Numbers One…(1-54)

This book is concerned with numbers in the emerging nation of Israel. However, there are many great stories of people and events that teach us many things for today, so let’s go ahead and find them…..

1.  Verses  1-54

a. What did God ask Moses to do? Where were the people at this time, and when did it happen?  (verses 1-3)

The people of Israel were in the wilderness desert at Mt. Sinai by now and had been on the road into the second year of travelling away from Egypt. God now asked Moses to number all the males from twenty years old and upward…..it was a form of census.

b.   What were the young men of twenty considered able to do?         (verse 3)

They were able to go to war.

c.  There were twelve tribes of Israel….what did each tribe need?       (verses 4, 16)

They each needed to have a leader, a wise man able to take charge.

d.  What did Moses and Aaron do with these men?        (verses 17-18)

They were assembled together and brought before all the people declaring their pedigree and qualifications to be what they were. They knew who they were and what they stood for.

e.  How can we relate this to a modern day equivalent in the church?         (1 Timothy 3:1-16; Hebrews 13:17)

The church must have godly leaders who know what they believe and what they stand for….not only that but the people in the church must know who they are and respect their position.

f.  What do we see about all those who were counted?      (verse 45)

They were responsible men who were able to go to war and  protect the people.

g. How can we relate this to the church?      (1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 2:1-7)

The young men (and women) are to be an example to others and do their best to train themselves to be leaders in the future.

h. How many men were counted at this time?          (verse 46)

Six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.

i. There was one tribe that was not included in this figure…which one was that and why?   (verses 47-54)

The tribe of Levi was not included in the army because they had the charge of the tabernacle , and it was their job to look after that, to set it up and take it down, as well as be the priests. They had the responsibility of looking after the spiritual welfare of the people. No-one else was allowed to do this on pain of death.

j.   What are we told that all believers are?                  (1 Peter2:9)

We are a royal priesthood, able and fitted to approach God because of what the Lord Jesus has done for us…a special people who can praise God.

k.   What would have happened in Israel if any of another tribe had tried to do the tabernacle service?     (verse 51; 3:10)

If anyone else attempted to take over or even just out of idle curiosity came near the tabernacle, it would bring God’s anger on them and they they were to be put to death.

l.   In the light of all this, what does that tell us?                 (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 1:6-9)

That only true believers can worship God acceptably…if we have sin in our lives, God will not hear us, but as soon as we confess it, He forgives and cleanses us. If we don’t get that put right it is a waste of time trying to pray or serve God in any way at all, we are only hypocrites!

 Numbers Two …(1-34)

This chapter deals with how the people of Israel were to pitch camp as they travelled. As one thinks of the logistics of such a vast number of people moving off with their animals and gear, one realises that there would have to be incredible order and precision in this.

1.  Verses  1-34

a. What was central in the layout of the camp?  (verse 17)

The tabernacle was pticed in the centre with the tribes in order around it…..it was to be the same each time and each tribe knew where they were to put their tents.

b.   Which tribe looked after the tabernacle and pitched around it?         (verse 17b)

The Levites were appointed by God to be the keepers of the tabernacle and they pitched around it.

c.  Which tribes were on the east side of this? What were they to do when the people packed up to leave?       (verses 3-9)

There were Judah, Issachar and Zebulon were on the east and they were the ones who would take the lead and move off ahead of the others.

d.  Which tribes were on the south side?        (verses 10-16)

Reuben, Simeon and Gad were on the south.

e.  Which were on the west side?         (verses 18-24)

Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin were on the west side.

f.  Which were the remaining tribes that pitched on the north side?      (verses 25-31)

Dan, Assher and Naphtali were assigned to the north side.

g. We see that there was perfect order and precision for God’s people in all of this….who gave the orders and whose idea was it all?      (Galatians 1:11-20)  

It was all how God ordered it, and Moses gave the directions from the mouth of God.

h. God’s people today need order in the church….who has laid down the ground rules for this?  (Acts 9:1-18; Galatians 1:11-20; Philippians 3:5-7)  

God laid down this order and he gave them to the Apostle Paul to pass on for posterity in his letters. God had His man prepared from the time he was born although neither he nor his parents knew it beforehand. Saul of Tarsus trained as a pharisee in the highest theological college of his day and God called him when the time was ready to leave all he had known behind. He went into the desert to be taught by God  the order and principles of the New Testament church.

i. Where do we find these rules for order in the church?   (1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 7:10-12)

Paul gives the rules for order in the church as being from the Lord Himself in his letters to different churches. He makes it very clear when it is just his own advice and not a direct command from God.

