied on it is unclean. 16 Anyone in the open field who touches a person who has been killed by the sword or has died, or who even touches a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean for seven days. 17 For the purification of the unclean person, they are to take some of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, put them in a jar, and add fresh water to them. 18 A person who is clean is to take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, a corpse, or a person who had been killed.
QUOTE 19:15
We may always go to the precious blood of Jesus and may once again be washed clean and be made fit to go up to the house of the Lord.
19 “The one who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third day and the seventh day. After he purifies the unclean person on the seventh day, the one being purified must wash his clothes and bathe in water, and he will be clean by evening. 20 But a person who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person will be cut off from the assembly because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. 21 This is a permanent statute for them. The person who sprinkles the water for impurity is to wash his clothes, and whoever touches the water for impurity will be unclean until evening. 22 Anything the unclean person touches will become unclean, and anyone who touches it will be unclean until evening.”
19:2 “Instruct the Israelites to bring you an unblemished red cow.” This ordinance was not given to Moses on Mount Sinai but in the wilderness of Paran, after the people had broken their covenant with God and were condemned to die. We are told that Moses wrote Ps 90, that sorrowful dirge which we read at funerals: “Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. Who understands the power of your anger? Your wrath matches the fear that is due you. Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts” (Ps 90:10-12). Well might he write that psalm, for he lived among a generation of people who were all doomed to die within a short time, and to die in the wilderness. This ordinance was especially appointed to meet the cases of those who were rendered unclean by the frequent deaths that occurred. The teaching of this chapter to us is that inasmuch as we dwell in a sinful world, there needs to be some simple and ready method of cleansing us that we may be able to draw near to God.
19:5 “The cow is to be burned in his sight.” All was to be burned, and then the ashes, the essence and product of it, were to be preserved to make the water of purification needed to remove those constant defilements that fell on the people of the camp. So the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, which are the essence of him, are perpetually preserved for the removal of our daily pollution.
19:9 “It is a sin offering.” This ceremony does not represent the putting away of sin but that daily cleansing which the children of God need, the perpetual efficacy of the merit of Christ. This red heifer was probably killed only once in the wilderness. According to Jewish tradition there never have been more than six killed. I cannot tell whether that is true, but certainly the ashes of one single beast would last for a long time if they were only to be mixed with water and then the water to be sprinkled on the unclean. So this ordinance is meant to represent the standing merit, the perpetual purifying of believers by the sacrifice of Christ, enabling them to come to the worship of God and to mingle with holy people, and even with holy angels, without defiling them. In the fullest sense, it may be said of our Lord’s atoning sacrifice, “It is a sin offering.”
19:15 “Any open container without a lid tied on it is unclean.” This law was, indeed, a yoke of bondage that our fathers were not able to bear. It was meant to teach us how easily we can be defiled. Anywhere they went, these people might touch a bone or a grave, and then they were defiled. You and I, watch as carefully as we may, will find ourselves touching some of the dead works of sin and becoming defiled. It is a happy circumstance for us that there is the means of purification always at hand. We may always go to the precious blood of Jesus and may once again be washed clean and be made fit to go up to the house of the Lord.
19:18 “He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, a corpse, or a person who had been killed.” This ordinance was partly sanitary. The Egyptians were accustomed to keep their dead in their houses, preserved as mummies. No Jew could do that, for he would be defiled. Other nations were accustomed to bury their dead, as we once did, within the city walls, or round their own places of worship, as if to bring death as near as they could to themselves. No Jew could do this, for he was defiled if he even passed over a grave. So they were driven to what God intended they should have—that is, separated interments and to keep the graveyard as far as they could away from the abodes of the living. The spiritual meaning of this regulation is that we must watch with great care against every occasion for sin and, inasmuch as there will be these occasions and we will be defiled, we must constantly go to the Lord with a prayer like that of David in Ps 51.
20The entire Israelite community entered the Wilderness of Zin in the first month, and they A settled in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.
2 There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD. 4 Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5 Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink! ”
6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 The LORD spoke to Moses, 8 “Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence just as he had commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you? ” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” 13 These are the Waters of Meribah, A where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD, and he demonstrated his holiness to them.
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, “This is what your brother Israel says, ‘You know all the hardships that have overtaken us. 15 Our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, but the Egyptians treated us and our fathers badly. 16 When we cried out to the LORD, he heard our plea, B and sent an angel, C and brought us out of Egypt. Now look, we are in Kadesh, a city on the border of your territory. 17 Please let us travel through your land. We won’t travel through any field or vineyard, or drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway; we won’t turn to the right or the left until we have traveled through your territory.’ ”
18 But Edom answered him, “You will not travel through our land, or we will come out and confront you with the sword.”
19 “We will go on the main road,” the Israelites replied to them, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay its price. There will be no problem; only let us travel through on foot.”
20 Yet Edom insisted, “You may not travel through.” And they came out to confront them with a large force of heavily-armed people. D 21 Edom refused to allow Israel to travel through their territory, and Israel turned away from them.
22 After they set out from Kadesh, the entire Israelite community came to Mount Hor. 23 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor on the border of the land of Edom, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will not enter the land I have given the Israelites, because you both rebelled against my command at the Waters of Meribah. 25 Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. Aaron will be gathered to his people and die there.”
27 So Moses did as the LORD commanded, and they climbed Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28 After Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. 29 When the whole community saw that Aaron had passed away, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.
21When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming on the Atharim road, he fought against Israel and captured some prisoners. 2 Then Israel made a vow to the LORD, “If you will hand this people over to us, we will completely destroy their cities.” 3 The LORD listened to Israel’s request and handed the Canaanites over to them, and Israel completely destroyed them and their cities. So they named the place Hormah. A
4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea to bypass the land of Edom, but the people became impatient because of the journey. 5 The people spoke against God and Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food! ” 6 Then the LORD sent poisonous B snakes among the people, and they bit them so that many Israelites died.
7 The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so that he will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole. Whenever someone was bitten, and he looked at the bronze snake, he recovered.
QUOTE 21:4-6
Do not think it is a light thing to murmur against God or to complain of his providential dealings with us. No, it is really setting up our fallible judgment or our self-will against the infinite wisdom of the Most High. It is high treason against the King of kings.
10 The Israelites set out and camped at Oboth. 11 They set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim in the wilderness that borders Moab on the east. 12 From there they went and camped at Zered Valley. 13 They set out from there and camped on the other side of the Arnon River, in the wilderness that extends from the Amorite border, because the Arnon was the Moabite border between Moab and the Amorites. 14 Therefore it is stated in the Book of the LORD’s Wars:
Waheb in Suphah
and the ravines of the Arnon,
15even the slopes of the ravines
that extend to the site of Ar
and lie along the border of Moab.
16 From there they went to Beer, A the well the LORD told Moses about, “Gather the people so I may give them water.” 17 Then Israel sang this song:
Spring up, well — sing to it!
18The princes dug the well;
the nobles of the people hollowed it out
with a scepter and with their staffs.
