Friday, April 29, 2022

Bible in one year 4/29/2022 Number chapter 17-21 By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Bible in one year 4/29/2022 Number chapter 17-21

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts &Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &Counseling

 

Chapter 17 Validation of the Aaronic priesthood: Aaron’s  rod that budded

            The people blamed Moses and Aaron for the deaths of the rebels. Once again God destroy the nation, after Aaron took his censer and made atonement for the people, there were 14,700 people died. The Lord said to the Moses, “ speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes and Aaron’s staff was among them. Aaron’s staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds. (v.8) it to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. The people were still pitying themselves rather than praising God for His power and deliverance.(vv.12-13)

Chapter 18  The duties and support of the Levites

            Aaron and his sons, who were responsible for priestly ministries, were also responsible for the consequences of any defilement that might come to them or the sanctuary (Ex.28:38; Lev.22:16). Other Levites were given to Aaron and his sons(v.6), to serve them while they officiated in the Tabernacle(v.7). These verses give instructions for the maintenance of the priests by the various offerings brought by the people. Included were offerings (Lit., heave offerings, v.8; Lev.7:32);Whatever was not consumed by the altar fire(v.9;Lev.6:19,24); every wave offering (vv.11-13; Lev.7:30); devoted things (v.4; Lev.27:28); and the revenue from the redemption of the firstborn of man and beast(vv.15-18;Ex.22:29). These arrangements formed a covenant of salt(v.19; an indissoluble arrangement, Lev.2:13).

Chapter 19 The Red heifer sacrifice

            The ritual of the red heifer provided cleansing for those who were defiled becaused of contact with a corpse. Preparations for the ritual required that the ashes of an unblemished, unyoked red heifer be mixed with water (called water of cleansing). This served as a purification from sin( Lit., a sin offering, as also in v.17). Purify (v.12), Lit., “de-sin or un-sin” as also in 8:21. A defilement that was not cleansed would pollute the tabernacle as well. Sprinkled on him. Lit., thrown or dashed on him. (v.13). People could not help becoming defiled occasionally; thus, the water was always abailable and any undefiled person(not just a priest) could dash it on the one defiled. This ritual pictured the cleansing power of the blood of Christ (Heb.9:13-14;1John1:7-9).

Chapter 20 The sin of Moses, “struck the rock instead of speak to that rock”

            When Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin and they stayed at Kadesh. The people quarreled with Moses, no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates and there is no water to drink. (v.1-5). The Lord said to Moses, take the staff, (the same staff with which Moses had performed previous miracles (Ex.7:20;14:16). God instructed Moses and Aaron (the verb is plural) to speak to the rock, not strike it. In anger and self-glorification, Moses struck it (v.11; Ps.106:32-33). Because of their sin (v.12) Moses and Aaron were not permitted to enter the Promised Land. Here is a warning to us that forgiveness of sin does not always carry with it alleviation of the consequences of that sin.

Meribah. (v.13) A play (in the Hebrew) on the verb “ to strive” Edom (v.14) The Isaelites wanted to go east from Kadesh, through Edom, which occupied the territory S. of the Dead Sea (v.17). Their request was refused with a show of force (v.20). The king’s highway (v.17), a public caravan route. The location of Mount Hor (v.22), is uncertain, though it apparently was on the border of Edom near Kadesh. Here the Israelites began their detour around Edom.

The death of Aaron (vv.28-29) was in the fortieth year after the Exodus.His death at the age of 123 (33:38-39) stands in sharp contrast to the eternal priesthood of Christ (Heb.7:23-24).

 

Chapter 21 The defeat of Arad; the discipline of Israel : the Bronze Snake; the defeat of Sihon and Og.

            Israelites traveled from Mount Hor to Red Sea, to go around Edom. The Red Sea., I.e., the NE. prong of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba. The people grew impatient on the way, and spoke against God and against Moses. Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, they bit the people and many Israelites died. The Lord said to Moses, “ make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” (vv.4-9) Only those who believed God and looked on the bronze snake lived. The N.T. uses this incident as an illustration of Christ’s vicarious death on the cross and of the necessity of personal faith for salvation (John3:14-15).