 Numbers Three…(1-51)

1.  Verses  1-4

a. What were Aaron and his sons appointed to do?  (verses 1-3)

They were annointed to be the priests to the Lord.

b.   Who appointed them?         (Leviticus 8:1-13)

God appointed them to be His priests, and they went through a special ceremony to cleanse them, wearing special clothes before they could do the priest’s job.

c.  What was the job of the priests?       (Leviticus 9:1-2, 9, 12-13)

It was their job to kill the sacrifice and present it with the blood, to God in the Holy place in the Tabernacle.

d. How many sons did Aaron have which were annointed to be priests with him?        (verses 2-3)

He had four sons to be priests….Nadab, Abihu, Eleizer and Ithamar.

e. What did these two sons of Aaron do wrong?         (verse 4; Exodus 30: 7-9; Leviticus 10:1-2)

God had warned them to never offer any other incense before Him other than what He had said, and these two priests offered their own incense to Him.

f.  What happened to them? (verse 4; Leviticus 10:1-2)

Fire came out from the altar and struck them dead on the spot.

g. What is the lesson in this for us?      (Hebrews 10:3-12)  

It shows us that we cannot approach God in any  way other  than how He has ordained…through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Trying any other way will only end in eternal death.

h. What happened in the young church when people lied to God and the apostles?  (Acts 4:34-37-5:1-11)  

Because this couple pretended they were giving ALL their money to the church to keep up with others, they both were struck dead for their pretence and lies.

i. What does this tell us that we should do?   (1 Corinthians 11:28-31; 2 Corinthians  13:5)

We are to examine ourselves and make sure we are right before God at all times….we are not told to examine the next person, but to examine ourselves.

j. What is even more important than us examining ourselves?   (Psalm 139:23-24)

To ask God to examine our hearts and motives because we fool and excuse ourselves so easily, and then to confess where He shows us we are wrong.

2.  Verses  5-39

a. What tribe were Moses and Aaron from?  (Exodus 2:1-2; Numbers 26:59-61)

They were from the tribe of Levi.

b.   What did we notice about the tribes of Israel and of Levi earlier?         (Numbers 1: 45-47)

That the tribes had their fighting men numbered, while Levites were not numbered with them.

c.  Why were the Levites not numbered with the others?       (verses 6-13)

Because God had appointed them to do the service of the tabernacle, the spiritual side of things.

d. What do we see in the next section? How many were there?       (verses 14-16, 39)

We see that God told Moses to number the Levites now, and there were 22,000 of them.

e. What does God now tell Moses to do?         (verses 19-38)

To appoint different families to different jobs to do with the tabernacle usage…some were to pack, some were to transport, others were to look after the holy things.

f.  Which family is mentioned first, what was their job and how many were there? (verses 21-26)

The family of Gershon was appointed to look after the actual tabernacle itself, with the coverings and  curtains; there were 7,500 of them (this was just the males numbered!).

g. Which was the next family mentioned and what was their duty?      (verses 27-32)  

The next family was that of Kohath…there were 8,600 of them and their job was to look after all the furniture and bits and pieces to do with the worship side of things.

h. Who was put in charge of all these ones?  (verse 32)  

Aaron’s son Eliazer was in charge of all those who handled these items.

i. How many were in the third family and what was their job?   (verses 33-37)

The third family was Merari and there were 6,200 of them; their job was to handle all the boards, pillars, pins and sockets that the covers went over, and all the bowls, buckets and shovels etc.  that were used in the service of the tabernacle.

j. What does verse 38 tell us? 

The ones who pitched closest  to the tabernacle were Moses and Aaron and their families, and it was their job to keep an eye on things….any stranger that came near did so under pain of death.

k.   How do we relate this to ourselves today?     (1 Timothy 3:1-13; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

Each church group is to have those in charge to keep order and to see that the people are being fed spiritually and that things are kept neat and tidy around the place….these are responsible jobs and not one to be taken lightly. Have you ever wondered who keeps things going in your church group?

3.  Verses  39-51

a. What was the next concern of the Lord for His people?  (verses 12-13)

He had taken all the firstborn boys in every family for Himself to commemorate how all the firstborn boys of unbelieving Egyptians had been killed the night of the first Passover when they left Egypt, the land of their slavery.

b.   What took the place of all these children from every tribe?         (verses  12, 44)

God ordained the Levites to take their place as a complete tribe….this kept all the other tribes intact in their own area. Everyone knew where they were with this….it also meant that the Levites were not given an area of land to settle in.

c.  What kept the Levites financially since they were not given land to farm?       (verses 46-51)

A tax was to be taken from all the firstborn sons in the families throughout all of the other tribes, and the  money raised was for the Levites. God considered all the firstborn sons as belonging to Him, and this was their contribution toward keeping those who were working for Him.

d. What is the principle in this?       (1 Corinthians 9:9, 13-14)

Those who do work for the Lord are to be supported by the Lord’s people.

