Numbers

The Book of Numbers

Monday: Numbers: An Overview

August 8, 2022

Let’s face it: Numbers isn’t the kind of book you just naturally pick up to while away a few hours on a weekend. It’s part of the Old Testament law, for one thing. That’s bad enough. None of us likes law very much. But in addition, it’s also called Numbers. Some who score very high on their achievement tests or who major in mathematics are interested in numbers. But the rest of us think they are generally pretty irrelevant. And this title isn’t an aberration either—it really is about numbers, at least the first section of the book is. It’s about the numbering of the tribes of the people of Israel, and the arrangement of their camp, and the purification of the people for their march. That’s just not terribly appealing. For the title of the sermon, someone had suggested that I call it “Numbers: An Audit,” since people do not find audits by the Internal Revenue Service appealing, either.

The Book of Numbers

Tuesday: God with Us: Numbers 1-10

August 9, 2022

Notice that all of the fighting men were counted. Every one of them was important. That’s true today in the church as well. The Bible says in several places that God has a scroll in which our names are written (for example, Ps. 139:16; Rev. 20:12). Every one of us is important. Although we don’t have a census on earth in the church that corresponds with the very literal census of Israel, there is a heavenly census that is far more important.

The Book of Numbers

Wednesday: Separated unto God: Numbers 1-10

August 10, 2022

Another thing to remember is that the number in the third chapter is compared to the total of the firstborn males in Israel. When the people were brought out of Egypt, God had killed the firstborn of all the Egyptians when the angel of death passed through the land. The firstborn of all the Israelites were spared who had put the blood upon the doorposts of their houses. God said that those firstborn children nevertheless belonged to Him. They were saved by the blood. If it wasn’t for the blood they would have died as well. They were sinners just like everybody else, and salvation was by the blood that pointed forward to Jesus Christ.

The Book of Numbers

Thursday: Resting in God’s Gracious Direction: Numbers 1-10

August 11, 2022

The Aaronic blessing is a very beautiful benediction, perhaps more so in Hebrew than it appears to be in English—although it’s beautiful in English as well. In Hebrew there are three lines, but broken down to six in our Bibles. Each one begins with the name of Yahweh, the LORD. And each line has two elements of benediction and they are arranged in a typical parallel fashion. The lines become progressively longer. In Hebrew the first line has three words, the second line has five words, and the third line has seven words. It’s as if the blessing of God is unfolding and pouring out upon the people.

The Book of Numbers

Friday: Service That Lasts Forever: Numbers 1-10

August 12, 2022

When we get to the tenth chapter, the Israelites are ready to go. They had made trumpets that were to be sounded when they began their march. This section probably also belongs earlier chronologically. The trumpets may have been made when all of the other articles were made, as described especially in Exodus. But the description of the trumpets is held for here because the trumpets signaled the march.

Complaints and Opposition

Monday: The People’s Complaints: Numbers 12:3

August 15, 2022

In the first ten chapters of Numbers, everything seems to be going well. The people are commended for obeying God, and the idea that they did what God commanded them occurs again and again. Yet when we come to the eleventh chapter, the tone is different and the people are complaining. This is a beginning of a series of complaints that’s going to go throughout the whole book.

Complaints and Opposition

Tuesday: Being Thankful: Numbers 12:3

August 16, 2022

What’s the difference between when they complained the first time about their diet and now? Well, the difference is that a year in their lives has transpired, and during that year God has revealed a great deal about Himself. When they came out of Egypt they didn’t know much about God at all. They were a nation of slaves. But He’d begun to teach them about Himself at Sinai. He taught them that He is a holy God, and that He is a powerful God. They’d seen the miracles. The Israelites knew how He was preserving them as they went through the desert by the manna they ate and the water they drank. A great cloud overshadowed the camp in order to protect them from the hot desert sun in the daytime, and then it turned into a pillar of fire at night to provide both warmth and light. They had perfectly adequate evidence of the power and the grace of God and shouldn’t have been complaining now.