They went from the wilderness to Mattanah, 19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, 20 from Bamoth to the valley in the territory of Moab near the Pisgah highlands that overlook the wasteland. B
21 Israel sent messengers to say to King Sihon of the Amorites: 22 “Let us travel through your land. We won’t go into the fields or vineyards. We won’t drink any well water. We will travel the King’s Highway until we have traveled through your territory.” 23 But Sihon would not let Israel travel through his territory. Instead, he gathered his whole army and went out to confront Israel in the wilderness. When he came to Jahaz, he fought against Israel. 24 Israel struck him with the sword and took possession of his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only up to the Ammonite border, because it was fortified. C
25 Israel took all the cities and lived in all these Amorite cities, including Heshbon and all its surrounding villages. 26 Heshbon was the city of King Sihon of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken control of all his land as far as the Arnon. 27 Therefore the poets D say:
Come to Heshbon, let it be rebuilt;
let the city of Sihon be restored. E
28For fire came out of Heshbon,
a flame from the city of Sihon.
It consumed Ar of Moab,
the citizens of Arnon’s heights.
29Woe to you, Moab!
You have been destroyed, people of Chemosh!
He gave up his sons as refugees,
and his daughters into captivity
to Sihon the Amorite king.
30We threw them down;
Heshbon has been destroyed as far as Dibon.
We caused desolation as far as Nophah,
which reaches as far as Medeba.
31 So Israel lived in the Amorites’ land. 32 After Moses sent spies to Jazer, Israel captured its surrounding villages and drove out the Amorites who were there.
33 Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and King Og of Bashan came out against them with his whole army to do battle at Edrei. 34 But the LORD said to Moses, “Do not fear him, for I have handed him over to you along with his whole army and his land. Do to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.” 35 So they struck him, his sons, and his whole army until no one was left, A and they took possession of his land.
21:1-3 “He fought against Israel and captured some prisoners.” The children of Israel were in real danger. They were attacked by a ferocious foe who, being probably aware that he was doomed to destruction, determined to anticipate the contest by fighting against the Israelites while they were unprepared and so injuring them as much as he could. Arad appears to have been a king of some considerable power, and his skill in warfare is proved by the fact that he was at least partially successful against the Israelites. If a Christian is to grow to the full stature of a person in Christ, he must be subjected to the strong winds of trial and temptation. I have heard such a remark as this often: “I never knew what a Christian So-and-So was until he lost his property, or his wife, or his children, or until he was stretched on the bed of sickness and death.” Something in the keen wintry air braces us and strengthens us for work while the summer zephyr of ease often weakens us. And although vows are never to be made wantonly or wickedly, there are times when a vow may be incumbent upon us. Many important steps which I have taken, and which God has blessed, have been taken because of a vow I have made to him when my soul was in trouble. And I sometimes think that trouble is, in my own case, always a preparation for entering on some new path of duty or beginning some new enterprise for my dear Lord and Master.
21:4-6 “The people became impatient because of the journey.” [ED: Whereas in the first incident in 21:1-3 Israel was in real danger, in this incident there was no real cause for distress.] Many trials befell them in the wilderness, mostly through their own sin. They were the most highly favored people on the face of the earth. Yet with all these privileges, “the people became impatient because of the journey.” Last week I saw my dear old grandfather who is about eighty-seven years of age, and I said to him, “I suppose, Grandfather, you have had many troubles in your long life.” He replied, “Well, I have had none too many, except those that I have made for myself.” And I expect that is true of the most of us. When the Israelites became impatient, did they take their trouble to God as they had done previously? Oh, no! Instead, they “spoke against God and Moses.” People who profess faith often blame their troubles on others. They say, “If my father had been a more prudent man,” or, “If So-and-So had given me wiser advice,” or, “If my husband were not such a spendthrift, I would not have been in such trouble.” Frequently this is only a covert way of murmuring against God. Talking against Moses the Israelites also “spoke against God.” Do not think it is a light thing to murmur against God or to complain of his providential dealings with us. No, it is really setting up our fallible judgment or our self-will against the infinite wisdom of the Most High. It is high treason against the King of kings.
21:9 “Moses made a bronze snake and mounted it on a pole.” After their confession and the prayer of their mediator, the Lord commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent that they might look on it and live. When I first came to Christ as a poor sinner, I thought him the most precious object my eyes had ever seen. But I look to him when I preach, remembering my own discouragements and complaining, and I find my Lord Jesus dearer than ever. I have been seriously ill and sadly depressed. I fear I have rebelled. Therefore, I look anew to him. It is a delightful thing that there should be a fountain open for sinners to wash in. That fountain is not for outcasts only but for the saints, for the citizens of Jerusalem, for the house of David. Do we still sin? Yes, that we do, but “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1Jn 1:7). The bronze Serpent healed me when I first saw the Lord—and the bronze Serpent heals me tonight—and will do so till I die. Jesus is lifted up that saints might not perish but might persevere in grace to everlasting life. How is our spiritual life rendered everlasting but by the continuance of that look? We are still to be looking to Jesus as long as we live, “keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12:2). God keep us looking if we have looked, and bring us to look to Jesus if we have never looked.
22The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab near the Jordan across from Jericho. 2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 Moab was terrified of the people because they were numerous, and Moab dreaded the Israelites. 4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will devour everything around us like an ox eats up the green plants in the field.”
Since Balak son of Zippor was Moab’s king at that time, 5 he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates in the land of his people. B,C Balak said to him: “Look, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the land and are living right across from me. 6 Please come and put a curse on these people for me because they are more powerful than I am. I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that those you bless are blessed and those you curse are cursed.”
7 The elders of Moab and Midian departed with fees for divination in hand. They came to Balaam and reported Balak’s words to him. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will give you the answer the LORD tells me.” So the officials of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 Then God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you? ”
10 Balaam replied to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent this message to me: 11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. I may be able to fight against them and drive them away.’ ”
12 Then God said to Balaam, “You are not to go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
13 So Balaam got up the next morning and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your land, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
14 The officials of Moab arose, returned to Balak, and reported, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
15 Balak sent officials again who were more numerous and higher in rank than the others. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: ‘Let nothing keep you from coming to me, 17 for I will greatly honor you and do whatever you ask me. So please come and put a curse on these people for me! ’ ”
18 But Balaam responded to the servants of Balak, “If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the command of the LORD my God to do anything small or great. 19 Please stay here overnight as the others did, so that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”
20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “Since these men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but you must only do what I tell you.” 21 When he got up in the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the officials of Moab.
22 But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the LORD and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. 26 The angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick.
28 Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? ”
29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now! ”
30 But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before? ”
“No,” he replied.
31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face. 32 The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil. A 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back.”
35 Then the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.
36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite city B on the Arnon border at the edge of his territory. 37 Balak asked Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you? ”
38 Balaam said to him, “Look, I have come to you, but can I say anything I want? I must speak only the message God puts in my mouth.” 39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. C 40 Balak sacrificed cattle, sheep, and goats and sent for Balaam and the officials who were with him.
41 In the morning, Balak took Balaam and brought him to Bamoth-baal. D From there he saw the outskirts of the people’s camp.
B 22:5 Sam, Vg, Syr read of the Ammonites
A 22:32 Lit because your way is perverse before me
23Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2 So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the LORD will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill.
4 God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” 5 Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
6 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab.
7 Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak brought me from Aram;
the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains:
“Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
come, denounce Israel! ”
8How can I curse someone God has not cursed?
