Bible: Beginning to End - Numbers 1-10: The Israelites Camp in the Wilderness of Sinai

Episode Date: April 18, 2021

*For copyright reasons, I had to combine these episodes into one episode. Numbers 1-4 (Read) Numbers 5-10 (Read) Contact Us Visit our Website          On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend     On Twitter: @biblebeginning1      Via email: [e-mail] Discuss each episode on Reddit Click Here for our YouTube Channel. Supporting the Show Financial contributions are never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways: Be a listener and share the show with your friends! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible. 10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps 00:00 - Intro 1 3:59 - Ad Break 4:00 - Numbers 1 12:26 - Numbers 2 19:43 - Numbers 3 30:12 - Numbers 4 41:35 - Outro 1 43:23 - Intro 2 45:28 - Numbers 5  54:02 - Numbers 6  1:00:41 - Numbers 7  1:16:18 - Numbers 8  1:20:54 - Numbers 9  1:27:26 - Numbers 10  1:34:43 - Outro 2 Bible Verse Copyright Statement Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. To purchase an NLT, please visit https://amzn.to/3wUpUef

Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end. I'm so glad you're here where we will be reading through the scriptures together from Genesis to Revelation. As always, I will be asking questions along the way so that you can be listening and reading through the scriptures actively. That you can meditate on them and really think about what's being. being said and given to you and what God might be revealing to you through the scriptures in your own life. You can use this time however you like as a meditation, as a devotional, you can listen to one chapter at a time, pause, come back. However you want to use this time with God is up to you. I'm just glad you've chosen to listen and encounter scripture. So last time we finished up,

up Leviticus. And we are moving into the fourth book of the Bible in the Old Testament, Numbers. So let's do a little backtracking and remember where we've been. Genesis, we saw the creation of the world, the fall, Noah's Ark, God creating a covenant with Abraham, God bringing up his people. And then in Exodus, we saw God delivering the, Israelites from slavery on to a journey toward the promised land. We've been at Mount Sinai for a long time. That was where they were during Leviticus and that was where God gave them the law and gave them all

of those rules and regulations. Well, the book of numbers is going to tell the story of the Israelites after they've left Mount Sinai. They will be on a journey. through the wilderness toward the promised land. And we will see God test the Israelites, and we will see the ways in which they obey God and the ways in which they don't. And how this affects their lives and their stories as they make their way to the promised land,

the land that God has promised to give them. This will be broken up into three, but we're going to go through this over multiple episodes, so we're going to probably do a couple of episodes per section, but we're going to see the Israelites camp in the wilderness of Sinai. Then we're going to see the Israelites move from Sinai to the plains of Moab. And then finally we'll see the Israelites camp in the plains of Moab and prepare to invade Canaan.

So we're really going to see this as an adventure. a journey, an odyssey through the wilderness, and we have this chronicle of exactly what happened to the Israelites during this time. And one thing I want you to remember as we go along this journey are all of the rules and regulations we talked about in Leviticus, because these are the building blocks for the society of the Israelites. This is how they're supposed to be living. And then I also want you to remember the tabernacle. What was the structure of the tabernacle? Was it a solid stone building?

Or was it a tent? It was a tent that they carried along with them. So that everywhere they went, God was with them. They could communicate and be, while the priests could communicate with God. Moses could communicate and be with God and speak to the Israelites, exactly what God wanted them to know. Okay, let's go ahead and start with Numbers 1. And as we start Numbers 1,

which is going to be a sort of census of all the men who are able to serve in the Army, we see in this first chapter where we get the name, numbers for this book because we have this list of literal numbers of people in their community. So think about as we start why they needed to take the census. How are they preparing to go? We've seen God preparing them with the law and regulation and telling them exactly what to do. And now we're seeing them ready to pick up and move where God has. called them, even if it's scary. Think about where they're going into the wilderness in a desert.

But what are they looking ahead to? A land promised by God. Think on these things as we read. Here we go. Numbers 1. Registration of Israel's troops. A year after Israel's departure from Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the tabernacle in the wilderness of Sinai. On the first day of the second month of that year, he said, from the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their clans and families. List all the men 20 years old or older who are able to go to war. You and Aaron must register the troops, and you will be assisted by one family leader from each tribe. These are the tribes and the names of the leaders who will assist you.

the tribe of Rubin, whose leader is Elizir, son of Shadur. The tribe of Simeon, whose leader is Shalumiel, son of Zuri Shaddai. The tribe of Judah, whose leader is Nashin, son of Aminadab. The tribe of Isakar, whose leader is Nathanel, son of Zawar. The tribe of Zebulin, whose leader is Eliab, son of Helen. The tribe of Ephraim, son of Joseph. whose leader is Elashama, son of Amahud, the tribe of Manasa, son of Joseph,

whose leader is Gamaliel, son of Padazer, the tribe of Benjamin, whose leader is Abadan, son of Gideon, the tribe of Dan, whose leader is Ahizer, son of Amishidae, the tribe of Asher, whose leader is Pagiel, son of Akron, the tribe of Gatrin,

whose leader is Eliasov, son of Jewel, and the tribe of Naftali, whose leader is Ahira, son of Inan. These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders, and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were 20 years old or older were listed one by one, just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai. This is the number of men 20 years old or older who were able to go to war as their names were listed in the records of their clans and families. The tribe of Rubin, Jacob's oldest son, had 46,500. The tribe of Simeon had 59,300. The tribe of Gad had 45,650. The tribe of Judah had 74,600. The tribe of Isakar had 54,400. The tribe of Zebulin had 57,400. The tribe of Ephraim, Scyt. son of Joseph had 40,500. The tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph, had 32,200. The tribe of Benjamin had 35,400.

The tribe of Dan had 62,700. The tribe of Asher had 41,500. And the tribe of Naftali had 53,400. These were the men registered by Moses and Aaron and the 12 tribes of Israel, all listed according to their ancestral descent. They were registered by families, all the men of Israel who were 20 years old or older and able to go to war. The total number was 603,550. So I want you to pause there and think about the number of people who were listed. 603,550. That's only men 20 years or older who are able to go war. That does not include people who were not able to go to war. That does not include women. That does not include children. So if we add all of those, I mean, we're talking probably a couple million people. I want you to think back to the covenant God made with Abraham all the way back in Genesis.

