Tag Archive | Numbers

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 61 & 62

Mar3
Day 61 – 62.  Reading Numbers 16-17 and 18-20. (Sunday & Monday Combined)
 

Read today’s scripture.

What do you learn about God’s goodness?

Who can you share that with today?

Numbers 16.

Rebellion, sin, and death starts, and it all begins in the House of the Lord.

Remember how Miriam and Aaron in pride thought THEY should be just as powerful in leadership as Moses was?  Now, Korah, from the family of Kohath, the Levites who served and carried the holy items of the Tabernacle, and two from the tribe of Rueben, stepped forward along with 250 other well-known men, chiefs of the assembly to oppose Moses and Aaron. 

“ALL the congregation is holy,” they said, “every one of them, and the LORD is among them.  Why do you, Moses and Aaron, exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?

Moses responded by falling to his face, an attitude of desperate prayer to God. He told them all that “In the morning the LORD will show who is His, and who is Holy.” 

They were to all bring their lit censers  to the Tabernacle and the LORD will choose who is the holy one.

“You have gone too far, sons of Levi! Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do service in the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, and that He has brought you near HIM, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? And would you seek the priesthood also?  What is Aaron that you grumble against him?”

But Korah’s two buddies from the tribe of Rueben, Dathan and Abiram, refused to make an appearance.  Instead they blasted Moses,  “Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey (that they feared to enter), nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men?  WE WILL NOT COME UP!”

Oh, dear.

Next day, the LORD proposed a wipe out of the whole congregation, yet Moses pleaded before the LORD. So God told everyone to step away from from the tents of Kohath, Dathan, And abiram.  The people moved away, but these three men stood in defiance with their families at their tent doors. 

And Moses announced, “Hereby you shall know that the LORD has sent ME to do all these works, and that it has NOT been of my own accord. If these men die as all men die, then the LORD has not sent me.

“BUT … if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you will KNOW that these men have despised the LORD.”

And then ………………………….. the ground under them split apart. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. And the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 

PANIC!!! 

All Israel fled.

And the LORD’s fire came out and consumed the 250 unqualified men with censers.

Aaron’s son Eleazar, at God’s word, collected all the censers because they were holy. Later they were hammered into a bronze covering for the Altar. 

All this was to be a reminder to the people that NO OUTSIDER WHO WAS NOT OF THE DESCENDANTS OF AARON should burn incense before the LORD. 

AND STILL THE PEOPLE GRUMBLED!!! “You have killed the people of the LORD!”  The whole congregation turned against Moses and Aaron.

Moses and Aaron turned toward the Tabernacle and the glorious Presence of the LORD appeared.  The two men fell on their faces as a PLAGUE OF WRATH was sent out from the LORD into the people.

Then, at Moses’ word, Aaron put holy incense on his own censer and ran among the company of dying people.  He stood between the dead and the living and made atonement for them.  And the plague stopped. 

But not before 14,700 people were killed (besides those in the affair of Korah).

Number 17.

Then, the LORD preempted another rebellion by showing clearly just WHO was to be Priest to the Lord God of Israel.

A staff from the head of each of the twelve tribes of Israel, including Aaron’s staff representing the tribe of Levi, were to be gathered.  Each was to have the person’s name written on his staff.  Then Moses was to take them inside the Tabernacle and to lay them before the Ark of the Covenant.  

“The staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout. In this way, I will make the grumblings of the people of Israel against you TO CEASE.”

Moses did as the LORD instructed.

The next morning, Moses went in and brought the staffs out.  Behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had not only SPROUTED, but PUT FORTH BUDS, and PRODUCED BLOSSOMS, and BORE RIPE ALMONDS. 

No question at all.

Moses then put Aaron’s staff before the Ark of the Covenant (later inside it) as a testimony and a sign for the rebels.

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Numbers 18.

In an unexpected way, the LORD speaks directly to Aaron (not through Moses) as the High Priest. He tells him that the priests are directly responsible for the priesthood and the things inside the Tabernacle. He and his sons are to keep guard of the Tabernacle, and the rest of the Levites are to keep guard over them and the rest of the tent while they minister. 

For this special duty to the LORD, the rest of Israel will bring a tithe to them of all the earn and raise as their support.  The Levites will then give a tithe of what they get to the LORD. 

“You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and inheritance.”

Numbers 19.

In the following 38.5 years, over 1.2 million people died in the wilderness. As the old generation died off (as God had said they would) many, people were touching dead bodies, to dispose of them. ALL needed purification ceremonies. The “water for purification” that would be sprinkled on them was made in a certain way.