How can I denounce someone the LORD has not denounced?
9I see them from the top of rocky cliffs,
and I watch them from the hills.
There is a people living alone;
it does not consider itself among the nations.
10Who has counted the dust of Jacob
or numbered even one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright;
let the end of my life be like theirs.
11 “What have you done to me? ” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them! ”
12 He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth? ”
13 Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.” 14 So Balak took him to Lookout Field A on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the LORD over there.”
16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.”
17 So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the LORD say? ”
18 Balaam proclaimed his poem:
Balak, get up and listen;
son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say!
19God is not a man, that he might lie,
or a son of man, that he might change his mind.
Does he speak and not act,
or promise and not fulfill?
20I have indeed received a command to bless;
since he has blessed, B I cannot change it.
21He considers no disaster
for Jacob;
he sees no trouble for Israel. A
The LORD their God is with them,
and there is rejoicing over the King among them.
22God brought them out of Egypt;
he is like the horns of a wild ox for them. B
23There is no magic curse against Jacob
and no divination against Israel.
It will now be said about Jacob and Israel,
“What great things God has done! ”
24A people rise up like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion.
They will not lie down until they devour the prey
and drink the blood of the slain.
25 Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them! ”
26 But Balaam answered him, “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the LORD says, I must do? ”
27 Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. C
29 Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
23:10 “Let me die the death of the upright.” Thomas Carlyle, in his history of the French revolution, tells us of a duke of Orleans who did not believe in death. But we who are not lunatics know that all our winding paths will lead to the grave. A certain king of France who believed in death forbade that it should ever be mentioned in his presence. “And if at any time I look pale,” he said, “no courtier must dare, on pain of my displeasure, to mention it in my presence.” Thus he imitated the foolish ostrich, which is said to hide its head in the sand fancying that it is secure from the enemy it cannot see. Sane people, who foresee that soul and body must part at the moment of death, should be willing to consider that event, that they may be prepared for it. He who would go on a long journey and provide for every difficulty on the road but one would probably find the journey a failure. If we have provided for life but have not also prepared for death, are we not a foolish traveler? A person who would enjoy life and yet shirk the account of his responsibilities with which the scene must close is either foolish, or knavish, or both. Surely, since every person must be a conscript to the army of death, whether tomorrow or the next day or in a few years’ time, it behooves us to take it into our account, to be diligent in anticipating its demands and providing for its emergencies. Balaam, though a dishonorable man, was no fool. He had thoughts of death. He did not shut his eyes to what he did not like. He believed he would die, and he had desires about it; and though those desires were never realized, he had wit enough to gaze on the tents of God’s chosen Israel and to say from his heart, “Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs.”
23:13 “Put a curse on them for me.” It would be a remarkable spectacle to see the king of Moab and his lords climbing to the tops of the craggy rocks with the prophet Balaam. We see them gazing down from the mountains on the encampment in the wilderness like vultures from aloft spying out their prey. There lay the tribes in the valley, unaware that mischief was brewing and unable to meet the dark design even if they had been aware of it. The Lord’s eyes are fixed on Balaam the hireling and Balak the son of Zippor—they will be utterly ashamed and confounded. They were baffled in their machinations and utterly defeated in their schemes, and that for one single reason—it is written, “The LORD Is There” (Ezk 48:35). God’s presence in the midst of his people is as a wall of fire around them and a glory in their midst. The Lord is their light and their salvation; whom should they fear? (Ps 27:1) At this present time God has a people, a remnant according to the election of grace, who still dwell like sheep in the midst of wolves. When, as a part of the Lord’s church, we look at our surroundings, we see much that might cause us alarm, for never, either day or night, is Satan quiet. Like a roaring lion he goes about seeking whom he may devour. If it were possible, he would deceive the elect. What then? Are we dismayed? By no means, for that same God who was in the midst of the church in the wilderness is in the church of these last days. Again will her adversaries be defeated. Still will he defend her, for the Lord has built his church on a rock, and the gates of hell will not prevail against her.
A 23:14 Or to the field of Zophim
B 23:20 Sam, LXX read since I will bless
A 23:21 Or He does not observe sin in Jacob; he does not see wrongdoing in Israel
24Since Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go to seek omens as on previous occasions, but turned D toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him, 3 and he proclaimed his poem:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened,
4the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:
5How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your dwellings, Israel.
6They stretch out like river valleys, E
like gardens beside a stream,
like aloes the LORD has planted,
like cedars beside the water.
7Water will flow from his buckets,
and his seed will be by abundant water.
His king will be greater than Agag,
and his kingdom will be exalted.
8God brought him out of Egypt;
he is like F the horns of a wild ox for them.
He will feed on enemy nations
and gnaw their bones;
he will strike them with his arrows.
9He crouches, he lies down like a lion
or a lioness — who dares to rouse him?
Those who bless you will be blessed,
and those who curse you will be cursed.
10 Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now go to your home! I said I would reward you richly, but look, the LORD has denied you a reward.”
12 Balaam answered Balak, “Didn’t I previously tell the messengers you sent me: 13 If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the LORD’s command, to do anything good or bad of my own will? I will say whatever the LORD says. 14 Now I am going back to my people, but first, let me warn you what these people will do to your people in the future.”
15 Then he proclaimed his poem:
The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are opened;
16the oracle of one who hears the sayings of God
and has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls into a trance with his eyes uncovered:
17I see him, but not now;
I perceive him, but not near.
A star will come from Jacob,
and a scepter will arise from Israel.
He will smash the forehead A of Moab
and strike down B all the Shethites. C
18Edom will become a possession;
Seir will become a possession of its enemies,
but Israel will be triumphant.
19One who comes from Jacob will rule;
he will destroy the city’s survivors.
20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and proclaimed his poem:
Amalek was first among the nations,
but his future is destruction.
21 Next he saw the Kenites and proclaimed his poem:
Your dwelling place is enduring;
your nest is set in the cliffs.
22Kain will be destroyed
when Asshur takes you captive.
23 Once more he proclaimed his poem:
Ah, who can live when God does this?
24Ships will come from the coast of Kittim;
they will carry out raids against Asshur and Eber,
but they too will come to destruction.
25 Balaam then arose and went back to his homeland, and Balak also went his way.
24:17 “A star will come from Jacob.” This prophecy may have some reference to David, but we feel persuaded that the true design of the Holy Spirit is to set forth an emblem of our Lord Jesus Christ. All nature, above as well as around us, sets forth our Lord. All the flowers of the field and many of the beasts of the plain—and now the orbs of heaven—are turned into metaphors and symbols by which the glory of Jesus may be manifested to us. Where God takes such pains to teach, we ought to be at pains to learn. Where he makes heaven and earth to be the pages of the book, we ought to be most ardent in our study. We who have neglected to learn of Christ, may that neglect come to an end, and may some word be spoken which will be as the beaming of a star unto the darkness of our soul, that we may be led to know Christ and to be found in him. We may observe how evidently it is connected with a scepter and with a conqueror. Jacob was to be blessed with a valiant leader who should become a triumphant sovereign. Frequently in the literature of the day, their great men, and especially their great deliverers, are called stars. The star has been constantly associated with monarchy, and even in our own country we still look on the star as one of the emblems of lofty rank. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Star of Jacob. He is the Captain of his people, the Leader of the Lord’s hosts, the King in Jeshurun (Dt 32:15; 33:5,26), “God over all, praised forever” (Rm 9:5).
