Numbers

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1

God asks Moses to number the children of Israel who are able to go to war. Census taken – 603,550 potential soldiers in all. The Levites are not counted, but assigned to care for the Tabernacle.


2

God arrangements of the tribes’ tents around the tabernacle. The Levites’ camp is in the middle, closest to the Tabernacle.


3

Sons of Aaron appointed as the priestly tribe. Census of Aaron’s descendants taken. God arranges the tent locations of Levites according to family. Levites replace the firstborn, who had been consecrated to God up to this point. There were 22,273 firstborn sons in Israel; and there were only 22,000 Levite males. The extra 273 were given a monetary value (five shekels for each one individually), and the money was given to the tabernacle as redemption money.


4

Levites numbered according to families; instructions given them regarding the packing of the tabernacle. Various Levite families are assigned various roles.


5

Lepers and the unclean must be put outside the camp. The laws of recompense is to pay back 120%. The money is to be paid to the priests if the person to be recompensed is dead. Every Israelite has a right to partake in the offerings that he has bought. If a man is suspicious of his wife, but there is no evidence against her, she shall drink bitter water in front of the priest. (The water has been made bitter by the dust of the tabernacle floor, and an oath containing a curse.) If she has committed adultery, her belly will swell and her thigh will rot.


6

People may take a Nazarite vow to separate themselves unto the Lord. No alcoholic drink permitted, nor shaving or cutting hair, nor coming into contact with anything dead. If anyone dies very suddenly by him, he must shave his head and offer a sin offering a week later. Offerings are made at the end of the Nazarite period.


7

Moses anoints and sancitifies the Tabernacle. He gives to the prominent Levite families mentioned in chapter 4 the things they need to carry out their offices. Priestly representatives from each tribe make a series of offerings.


8

Moses and Aaron purify the sons of Levi through a sin offering and a burnt offering. The Levites shave themselves and wear clean clothes for the occasion. The Levites are thus made separate. The years of active service are from 25 to 50.


9

God commands the keeping of the Passover. If anyone has been defiled by a dead body, they must celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the second month, rather than on the fourteenth day of the first month, like everybody else. If anyone does not keep the Passover without a good reason, he shall be cut off from his people. A stranger who wishes to observe the Passover may be allowed to do so, provided he observes the same regulations as the Israelites. The pillar of cloud/fire leads the Israelites, determining when they stay and when they move on.


10

Two silver trumpets are made so the Levites can call the assembly to the Tabernacle. The trumpets are also used to signal war, on feast days, and at the beginning of each month. The cloud leads the Israelites from the wilderness of Sinai into the wilderness of Paran. The Israelites march as an army – the tribes are listed in order, along with the Merarites carrying the tabernacle, and the Kohathites carrying the sanctuary. Moses entreats Hobab the Midianite (his father-in-law) to accompany them through the wilderness. He refuses, so Moses entreats him further. They follow the cloud.


11

Israelites complain about having nothing to eat but manna, and God scorches them with fire. Moses intercedes for them, and the fire ceases. Moses complains about having to provide for his people. God tells Moses to gather seventy elders, who will share his burden. God promises meat – so much that it will become loathsome to the Israelites. The seventy prophesy. Eldad and Medad, two of the elected seventy, also prophesy, but not at the tabernacle. Joshua objects to them prophesying in the camp, but Moses says he wishes all his people were prophets, and is content with what they do. Israelites eat quails that drop from the sky, suffer plague, and move to Hazeroth.


12

Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses because of an Ethiopian woman he has married. They bitterly say that God has spoken through them as well as through Moses. God rebukes them, and vindicates him, saying He speaks to him face to face. Miriam is punished with leprosy, but then healed. The Israelites move to Paran.


13

Moses sends twelve Israelite spies into Canaan. The spies return after forty days. The spy Caleb advises Moses to possess it, but the other spies are afraid, saying the men are as giants, and the cities well-fortified.


14

Israelites murmur against Moses and long for Egypt after the spies’ reports. Joshua speaks encouragingly of the land of milk and honey. Moses pleads to God to forgive Israelites. God pardons their iniquity, but says that all those above the age of twenty who complained will not see the promised land. Caleb and Joshua will be rewarded for his faith, however. The Israelites must wander forty years in wilderness, to correspond to the forty days of spying. The unfaithful spies die from the plague. The Israelites repent, seek to enter the promised land, and ascend the mountain in order to do so, but are driven back by the Amalekites.


15

When the Israelites come to the promised land, they will offer various offerings. Moses receives instructions for offerings for sins committed in ignorance. A man gathers sticks on Sabbath and is stoned. The Israelites are instructed to put blue ribbon on their clothes, as the sign they are God’s people.


16

Korah (a Levite), Dathan, Abiram (Reubenites) and 250 others rebel against Moses. Korah argues that all the congregation is holy, not just Moses and Aaron. Moses tells the rebels to come to the tabnernacles the next day with censers and incense. Fire destroys the 250, and the ground opens and swallows up Dathan and Abiram and their tents. The censers are the men who are burned up are made into hammered plates as coverings for the altar, as a reminder that only sons of Aaron are entitled to carry out sacerdotalk duties. Israel complains; 14700 men die from plague from God, which is stopped following a sacrificial intercession from Aaron.


17

Twelve rods (one for each tribe) are brought to tabernacle. The names of the tribe are written on the rods, while Aaron’s name is written on the rod of the Levites. Only Aaron’s rod blossomed, signifying the Levites’ role in ministry. The Israelites are overawed, and anxious.


18

God speaks to Aaron about the duties of Levites, Aaron’s sons and himself in tabernacle. The Levites have no inheritance, for ‘I am your portion and inheritance’. The Levites are entitled to tithes. A heave offering is to be offered from the tithe.