Aaron’s oldest son (deputy high priest) Eleazar would take a spotless red heifer outside the camp to slaughter it. (This is the only sacrifice noted of a female animal. A heifer was a cow that had not yet given birth, and in this case, had also never been yoked.)  After it was killed, Eleazar would flick some blood on his finger towards the front gate of the Tabernacle seven times. Then the entire animal would be burned up, with the addition of cedarwood, hyssop and scarlet yarn.

Later a man who is clean is to gather the cooled ashes and deposit them in a clean place outside the camp. The ashes of the heifer and the other three items (used in the skin disease purification ritual) would be mixed with water to make a symbolic cleansing agent.  (For people who had touched a dead body.) Anyone clean (not just the priests) could sprinkle an unclean person. Then both will be considered unclean until evening.

  • Weird, I know. But think how all these rituals kept their eyes on a HOLY God and themselves as unclean sinners with an ultimate death sentence. Also remember how the Lord Jesus was taken “outside the city” to be crucified. And it is by this horrible act that we can be cleansed from all sin.

Numbers 20.

As the years pass and grow towards 40, first we see Miriam dying.  If she was a young girl when Moses was put into the Nile in a basket, she is probably at least 130 by now. The people mourned this great prophetess lady for a month. She was buried near Kadesh.

And….. there was no water. This younger generation quarreled with Moses. “Would that we would have died with our brothers.  Have you brought us out into the wilderness that we and our cattle should die of thirst? This “evil place” is not for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates…AND THERE IS NO WATER TO DRINK.”

Seriously!!!  The new, younger generation is now going to start up complaining about water?? It’s like they just came out of Egypt. I’m with God. Kill them and dust off your hands.

But when Moses and Aaron went to God, fell on their faces before Him, His glorious presence appeared to them.  He gave them instructions – VERY EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS – on how to give the people water.

“Take the staff, and the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and TELL THE ROCK before their eyes to yield its water. So (in this way) you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.”

Moses and Aaron gathered the people before the rock and Moses said… TO THEM (not the rock), “Hear now, you rebels: shall WE bring water for you out of this rock?”  And Moses lifted up his hand and STRUCK THE ROCK WITH HIS STAFF, TWICE.

And water came out abundantly and the congregation drank and their livestock.

The people were happy and knew nothing about the utter disaster this was for their leaders.

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold ME as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore YOU shall not bring this assembly into the land that I gave them.”

Period. 

  • Why? You might ask?  For one, Moses and Aaron glorified themselves not God.
  • And two…. remember Paul says that all that happened to them was for OUR instruction (1 Corinthians 10:1-11).  Christ is pictured as that Rock in the wilderness. Struck once for their life giving water. (As Jesus died ONCE for all for our salvation). After we are saved, we need only ask of Him for our daily needs and He will supply them.  Moses ruined that “picture” by striking the Rock again, not once but twice, making the picture seem to say that Christ had to keep dying again and again in order to save us. 
  • This was a big act of rebellion and disobedience BY MOSES.  And, like with that older generation, he would NOT be allowed to enter the promised land. Aaron too, since he was with him.

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Next on the agenda was to pass through the land of Edom (descendants of Esau, Jacob/Israel’s brother). Edom rightly refused (Imagine 2 million people with lots of animals trudging down your freeway for hours and hours).  Moses asked “Please” to pass through a second time, and the Edomites sent out a large army to protect their boarder by force.  So, Israel had to go around them. (They were not allowed to fight their “brothers.”)

Israel came to Mt. Hor on the boarder of Edom and the LORD told Moses and Aaron that Aaron was going to die there (for they had rebelled against Him at the rock).  Moses was to take Aaron and his oldest son, Eleazar up the mountain and take off the high priest’s garments and put them on Eleazar. 

Moses did this in the sight of the whole congregation. And when only Moses and Eleazar, wearing the priestly garment came down, they KNEW Aaron had died. They mourned for him for 30 days.

His death foreshadowed Moses’ own death.

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 58

Feb27
Day 58.  Reading Numbers 8 – 10. 

Read the scripture for today. What do you learn about God? Share what you learn with others.

Numbers 8.

The LORD details more blessings and requirements for the Levites, that special tribe selected as God’s
“first born” to work specifically in and with the Tabernacle (and later the Temple). A special  one-time “cleansing” ceremony would set them apart from the rest of Israel for special work. It involved shaving their entire body, sprinkling with holy water and then special sacrifices and offerings were made, burnt offerings for their atonement. Then Moses would set THEM before the LORD as a wave offering.

Levites would begin their work of service and carrying at age 25 and continue until age 50. Then they would retire. However they would still minister to the LORD by keeping guard.

Numbers 9.

Now Israel was to celebrate the second Passover Remembrance/Celebration since the original time when they escaped from Egypt. All their ceremonial cleansing, getting rid of leaven, and eating the lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and questions to be asked were the same, but there was no blood on the door posts (tent flaps?) or a rush to depart.  It would truly be a time of gratitude for what God had done for them.