25While Israel was staying in the Acacia Grove, D the people began to prostitute themselves with the women of Moab. 2 The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the people ate and bowed in worship to their gods. 3 So Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor, and the LORD’s anger burned against Israel. 4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute E them in broad daylight before the LORD so that his burning anger may turn away from Israel.”
5 So Moses told Israel’s judges, “Kill each of the men who aligned themselves with Baal of Peor.”
6 An Israelite man came bringing a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the whole Israelite community while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand, 8 followed the Israelite man into the tent, A and drove it through both the Israelite man and the woman — through her belly. Then the plague on the Israelites was stopped, 9 but those who died in the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.
10 The LORD spoke to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites because he was zealous among them with my zeal, B so that I did not destroy the Israelites in my zeal. 12 Therefore declare: I grant him my covenant of peace. 13 It will be a covenant of perpetual priesthood for him and his future descendants, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the Israelites.”
14 The name of the slain Israelite man, who was struck dead with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a Simeonite family. C 15 The name of the slain Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, a tribal head of a family in Midian.
16 The LORD told Moses: 17 “Attack the Midianites and strike them dead. 18 For they attacked you with the treachery that they used against you in the Peor incident. They did the same in the case involving their sister Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite leader who was killed the day the plague came at Peor.”
26After the plague, the LORD said to Moses and Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, 2 “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their ancestral families D of those twenty years old or more who can serve in Israel’s army.”
3 So Moses and the priest Eleazar said to them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, 4 “Take a census of those twenty years old or more, as the LORD had commanded Moses and the Israelites who came out of the land of Egypt.”
5Reuben was the firstborn of Israel.
Reuben’s descendants:
the Hanochite clan from Hanoch;
the Palluite clan from Pallu;
6the Hezronite clan from Hezron;
the Carmite clan from Carmi.
7These were the Reubenite clans,
and their registered men numbered 43,730.
8The son of Pallu was Eliab.
9The sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram.
(It was Dathan and Abiram, chosen by the community, who fought against Moses and Aaron; they and Korah’s followers fought against the LORD. 10 The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, when his followers died and the fire consumed 250 men. They serve as a warning sign. 11 The sons of Korah, however, did not die.)
12Simeon’s descendants by their clans:
the Nemuelite clan from Nemuel;
the Jaminite clan from Jamin;
the Jachinite clan from Jachin;
13the Zerahite clan from Zerah;
the Shaulite clan from Shaul.
14These were the Simeonite clans, numbering 22,200 men.
15Gad’s descendants by their clans:
the Zephonite clan from Zephon;
the Haggite clan from Haggi;
the Shunite clan from Shuni;
16the Oznite clan from Ozni;
the Erite clan from Eri;
17the Arodite clan from Arod;
the Arelite clan from Areli.
18These were the Gadite clans numbered by their registered men: 40,500.
19Judah’s sons included Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan. 20 Judah’s descendants by their clans:
the Shelanite clan from Shelah;
the Perezite clan from Perez;
the Zerahite clan from Zerah.
21The descendants of Perez:
the Hezronite clan from Hezron;
the Hamulite clan from Hamul.
22These were Judah’s clans numbered by their registered men: 76,500.
23Issachar’s descendants by their clans:
the Tolaite clan from Tola;
the Punite clan from Puvah; A
24the Jashubite clan from Jashub;
the Shimronite clan from Shimron.
25These were Issachar’s clans numbered by their registered men: 64,300.
26Zebulun’s descendants by their clans:
the Seredite clan from Sered;
the Elonite clan from Elon;
the Jahleelite clan from Jahleel.
27These were the Zebulunite clans numbered by their registered men: 60,500.
28Joseph’s descendants by their clans from Manasseh and Ephraim:
29Manasseh’s descendants:
the Machirite clan from Machir.
Machir fathered Gilead;
the Gileadite clan from Gilead.
30These were Gilead’s descendants:
the Iezerite clan from Iezer;
the Helekite clan from Helek;
31the Asrielite clan from Asriel;
the Shechemite clan from Shechem;
32the Shemidaite clan from Shemida;
the Hepherite clan from Hepher;
33Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons — only daughters. The names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34These were Manasseh’s clans, numbered by their registered men: 52,700.
35These were Ephraim’s descendants by their clans:
the Shuthelahite clan from Shuthelah;
the Becherite clan from Becher;
the Tahanite clan from Tahan.
36These were Shuthelah’s descendants:
the Eranite clan from Eran.
37These were the Ephraimite clans numbered by their registered men: 32,500.
These were Joseph’s descendants by their clans.
38Benjamin’s descendants by their clans:
the Belaite clan from Bela;
the Ashbelite clan from Ashbel;
the Ahiramite clan from Ahiram;
39the Shuphamite clan from Shupham; B
the Huphamite clan from Hupham.
40Bela’s descendants from Ard and Naaman:
the Ardite clan from Ard;
the Naamite clan from Naaman.
41These were the Benjaminite clans numbered by their registered men: 45,600.
42These were Dan’s descendants by their clans:
the Shuhamite clan from Shuham.
These were the clans of Dan by their clans.
43All the Shuhamite clans numbered by their registered men: 64,400.
44Asher’s descendants by their clans:
the Imnite clan from Imnah;
the Ishvite clan from Ishvi;
the Beriite clan from Beriah.
45From Beriah’s descendants:
the Heberite clan from Heber;
the Malchielite clan from Malchiel.
46And the name of Asher’s daughter was Serah.
47These were the Asherite clans numbered by their registered men: 53,400.
48Naphtali’s descendants by their clans:
the Jahzeelite clan from Jahzeel;
the Gunite clan from Guni;
49the Jezerite clan from Jezer;
the Shillemite clan from Shillem.
50These were the Naphtali clans numbered by their registered men: 45,400.
51These registered Israelite men numbered 601,730.
52 The LORD spoke to Moses, 53 “The land is to be divided among them as an inheritance based on the number of names. 54 Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one. Each is to be given its inheritance according to those who were registered in it. 55 The land is to be divided by lot; they will receive an inheritance according to the names of their ancestral tribes. 56 Each inheritance will be divided by lot among the larger and smaller tribes.”
57These were the Levites registered by their clans:
the Gershonite clan from Gershon;
the Kohathite clan from Kohath;
the Merarite clan from Merari.
58These were the Levite family groups:
the Libnite clan,
the Hebronite clan,
the Mahlite clan,
the Mushite clan,
and the Korahite clan.
Kohath was the ancestor of Amram. 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram: Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam. 60 Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were born to Aaron, 61 but Nadab and Abihu died when they presented unauthorized fire before the LORD. 62 Those registered were 23,000, every male one month old or more; they were not registered among the other Israelites, because no inheritance was given to them among the Israelites.