God said, this is my covenant with you. I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations and kings will be among them. So how do we already see in this census God keeping His covenant with Abraham? Because where do all these men come from? Where does this line begin? Where can we trace back their lineage? Verse 47.

But this total did not include the Levites. For the Lord had said to Moses, do not include the tribe of Levi in the registration. Do not count them with the rest of the Israelites. Put the Levites in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant, along with all its furnishings and equipment. They must carry the tabernacle in all its furnishings as you travel, and they must take care of it and camp around it.

Whenever it is time for the tabernacle to move, the Levites will take it down, and when it is time to stop, they will set it up again. but any unauthorized person who goes too near the tabernacle must be put to death. Each tribe of Israel will camp in a designated area with its own family banner, but the Levites will camp around the tabernacle of the covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord's anger. The Levites are responsible to stand guard around the tabernacle.

So the Israelites did everything just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So that's the end of numbers one, and that's interesting right there at the end that God puts one specific tribe in charge of just the tabernacle. Why do you think the Levites were tasked with the tabernacle and the tabernacle alone? They couldn't have any other job. They couldn't serve in the army. What does that say about the tabernacle? How important is it to God?

What does it represent? What is it? Why does God take such care with the tabernacle? And then what do you make of the verse that says the Levites will camp around the tabernacle of the covenant to protect the community of Israel from the Lord's anger? What does that mean the Lord's anger? What does that look like? What would make God angry? What does the word anger mean?

Why would the Israelites need to be protected from God's anger? Okay, so Numbers 2, organization for Israel's camp. And as we read this chapter, I want you to think about why God might be separating the Israelites according to tribe. Why might this be how he is setting up society for the Israelites on their journey? Numbers 2, verse 1. Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron. When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the

tabernacle, but at some distance from it. The divisions of Judah, Issaqar, and Zebulan are to camp toward the sunrise on the east side of the tabernacle beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops. The tribe of Judah, with their leader, Nashan, son of Aminadab, with 74,600 troops. The tribe of Isakar, with the leader Nathaniel, son of Zawar, with 54,400 troops. The tribe of Zebulon, with the leader Eliab, son of Helen, with 57. thousand four hundred troops. So the total of all the troops on Judah's side of the camp is 186,400. These three

tribes are to lead the way whenever the Israelites travel to a new campsite. So pause there before we start going into the other tribes. Are you seeing a pattern? You see each tribe, each grouping of tribes have their own specific role within the troops within the society. How does that carry over into the New Testament? How does that carry over into our understanding of the church as a whole? The body of Christ, the body of believers each having his or her own unique role in our Christian society? What does it say about how God sees us and knows us deeply? Verse 10. The divisions of Rubin, Simeon, and Gad are to camp on the south side of the tabernacle beneath their family banners.

These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the number of their registered troops. The tribe of Rubin, whose leader is Eleazar's son of Shadur, with 46,000-5. troops. The tribe of Simeon, whose leader is Shalumil, son of Zuri Shaddai, with 59,300 troops. The tribe of Gad, whose leader is Eliasov, son of Duel, with 45,650 troops. So the total of all the troops on Rubin's side of the camp is 151,450,000. These three tribes will be second in line whenever the Israelites travel. Then the tabernacle, carried by the Levites, will set out from the middle of the camp.

All the tribes are to travel in the same order that they camp, each in position under the appropriate family banner. The divisions of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin are to camp on the west side of the tabernacle beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registrars. troops. The tribe of Ephraim, whose leader is Elishama, son of Amahad, with 40,500 troops.

The tribe of Manasseh, whose leader is Gamaliel, son of Padazer, with 32,200 troops. The tribe of Benjamin, whose leader is Abidon, son of Gideoni, with 35,400 troops. So the total number of all troops on Ephraim's side of the camp is one. 108,100. These three tribes will be third in line whenever the Israelites travel. The divisions of Dan, Asher, and Naftali are to camp on the north side of the tabernacle beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops. The tribe of Dan, whose leader is a hezer, son of Amishidae, with 62,700 troops. The tribe of Asher, whose leader is Pagiel, son of Akron, with 41,500 troops.

The tribe of Naftali, whose leader is Ahira, son of Enan, with 53,400 troops. So the total number of all troops on Dan's side of the camp is 157,600. These three tribes will be last, marching under their banners whenever the Israelites travel. In summary, the troops of Israel listed by their families totaled 603,550. But as the Lord had commanded, the Levites were not included in this registration. So the people of Israel did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses. Each clan and family set up camp and marched under their banners exactly as the Lord had instructed them. So that's the end of Numbers 2.

and it was a lot of similar things just kind of expanding on the census that we talked about in numbers one. But one thing that I like to focus on and like to think about is when it says things like, so the people of Israel did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses. What does that tell you about the Israelites and their commitment to God? And also imagine traveling. and living in a community with this many people. You know, they're picking up and traveling by foot with 6003,550 registered troops.

That's just the men. We're not talking about the women and children. We talked about this in chapter one. I mean, just think about how many people were living in this community. So knowing how vast the Israelites were, does that tell us anything about why God had to be so specific about how, how society was set up for them and the order in which they traveled. I mean, just think about going on a car trip with the people in your immediate family and how

difficult that can be. Okay, so now we're going to start numbers three, which talks about the family of Aaron. Remember, Aaron is the high priest, and we saw all the duties and responsibilities he had that were laid out in Leviticus. And now we're going to see his family and continue learning about how the priests function. And we're also going to talk about the Levites and how they became assistance to the priests. So numbers three, verse one. This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The names of Aaron's sons were Nadab the oldest, Abihu, Eliezer, and Ithamar. These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests, but Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord's presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eliezer and Ithamem. to serve as priests with their father, Aaron. So pause there. Remember, we went over that story about Nadab and Abiyah dying in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.