If for some reason, some of the people were “unclean” at that time (such as their example of touching a dead body). they would wait one month and then celebrate the Passover. But it MUST happen then.

Next comes the reminder of the presence of God with them in the form of a cloud by day and a fire by night, hovering over the Tabernacle. As long as it stayed there, they were to remain camped. But when the “Presence” rose and moved, Israel was to pack up camp and go.

Numbers 10.

For a great multitude such as theirs, spread out in a camp, (and no texting) the signal to move out, or to call soldiers to war, or to begin the celebration of Feast Days, would be the blast/blasts of a trumpet/trumpets. There would be two silver trumpets blown in different ways for different signals.

Next, Moses shows the clockwise spiral order for Israel to break camp and leave.  

  • First, the standard of the camp of Judah, with Issachar and Zebulun would start out.
  • Next the Gershonites and Merarites carrying the parts of the Tabernacle’s structure would set out.
  • Then the southern company headed by Reuben, with Simeon and Gad, would leave
  • Following them, the Kohathites carrying on their shoulders all the holy things  (In this way the Tabernacle tent and courtyard could be set up and ready at the next camping place before the holy furnishings arrived
  • After these, the western company led by Ephraim set out, with Manasseh and Benjamin.
  • Finally, the rear guard on the northern side of the camp would leave, led by Dan with the tribes of Asher and Naphtali.

This was the order every time they left camp.

NOTE: Verse 33, says that the Ark of the Covenant would actually be at the head of the line, leading them to the next resting place.

In reverse, this was the way it would be set up at a new place. Judah’s three, Gershon & Merari with the Tabernacle and setting it up, Reuben’s three on the south side, then Kohath bringing in the holy things for the Tabernacle. After that the three on the Western side led by Ephraim, and finally, Dan’s three, sealing up the circle on the Northern side.

Everything done decently and in order.

  • Thank You, LORD, that You show the way we should go and how to walk in it. Thank You for making provision for circumstances out of our control. And Thank You for giving a lifting of labor for ones who have faithfully served You all their lives. You are a kind, forgiving, and loving God. I thank and worship You.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 54

Feb23

    Day 54 —  We are still in the second month, but we’ve begun a new book! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 54 – Numbers 1 – 2 (Counting men fit for service, arranging the camp)

I’m more of a “words” person than a “numbers” person, so I’ll give you that name of this book in the Hebrew Torah.  It is called “In The Wilderness” and that pretty much describes it, except for the census here and at the end.

In chapter 1, God TELLS Moses to count the men of Israel who are 20 years and up and able to go to war. They will serve as Israel’s army when they enter the Promised Land. God assigns a man from each of the 12 tribes to assist him in the registration. Right away, Moses and Aaron gathered the whole congregation together, and with the help of the twelve heads of tribes, held the first national draft.

Numbers then lists the amount of able soldiers from each tribe, naming them in birth order, and giving two tribes for Joseph (as Jacob adopted Ephraim & Manasseh back at the end of Genesis). The tribe of Levi is not counted because they were to serve the LORD in the Tabernacle, not in the army. Judah’s tribe (a Prince among his brothers”) is the largest.  The total number of eligible men from all twelve was 603,550. (In a whole congregation of about 2 million people.)

Chapter 2 explains how the entire group of people would be divided and arranged. The Tabernacle, with the visible symbol of God as fire and cloud, would be in the CENTER of the camp.  Around that would be  Moses, Aaron, & the priests on the East, and the three clans of priests on the other sides.

After that, on the EAST side, facing the entrance to the Tabernacle court and tent, were to be the leading Tribe, Judah, along with Issachar and Zebulun. Judah and these two would lead out any march, just behind the Ark of the Covenant.

On the SOUTH, Ruben and his two brothers Simeon and Gad would camp.  On the WEST (backside of the Tabernacle) would camp Ephraim with Manasseh and Benjamin. (These were the three smallest tribes.)  And finally on the NORTH, were Dan with Asher and Naphtali.

When the pillar of fire/cloud (symbol of God’s presence) would rise, the Levites would disassemble the Tabernacle (by specific directions). The Ark would lead the march, followed by Judah and his brothers. Next would come the Levites carrying the Tabernacle, it’s furniture, and courtyard items. Then, like a circle uncoiling, Rueben’s group on the south, Ephraim’s on the West, and finally Dan’s on the North would follow, Dan’s group (the second largest) bringing up the rear guard.

When it came time to set up camp, they would circle, setting up the Tabernacle – it becoming God’s presence in the center – with the tribes extending out to the four directions again…. much like a cross.