63 These were the ones registered by Moses and the priest Eleazar when they registered the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64 But among them there was not one of those who had been registered by Moses and the priest Aaron when they registered the Israelites in the Wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said to them that they would all die in the wilderness. None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
26:65 “None of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” We have come to another census, an important stopping place in the march of a nation’s history. A census was taken of the tribes of Israel in the wilderness two years after they had left Egypt. It only numbered males who were over twenty—the men capable of active service in war. By thus taking a census of his people, the Lord showed that he valued each one of them. There was good reason for taking the number of the people just as the nation was forming so that in the wilderness they might be arranged, marshaled, and disciplined for the conflict that lay before them. Thirty-eight years have now passed since that first numbering at Sinai, and the people have come to the borders of the promised land. The time had come for another census. This would show that he did not value them less than in former years. When the second census was taken, they found that the people were nearly of the same number as at the first. Had it not been for the punishment inflicted on them, they would have largely increased as they did in Egypt. This was changed during the forty years of the wilderness, for the whole of the grown men who came out of bondage were judged unfit to enter into the promised land because of unbelief. It is of God to multiply a nation or a church. We may not expect any advance in our numbers if we grieve the Spirit of God and if, by our unbelief, we drive him to declare that we will not prosper. Israel’s growth ceased for forty years; may it never be so with us as a church. Though the people must pass away, yet still the Lord’s hand would be in each death and its surroundings. If not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s knowledge, we may rest assured that no one dies without the will of God. A wise and loving God fixes the date and place of our death, for “the death of his faithful ones is valuable in the LORD’s sight” (Ps 116:15). The Lord is still ruling, and nothing happens except as he appoints.
D 26:2 Lit the house of their fathers
A 26:23 Sam, LXX, Vg, Syr read Puite clan from Puah ; 1Ch 7:1
B 26:39 Some Hb mss, Sam, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read Shephupham
27The daughters of Zelophehad approached; Zelophehad was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh from the clans of Manasseh, the son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah’s followers, who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father’s brothers.”
5 Moses brought their case before the LORD, 6 and the LORD answered him, 7 “What Zelophehad’s daughters say is correct. You are to give them hereditary property among their father’s brothers and transfer their father’s inheritance to them. 8 Tell the Israelites: When a man dies without having a son, transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative of his clan, and he will take possession of it. This is to be a statutory ordinance for the Israelites as the LORD commanded Moses.”
12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range A and see the land that I have given the Israelites. 13 After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was. 14 When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against my command to demonstrate my holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the Waters of Meribah-kadesh B in the Wilderness of Zin.
15 So Moses appealed to the LORD, 16 “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all, C appoint a man over the community 17 who will go out before them and come back in before them, and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the LORD’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 The LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19 Have him stand before the priest Eleazar and the whole community, and commission him in their sight. 20 Confer some of your authority on him so that the entire Israelite community will obey him. 21 He will stand before the priest Eleazar who will consult the LORD for him with the decision of the Urim. He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command.”
22 Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua, had him stand before the priest Eleazar and the entire community, 23 laid his hands on him, and commissioned him, as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
27:5 “Moses brought their case before the LORD.” The children of Israel had not seen the promised land, but God had declared that he would plant them in a land that flowed with milk and honey. That land would belong to them and to their descendants by a covenant of salt forever. These women believed in and valued this heritage. They were not like Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. They regarded it, though they had never beheld it, as being something exceedingly substantial, and they didn’t want to be left out when the land was divided. They were anxious about an inheritance they had never seen, and in this regard they may testify to us. There is an inheritance that is far better than the land of Canaan. May we all believe in it and long for it! It is an inheritance, however, which mortal eyes have not seen and the sounds of which mortal ears have not heard. It is a city whose streets are gold, but none of us have ever walked them. Never has a traveler to that country come back to tell us of its glories. There the music never ceases, but no member of the heavenly choir has ever come to write out for us the celestial score.
A 27:12 = Mount Nebo; Nm 33:47-48; Dt 32:49; Jr 22:20
28The LORD spoke to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: Be sure to present to me at its appointed time my offering and my food as my fire offering, a pleasing aroma to me. 3 And say to them: This is the fire offering you are to present to the LORD:
“Each day present two unblemished year-old male lambs as a regular burnt offering. 4 Offer one lamb in the morning and the other lamb at twilight, 5 along with two quarts A of fine flour for a grain offering mixed with a quart B of olive oil from crushed olives. 6 It is a regular burnt offering established at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the LORD. 7 The drink offering is to be a quart with each lamb. Pour out the offering of beer to the LORD in the sanctuary area. 8 Offer the second lamb at twilight, along with the same kind of grain offering and drink offering as in the morning. It is a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
9 “On the Sabbath day present two unblemished year-old male lambs, four quarts C of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and its drink offering. 10 It is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.
11 “At the beginning of each of your months present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 12 with six quarts D of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each bull, four quarts of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for the ram, 13 and two quarts E of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering for each lamb. It is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the LORD. 14 Their drink offerings are to be two quarts F of wine with each bull, one and a third quarts G with the ram, and one quart H with each male lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering for all the months of the year. 15 And one male goat is to be offered as a sin offering to the LORD, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its drink offering.
16 “The Passover to the LORD comes in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month. 17 On the fifteenth day of this month there will be a festival; unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days. 18 On the first day there is to be a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work. 19 Present a fire offering, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. Your animals are to be unblemished. 20 The grain offering with them is to be of fine flour mixed with oil; offer six quarts with each bull and four quarts with the ram. 21 Offer two quarts with each of the seven lambs 22 and one male goat for a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves. 23 Offer these with the morning burnt offering that is part of the regular burnt offering. 24 You are to offer the same food each day for seven days as a fire offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. It is to be offered with its drink offering and the regular burnt offering. 25 On the seventh day you are to hold a sacred assembly; you are not to do any daily work.
26 “On the day of firstfruits, you are to hold a sacred assembly when you present an offering of new grain to the LORD at your Festival of Weeks; you are not to do any daily work. 27 Present a burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, 28 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, 29 and two quarts with each of the seven lambs, 30 and one male goat to make atonement for yourselves. 31 Offer them with their drink offerings in addition to the regular burnt offering and its grain offering. Your animals are to be unblemished.
A 28:5 Lit one-tenth of an ephah
B 28:5 Lit a fourth of a hin, also in v. 7
C 28:9 Lit two-tenths (of an ephah), also in vv. 12,20,28
D 28:12 Lit three-tenths (of an ephah), also in vv. 20,28
29“You are to hold a sacred assembly in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, and you are not to do any daily work. This will be a day of trumpet blasts for you. 2 Offer a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one young bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 3 with their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts A with the bull, four quarts B with the ram, 4 and two quarts C with each of the seven male lambs. 5 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for yourselves. 6 These are in addition to the monthly and regular burnt offerings with their prescribed grain offerings and drink offerings. They are a pleasing aroma, a fire offering to the LORD.
7 “You are to hold a sacred assembly on the tenth day of this seventh month and practice self-denial; do not do any work. 8 Present a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. All your animals are to be unblemished. 9 Their grain offering is to be of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with the bull, four quarts with the ram, 10 and two quarts with each of the seven lambs. 11 Offer one male goat for a sin offering. The regular burnt offering with its grain offering and drink offerings are in addition to the sin offering of atonement.
