Bible in one year 4/28/2022 Numbers Chapter 13-16
By
Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian
Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
Numbers 13 Israel at Kadesh; The
Defiance of God;
Hoshea means “salvation”. To this is
prefixed an abbreviation of the covenant name of God(Yahweh). Thus, Joshua
means “ God is salvation.” (v.16). The Desert of Zin. The northern half of the
Negev. Rehob. A town in Lebanon. The spies went from south to north.(v.21). The
Valley of Eshcol. Lit., the wade (a dried river bed) Eshcol
(meaning”cluster”). Situated N. of Hebron, this wadi is still noted for its
grapes. (v.24). The report of the spies was factual: the land was fruitful, the
cities were fortified, and the population mixed. All had the same facts; but
Joshua and Caleb also had faith (Heb.3:19)(vv.27-29). Devours (v.32) those living in it. Various groups fought to possess
it because it was such a good land. Nephilim
(v.33) (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim). Anak was a tribe that lived
near Hebron in the S. of Palestine. Some remained even after Joshua’s conquest
of the land (Josh.11:21-22). They were apparently large of stature (Deut.
2:10). The only other occurrence of Nephilim in the O.T. refers to an
antediluvian race (Gen.6:4).
Joshua son of Nun
and Caleb son of Jephunneh said to the entire Israelite assembly, “ the land we
passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with
us, He will lead us into the land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will
give it to us.”(vv.7-8). Verse 11, the purpose of signs performed in Egypt was
to encourage the people’s faith in God.(Ex.4:5). For the second time God
offered to make of Moses a new nation in place of this one (Ex.32:10). Ten
Times (v.22). (1) at the Red Sea (Ex.14:11-12).(2) At Marah (Ex.15:23-24), (3)
in the Desert of Sin (Ex.16:2), (4) and (5) in connection with manna (Ex.16:20
and 16:27), (6) at Rephidim(Ex.17:1-3),(7) at Horeb(Ex.32:7), (8) at Taberah(Num.11:1),
(9) the complaint of the mixed nultitude (Nu.11:4), and (10) at Kadesh
Barnea(Num.14). The fulfillment of this promise is recorded in Josh.14:6-15. Though the Israelites were at the edge of the
Promised Land, they were commanded to turn back into the wilderness where all
who were twenty years of age and older would die(except Joshua and Caleb,
vv.29-30) and where they would wander for forty more years.
Number 15 The Discipline from God, Miscellaneous laws concerning offerings, Sabbath-breaking, and tassels on garments
In spite of their disobedience, God
would fulfill His promise to Abraham to give Israel the land of Canaan
(Gen.15:18-21). A tenth of an ephah.(v.4) about two quarts. A quarter of a hin.
About one quart. Note that the amounts of oil, flour, and wine increase with
the size of the animal offered(vv.6-7 and 9-10). The alien (v.14) was welcome to
live among the Israelites and to worship according to God’s law. The offering (v.19-21)
Lit., heave offering), symbolically set aside the animal (Lev.7:32) or grain (as
here) as a contribution to the Lord. Apparently it was for the priest to eat. These
verses (vv.22-29) describe the offerings to be brought when a man sinned unwittingly
or unintentionally. No propitiatory offering (vv.30-31), only judgment, awaited
the one who sinned defiantly (lit., with a high hand; i.e., with a raised, clenched
fist in defiance of God and His commands). These verses (vv.32-36) furnish an example
of a sin committed with a high hand and the punishment that resulted (Ex.35:2).
Like “tying a string around the finger,” (vv.37-41) the tassels and cord of blue
on the edges of their garments were to remind Israel to obey God’s commands.