So you can see that when these things are brought up later in the scripture, it's good to have that history and background to know the Old Testament because we know what they're referencing. And when we get to the New Testament, we will see Jesus and the writer of Hebrews and Paul reference ancient scriptures. And so you can see how important it is to know this history. Verse 5. Then the Lord said to Moses, call forward the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron, the priest, to serve as his assistance. They will serve Aaron and the whole community performing their sacred duties in and around the tabernacle. They will also maintain all the furnishing of the sacred tent, serving in the tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites. Assign the

Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistance. Appoint Aaron and his sons to carry out the duties of the priesthood, but any unauthorized person who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death. So pause there. Why the Levites? Why is God? choosing the tribe of Levi to be assistance to the priests instead of being among the rest of the tribes. I'll give you a hint. Aaron and all the other priests are from the tribe of Levi. Verse 11. And the Lord said to Moses, look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me for

all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the first born in Israel. Both of people and of animals, they are mine. I am the Lord. Okay, so pause there. What is God saying? Do you remember when God struck down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians?

Do you remember that story? It was in Exodus. And do you remember God creating this regulation that all firstborn males belong to him? And so what does that mean that God is saying, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. Okay, the next section is registration of the Levites. The Lord spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and clans,

list every male who is one month old or older. So Moses listed them, just as the Lord had commanded. Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Murari. The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his descendants, Libney and Shemai. The clans descended from Kohoth were named after four of his descendants, Amram, Ishar, Hebron, and Uziel. The clans descended from Marari were named after two of his descendants, Mali and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, listed according to their family groups. The descendants of Gershon were composed of the clans descended from Libney and Shemai. There were 7,500 males one month old or older,

among the Gershenite clan. They were assigned the area to the west of the tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Gershenite clans was Eliasov, son of Lale. These two clans were responsible to care for the tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings. The curtain at its entrance. The curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar. The curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to the curtains.

and all the equipment related to their use. The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans descended from Amram, Ishar, Hebron, and Uziel. There were 8,600 males one month old or older among these Kohathite clans. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary, and they were assigned the area south of the tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elazophon's son of Uziel. These four clans were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.

Elie Azar, son of Aaron, the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary. The descendants of Marari were composed of the clans descended from Mali and Mushi. There were 6,200 males one month old or older among the Mororite clans. They were assigned the area north of the Tabernacle for their camp. The leader of the Marorite clans was Zuryal son of Abihali. These two clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use.

They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard, and all their bases, pegs, and ropes. The area in front of the tabernacle, in the east, toward the sunrise, was reserved for the tents of Moses and Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel. Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death. When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the Lord's command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older.

Okay, so pause there. We should be experts in the tabernacle by now. I say should be because it is a complicated place. There's the most holy place, the holy place, the Ark of the Covenant, the lampstand, the table, the tent, the actual structure. But beyond that, I always want us to remember and think about what does the tabernet tabernacle represent why did God have to put an entire tribe in charge of just the tabernacle? Why was it so important that only the Levites and the high priests go close to the sanctuary?

Why was nobody else allowed to go too close? What does it tell us about being in God's presence and being near God to see the tabernacle and how they treated it during the Old Testament. Okay. The next section is redeeming the firstborn sons. Then the Lord said to Moses, now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older

and make a list of their names. The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel. I am the Lord. And the Levites livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel. So Moses counted the firstborn sons of the people of Israel just as the Lord had commanded. The number of firstborn sons who were one month old or older was 22,273.

Then the Lord said to Moses, take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, and take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me. I am the Lord. There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons, collect five pieces of silver for each of them, each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals 20 garaz. Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons. So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites. He collected 1,365 pieces of silver on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel, each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel.

And Moses gave the silver for the redemption to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded. Okay, so that was the end of numbers three, and now we're going to start numbers four, which is going to outline the overall duties of the Levites breaking them up by each of the clans that we just talked about. So we're going to get some more detail into what exactly they had to do in the society. So numbers four, duties of the Kohathite clan. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Coethite division of the tribe of Levi. List all the men between the ages of 30 and 50. who are eligible to serve in the tabernacle.

The duties of the coethites at the tabernacle will relate to the most sacred objects. When the camp moves, Aaron and his sons must enter the tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the ark of the covenant with it. Then they must cover the inner curtain with fine goat-skin leather

and spread over that a single piece of blue cloth. Finally, they must put the carrying poles of the ark in place. Next, they must spread a blue cloth over the table where the bread of the presence is displayed. And on the cloth, they will

place the bowls, ladles, jars, pitchers, and the special bread. They must spread a scarlet cloth over all of this, and finally, a covering of fine goat-skin leather on top of the scarlet cloth.

Then they must insert the carrying poles into the table. Next, they must cover the lamp stand with a blue cloth, along with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and special jars of olive oil. Then they must cover the lampstand and its accessories with fine goat skin leather and place the bundle on a carrying frame. Next, they must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar and cover this cloth with fine goat skin leather. Then, they must attach the carrying poles to the altar. They must take all the remaining furnishings of the sanctuary and wrap them in a blue cloth,

cover them with fine goat-skin leather, and place them on the carrying frame. They must remove the ashes from the altar for sacrifices and cover the altar with a purple cloth. All the altar utensils, the firepans, meat, forks, shovels, basins, and all the containers must be placed on the cloth and a covering of fine goat-skin leather must be spread over them. Finally, they must put the carrying poles in place.

The camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary in all the sacred articles. The coethites will come and carry these things to the next destination, but they must not touch the sacred objects or they will die. So these are the things from the tabernacle that the Coethites must carry. Eleazar's son of Aaron, the priest, will be responsible for the oil of the lampstand, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering, and the anointing oil. In fact, Eliezer will be responsible for the entire tabernacle and everything in it,

including the sanctuary and its furnishings. Then the Lord said to Aaron and Moses, Do not let the Coethite clans be destroyed from among the Levites. This is what you must do so they will live and not die when they approach the most sacred objects. Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and assign a specific duty or load to each person. The coethites must never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment. Or they will die. Okay.