 

Old Testament (NIV) Numbers Chapter 17 The Budding of Aaron’s Staff

17:1 The LORD said to Moses,

17:2 "Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff.

17:3 On the staff of Levi write Aaron's name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.

17:4 Place them in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you.

17:5 The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites."

17:6 So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron's staff was among them.

17:7 Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the Tent of the Testimony.

17:8 The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.

17:9 Then Moses brought out all the staffs from the LORD'S presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each man took his own staff.

17:10 The LORD said to Moses, "Put back Aaron's staff in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die."

17:11 Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.

17:12 The Israelites said to Moses, "We will die! We are lost, we are all lost!

17:13 Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?"

 

Chapter 18 Duties of Priests and Levites

18:1 The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your father's family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood.

18:2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the Tent of the Testimony.

18:3 They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the Tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar, or both they and you will die.

18:4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the Tent of Meeting--all the work at the Tent--and no one else may come near where you are.

18:5 "You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that wrath will not fall on the Israelites again.

18:6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the Tent of Meeting.

18:7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death."

Offerings for Priests and Levites

18:8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, "I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share.

18:9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons.

18:10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy.

18:11 "This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

18:12 "I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest.

18:13 All the land's firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it.

18:14 "Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours.

18:15 The first offspring of every womb, both man and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals.

18:16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs.

18:17 "But you must not redeem the firstborn of an ox, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Sprinkle their blood on the altar and burn their fat as an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

18:18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours.

18:19 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for both you and your offspring."

18:20 The LORD said to Aaron, "You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

18:21 "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the Tent of Meeting.

18:22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the Tent of Meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die.

18:23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the Tent of Meeting and bear the responsibility for offenses against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites.

18:24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: 'They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.'"

18:25 The LORD said to Moses,

18:26 "Speak to the Levites and say to them: 'When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD'S offering.

18:27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress.

18:28 In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD'S portion to Aaron the priest.

18:29 You must present as the LORD'S portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.'

18:30 "Say to the Levites: 'When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress.

18:31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the Tent of Meeting.

18:32 By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.'"

 

Chapter 19 The Water of Cleansing

19:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron:

19:2 "This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded: Tell the Israelites to bring you a red heifer without defect or blemish and that has never been under a yoke.

19:3 Give it to Eleazar the priest; it is to be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence.

19:4 Then Eleazar the priest is to take some of its blood on his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.

19:5 While he watches, the heifer is to be burned--its hide, flesh, blood and offal.

19:6 The priest is to take some cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool and throw them onto the burning heifer.

19:7 After that, the priest must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water. He may then come into the camp, but he will be ceremonially unclean till evening.

19:8 The man who burns it must also wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he too will be unclean till evening.

19:9 "A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside the camp. They shall be kept by the Israelite community for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin.

19:10 The man who gathers up the ashes of the heifer must also wash his clothes, and he too will be unclean till evening. This will be a lasting ordinance both for the Israelites and for the aliens living among them.

19:11 "Whoever touches the dead body of anyone will be unclean for seven days.

19:12 He must purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day; then he will be clean. But if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh days, he will not be clean.

19:13 Whoever touches the dead body of anyone and fails to purify himself defiles the LORD'S tabernacle. That person must be cut off from Israel. Because the water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, he is unclean; his uncleanness remains on him.

19:14 "This is the law that applies when a person dies in a tent: Anyone who enters the tent and anyone who is in it will be unclean for seven days,

19:15 and every open container without a lid fastened on it will be unclean.

19:16 "Anyone out in the open who touches someone who has been killed with a sword or someone who has died a natural death, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.

19:17 "For the unclean person, put some ashes from the burned purification offering into a jar and pour fresh water over them.

19:18 Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water and sprinkle the tent and all the furnishings and the people who were there. He must also sprinkle anyone who has touched a human bone or a grave or someone who has been killed or someone who has died a natural death.

19:19 The man who is clean is to sprinkle the unclean person on the third and seventh days, and on the seventh day he is to purify him. The person being cleansed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and that evening he will be clean.