Numbers 16 The rebellion of Korah
Korah (vv.1-3), a great –grandson of Levi and younger contemporary of Moses, was joined in this attempted revolt against the authority of Moses and Aaron (who were also Levites) by Dathan, Abiram, and On (all Reubenites) and by 250 representatives of the tribes of Israel. They charged that Moses and Aaron took too much authority to themselves in view of the fact that the whole community is holy. Though it was true that all the congregation was holy (ex.19:6), they failed to recognize that Moses and Aaron were God-appointed leader (Jude11). The important service of the Kohathites is described in 4:1-20. But they coveted more, namely the priestly functions assigned to Aaron. Dathan and Abiram (vv.12-14), when summoned by Moses, charged him with ambitions of wanting to lord it over the people and of throwing dust in their eyes (this is the meaning of gouge out the eyes v.14). In fact, however, this charge was a cover-up for their own selfish ambitions. Only Moses’ and Aaron’s intercession saved the entire nation from destruction. (vv.20-22). The sons of Korah (v.32), who likely did not take part in their father’s crime, did not die with him (26:11). The rebels’ censers, because they had been used illegally, were beaten into plates to cover the altar and thus to be a constant warning to others who might be tempted to follow Korah’s example.(vv.36-40). The people blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths of the rebels. Once again God prepared to destroy the nation. Aaron quickly took his censer(which carried the legitimate fire and incense) and made atonement of the people. Nevertheless, 14,700 people died.(vv.41-50).
New Testament (NIV) Chapter 13 Exploring Canaan
13:1 The LORD said to
Moses,
13:2 "Send some
men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From
each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders."
13:3 So at the LORD'S
command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders
of the Israelites.
13:4 These are their
names: from the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur;
13:5 from the tribe of
Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori;
13:6 from the tribe of
Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;
13:7 from the tribe of
Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;
13:8 from the tribe of
Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun;
13:9 from the tribe of
Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu;
13:10 from the tribe
of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi;
13:11 from the tribe
of Manasseh (a tribe of Joseph), Gaddi son of Susi;
13:12 from the tribe
of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli;
13:13 from the tribe
of Asher, Sethur son of Michael;
13:14 from the tribe of
Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi;
13:15 from the tribe
of Gad, Geuel son of Maki.
13:16 These are the
names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun
the name Joshua.)
13:17 When Moses sent
them to explore Canaan, he said, "Go up through the Negev and on into the
hill country.
13:18 See what the
land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or
many.
13:19 What kind of
land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in?
Are they unwalled or fortified?
13:20 How is the soil?
Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back
some of the fruit of the land." (It was the season for the first ripe
grapes.)
13:21 So they went up
and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo
Hamath.
13:22 They went up
through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the
descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in
Egypt.)
13:23 When they reached
the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes.
Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and
figs.
13:24 That place was
called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut
off there.
13:25 At the end of
forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Report on the
Exploration
13:26 They came back
to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of
Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them
the fruit of the land.
13:27 They gave Moses
this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does
flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.
13:28 But the people
who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We
even saw descendants of Anak there.
13:29 The Amalekites
live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill
country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan."
13:30 Then Caleb
silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take
possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
13:31 But the men who
had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are
stronger than we are."
13:32 And they spread
among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said,
"The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw
there are of great size.
13:33 We saw the
Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like
grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Chapter 14 The People Rebel
14:1 That night all
the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.
14:2 All the
Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to
them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!
14:3 Why is the LORD
bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and
children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to
Egypt?"
14:4 And they said to
each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
14:5 Then Moses and
Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there.
14:6 Joshua son of Nun
and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land,
tore their clothes
14:7 and said to the
entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is
exceedingly good.
14:8 If the LORD is
pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and
honey, and will give it to us.
14:9 Only do not rebel
against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we
will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not
be afraid of them."
14:10 But the whole
assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the
Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.
14:11 The LORD said to
Moses, "How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will
they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have
performed among them?
14:12 I will strike
them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation
greater and stronger than they."
14:13 Moses said to
the LORD, "Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you
brought these people up from among them.
14:14 And they will
tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, O
LORD, are with these people and that you, O LORD, have been seen face to face,
that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
14:15 If you put these
people to death all at one time, the nations who have heard this report about
you will say,
14:16 'The LORD was
not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath; so he
slaughtered them in the desert.'
14:17 "Now may
the Lord's strength be displayed, just as you have declared:
14:18 'The LORD is
slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does
not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the
fathers to the third and fourth generation.'
14:19 In accordance
with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have
pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now."
14:20 The LORD
replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked.
14:21 Nevertheless, as
surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth,
14:22 not one of the
men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the
desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times--
14:23 not one of them
will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has
treated me with contempt will ever see it.