So, first of all, that is a lot of responsibility. for the Coethite clan? Why was God so persistent that Aaron and Moses protect them from death? What would happen if every single person in the Coethite clan died? What would that mean for the tabernacle?

Would they be able to move it from place to place? Why did they need to move it from place to place? All right, now we're going to talk about the duties of the Gershenite clan. And the Lord said to Moses record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Gershenite division of the tribe of Levi. List all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are eligible to serve in the tabernacle. The Gershinite clan will be responsible for general service and carrying loads. They must carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the tabernacle itself with its coverings,

the outer covering of fine goat skin leather, and the curtain for the tabernacle entrance. They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the tabernacle and alter the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. The Gershinites are responsible for all these items. Aaron and his sons will direct the Gershanites regarding all their duties, whether it involves moving the equipment or doing other work. They must assign the Gershonite's responsibility for the loads they are to carry. So these are the duties assigned to the Gershinite clans at the tabernacle. They will be directly responsible to Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. Okay, so let's pause there.

Are we seeing a little bit of a hierarchy? Who has more responsibility? The Cothites or the Gersianites? They both still have important functions within the society, but just different functions. Okay, let's see the next section, which is the duties of the Morarite clan. Now record the names of the members of the clans and families of the Mararite division of the tribe of Levi. List all the men between the ages of 30 and 50 who are eligible to serve in the tabernacle.

Their only duty at the tabernacle will be to carry loads. They will carry the frames of the tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases. Also, the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs and ropes, and all the accessories and everything else related to their use. Assign the various loads to each man by name. So these are the duties of the Morariite clans at the tabernacle. They are directly responsible to Ithamar's son of Aaron the priest. So pause there and we see the final clan getting their instructions, which are a little more general than even the Gershinites' clans' instructions. were, but they are all responsible for something very important in the tabernacle, and they are all

responsible to either Aaron himself or one of Aaron's sons. So my question is, why does God do this, assigning specific tasks to specific people? Why is he so clear about everything? What kind of problems does it eliminate when everybody knows their exact task and their exact role? role in the community. And what does that tell us about spiritual gifts and how we work together as the body? Okay, the last section of chapter four is summary of the registration. So Moses and Aaron and the other leaders of the community listed the members of the coethite division by their clans and families.

The list included all the men between 30 and 50 years of age who were eligible for service in the tabernacle. And the total number came to 2,750. So this was the total of all those from the Coethite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron listed them just as the Lord had commanded through Moses. The Gershonite Division was also listed by its clans and families. The list included all the men between 30 and 50 years of age who were eligible for service in the tabernacle, and the total number came to 2,630.

So this was the total of all those from the Gersianite clans who were eligible to serve at the Tabernacle. Moses and Aaron listed them just as the Lord had commanded. The Mororite division was also listed by its clans and families. The list included the men between 30 and 50 years of age who were eligible for service in the tabernacle, and the total number came to 3,200. So this was the total of all those from the Mororite clans who were eligible for service. Moses and Aaron listed them just as the Lord had commanded through Moses. So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel listed all the Levites by their clans and families,

all the men between 30 and 50 years of age who were eligible for service in the tabernacle and for its transportation numbered 8,580. When their names were recorded as the Lord had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry. and so the registration was complete, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

So pause there at the end of chapter four, and think about 8,580 men just assigned to the tabernacle. What does that tell us about this structure and how many pieces there were, how big it was, how many men it took to break down and carry from place to place, and also think about how committed the Israelites had to be to God to physically carry God's dwelling place from place to place as they move throughout the wilderness. And remember, we haven't even left Sinai yet. We're just preparing.

We're just getting ready. God is telling them this is how it's going to go. This is the plan. This is the path that you're going to take. But we haven't even left yet. So right now all we have is the list of people from each clan. We have a census of how many people are living among the Israelites. We have an outline from God of what each clan is supposed to do, where they're supposed to live,

how they're supposed to function in society, all in preparation for their movement throughout the wilderness. So we're going to stop there because that's a good stopping point in the first four chapters, where we're just getting a sense of the society and who's there. And then as we start next time, we're going to have even more preparation before they leave. But this will be more of preparation within the community, within their hearts, purifying themselves and getting ready to leave Sinai

and understanding what that aspect of living together looks like. So thank you so much for listening today. Not much has happened yet in numbers. They haven't left. They haven't done anything active. We're setting the stage. These are things that are important to read, but they're also tough to read because sometimes we just want that action. And we just want something maybe a little more interesting, but it's okay because this is still just as important to us as any other story in scripture.

I hope God was speaking to you through his word today. I hope that you were able to use this as a time of meditation and thoughtfulness. If you want, you can reach out via email. We have an Instagram now, so you can check us out there where I just post an image with a verse for each episode. Just as a, hey, we just released a new episode reminder, you can check out our website, all of those good things. All that information is in the description.

But thank you for listening. Thank you for spending your time with God today. And I will talk to you in the next one. And welcome back to Bible, beginning to end. I am so glad you're here. Before we get started, if you're looking for ways to support the show or you would like to reach out to us. All of that information is in the description of each episode

to our website, our social media, all that good stuff. And now that that's out of the way, we can get started with our episode as we continue walking through the book of numbers. And walking is an appropriate term because in this chapter, the Israelites will be setting out on a journey. And last time we started setting that stage, we read through numbers one through

four and outlined all the specific responsibilities each tribe of Israel had within the community of the Israelites. We talked about how many citizens lived among them, and we talked about how each tribe and clan within each tribe would function in the society. And we talked about how the Levites were the ones responsible for assisting the priests and everything related to the tabernacle. Well, today we are going to continue this section called the Israelites camp in the wilderness of Sinai as we hear how they continue to prepare for their journey. As always, I will be asking questions along the way, and I hope that you use this time to

reflect on Scripture and allow God to speak to you through His Word without commentary from me, but just you and the Word of God and questions to get your mind going. So here we go with Numbers 5. laws regarding ritual and moral purity, purity in Israel's camp. And as we read through this section, I want you to sort of think about how we view and handle skin diseases, bodily discharge, things like that in a modern setting. And compare it to how they handled it in the Old Testament, in the Israelites community. And I'm asking this question because it might seem so foreign these rituals and laws regarding skin diseases.

