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CHAPTER 4 – Numbers: 1444 B.C.

-1405 B.C.

Numbers is the fourth book of the Bible and is a part of the Pentateuch, the name given to the first five books of the Bible. The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible comes from the opening word of the Hebrew text, Bemidbar, which is translated “In the wilderness.” The English title “Numbers” comes down to us through the Septuagint (LXX) title Arithmoi which is translated in Jerome’s Latin Vulgate as Numeri.

Authorship

Numbers was written by Moses no earlier than 1444 B.C. It is probable that Moses finished writing Numbers around 1405 B.C.

Summary

The book of Numbers continues the record of Israel’s history beginning at Mount Sinai, on the first day of the second month of 1444 B.C., a month after the erection of the sanctuary at Sinai. The intervening month after the sanctuary was set up seems to have been devoted to the establishment of the sanctuary services as outlined in the book of Leviticus.

Numbers opens with a census at Mount Sinai of all the males of Israel that were able to go forth to war, and the Levites. Next comes a description of the arrangement of Israel’s camp and the order of the people’s march when Israel was on the move. God then specifies the responsibilities of the Levites regarding the dismantling, transportation, and reassembling of the portable sanctuary.

Numbers continues with the sanctuary’s dedication, and the consecration of the Levites for the work of the sanctuary. After this comes an account of the celebration of Israel’s second Passover in the first month of 1444 B.C. which was the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt.

Next is a description of God’s guidance of Israel by a cloud covering the sanctuary by day and which cloud had the appearance of fire by night, and by two silver trumpets.

Israel then departs from Mount Sinai and they soon begin to complain about the journey and the food which was manna from God. So, God satisfies the people’s lust for the flesh (meat) of dead animals, but sends a plague among them. Moses himself complains to God about being the sole leader of Israel. So, God appoints seventy men to be set as officers over the people as a help to Moses.

Miriam and Aaron, the sister and brother of Moses, then rebel against Moses. God punishes Miriam by striking her with leprosy and restores her when Moses interceded for her.

By God’s command, twelve spies, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, were sent to search the land of Canaan. Ten of the spies bring back a false, unfavourable report thus discouraging the people, but two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, give a good and true report.

So, the people rebel against Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, determining to return to Egypt. God intervenes and the ten false spies die immediately and God declares that Israel would spend forty years in the wilderness until all but Caleb and Joshua had died.

The people of Israel then presumptuously went up to enter into Canaan and were driven back by the inhabitants. Since Israel had already spent two years in the wilderness, the rest of the book of Numbers covers the remaining 38 years.

After this Numbers relates the revolt of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and 250 men against Moses and Aaron, which revolt God puts down. Nevertheless, the next day the entire nation of Israel rises up against Moses and Aaron and God intervenes and causes the people’s murmurings against Moses and Aaron to cease at that time.

Next in Numbers God gives commands regarding the duties of the Levites and their sustenance through the tithes and offerings of the people.

Miriam then dies and because of a lack of water the people gather themselves yet again against Moses and Aaron. God commands Moses what to do but Moses disobeys God, having the approval of Aaron. Therefore, God declared that both Moses and Aaron would die in the wilderness. After some time, Aaron dies and his son, Eleazar, takes his place as high priest.

On nearing the end of their 40 years in the wilderness, Israel seeks passage through the lands of Edom and Moab but they are refused passage. Yet again Israel complains against God and Moses and God sent poisonous snakes which bite the people. However, God provides a remedy for snake poisoning and death for those who would comply with God’s condition.

Next Israel seeks passage through the land of the Amorites and through Bashan but they were refused passage. This time Israel makes war against them, defeat them, and take possession of their lands. Israel then encamps in the plains of Moab.

The people of Moab and Midian hire Balaam, a false prophet, and ask him to curse Israel. But God puts words of blessing in Balaam’s mouth so that he cannot curse Israel. However, Israel incurs God’s displeasure by committing whoredom with the women of Moab and Midian and by worshipping their gods. God responds by sending a plague upon Israel.

Next is a record of a second census, God’s instructions regarding the method of dividing the lands which they had conquered among the people of Israel. It was found that none of the people who had been counted in the first census were alive except for Caleb and Joshua. Thus, it was Israel’s second generation who would enter into Canaan, the Promised Land.

Israel now being at the end of their 40-year journey through the wilderness, God gives instructions that Joshua would be the new leader of Israel after Moses dies. Israel then goes to war against Midian and defeats them. Moses next divides the conquered territory east of the Jordan River among two and a half tribes of Israel.

Numbers then records the places through which Israel journeyed from Egypt to the plains of Moab. In addition, Numbers records God’s commands to Israel to set aside six cities of refuge, where anyone who killed someone unintentionally could flee for safety from the avenger of the dead person.