14:24 But because my
servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will
bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
14:25 Since the
Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set
out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea."
14:26 The LORD said to
Moses and Aaron:
14:27 "How long
will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of
these grumbling Israelites.
14:28 So tell them,
'As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very things I
heard you say:
14:29 In this desert
your bodies will fall--every one of you twenty years old or more who was
counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.
14:30 Not one of you
will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb
son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
14:31 As for your
children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy
the land you have rejected.
14:32 But you--your
bodies will fall in this desert.
14:33 Your children
will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness,
until the last of your bodies lies in the desert.
14:34 For forty
years--one year for each of the forty days you explored the land--you will
suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.'
14:35 I, the LORD,
have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community,
which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this desert;
here they will die."
14:36 So the men Moses
had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble
against him by spreading a bad report about it--
14:37 these men
responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and
died of a plague before the LORD.
14:38 Of the men who
went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh
survived.
14:39 When Moses
reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly.
14:40 Early the next
morning they went up toward the high hill country. "We have sinned,"
they said. "We will go up to the place the LORD promised."
14:41 But Moses said,
"Why are you disobeying the LORD'S command? This will not succeed!
14:42 Do not go up,
because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies,
14:43 for the
Amalekites and Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away
from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword."
14:44 Nevertheless, in
their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither
Moses nor the ark of the LORD'S covenant moved from the camp.
14:45 Then the
Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked
them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
Chapter 15 Supplementary Offerings
15:1 The LORD said to
Moses,
15:2 "Speak to
the Israelites and say to them: 'After you enter the land I am giving you as a
home
15:3 and you present
to the LORD offerings made by fire, from the herd or the flock, as an aroma
pleasing to the LORD--whether burnt offerings or sacrifices, for special vows
or freewill offerings or festival offerings--
15:4 then the one who
brings his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an
ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil.
15:5 With each lamb
for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine as
a drink offering.
15:6 "'With a ram
prepare a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a
third of a hin of oil,
15:7 and a third of a hin
of wine as a drink offering. Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
15:8 "'When you
prepare a young bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow or a
fellowship offering to the LORD,
15:9 bring with the
bull a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with half
a hin of oil.
15:10 Also bring half
a hin of wine as a drink offering. It will be an offering made by fire, an
aroma pleasing to the LORD.
15:11 Each bull or
ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner.
15:12 Do this for each
one, for as many as you prepare.
15:13 "'Everyone
who is native-born must do these things in this way when he brings an offering
made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.
15:14 For the
generations to come, whenever an alien or anyone else living among you presents
an offering made by fire as an aroma pleasing to the LORD, he must do exactly
as you do.
15:15 The community is
to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a
lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the
same before the LORD:
15:16 The same laws
and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among
you.'"
15:17 The LORD said to
Moses,
15:18 "Speak to
the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land to which I am taking
you
15:19 and you eat the
food of the land, present a portion as an offering to the LORD.
15:20 Present a cake
from the first of your ground meal and present it as an offering from the
threshing floor.
15:21 Throughout the
generations to come you are to give this offering to the LORD from the first of
your ground meal.
Offerings for
Unintentional Sins
15:22 "'Now if
you unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the LORD gave Moses--
15:23 any of the LORD'S
commands to you through him, from the day the LORD gave them and continuing
through the generations to come--
15:24 and if this is
done unintentionally without the community being aware of it, then the whole
community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering as an aroma pleasing to
the LORD, along with its prescribed grain offering and drink offering, and a
male goat for a sin offering.
15:25 The priest is to
make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,
for it was not intentional and they have brought to the LORD for their wrong an
offering made by fire and a sin offering.
15:26 The whole
Israelite community and the aliens living among them will be forgiven, because
all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.
15:27 "'But if
just one person sins unintentionally, he must bring a year-old female goat for
a sin offering.
15:28 The priest is to
make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning
unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven.
15:29 One and the same
law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born
Israelite or an alien.
15:30 "'But
anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD,
and that person must be cut off from his people.
15:31 Because he has
despised the LORD'S word and broken his commands, that person must surely be
cut off; his guilt remains on him.'"
The Sabbath-Breaker
Put to Death
15:32 While the
Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath
day.