12 “You are to hold a sacred assembly on the fifteenth day of the seventh month; you do not do any daily work. You are to celebrate a seven-day festival for the LORD. 13 Present a burnt offering, a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD: thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old. They are to be unblemished. 14 Their grain offering is to be of fine flour mixed with oil, six quarts with each of the thirteen bulls, four quarts with each of the two rams, 15 and two quarts with each of the fourteen lambs. 16 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
17 “On the second day present twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 18 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 19 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink and their drink offerings.
20 “On the third day present eleven bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 21 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 22 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
23 “On the fourth day present ten bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 24 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 25 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
26 “On the fifth day present nine bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 27 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 28 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
29 “On the sixth day present eight bulls, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 30 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 31 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
32 “On the seventh day present seven bulls, two rams, and fourteen male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 33 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 34 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
35 “On the eighth day you are to hold a solemn assembly; you are not to do any daily work. 36 Present a burnt offering, a fire offering as a pleasing aroma to the LORD: one bull, one ram, seven male lambs a year old — all unblemished — 37 with their grain and drink offerings for the bulls, rams, and lambs, in proportion to their number. 38 Also offer one male goat as a sin offering. These are in addition to the regular burnt offering with its grain and drink offerings.
39 “Offer these to the LORD at your appointed times in addition to your vow and freewill offerings, whether burnt, grain, drink, or fellowship offerings.” 40 So Moses told the Israelites everything the LORD had commanded him.
A 29:3 Lit three-tenths (of an ephah), also in vv. 9,14
30Moses told the leaders of the Israelite tribes, “This is what the LORD has commanded: 2 When a man makes a vow to the LORD or swears an oath to put himself under an obligation, he must not break his word; he must do whatever he has promised.
3 “When a woman in her father’s house during her youth makes a vow to the LORD or puts herself under an obligation, 4 and her father hears about her vow or the obligation she put herself under, and he says nothing to her, all her vows and every obligation she put herself under are binding. 5 But if her father prohibits her on the day he hears about it, none of her vows and none of the obligations she put herself under are binding. The LORD will release her because her father has prohibited her.
6 “If a woman marries while her vows or the rash commitment she herself made are binding, 7 and her husband hears about it and says nothing to her when he finds out, her vows are binding, and the obligations she put herself under are binding. 8 But if her husband prohibits her when he hears about it, he will cancel her vow that is binding or the rash commitment she herself made, and the LORD will release her.
9 “Every vow a widow or divorced woman puts herself under is binding on her.
10 “If a woman in her husband’s house has made a vow or put herself under an obligation with an oath, 11 and her husband hears about it, says nothing to her, and does not prohibit her, all her vows are binding, and every obligation she put herself under is binding. 12 But if her husband cancels them on the day he hears about it, nothing that came from her lips, whether her vows or her obligation, is binding. Her husband has canceled them, and the LORD will release her. 13 Her husband may confirm or cancel any vow or any sworn obligation to deny herself. 14 If her husband says nothing at all to her from day to day, he confirms all her vows and obligations, which are binding. He has confirmed them because he said nothing to her when he heard about them. 15 But if he cancels them after he hears about them, he will be responsible for her commitment.” A
16 These are the statutes that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the relationship between a man and his wife, or between a father and his daughter in his house during her youth.
31The LORD spoke to Moses, 2 “Execute vengeance for the Israelites against the Midianites. After that, you will be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses spoke to the people, “Equip some of your men for war. They will go against Midian to inflict the LORD’s vengeance on them. 4 Send one thousand men to war from each Israelite tribe.” 5 So one thousand were recruited from each Israelite tribe out of the thousands A in Israel — twelve thousand equipped for war. 6 Moses sent one thousand from each tribe to war. They went with Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, in whose care were the holy objects and signal trumpets.
7 They waged war against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8 Along with the others slain by them, they killed the Midianite kings — Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. 9 The Israelites took the Midianite women and their dependents captive, and they plundered all their cattle, flocks, and property. 10 Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites lived, as well as all their encampments, 11 and took away all the spoils of war and the captives, both people and animals. 12 They brought the prisoners, animals, and spoils of war to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the Israelite community at the camp on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
13 Moses, the priest Eleazar, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses became furious with the officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who were returning from the military campaign. 15 “Have you let every female live? ” he asked them. 16 “Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the LORD in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the LORD’s community. 17 So now, kill every male among the dependents and kill every woman who has gone to bed with a man, 18 but keep alive for yourselves all the young females who have not gone to bed with a man.
19 “You are to remain outside the camp for seven days. All of you and your prisoners who have killed a person or touched the dead are to purify yourselves on the third day and the seventh day. 20 Also purify everything: garments, leather goods, things made of goat hair, and every article of wood.”
21 Then the priest Eleazar said to the soldiers who had gone to battle, “This is the legal statute the LORD commanded Moses: 22 The gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead — 23 everything that can withstand fire — you are to pass through fire, and it will be clean. It must still be purified with the purification water. Anything that cannot withstand fire, pass through the water. 24 On the seventh day wash your clothes, and you will be clean. After that you may enter the camp.”
25 The LORD told Moses, 26 “You, the priest Eleazar, and the family heads of the community are to take a count of what was captured, people and animals. 27 Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to war and the entire community. 28 Set aside a tribute for the LORD from what belongs to the fighting men who went out to war: one out of every five hundred people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats. 29 Take the tribute from their half and give it to the priest Eleazar as a contribution to the LORD. 30 From the Israelites’ half, take one out of every fifty from the people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats, all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who perform the duties of B the LORD’s tabernacle.”
31 So Moses and the priest Eleazar did as the LORD commanded Moses. 32 The captives remaining from the plunder the army had taken totaled:
675,000 sheep and goats,
3372,000 cattle,
35and 32,000 people, all the females who had not gone to bed with a man.
36 The half portion for those who went out to war numbered:
337,500 sheep and goats,
37and the tribute to the LORD was 675
from the sheep and goats;
38from the 36,000 cattle,
the tribute to the LORD was 72;
39from the 30,500 donkeys,
the tribute to the LORD was 61;
40and from the 16,000 people,
the tribute to the LORD was 32 people.
41 Moses gave the tribute to the priest Eleazar as a contribution for the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
42 From the Israelites’ half, which Moses separated from the men who fought, 43 the community’s half was:
337,500 sheep and goats,
4436,000 cattle,
4530,500 donkeys,
46and 16,000 people.
47 Moses took one out of every fifty, selected from the people and the livestock of the Israelites’ half. He gave them to the Levites who perform the duties of the LORD’s tabernacle, as the LORD had commanded him.
48 The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, approached Moses 49 and told him, “Your servants have taken a census of the fighting men under our command, and not one of us is missing. 50 So we have presented to the LORD an offering of the gold articles each man found — armlets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces — to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.”
51 Moses and the priest Eleazar received from them all the articles made out of gold. 52 All the gold of the contribution they offered to the LORD, from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, was 420 pounds. A 53 Each of the soldiers had taken plunder for himself. 54 Moses and the priest Eleazar received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD.
32The Reubenites and Gadites had a very large number of livestock. When they surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, they saw that the region was a good one for livestock. 2 So the Gadites and Reubenites came to Moses, the priest Eleazar, and the leaders of the community and said: 3 “The territory of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, B Nebo, and Beon, 4 which the LORD struck down before the community of Israel, is good land for livestock, and your servants own livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor with you, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Don’t make us cross the Jordan.”