Complaints and Opposition

Wednesday: Moses’ Complaint: Numbers 12:3

August 17, 2022

Starting in verses 10 and following of Numbers 11, we come to something that is not a very attractive moment in Moses’ life. Moses gives vent to his frustration in a long, angry prayer. It’s surprising to find it here, because in the very next chapter he is going to be described as the meekest man who ever lived. Meek? Yes, he really was. But here in this prayer he really expresses his frustration as he is complaining bitterly to God:

Complaints and Opposition

Thursday: Miriam’s Opposition: Numbers 12:3

August 18, 2022

In chapter 12, the story becomes one of opposition, hard hearts, and divisions within the camp. The opposition that Moses is now facing comes from within his own family circle, from his brother Aaron and his sister, Miriam, who seems to be the ringleader. The ground for this attack was the fact that Moses had taken a Cushite wife. Moses’ first wife, Zipporah, was from Midian, and so it seems that she had died and that Moses had taken a second wife who was Ethiopian. If this is correct, then Miriam was saying, “I don’t like this black woman in my family.” So it’s not only sibling rivalry, it’s the worst kind of racial prejudice.

Complaints and Opposition

Friday: Learning from Moses: Numbers 12:3

August 19, 2022

The story wraps up with two examples of intercession. First, Aaron looks at Miriam and he is aghast at what he sees. He turns to Moses and pleads with him to do something. While he’s interceding with Moses, he confesses his own sin and links himself with Miriam, saying, “Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed” (v. 11). Maybe he is afraid something is going to happen to him. But he intercedes on behalf of his sister with Moses. Second, Moses intercedes with God, and God answers that He will be gracious and heal her.

The Twelve Spies

Monday: The Twelve Spies

August 22, 2022

The vivid style of the narrative that began in Numbers 11 is especially true of chapters 13 and 14. This tells the story of the twelve spies and their different reports of what they found in the land and their judgment about whether they can go into it or not. The characters emerge here as real, life-like people, passionately concerned about the things they believe in. The story is told with great drama. It’s also filled with lessons, which is one reason why these chapters are mentioned so many other times in the Bible (see Num. 32:8-13; Deut. 1:19-46; Ps. 95:10-11; 1 Cor. 10:5).

The Twelve Spies

Tuesday: The Twelve Spies

August 23, 2022

In one respect, the report of all twelve spies was alike: the land really was a good land. It was a prosperous, fruitful land—they had brought back grapes as proof of that. It was extensive. It had wonderful walled cities, so that they wouldn’t even have to build their own cities for their defense. And it was filled with people, which is where their problems began, of course. It had within it Amalekites. Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites. However, this shouldn’t have surprised them at all, since God had told Abraham that He would send them into a land possessed by all these people.

The Twelve Spies

Wednesday: The Twelve Spies

August 24, 2022

Caleb was forty years old at this time when he went into the land, and it would be another thirty-eight years before he saw Canaan again. Furthermore, the battle to take the land took seven more years, meaning that at the end of the campaign, Caleb was eighty-five years old. All this while, for forty-five years, this man had remembered Hebron. And so when the fighting was nearly at an end and Caleb had the opportunity to go and take a portion of the land for himself, he asked Joshua, his friend and commander-in-chief, if he could conquer Hebron. Forty-five years earlier, Caleb had said that they could take it, and he was determined to show that it could be done, even though now he is eighty-five years old. In Joshua 14, he gave a great speech to Joshua.

The Twelve Spies

Thursday: The Twelve Spies

August 25, 2022

In verse 10 we read, “But the whole assembly talked about stoning [Moses and Aaron].” In my Bible I put two lines between this sentence and the next, because something abrupt happened at this point. There is buzzing going on around the people; they don’t know what to do. But when they decided to believe the ten spies, Moses and Aaron fall down on their faces in prayer before God. They had done this before when God was on the verge of destroying the people.