Because we're thinking about it in a modern context. We might say, well, if they have a skin disease, just send them to the doctor. They'll take care of it. Move on. So I want you to think critically about why God was so specific about these rituals regarding sickness and skin diseases. what did it have to do with? Why do you think these rituals were put in place? Here we go. Numbers 5, verse 1.

The Lord gave these instructions to Moses. Command the people of Israel to remove from the camp anyone who has a skin disease or a discharge or who has become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person. This command applies to men and women alike. Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I'll. live among them. So the Israelites did as the Lord had commanded Moses and removed such people from the camp. Then the Lord said to Moses, give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If any of the people, men or women, betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are

guilty. They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done. adding an additional 20% and returning it to the person who was wronged. But if the person who was wronged is dead and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, the payment belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest. Those who are guilty must also bring a ram as a sacrifice and they will be purified and made right with the Lord. All the sacred offerings that the Israelites bring to a priest will belong to him. Each priest may keep all the sacred donations that he receives. So pause there.

Why do you think God includes this section on restitution? What does it tell us about how we should treat people when we have done something wrong? How we should respond when we've done something wrong to someone else. else or to God. The next section is a test for adultery. And the Lord said to Moses, give the following instructions to the people of Israel. Suppose a man's wife goes astray and she is unfaithful to her husband and has sex with another man, but neither her husband nor anyone else knows about it. She has defiled herself even though there was no witness and she was not caught in the act. If her husband's The husband becomes jealous and is suspicious of his wife and needs to know whether or not she has defiled herself.

The husband must bring his wife to the priest. He must also bring an offering of two quarts of barley flour to be presented on her behalf. Do not mix it with olive oil or frankincense, for it is a jealousy offering, an offering to prove whether or not she is guilty. The priest will then present her to stand trial before the Lord. He must take some holy water in a clay jar and pour it into it, dust he is taken from the tabernacle floor. When the priest has presented the woman before the Lord, he must unbind her hair and place in her hands the offering of proof, the jealousy offering, to determine whether her husband's suspicions are justified. The priest will stand before her holding the jar of bitter water that brings a curse to those who are guilty. The priest will then put the woman under oath and say to her,

If no other man has had sex with you, and you have not gone astray and defiled yourself while under your husband's authority, may you be immune from the effects of this bitter water that brings on the curse. But if you have gone astray by being unfaithful to your husband and have defiled yourself by having sex with another man, at this point, the priest must put the woman under oath by saying, May the people know that the Lord's curse is upon you when he makes you infertile, causing your womb to shrivel and your abdomen to swell. Now may this water that brings the curse into your body

and cause your abdomen to swell and your womb to shrivel. And the woman will be required to say, Yes, let it be so. And the priest will write these curses on a piece of, of leather and wash them off into the bitter water. He will make the woman drink the bitter water that brings on the curse. When the water enters her body, it will cause bitter suffering if she is guilty. The priest will take the jealousy offering from the woman's hand, lift it up before the Lord, and carry it to the altar. He will take a handful of flour as a token portion and burn it

on the altar, and he will require the woman to drink the water. If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her wound will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people. But, if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children. This is the ritual for dealing with suspicion. If a woman goes astray and defiles herself while under her husband's authority, or if a man becomes jealous and is suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful, the husband must present his wife before the Lord, and the priest will apply this entire ritual law to her. The husband will be innocent of any guilt

in this matter, but his wife will be held accountable for her sin. Okay, so pause there. You might be asking yourself a couple of questions which are okay to ask, and okay, to think on and one of them might be well we have this very detailed description of what to do if a woman is suspected of committing adultery but what if a man is suspected of committing adultery how does the lord handle that sin i would encourage you to look up some other scriptures about adultery in the bible a couple of them you could look up would be leviticus 2010 which we've read before or one that we will read in the next book of the Bible, Deuteronomy 22, 21 to 22. You might also ask because this is a very unique ritual. We don't really see anything else like this

throughout scripture, this sort of ritual where she has to drink and there's a curse involved. Why do you think God is implementing this type of ritual here? Why do you think God is asking the husband to bring his wife before the Lord for judgment? Why isn't God leaving the judgment and the justice up to the husband? Remember, what is the husband filled with? What does he have to be filled with to come to the point where he's bringing his wife before the Lord in this matter? He has to be filled with jealousy. And think about what jealousy does to you.

So why might God be saying, bring your wife to me and I will deal with the justice and the punishment? Okay, the next chapter is Numbers 6, Nazarite Laws. Then the Lord said to Moses, if any of the people, either men or women, take the special vow of a Nazarite, setting themselves apart to the Lord in a special way, they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks. They must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins. As long as they are bound by their Nazarite vow, they are not allowed to eat or drink anything that comes from a grapevine, not even the grape seeds or skins. They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow,

for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long. So pause there before we move on because we haven't really heard of this Nazarite vow yet, but let's pick up on a few things we're learning about it as we read this section. First we hear that they are setting themselves apart for the Lord. So what does that tell us about this vow? People who take this vow, they're setting themselves apart for the Lord,

so they're probably doing what? And then it says they must never cut their hair for the duration of their vow. So is this vow a lifetime vow, a lifetime commitment? Or do you think that this vow could be made for a specific period of time? Verse 6. And they must not go near a dead body during the entire period of their vow to the Lord. Even if the dead person is their own father, mother, brother, or sister, they must not defile themselves, for the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God.