19:20 But if a person who is unclean does not purify himself, he must be cut off from the community, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of cleansing has not been sprinkled on him, and he is unclean.

19:21 This is a lasting ordinance for them. "The man who sprinkles the water of cleansing must also wash his clothes, and anyone who touches the water of cleansing will be unclean till evening.

19:22 Anything that an unclean person touches becomes unclean, and anyone who touches it becomes unclean till evening."

 

Chapter 20 Water From the Rock

20:1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

20:2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron.

20:3 They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD!

20:4 Why did you bring the LORD'S community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here?

20:5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!"

20:6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them.

20:7 The LORD said to Moses,

20:8 "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

20:9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD'S presence, just as he commanded him.

20:10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?"

20:11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

20:13 These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.

Edom Denies Israel Passage

20:14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying: "This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come upon us.

20:15 Our forefathers went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers,

20:16 but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. "Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory.

20:17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory."

20:18 But Edom answered: "You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword."

20:19 The Israelites replied: "We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot--nothing else."

20:20 Again they answered: "You may not pass through." Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army.

20:21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.

The Death of Aaron

20:22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor.

20:23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

20:24 "Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

20:25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor.

20:26 Remove Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there."

20:27 Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.

20:28 Moses removed Aaron's garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain,

20:29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, the entire house of Israel mourned for him thirty days.

 

Chapter 21 Arad Destroyed

21:1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.

21:2 Then Israel made this vow to the LORD: "If you will deliver these people into our hands, we will totally destroy their cities."

21:3 The LORD listened to Israel's plea and gave the Canaanites over to them. They completely destroyed them and their towns; so the place was named Hormah.

The Bronze Snake

21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;

21:5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"

21:6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.

21:7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

21:8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."

21:9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

The Journey to Moab

21:10 The Israelites moved on and camped at Oboth.

21:11 Then they set out from Oboth and camped in Iye Abarim, in the desert that faces Moab toward the sunrise.

21:12 From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley.

21:13 They set out from there and camped alongside the Arnon, which is in the desert extending into Amorite territory. The Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

21:14 That is why the Book of the Wars of the LORD says: ". . . Waheb in Suphah and the ravines, the Arnon

21:15 and the slopes of the ravines that lead to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab."

21:16 From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together and I will give them water."

21:17 Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing about it,

21:18 about the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank--the nobles with scepters and staffs." Then they went from the desert to Mattanah,

21:19 from Mattanah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

21:20 and from Bamoth to the valley in Moab where the top of Pisgah overlooks the wasteland.

Defeat of Sihon and Og

21:21 Israel sent messengers to say to Sihon king of the Amorites:

21:22 "Let us pass through your country. We will not turn aside into any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."

21:23 But Sihon would not let Israel pass through his territory. He mustered his entire army and marched out into the desert against Israel. When he reached Jahaz, he fought with Israel.

21:24 Israel, however, put him to the sword and took over his land from the Arnon to the Jabbok, but only as far as the Ammonites, because their border was fortified.

21:25 Israel captured all the cities of the Amorites and occupied them, including Heshbon and all its surrounding settlements.

21:26 Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken from him all his land as far as the Arnon.

21:27 That is why the poets say: "Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon's city be restored.

21:28 "Fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar of Moab, the citizens of Arnon's heights.

21:29 Woe to you, O Moab! You are destroyed, O people of Chemosh! He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to Sihon king of the Amorites.

21:30 "But we have overthrown them; Heshbon is destroyed all the way to Dibon. We have demolished them as far as Nophah, which extends to Medeba."

21:31 So Israel settled in the land of the Amorites.

21:32 After Moses had sent spies to Jazer, the Israelites captured its surrounding settlements and drove out the Amorites who were there.

21:33 Then they turned and went up along the road toward Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army marched out to meet them in battle at Edrei.

21:34 The LORD said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, with his whole army and his land. Do to him what you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon."

21:35 So they struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army, leaving them no survivors. And they took possession of his land.

 

 

Bibliography,

 

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986

  

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