Themes

• God seeking to draw humanity to Himself in love.
• Humanity’s disposition to unbelief, lack of faith, lack of trust in God.
• Humanity’s disposition to murmur and complain.
• Humanity’s disposition to rebel against God.
• The controlling power of fear of death among all humanity.
• The faithfulness of the few to God in the face of trials and danger.
• The power of intercession with God.
• Divine presence and divine guidance.
• God’s dealings with those who sin.
• God’s displeasure at humanity’s lust for the flesh of dead animals.
• The failures of leaders chosen by God.
• Those who lose their salvation when they are within reach, that is, not far from, the heavenly Canaan, the Promised Land.
• The people who are jealous of the leaders chosen by God.
• People cannot be overcome by their enemies when they are in God’s favour.
• Satan at work to oppose God’s plan by inciting unbelief, lack of faith, lack of trust, murmuring, rebellion, fear, idolatry, whoredom, jealousy, among humanity.
• The ease with which Satan ensnares humanity with idolatry and whoredom.

God as Revealed in the Book

• God’s unfailing mercy and faithfulness to His covenant in the face of humanity’s unfaithfulness and sins.
• God’s anger towards humanity because of their sins.
• God is a God of order.
• God responds favourably to intercession for sinners.

Connections with the Rest of the Bible

God says, “How oft [often] did they [Israel] provoke him [God] in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” Psalm 78:40, 41.

“They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. How he had wrought [did] his signs [miracles] in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.” Psalm 78:42, 43. Therefore, “the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel.” Judges 2:20.

“Yea, they despised the pleasant land [Canaan], they believed not his word. But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto [did not obey] the voice of the LORD [God]. Therefore he [God] lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness.” Psalm 106:24-26.

“For as the girdle [belt] cleaveth to the loins [waist] of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel…saith the LORD [God]; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory.” Jeremiah 13:11. “But my people would not hearken to [obey] my voice; and Israel would none of me.” Psalm 81:11.

“The LORD [God] hath…[said,] Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3. “O taste and see that the LORD [God] is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8. “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9.

God was seeking to draw Israel close to Him in love, but they would not come to Him. Is humanity any better than ancient Israel? For God’s message to Israel is also His message to all humanity. “The LORD [God] hath…[said to all humanity,] Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3.

So, “the LORD [God] looked down from heaven upon the children of men [upon humanity], to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Psalm 14:2, 3. Thus, humanity’s response to God’s desire to draw them to Himself in love is the same as that of ancient Israel.

“And he [God] said unto Abram [Abraham], Know of a surety that thy seed [descendants] shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.” Genesis 15:13. “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither [here] again: for the iniquity [sins] of the Amorites is not yet full.” Genesis 15:16.

Therefore, God would not allow Israel to destroy the Amorites, or any other nation, until these people had filled up the cup of their iniquity, the cup of their wickedness.

For example, Abraham pleaded with God for the righteous in Sodom when God was of the mind to destroy them. “And he [Abraham] said, Oh let not the Lord [God] be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten [righteous] shall be found there. And he [God] said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” Genesis 18:32.

Now “when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest [to prevent the possibility that] thou be consumed in the iniquity [wickedness] of the city.” Genesis 19:15. So, ten righteous persons could not be found in Sodom and so God saved only four people out of the city before He destroyed it.

Likewise, all the nations of Canaan had, by the end of Israel’s 40-year journey through the wilderness, filled up their cup of wickedness. Thus, God foreseeing this had previously said to Moses, “I am come down to deliver them [Israel] out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.” Exodus 3:8.

“For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I [God] will cut them off.” Exodus 23:23. Israel then was to destroy these nations and occupy their land.

“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness” (Psalm 11:7), “but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.” Psalm 11:5. Therefore, God says, “Say among the heathen [the non-Jewish nations] that the LORD reigneth…he [God] shall judge the people righteously.” Psalm 96:10. No one then is treated unfairly by God.

“For there is no respect of persons [favouritism] with God.” Romans 2:11. “In every nation he that feareth [has reverence for] him [God], and worketh [does] righteousness, is accepted with him [with God].” Acts 10:35.

So, Israel’s destruction of the Amorites who were under their two kings, Og and Sihon, was just and fair. The Amorites were a curse to humanity and, therefore, God made “a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.” Zephaniah 1:18. This was to prevent their corrupt influence from spreading across the world.

Spiritual Applications

Pray to God sincerely and ask God to help you to do His will, believing that God will help you, and thus you will be enabled to make the spiritual applications noted below:

• Respond to God’s love for you by loving God with your whole heart.
• Trust in God with your whole heart.
• Do not murmur or complain about anything for God is in control.
• Do not rebel against God.
• Do not indulge in fear about anything.
• Be faithful to God even in the face of trials and danger.
• Intercede with God for everyone.
• Let God lead you and guide in your life.
• Be careful not to lose your salvation when you are within reach, that is, not far from, heaven, the Promised Land.
• Do not be jealous of anyone.
• Believe in God’s protection from evil according to His everlasting covenant, especially for those who have God’s favour.
• Do not allow Satan to ensnare you with his numerous temptations to sin.

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