15:33 Those who found
him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly,
15:34 and they kept
him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.
15:35 Then the LORD
said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him
outside the camp."
15:36 So the assembly
took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Tassels on Garments
15:37 The LORD said to
Moses,
15:38 "Speak to
the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to
make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel.
15:39 You will have
these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD,
that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts
of your own hearts and eyes.
15:40 Then you will
remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.
15:41 I am the LORD
your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your
God.'"
Chapter 16 Korah, Dathan and Abiram
16:1 Korah son of
Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites--Dathan and
Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth--became insolent
16:2 and rose up
against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders
who had been appointed members of the council.
16:3 They came as a
group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far!
The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why
then do you set yourselves above the LORD'S assembly?"
16:4 When Moses heard
this, he fell facedown.
16:5 Then he said to
Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the LORD will show who
belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The
man he chooses he will cause to come near him.
16:6 You, Korah, and
all your followers are to do this: Take censers
16:7 and tomorrow put
fire and incense in them before the LORD. The man the LORD chooses will be the
one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!"
16:8 Moses also said
to Korah, "Now listen, you Levites!
16:9 Isn't it enough
for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite
community and brought you near himself to do the work at the LORD'S tabernacle
and to stand before the community and minister to them?
16:10 He has brought
you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the
priesthood too.
16:11 It is against
the LORD that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron
that you should grumble against him?"
16:12 Then Moses
summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We will not
come!
16:13 Isn't it enough
that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill
us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us?
16:14 Moreover, you
haven't brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an
inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of these men?
No, we will not come!"
16:15 Then Moses
became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not accept their offering. I
have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of
them."
16:16 Moses said to
Korah, "You and all your followers are to appear before the LORD
tomorrow--you and they and Aaron.
16:17 Each man is to
take his censer and put incense in it--250 censers in all--and present it
before the LORD. You and Aaron are to present your censers also."
16:18 So each man took
his censer, put fire and incense in it, and stood with Moses and Aaron at the
entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
16:19 When Korah had
gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the Tent of
Meeting, the glory of the LORD appeared to the entire assembly.
16:20 The LORD said to
Moses and Aaron,
16:21 "Separate
yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once."
16:22 But Moses and
Aaron fell facedown and cried out, "O God, God of the spirits of all
mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man
sins?"
16:23 Then the LORD said
to Moses,
16:24 "Say to the
assembly, 'Move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.'"
16:25 Moses got up and
went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.
16:26 He warned the assembly,
"Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything
belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins."
16:27 So they moved away
from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram had come out and
were standing with their wives, children and little ones at the entrances to
their tents.
16:28 Then Moses said,
"This is how you will
know that the LORD has sent me to do all these things and that it was not my
idea:
16:29 If these men die
a natural death and experience only what usually happens to men, then the LORD
has not sent me.
16:30 But if the LORD
brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows
them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave,
then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt."
16:31 As soon as he
finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart
16:32 and the earth opened
its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all
their possessions.
16:33 They went down alive
into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and
they perished and were gone from the community.
16:34 At their cries,
all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, "The earth is going to
swallow us too!"
16:35 And
fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the
incense.
16:36 The LORD said to
Moses,
16:37 "Tell
Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the smoldering
remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy--
16:38 the censers of
the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets
to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the LORD and have become
holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites."
16:39 So Eleazar the
priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned up,
and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar,
16:40 as the LORD
directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one
except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the LORD, or he
would become like Korah and his followers.
16:41 The next day the
whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. "You have
killed the LORD'S people," they said.
16:42 But when the
assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent
of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared.
16:43 Then Moses and Aaron
went to the front of the Tent of Meeting,
16:44 and the LORD said to
Moses,
16:45 "Get away from
this assembly so I can put an end to them at once." And they fell
facedown.
16:46 Then Moses said to
Aaron, "Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the
altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out
from the LORD; the plague has started."
16:47 So Aaron did as
Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already
started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for
them.
16:48 He stood between the
living and the dead, and the plague stopped.
16:49 But 14,700 people
died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah.
16:50 Then Aaron returned
to Moses at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The
Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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