The Twelve Spies

Friday: The Twelve Spies

August 26, 2022

How many people want to approach God on the basis of His justice? They say they just want God to treat them fairly, to give them a fair shake. But if you ask for justice from God, the justice of God will send you to hell. That’s no way to approach God. Instead, the Bible teaches us that you can only approach Him on the basis of His mercy, which is found in Jesus Christ. If, like the tax collector, you can say, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” God will hear you and save you through the work of Christ.

The Korahite Rebellion

Monday: The Korahite Rebellion

August 29, 2022

In chapters 16 and 17, opposition is now coming from the leaders of the people. So the general spirit of rebellion that began with the rabble and spread to the people is here focused on a group of leaders: a man named Korah, three leaders from the tribe of Reuben—Dathan, Abiram, and On—and then 250 other leaders, presumably elders or men of distinction from the other tribes. Now that was a formidable opposition, which is why this story is so significan

The Korahite Rebellion

Tuesday: The Korahite Rebellion

August 30, 2022

When Korah expressed his dissatisfaction to Moses, Moses fell face down before the Lord. This position of submission to the Lord also indicates that when Moses speaks, as he later does, and tells Korah and his followers what they are to do, Moses isn’t just speaking on his own. Moses is speaking as the prophet of the Lord with the word of God, and God answers in a powerful way.

The Korahite Rebellion

Wednesday: The Korahite Rebellion

August 31, 2022

In chapter 17, God demonstrates whom He is choosing to be high priest, lest there be any more doubt about it. Each of the tribes is to elect a leader, and each leader is to come forward with his staff—the rod that he used to walk with or direct sheep. They marked their names on their staffs, and laid them before the Lord overnight. Moses said that whichever staff sprouted belonged to the one that God chooses. When they came back in the morning, not only had Aaron’s rod produced leaves, but it had gone on to bud, blossom, and even produce almonds.

The Korahite Rebellion

Thursday: The Korahite Rebellion

September 1, 2022

It’s interesting that Aaron’s rod wasn’t given back to him. We’re told in Hebrews 9:4 that it was one of the things that was put in the ark, along with the stone tables of the law containing the Ten Commandments and a little golden jar containing some of the manna. These things were a testimony, a reminder, of what had happened.

The Korahite Rebellion

Friday: The Korahite Rebellion

September 2, 2022

What do you suppose God thinks of a man or a woman who says, in effect, “It’s not necessary that Jesus Christ die; I can get to heaven on my own”? The story answers that. God takes rebellion again Him very seriously, and anybody who insists on that is going to be judged for it and perish hopelessly.

Moses Sin and the Death of Aaron

Monday: A Sad Chapter: Numbers 20:1-13

September 5, 2022

Numbers 20 is a sad chapter. We were introduced to Miriam back in the book of Exodus, at the time of the birth of Moses. We have seen several incidents in her life, and now at the beginning of the chapter, she dies. Then, at the end of the chapter, we have the death of Aaron. We have just seen God defending him in his priesthood. But because of the judgment pronounced on both Moses and Aaron, neither one will enter the promised land.

Moses Sin and the Death of Aaron

Tuesday: Following God’s Instructions: Numbers 20:1-13

September 6, 2022

Miriam’s death was a reminder of God’s judgment upon the people—that no one of that generation was going to enter the promised land. And it’s a reminder of our own death as well. Death is an inescapable realty. God declares that man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (see Heb. 9:27). So at the very start of the chapter we are reminded of the importance of preparing for death.

Moses Sin and the Death of Aaron

Wednesday: To the Glory of God Alone: Numbers 20:1-13

September 7, 2022

From yesterday’s study, we saw that the first thing Moses failed to do was to follow God’s instructions exactly.

The second thing Moses did is the most obvious failure. He didn’t fully glorify God. Instead of attributing the miracle to God entirely, he took some of the credit for himself. He said, “Must we do it?”—implying that he and Aaron must bring water out of the rock.