6 But Moses asked the Gadites and Reubenites, “Should your brothers go to war while you stay here? 7 Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land the LORD has given them? 8 That’s what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 After they went up as far as Eshcol Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given them. 10 So the LORD’s anger burned that day, and he swore an oath: 11 ‘Because they did not remain loyal to me, none of the men twenty years old or more who came up from Egypt will see the land I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — 12 none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, because they did remain loyal to the LORD.’ 13 The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the LORD’s sight was gone. 14 And here you, a brood of sinners, stand in your fathers’ place adding even more to the LORD’s burning anger against Israel. 15 If you turn back from following him, he will once again leave this people in the wilderness, and you will destroy all of them.”
16 Then they approached him and said, “We want to build sheep pens here for our livestock and cities for our dependents. 17 But we will arm ourselves and be ready to go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them into their place. Meanwhile, our dependents will remain in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has taken possession of his inheritance. 19 Yet we will not have an inheritance with them across the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance will be across the Jordan to the east.”
20 Moses replied to them, “If you do this — if you arm yourselves for battle before the LORD, 21 and every one of your armed men crosses the Jordan before the LORD until he has driven his enemies from his presence, 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD — afterward you may return and be free from obligation to the LORD and to Israel. And this land will belong to you as a possession before the LORD. 23 But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD; be sure your sin will catch up with you. 24 Build cities for your dependents and pens for your flocks, but do what you have promised.”
25 The Gadites and Reubenites answered Moses, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands. 26 Our dependents, wives, livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants are equipped for war before the LORD and will go across to the battle as my lord orders.”
28 So Moses gave orders about them to the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes. 29 Moses told them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, every man in battle formation before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they don’t go across with you in battle formation, they must accept land in Canaan with you.”
31 The Gadites and Reubenites replied, “What the LORD has spoken to your servants is what we will do. 32 We will cross over in battle formation before the LORD into the land of Canaan, but we will keep our hereditary possession across the Jordan.”
33 So Moses gave them — the Gadites, Reubenites, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph — the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites and the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, the land including its cities with the territories surrounding them. 34 The Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran as fortified cities, and built sheep pens. 37 The Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 as well as Nebo and Baal-meon (whose names were changed), and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled in it. 41 Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured their villages, which he renamed Jair’s Villages. A 42 Nobah went and captured Kenath with its surrounding villages and called it Nobah after his own name.
32:23 “Be sure your sin will catch up with you.” The Israelites had conquered the country possessed by Og, king of Bashan, and Sihon, king of the Amorites. The tribes of Reuben and Gad, having great quantities of cattle, thought that a country so rich in pasture would be eminently suitable for them and for their flocks. Therefore, they asked Moses that they might have that country. But Moses objected. Did they mean to sit still and enjoy that country, leaving the rest of the tribes to cross the Jordan and fight for their possessions alone? He proposed that if they were to have that conquered country, they should cross the river with their brethren and continue fighting until the land on the other side of the Jordan had been cleared of its old inhabitants. Had not God commanded them all to go up and drive out the condemned Canaanites? How could they evade their duty without great sin? They at once agreed to the proposal, and Moses told them that if they did not keep their covenant and give all due aid to their brethren, then they would sin against God and could be sure their sin would find them out. The iniquity of doing nothing is a sin that is not so often spoken of as it should be. It is, sadly, common among professed Christians and needs to be dealt with. The sin is to forget one’s share in the holy war to be carried out for God and for his church. This text condemns idleness and self-indulgence. On Sunday some worshipers care only about feeding their souls. Soul-saving is pushed into the background. Unless we shake off that horrible selfishness and feel that the essence of our religion lies in love and that one of the first fruits of it is to care about the salvation of others, then this text solemnly threatens us.
33These were the stages of the Israelites’ journey when they went out of the land of Egypt by their military divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 At the LORD’s command, Moses wrote down the starting points for the stages of their journey; these are the stages listed by their starting points:
3 They traveled from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month. On the day after the Passover the Israelites went out defiantly B in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 Meanwhile, the Egyptians were burying every firstborn male the LORD had struck down among them, for the LORD had executed judgment against their gods. 5 The Israelites traveled from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
6 They traveled from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
7 They traveled from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol.
8 They traveled from Pi-hahiroth C and crossed through the middle of the sea into the wilderness. They took a three-day journey into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.
9 They traveled from Marah and came to Elim. There were twelve springs and seventy date palms at Elim, so they camped there.
10 They traveled from Elim and camped by the Red Sea.
11 They traveled from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin.
12 They traveled from the Wilderness of Sin and camped in Dophkah.
13 They traveled from Dophkah and camped at Alush.
14 They traveled from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.
15 They traveled from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai.
16 They traveled from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah.
17 They traveled from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.
18 They traveled from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.
19 They traveled from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez.
20 They traveled from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah.
21 They traveled from Libnah and camped at Rissah.
22 They traveled from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.
23 They traveled from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.
24 They traveled from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.
25 They traveled from Haradah and camped at Makheloth.
26 They traveled from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.
27 They traveled from Tahath and camped at Terah.
28 They traveled from Terah and camped at Mithkah.
29 They traveled from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.
30 They traveled from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.
31 They traveled from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan.
32 They traveled from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad.
33 They traveled from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.
34 They traveled from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.
35 They traveled from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber.
36 They traveled from Ezion-geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh).
37 They traveled from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor on the edge of the land of Edom. 38 At the LORD’s command, the priest Aaron climbed Mount Hor and died there on the first day of the fifth month in the fortieth year after the Israelites went out of the land of Egypt. 39 Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor. 40 At that time the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev in the land of Canaan, heard the Israelites were coming.
41 They traveled from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.
42 They traveled from Zalmonah and camped at Punon.
43 They traveled from Punon and camped at Oboth.
44 They traveled from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim on the border of Moab.
45 They traveled from Iyim A and camped at Dibon-gad.
46 They traveled from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim.
47 They traveled from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the Abarim range facing Nebo.
48 They traveled from the Abarim range and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth to the Acacia Meadow B on the plains of Moab.
50 The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, 51 “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images and cast images, and demolish all their high places. 53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land to possess. 54 You are to receive the land as an inheritance by lot according to your clans. Increase the inheritance for a large clan and decrease it for a small one. Whatever place the lot indicates for someone will be his. You will receive an inheritance according to your ancestral tribes. 55 But if you don’t drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs for your eyes and thorns for your sides; they will harass you in the land where you will live. 56 And what I had planned to do to them, I will do to you.”
B 33:3 Lit with a raised hand ; Ex 14:8
C 33:8 Some Hb mss, Sam, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read from before Hahiroth
34The LORD spoke to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance C with these borders:
3 Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. 4 Your border will turn south of the Scorpions’ Ascent, D proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon. 5 The border will turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea.
6 Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border.
7 This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath, A and the border will reach Zedad. 9 Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan. This will be your northern border.
10 For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain. It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth. B 12 Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.”
13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the LORD commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of Reuben’s descendants and the tribe of Gad’s descendants have received their inheritance according to their ancestral families, C and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.”