This requirement applies as long as they are set apart to the Lord. If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement. On the eighth day, they must bring two turtle doves or two young pigeons to the priest at the entrance of the tabernacle. The priest will offer one of the birds for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

In this way, he will purify them from the guilt they incurred through contact with the dead body. Then they must reaffirm their commitment and let their hair begin to grow again. The days of their vow that were completed before their defilement no longer count. They must rededicate themselves to the Lord as a Nazarite for the full term.

of their vow and each must bring a one-year-old male lamb for a guilt offering. So pause there, how important are these laws for those who have chosen to enter this Nazarite vow? Because here we see even if someone just falls dead beside them, they have to start all over. Verse 13, this is the ritual law for Nazarites. At the conclusion of their time of separation as Nazarites. They must each go to the entrance of the tabernacle and offer their sacrifice to the Lord, a one-year-old male lamb without defect for a burnt offering, a one-year-old female lamb without defect for a sin offering, a ram without defect for a peace offering, a basket of bread made without yeast, cakes of choice flour mixed with olive oil, and wafer

spread with olive oil along with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. The priest will present these offerings before the Lord. First, the sin offering and the burnt offering. Then the ram for a peace offering along with the basket of bread made without yeast. The priest must also present the prescribed grain offering and liquid offering to the Lord. Then the Nazarites will shave their heads at the entrance of the tabernacle. They will take the hair that had been dedicated and place it on the fire beneath the peace offering sacrifice. After the Nazarite's head has been shaved, the priest will be saved.

the priest will take for each of them the boiled shoulder of the ram, and he will take from the basket, a cake, and a wafer made without yeast. He will put them all into the Nazarite's hands. Then the priest will lift them up as a special offering before the Lord. These are holy portions for the priest, along with the breast of the special offering and the thigh of the sacred offering that are lifted up before the Lord. after the ceremony the Nazarites may again drink wine. This is the ritual law of the Nazarites who vowed to bring these offerings to the Lord. They may also bring additional offerings if they can't afford it. And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazarites. Okay.

Our final section in number six is the priestly blessing. So as we're reading this, I want you to think about the word blessing. I want you to think about each part of the blessing I'm going to read and kind of break down what the different parts of it are. What do the words of the blessing mean? What do the words of the blessing tell us about God and his relationship with us? What do they include? What truths do they convey?

Number six, verse. Verse 22, then the Lord said to Moses, tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing. May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them. So pause there, before we go into number seven, which is going to be starting their final preparations to leave Sinai.

Why do you think God put this blessing right here? What is he wanting to remind the Israelites? What is he wanting them to know about their relationship with him? Okay. Numbers 7. Israel's final preparations to leave Sinai. offerings for the dedication of the tabernacle. On the day Moses set up the tabernacle, he anointed it and set it apart as holy.

He also anointed and set apart all its furnishings and the altar with its utensils. Then the leaders of Israel, the tribal leaders who had registered the troops, came and brought the offerings. Together they brought six large wagons and twelve oxen. There was a wagon for every two. leaders and an ox for each leader. They presented these to the Lord in front of the tabernacle. Then the Lord said to Moses, receive their gifts and use these oxen and wagons for transporting the tabernacle. Distribute them among the Levites according to the work they have to do. So Moses took the wagons and oxen and presented them to the Levites. He gave two wagons and four

oxen to the Gershonite division for them. their work, and he gave four wagons and eight oxen to the Mororite division for their work. All their work was done under the leadership of Ithamar, son of Aaron, the priest. But he gave none of the wagons or oxen to the Coethyte division, since they were required to carry the sacred objects of the tabernacle on their shoulders. The leaders also presented dedication gifts for the altar at the time it was anointed. They each placed their gifts. They before the altar. The Lord said to Moses, let one leader bring his gifts each day for the dedication of the altar. So let's pause here because we're about to go into very full detail about each

offering that the tribes of Israel presented. And we know that there are 12 tribes, so we're about to go through 12 offerings. As we read through this, think about why God included such details. Think about why they are presenting these offerings. Think back to Leviticus and what these offerings represent. So here we go. This is going to be a long section. So bear with me, but just think on these words. Think about why this is included, why it's important. And here we go. On the first day, Nashan, son of Aminadab, leader of the tribe of Judah, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel.

These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nashin, son of Aminadab. On the second day, Nathanel, son of Zuar, leader of the tribe of Isikar, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with

grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces which was filled with incense. He brought a young bowl, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Nathanel, son of Zuhar. On the third day, Elieb, son of Helon, leader of the tribe of Zebulon, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil.

He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Eliab, son of Helon. On the fourth day, Elyar's son of Shadur, leader of the tribe of Rubin, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds, and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil.

He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bowls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Elyzer's son of Shadur. Okay, let's pause here. And I want you to ask yourself why, if every single one of these offerings is identical, except for the person and the tribe presenting the offering, then why does God include each specific tribe's offering? Why doesn't he just say, and the 12 tribes presented the following offering to God at the altar? what might he be representing by including the same offering over and over and over again? I don't want to speed through this. I don't want to get through it. We want to understand.

We want to critically think about why is it set up this way. What do we think about the way these words are presented and given to us? So here we go on to the fifth day. Verse 36. On the fifth day, Shalumiel son of Zuri Shaddai, of the tribe of Simeon presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds, and a silver basin weighing one in three quarters pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour, moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male-comer.

goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bowls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Shalumiel son of Zuri Shaddai. On the sixth day, Eliasov, son of jewel, leader of the tribe of Gad, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds, and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bowl, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering,

and a male goat for a sin offering. For a piece offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Eliasov son of Duel. On the seventh day, Elishama, son of Amahood, leader of the tribe of Ephraim, presented his offering.

His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour, moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering.

And a male goat for a sin offering? For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Elie Shama, son of Amahood. On the eighth day, Gamaliel's son of Padazer, leader of the tribe of Manasseh presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. he also brought a gold container weighing four ounces which was filled with incense.

He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Gamaliel, son of Padazer. Let's pause there. Another question you can ask yourself is they're all bringing the same offering, but why are they doing it on separate days? Why are they doing it in this order? Why does each tribe have to bring an offering? Why can't they just make one offering for all the tribes? Verse 60.