Moses Sin and the Death of Aaron

Thursday: Our Perfect High Priest: Numbers 20:1-13

September 8, 2022

The Old Testament book of Obadiah, one of the Minor Prophets, is a prophecy entirely against Edom. It condemns Edom for its pride. The people of Edom sat up in their strongholds, thinking that nobody would ever bring them down. But they were eventually destroyed. Today the land is utterly uninhabited, a barren area where jackals roam. Obadiah criticized the Edomites for not treating their Hebrew brothers in a brotherly way. Such relationships were to be established and kept holy, but the Edomites didn’t do that.

Serpent in the Wilderness

Monday: A Strange Story: Numbers 21:4-9

September 12, 2022

Numbers 20, which records the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, as well as Moses’ sin of striking the rock, which resulted in God’s punishment of not being allowed to enter the promised land, was a chapter of almost unremitting gloom. But in chapter 21 this mood begins to change because here we have the beginning of the actual march upon Canaan and the first victory, leading up to the full possession of the promised land.

Serpent in the Wilderness

Tuesday: God’s Judgment and Mercy: Numbers 21:4-9

September 13, 2022

Here we learn where this pattern of complaining leads. You may begin by complaining in a mild way, but when you get into a complaining frame of mind, there is a tendency to exaggerate the difficulties, which get worse and worse every time you mention them. And the more you complain, the more and more vehement you become in what you say. (That’s a bad way to pray, by the way.)

Serpent in the Wilderness

Wednesday: Salvation by Faith Only: Numbers 21:4-9

September 14, 2022

Paul recognized the difficulty when he wrote to the Corinthians, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18a). The cross was seen as an offense to some, but he knew that Christ crucified is still the power and the wisdom of God, which is what the story in Numbers 21 illustrates.

Serpent in the Wilderness

Thursday: Knowledge and True Belief: Numbers 21:4-9

September 15, 2022

The last point is that relics are useless. People weren’t commanded to buy some relic of the serpent or possess some fragment of the pole upon which the snake had been erected. One of the most bizarre ideas that’s ever entered the history of the Christian Church is that people get saved by relics.

Opposition from Without

Monday: What Balak Wanted: Numbers 23:19-20

September 19, 2022

One of the mistakes we often make as Christians, especially young Christians, is to think that if we are on the right path with God, we won’t have any opposition and that everything is going to be smooth sailing.

Opposition from Without

Tuesday: Who Is Balaam? Numbers 23:19-20

September 20, 2022

What kind of a person was Balaam? At first glance he seems to be quite a noble character. He uses the name Jehovah, for example. He is being hired to curse Israel, and yet he maintains what we would probably call professional integrity, saying, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God” (Num. 22:18), and “I must speak only what God puts in my mouth” (v. 38). Some scholars have studied this story and said very commendable things about Balaam. Did Balaam intend from the beginning to do what was right?

Opposition from Without

Wednesday: Balaam’s Donkey: Numbers 23:19-20

September 21, 2022

What is happening in this story of Balaam and the donkey, which we find in Numbers 22:21-35? First, Balaam is pushing the donkey onward until he is brought up short by God’s angel. In exactly the same way Balak, the king of Moab, keeps pushing Balaam onward to curse Israel until he is brought up short by God. Second, just as God opened the donkey’s mouth to speak to Balaam, so God is going to open the prophet’s mouth to speak God’s true words of blessing on Israel. Even though the donkey spoke, she wasn’t a true prophet; so also, Balaam’s speaking doesn’t make Balaam a true prophet, either.

Opposition from Without

Thursday: A Messianic Prophecy: Numbers 23:19-20

September 22, 2022

The second oracle is given in Numbers 23:13-26. Kings don’t easily give up, and Balak’s not about to give up. So he tries another tactic. He thinks that maybe he has gotten Balaam in the wrong place. He’s at a place where he could see all the mass of the people. Maybe a different site with a different view will produce a different result. So Balak takes him up to the top of Mount Pisgah where, from this vantage point, he only sees a part of the Hebrew people. Just as they did before the first oracle, they again offer sacrifices. But in spite of the change of location, the sacrifices, and the wishful thinking of the king, the result is unchanged.