19

God tells Moses and Aaron how Aaron’s son, Eleazar, should sacrifice a red heifer (burning most of the blood, not completely draining it out from the jugular as usual). The heifer is then burnt in its entirety, taken outside the camp, and the ashes sprinkled in water. The priest who does the burning is to be ceremonially unclean until evening. This is purification water, to be used when anyone touches a dead body, on the third and seventh day of a seven day period of uncleanness.


20

Israel moves to the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies. Israelites complain of thirst, so Moses is instructed to strike a rock, which springs forth with water. Ar Meribah, Moses says, ‘Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?’ For this presumption, attributing the miracle to his own powers, God punishes Moses by telling him that he will not enter the promised land. The Edomites refuse passage to the Israelites. Israel avoids Edom, and moves to Mount Hor. Aaron and Eleazar are taken up Mount Hor, and Aaron dies there, again in punishment for Moses’ presumptiom. Eleazar is the new high priest. Israel mourns for Aaron for thirty days.


21

Israel defeats Arad, a Canaanite king. The Israelites complain, and are attacked by fiery serpents. Moses builds a bronze serpent – when anyone who has been bitten looks at it, they survive. Israelites journey into Moab. They are refused passage through the territory of Sihon, king of the Amorites, so kill him and occupy his land, which includes the city of Heshbon. They also defeat king Og in the land of Bashan.


22

Balak, king of Moab, fears the advancing Israelites, and asks the prophet Balaam to curse them. God warns Balaam that the Israelites are blessed, but when Balak importunes further, God tells him that he may only say the words which God speaks to him. God’s anger is aroused against Balaam, and He sends an angel to kill him. The donkey Balaam rides takes evasive manoeuvres, and crushes Balaam’s foot. Balaam beats the donkey, which complains about its treatment. The angel also castigates the Balaam, who is then instructed to go to Balak. Balak takes Balaam to the high places of Baal, so they can see the extent of the Israelites.


23

Balak and Balaam offer sacrifices. Balaam seeks God’s will. Balaam blesses Israel against Balak’s request. This is repeated in another location.


24

Balaam’s third blessing: ‘blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.’ Fourth prophecy – a star who shall come out of Jacob to destroy all enemies.


25

Israelites commit whoredom with Moabites and bow down before their gods. The offenders are hanged. Phinehas stops a spreading plague by running through an Israelite (Zimri) and a Midianite woman (Cozbi) he had taken. 24,000 die from the plague. God blessed Phinehas with the promise that he would be the descendant of Aaron through which the priesthood passed.


26

Census of Israelites 20 years and up who are able to go to war. Extensive list – 600,001,730 in all. Their inheritance of land will be determined by lot. The census of Levites is given separately.


27

Daughters of Zelophehad from the tribe of Manasseh say to Moses that their father died without male issue. God tells Moses if a man dies without male heirs, his inheritance shall pass to a daughter, or failing that, a brother or other kinsman. God tells Moses to ascend Mount Abarim to survey the land promised to the Israelites. Moses instructed to confer his authority on Joshua.


28

God tells Moses procedures for morning and evening sacrifices, Sabbath, monthly, passover and firstfruit sacrifices.


29

First day of seventh month – blowing of trumpets. Instructions given for the offerings to made on the tenth day of the seventh month (Day of Atonement), and for the offerings made on seven consecutive days starting on the fifteen day of seventh month (Feast of Tabernacles).


30

A man must keep his vow. A woman must keep her vow, unless her father or husband (depending what age she is) disallow her on the day that she makes it, in which she is not bound. Vows of widows or divorced woman stand in all circumstances.


31

God commands Israel to take revenge war against the Midianites for corrupting Israel in Numbers 25. Moses sends a thousand from each tribe to war. Moses orders soldiers to kill all males (adult and child) and adult females. Balaam is killed. The female children who have not known man are kept alive. Those who have killed are ceremonially unclean, and must remain outside of the camp for seven days, and be cleansed with purifying water on the third and seventh day. Spoils are to be purified by fire or water, depending on what it is. Moses divides up the spoil fairly (offering some to Lord) to prevent a ‘every man for himself’ approach.


32

Children of Reuben and Gad request land for cattle to the east of the Jordan (the land of Gilead). Moses is anxious and fears that their sin will find them out, but grants their request, provided they supply men for war. Half the tribe of Manasseh also settle east of the Jordan.


33

List of journeys and places stayed by children of Israel. God commands Israel to take over the land of Canaan and destroy all idolatry. If the Canaanites are not destroyed, they will be thorns in the Israelite’s side.


34

God tells Moses the borders of the land of inheritance. Joshua and Eleazar are appointed to divide the land. Leaders from each of the twelve tribes are appointed to help.


35

The Levites are gives 48 cities and suburbs (‘common-lands’) from across the territories of the other tribes. 6 of the 48 cities are to be refuge cities, to which those accused of manslaughter may flee. Examples of what constitutes murder – striking with an iron implement, or a stone, or lying in wait for someone, or throwing something. Examples of manslaughter – pushing without enmity, throwing a stone and hitting someone by accident, and so on. The manslayer may flee from the avenger of blood to a city of refuge, and remain there until the death of the high priest. The manslayer is at risk if he leaves the city of refuge. An avenger shall not be deemed guilty if he kills a manslayer who has left the city of refuge. Two witnesses are required for a murder conviction. If someone was guilty of murder, they could not make monetary restitution in the place of their life. Unjudged murderers pollute the land.


36

Fathers of Gilead speak with Moses about daughters’ inheritance – if their daughters marry someone from another tribe, the land will pass to that tribe. Advised by God, Moses commands that when daughters inherit, they must marry someone from the same tribe.