16 The LORD spoke to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to distribute the land as an inheritance for you: the priest Eleazar and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Take one leader from each tribe to distribute the land. 19 These are the names of the men:
Caleb son of Jephunneh from the tribe of Judah;
20 Shemuel son of Ammihud from the tribe of Simeon’s descendants;
21 Elidad son of Chislon from the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Bukki son of Jogli, a leader from the tribe of Dan’s descendants;
23 from the sons of Joseph:
Hanniel son of Ephod, a leader from the tribe of Manasseh’s descendants,
24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan, a leader from the tribe of Ephraim’s descendants;
25 Eli-zaphan son of Parnach, a leader from the tribe of Zebulun’s descendants;
26 Paltiel son of Azzan, a leader from the tribe of Issachar’s descendants;
27 Ahihud son of Shelomi, a leader from the tribe of Asher’s descendants;
28 Pedahel son of Ammihud, a leader from the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants.”
29 These are the ones the LORD commanded to distribute the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
C 34:2 Lit inheritance — the land of Canaan
D 34:4 Lit of Scorpions ; Jos 15:3; Jdg 1:36
35The LORD again spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho: 2 “Command the Israelites to give cities out of their hereditary property for the Levites to live in and pastureland around the cities. 3 The cities will be for them to live in, and their pasturelands will be for their herds, flocks, and all their other animals. 4 The pasturelands of the cities you are to give the Levites will extend from the city wall five hundred yards D on every side. 5 Measure a thousand yards E outside the city for the east side, a thousand yards for the south side, a thousand yards for the west side, and a thousand yards for the north side, with the city in the center. This will belong to them as pasturelands for the cities.
6 “The cities you give the Levites will include six cities of refuge, which you will provide so that the one who kills someone may flee there; in addition to these, give forty-two other cities. 7 The total number of cities you give the Levites will be forty-eight, along with their pasturelands. 8 Of the cities that you give from the Israelites’ territory, you should take more from a larger tribe and less from a smaller one. Each tribe is to give some of its cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance it receives.”
9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally may flee there. 12 You will have the cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the one who kills someone will not die until he stands trial before the assembly. 13 The cities you select will be your six cities of refuge. 14 Select three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities will serve as a refuge for the Israelites and for the alien or temporary resident among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
16 “If anyone strikes a person with an iron object and death results, he is a murderer; the murderer must be put to death. 17 If anyone has in his hand a stone capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death. 18 If anyone has in his hand a wooden object capable of causing death and strikes another person and he dies, the murderer must be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood himself is to kill the murderer; when he finds him, he is to kill him. 20 Likewise, if anyone in hatred pushes a person or throws an object at him with malicious intent and he dies, 21 or if in hostility he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must be put to death; he is a murderer. The avenger of blood is to kill the murderer when he finds him.
22 “But if anyone suddenly pushes a person without hostility or throws any object at him without malicious intent 23 or without looking drops a stone that could kill a person and he dies, but he was not his enemy and didn’t intend to harm him, 24 the assembly is to judge between the person who kills someone and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances. 25 The assembly is to protect the one who kills someone from the avenger of blood. Then the assembly will return him to the city of refuge he fled to, and he must live there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.
26 “If the one who kills someone ever goes outside the border of the city of refuge he fled to, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the border of his city of refuge and kills him, the avenger will not be guilty of bloodshed, 28 for the one who killed a person was supposed to live in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. Only after the death of the high priest may the one who has killed a person return to the land he possesses. 29 These instructions will be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations wherever you live.
30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death based on the word of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of one witness. 31 You are not to accept a ransom for the life of someone who is guilty of murder; he must be put to death. 32 Neither should you accept a ransom for the person who flees to his city of refuge, allowing him to return and live in the land before the death of the high priest.
33 “Do not defile the land where you live, for bloodshed defiles the land, and there can be no atonement for the land because of the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the person who shed it. 34 Do not make the land unclean where you live and where I dwell; for I, the LORD, reside among the Israelites.”
35:11 “Designate cities to serve as cities of refuge for you.” When the Lord gave to the Jews this law, he took advantage of their deep-rooted love for blood vengeance. Two matters are mentioned in Scripture that God never approved of, but which, finding they were deep-seated, he did not forbid to the Jews. One was polygamy. Although God abhorred it, he permitted it to the Jews because he foresaw that they would inevitably have broken the commandment if he had made an ordinance that they should have but one wife. It was the same with this matter of blood-revenge. Instead of refusing to the Jews what they regarded as the privilege of taking vengeance on their fellows, God enacted a law that rendered it almost impossible that a person should be killed unless he were really a murderer. God appointed six cities, at convenient distances, so that when someone killed another by accident, he might at once flee to one of those cities. Although he might have to remain there all his life, yet the avenger of blood could never touch him, if he were innocent. He would have a fair trial, and if he were found innocent, he must stay within the city where the avenger of blood could not come. If he went out of the city, the avenger might kill him. He was, therefore, to suffer perpetual banishment, even for causing death accidentally, in order that it might be seen how fearful a thing it is to put someone to death in any way.
The law of God is the blood-avenger that is on the sinner’s trail. He has willfully transgressed—he has, as it were, killed God’s commandments; he has trampled them under his feet. The law is after him, and it will have him in its grasp before long. Condemnation is hanging over his head, and it will surely overtake him. Though it may not reach him in this life, yet, in the world to come, the avenger of blood, the law of the Lord, will execute vengeance on him, and he will be utterly destroyed. But a city of refuge was provided under the law of God—six cites of refuge—in order that one of them might be at a convenient distance from any part of the country. There are not six Christs—there is but one, but there is a Christ everywhere. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the divinely appointed way of salvation. Whoever among us will flee from our sins to Christ, being convinced of our guilt and helped by God’s Spirit to enter that road, will find absolute and eternal security. The curse of the law of God will not touch us, Satan will not harm us, vengeance will not reach us, for the divine appointment, stronger than gates of iron or brass, shields everyone of us “who have fled for refuge” and seized “the hope set before us” (Heb 6:18).
36The family heads from the clan of the descendants of Gilead — the son of Machir, son of Manasseh — who were from the clans of the sons of Joseph, approached and addressed Moses and the leaders who were heads of the Israelite families. 2 They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites. My lord was further commanded by the LORD to give our brother Zelophehad’s inheritance to his daughters. 3 If they marry any of the men from the other Israelite tribes, their inheritance will be taken away from our fathers’ inheritance and added to that of the tribe into which they marry. Therefore, part of our allotted inheritance would be taken away. 4 When the Jubilee comes for the Israelites, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.”
5 So Moses commanded the Israelites at the word of the LORD, “What the tribe of Joseph’s descendants says is right. 6 This is what the LORD has commanded concerning Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they like provided they marry within a clan of their ancestral tribe. 7 No inheritance belonging to the Israelites is to transfer from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of his ancestral tribe. 8 Any daughter who possesses an inheritance from an Israelite tribe must marry someone from the clan of her ancestral tribe, so that each of the Israelites will possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 No inheritance is to transfer from one tribe to another, because each of the Israelite tribes is to retain its inheritance.”
10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, married cousins on their father’s side. 12 They married men from the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained within the tribe of their father’s clan.
13 These are the commands and ordinances the LORD commanded the Israelites through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.