Opposition from Without

Friday: Honoring God: Numbers 23:19-20

September 23, 2022

Let me draw a few points of application from the story. The first concerns the sovereignty of God, which we have seen many times already. It is the most dominant, pervasive doctrine in the Bible. Here it emerges in view of Balaam’s and Balak’s attempt to manipulate God to fit their desires. They want to get God to curse the people because that suits them. What we learn from this story is that God is not manipulated. What God determines to do, God does. What happens is what He has determined. Do you believe that? Do you believe it enough to fit in with what God is doing? Or do you, like these people in the story, try to oppose God in His actions?

Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Monday: Another Census: Numbers 26:1-36:13

September 26, 2022

The story of Balaam is the last significant narrative in the book of Numbers. What we have from this point on is the preparation of the people for their eventual entrance into Canaan and the conquering of the land. The geography is important, which we see from Numbers 26:3. All of this happened on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan River, across from Jericho. But before they crossed the Jordan and attacked Jericho, the Israelites needed to take care of some smaller matters.

Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Tuesday: A Transfer of Leadership: Numbers 26:1-36:13

September 27, 2022

Here in Numbers 27, Moses was disappointed that he wasn’t going to get to go into the land, but he did not seem shocked, rebellious, or unhappy at the fact that he would soon die. His concern in this passage is not with himself, but that the people might have a leader to direct their going out and their coming in after he was gone. He described the people as “like sheep without a shepherd” (v. 17), which is a phrase used by the Lord Jesus Christ as He looked out on the masses and had compassion on them.

Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Wednesday: Our Need for Mercy: Numbers 26:1-36:13

September 28, 2022

Chapter 31 is the last actual narrative section in Numbers, and it tells about this war against the Midianites, a very fierce war in which all the Midianites were killed. Since the Midianites were not in Canaan, we might wonder why this particular story is included. It seems like a digression from the task of preparing to cross the Jordan River and into the promised land. Why is this story here? There are a few reasons. First, it’s part of this ongoing story of the advance of the people toward Canaan. Second, it’s a foretaste of the conquest itself. The conquest involved the extermination of the Canaanite people, and that’s the emphasis in this war against the Midianites. They were all to be exterminated. Third, the account concludes the story of Balaam. When we left him back in Numbers 24 he was alive and well. Now we find out that he is executed in connection with the Midianite war, because he caused the people of Israel to sin in the matter of the pagan women.

Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Thursday: Cities of Refuge: Numbers 26:1-36:13

September 29, 2022

In Numbers 32 we have the request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad to settle down on the eastern side of the Jordan River. This came as a shock to Moses, and it explains some of his harsh language. It sounded like they were opting out, that they weren’t going to go with their brothers and help with the conquest. It was like Numbers 13-14 all over again! Moses doesn’t like that. However, the people assure him that’s not what they had in mind. They are going to go with their brothers to fight with them until the end of the war, but they wanted permission to come back and settle Transjordan. When that was explained, Moses agreed to it.

Final Preparations for Entering Canaan

Friday: Serving the Lord to the End: Numbers 26:1-36:13

September 30, 2022

These cities of refuge are an illustration of how we find salvation in Jesus Christ. Now it is not a perfect illustration. This appointment of the cities of refuge was for people who were innocent of any real crime. We’re not innocent, we’re guilty of sin. Furthermore, although these cities were spaced throughout the land at convenient intervals, a person who had accidentally killed somebody else nevertheless had to scramble to get to one of them. They might be overtaken on the way. But salvation is never like that. We don’t have to scramble to find Jesus Christ. He is there with open arms, inviting us to come to Him. Not only that, but He actually pursues us. It’s not we who pursue Him. But even with these important differences, this illustration still makes some good points for us.

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