On the ninth day, Abidon, son of Gideoni, leader of the tribe of Benjamin, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. They were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour, moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bowls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Abadon, son of Gideon. On the 10th day, a heaser, son of Amishidae, leader of the tribe of Dan, presented his offering.

His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds, and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour, moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by a heezer, son of Amishidae. On the 11th day, Pagiel, son of Akron, leader of the tribe of Asher, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds

and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds, as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by Pagiel's son of Akron. On the 12th day, a hira, son of Enon, leader of the tribe of Naftali, presented his offering. His offering consisted of a silver platter weighing three and a quarter pounds, and a silver basin weighing one and three quarter pounds,

as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. These were both filled with grain offerings of choice flour, moistened with olive oil. He also brought a gold container weighing four ounces, which was filled with incense. He brought a young bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb for a burnt offering, and a male goat for a sin offering. For a peace offering, he brought two bulls, five rams, five male goats, and five one-year-old male lambs. This was the offering brought by a Heera son of Enon.

So this was the dedication offering brought by the leaders of Israel at the time the altar was anointed. Twelve silver platters, twelve silver basins, and twelve gold incense containers. Each silver platter weighed three and a quarter pounds, and each silver basin weighed one and three quarter pounds. The total weight of the silver was sixty pounds as measured by the weight. of the sanctuary shekel. Each of the 12 gold containers that was filled with incense weighed four ounces as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. The total weight of gold was three pounds. Twelve young bowls, 12 rams, and 12 one-year-old male lambs were donated for the burnt offering, along with their prescribed grain offerings. Twelve male goats were brought for the sin

offering, 24 bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 61-year-old male lambs were donated for the peace offerings. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed. Whenever Moses went into the tabernacle to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the ark's cover, the place of atonement that rests on the ark of the covenant. The Lord spoke to him from there. So pause there at the end of number seven. What might it be like to hear the actual voice of God as Moses did? They went through this process of anointing the altar, and now we know what they were anointing it for. Does that give you any more insight into why the process was so important and so detailed and so extensive.

Okay, and now we're going to go into Numbers 8, which is about preparing the lamps. And remember, the lamps are an important part of the tabernacle. I want you to think as we read through this, what function do the lamps serve in the tabernacle? and then also what might they represent. Numbers 8. The Lord said to Moses, give Aaron the following instructions.

When you set up the seven lamps in the lampstand, place them so their light shines forward in front of the lampstand. So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. The entire lampstand, from its base to its decorative blossoms, was made of beaten gold. It was built according to the exact design the Lord had shown Moses.

The next section is the Levites dedicated. Then the Lord said to Moses, Now set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel and make them ceremonially clean. Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean. Have them bring a young bowl and a grain offering of choice flour, moistening. with olive oil, along with a second bull for a sin offering. Then assemble the whole community of Israel and present the Levites at the entrance of the

tabernacle. When you present the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. So pause there first. Why are the Levites being set apart? And then the second question I want you to ask is, why do the people of Israel have to lay their hands on the Levites? verse 11 raising his hands aaron must then present the levites to the lord as a special offering from the people of israel thus dedicating them to the lord's service next the levites will lay their hands on the heads of the young bowls present one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the lord to purify the levites and make them right with the lord then have the levites stand in front of aaron and his sons and run raise your hands and present them as a special offering to the Lord.

In this way, you will set the Levites apart from the rest of the people of Israel. And the Levites will belong to me. After this, they may go into the tabernacle to do their work because you have purified them and presented them as a special offering. Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites. I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and animals.

I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel and all the Israelites. I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the tabernacle on behalf of the Israel. and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary. So Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel dedicated the Levites, carefully following all the Lord's instructions to Moses. The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes.

And Aaron lifted them up and presented them to the Lord as a special offering. He then offered a sacrifice to purify them and make them right with the Lord. After that, the Levites went into the tabernacle to perform their duties assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the Lord had given Moses concerning the Levites. The Lord also instructed Moses. This is the rule the Levites must follow. They must begin serving in the tabernacle at the age of 25, and they must retire at the age of 50. After retirement, they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the tabernacle,

but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites. So pause there at the end of Numbers 8 and reflect on those final instructions. Why do you think the Levites had to serve from ages 25 to 50, but they had to retire at 50? All right, numbers 9, the second Passover. So reflect and remember what the first Passover,

was in Exodus, you can go back and read that story and see and compare it to this Passover, the second Passover. Numbers 9. A year after Israel's departure from Egypt, the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. In the first month of that year, he said, tell the Israelites to celebrate the Passover at the prescribed time, twilight on the 14th day of the first month. Be sure to follow all my decrees and be sure to follow all my decrees. regulations concerning the celebration. So Moses told the people to celebrate the Passover in the

wilderness of Sinai as twilight fell on the 14th day of the month. And they celebrated the festival there, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. But some of the men have been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. They came to Moses and Aaron that day and said, We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body, but why should we be prevented from presenting the Lord's offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites? Moses answered, wait here until I have received instructions for you from the Lord. So pause there and reflect on Moses's response. What did he tell them? He said, first I have to talk to whom?

Think about how we can use that as a model in our lives when we're questioning situations and predicaments. in. And then also predict what you think God is going to say. And here we will find out in verse nine. This was the Lord's reply to Moses. Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. If any of the people now or in future generations are ceremonially unclean at Passover time because of touching a dead body, or if they are on a journey and cannot be present at the ceremony, they may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later at twilight on the 14th day of the second month. They must eat the Passover lamb at that time with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. They must not leave

any of the lamb until the next morning, and they must not break any of its bones. They must follow all the normal regulations concerning Passover. But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the Lord's offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt. And if the foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. So pause there and ask, what does this reveal about God?

Was Passover a very important celebration to him and to the Israelites? How did God preserve the law while still allowing the Israelites to participate in Passover? The next section is The Guidance of the Fiery Cloud, which sounds very exciting to me. So let's see what this is about. in Numbers 9, verse 15. On the day, the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning, the cloud over the tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. Pause there.

Why do you think that is? Why do you think evening until morning, the cloud looked like a pillar of fire? A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. What do you think that fire might represent? And what do you think that fire is there for? verse 16 this was the regular pattern at night the cloud that covered the tabernacle had the appearance of fire whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent the people of israel would break camp and follow it and whenever the cloud settled the people of israel would set up camp in this way they traveled and camped at the lord's command wherever he told them to go then they remained in their camp as long as the stayed over the tabernacle. If the cloud remained over the tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord. So pause there. How does this cloud

and the Israelites following the cloud wherever it goes, or in essence following the Lord wherever he calls them, how does this represent faith? And then I want you to ask yourself now, in modern times, what is our tabernacle? What is our tabernacle? What is our? cloud and pillar of fire that we follow. How do we communicate with God and what do we have within us to know where to go, when to follow God? Where to follow God. Do some self-reflection and think about how we can follow in the footsteps of the Israelites'

faith to have such a strong faith in our own life and trust. It's faith and they trust in God. sometimes the cloud would stay over the tabernacle for only a few days so the people would stay for only a few days as the Lord commanded then at the Lord's command they would break camp and move sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning day or night when the cloud lifted the people broke camp and moved on whether the cloud stayed above the tabernacle for two days a month or a year the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the Lord's command. And they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses. Okay, we're going to go into our final chapter for today, numbers 10. The Silver Trumpets. Now the Lord said to Moses, make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp.

When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the tabernacle. But if only one trumpet is blown, then only the leaders, the heads of the clans of Israel, must present themselves to you. When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the tabernacle must break camp and move forward.

When you sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on. But when you call the people to assemble, blow the trumpets with a different signal. Only the priests, Aaron's descendants, are allowed to blow the trumpets. This is a permanent law for you to be observed from generation to generation. So pause there. Why do you think Moses has to blow trumpets? Why can't he just say, hey guys, let's move on? Remember how many people are living among the Israelites? How vast the society is.

Verse 9. When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. Blow the trumpets in time of gladness too. Sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month and blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the Lord your God of His covenant with you. I am the Lord, your God. So pause there.

It's a little interesting how the trumpets can symbolize so many different things. Why do you think that is? Why can they be used for warning, for celebration, to remind God of his covenant with them? Why is God using the same thing for multiple purposes? Okay, so now we're kind of transitioning into a new section. This is the second section of numbers. That starts about halfway into chapter 10, but now the Israelites are moving from Sinai to the plains of Moab.

So the first section is the Israelites move from Sinai to Kadesh, and we're seeing right now the Israelites leaving Sinai. In the second year after Israel's departure from Egypt on the 20th day of the second month, the cloud lifted from the tabernacle of the covenant. So the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled on from place to place until the cloud stopped. the wilderness of Peron. When the people set out for the first time following the instructions the Lord had given through Moses, Judas troops led the way. They marched behind their banner, and their leader was Noshan son of Aminadab. They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Isacar, led by Nathanel, son of Zawar, and the troops of the tribe of Zebulin led by Elieab, son of Helon. Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershinite emirarite divisions of the Levites

were next in the line of March, carrying the tabernacle with them. Ruben's troops went next, marching behind their banner. Their leader was Elizir, son of Shedur. They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Simeon, led by Shalumiel, son of Zuri Shaddai, and the troops of the tribe of Gad, led by Eliasov, son of Jewel. Next came the Coethyte division of the Levites carrying the sacred objects from the tabernacle. Before they arrived at the next camp, the tabernacle, the tabernacle. would already be set up in its new location. Ephraim's troops went next,

marching behind their banner. Their leader was Elishama, son of Amahood. They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Manasseh, led by Gamaliel son of Padazer, and the troops of the tribe of Benjamin led by Abidon, son of Gideoni. Dan's troops went last, marching behind their banner and serving as the rear guard for all the tribal camps. Their leader was a hezer, son of Amishadai. They were joined by the troops of the tribe of Asher, led by Pagio, son of Akron, and the troops of the tribe of Naftali led by Ahira, son of Inan. This was the order in which the Israelites marched, division by division. The next section is Hobab the guide. One day, Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab, son of rule, the Midianite, we are on our way to the place the Lord

promised us, for he said, I will give it to you. Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel. But Hobab replied, no, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family. Please don't leave us, Moses pleaded. You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. If you do, we'll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us. Okay, so pause there. That's an interesting little section kind of in the middle of this. First, I want you to ask, why do you think that this little story is plopped right in between us seeing how the Israelites leave their camp and travel? And then we're about to talk about the Ark of the Covenant leading the way. Why is this right here? Why do you think this little story is inserted here when we haven't really heard of Hobab before? And we don't necessarily get his answer. We just have Moses saying, please come with us. And then we don't get a response.

But I do want to ask, what does it reveal about Moses's character as a leader? How is he able to see people's specific gifts and try to give them the opportunity to use them? And why is it important to understand people's gifts in the Christian community and give them those opportunities? Okay, our final section. The ark leads the way. They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord's covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest.

As they moved on each day, the cloud of the Lord hovered over them, and whenever the ark set out, Moses would shout, Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered. Let them flee before you. And when the ark was set down, he would say, return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel. Okay, so pause there.

At the end of Numbers 10, our last chapter for today, and just reflect on that final section and that final sentence, the countless thousands of Israel. That's taking us right back to the covenant God made with Abraham so, so long ago that his, descendants would be so numerous they couldn't be counted. So the Israelites are beginning their journey to the land that God has promised them. So far, we haven't had a lot of issues, but the journey has just begun. There will be tension. There will be complaining. There will be wandering.

That is what we will get to next time. I'm so glad that you listened today. I'm so glad that you were with me to read through the scriptures and really just reflect on God's word. I hope that the Spirit is leading and guiding you as you think on and reflect on these scriptures. Keep reading, keep seeking, keep listening to God. And may you have the courage to do the very things and go to the very places God is leading you. And I'll talk to you in the next one.