 Numbers Six…(1-27)

Chapters 4-5 deal with more or less a repetition of the various duties to be performed by each Levitical  family and what to do for lepers and others with contagious diseases, as well as rules for dealing with  an unfaithful wife. Now we come to chapter six….

1.  Verses  1-21

a. What is this section dealing with?  (verses 1-26)

These are the rules for someone who takes upon themselves a vow of a Nazarite.

b.   What exactly was a Nazarite?         (verses 2-8)

It was any person (man or woman) who made a vow (promise) to God to be separate for Him ….these are the rules for the person while under this vow and the rules are given for the ending of the vow as well.

c.  How seriously does God take a vow that a person makes?(Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5)

It is a serious thing to make a vow and then not keep it….it is better to not make it in the first place!

d. Who were some people who were Nazarites before the Lord? What made them do this?        (judges 13:1-5; Luke 1:7-16)

There was Samson in the Old Testament who was a Nazarite from his birth…he was never to drink wine or cut his hair (if you follow his story through you will see what happened to him when he disobeyed this rule). Then there was John the Baptist in the New Testament …he followed rules of being a Nazarite even though it doesn’t say he was one….he too, was one from birth.

e. Why should making a vow be taken very carefully?  What happened to this man?  (Judges 11:1-40)

Jephthah was a godly man who made a vow to give back to the Lord whatever met him after his victory in battle….we see how it was his only child who met him. But Jephthah honoured his vow at great cost to himself and his daughter. We are not to make a vow carelessly, but thinking through what the ramifications could be, and then make sure we strictly keep it.

2.  Verses  22-27

a. What does this section consist of?  (verses 22-26)

A special blessing that people could give each other.

b.   Do you think we could still use this today?        

Yes, we certainly could.

c.  How does Paul put similar thoughts into a prayer that we can use for each other?       (Ephesians 1:16-21; Colossians 1:9-17)

We can pray that we may  be given  the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of our Lord; that the eyes of our understanding will be enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints; that we may walk worthy of the Lord and come to know Him better.

d. What do you notice the difference is in these two types of prayers/blessings?      

In Moses’ blessing it is calling on the Lord to bless this person/people, to be gracious to them and to give them peace. In Paul’s prayer , it is that people will respond to the Lord and learn to know Him better and walk in His ways.

 Numbers Seven…(1-89)

We now see about all the bits and pieces of the tabernacle and how they were to be packed up and moved from place to place…..

1.  Verses  1-9

a. What do we see in verse 1? 

That the tabernacle was completed and set up in order, and all the furniture and instruments were sanctified (set apart for use for the Lord.)

b.   What did the princes of Israel (leaders) now do?         (verses 2-3)

They brought along six covered wagons, each pulled by two bullocks and presented them to the Lord at the tabernacle.

c.  What did God tell Moses to do with them?  (verses 4-8)

He told him to give two wagons and four bullocks to the family of Gershon, and four  with eight bullocks to the family of Merari for the transportation of the pieces of the tabernacle when it was dismantled for travelling.

d. Why were none given to the family of Kohath?        (verse 8; Numbers 4:6-15)

Because the parts of the tabernacle that they were responsible for were to be carried on their shoulders, not put into a wagon….the ark was carried by four men, and the altar and all the instruments that went with it were to be wrapped up carefully by the priests and put in cloth or skin bags which were strung onto poles and then  carried by men of the family of Kohath on their shoulders. None of these things were to be touched by any person other than a priest on pain of death.

e. What does all this ritual show us?  (Exodus  30:25-33; Leviticus 19:1-4)

It shows us the holiness of God and how things that are to do with Him are to be treated with the greatest respect. Only those who were holy could administer or touch these items.

f. What do we see happened to the man who touched the ark in David’s time?   (1 Chronicles 13: 2-14; 15:11-15)

Even though Uzzah steadied the ark from the best of intentions, it was not according to God’s instructions and he was struck dead for touching it…he was not a priest and had not been sanctified.

g. How did David have it moved in the end?  (1 Chronicles 15:11-15)

In the manner that God instructed….by the priests carrying it on their shoulders.

h. Do you think God is still the same today as regards people being holy ?  (Malachi 3:6; 1 Peter1:15-16)

God never changes…He is just as holy today as He has ever been and still hates sin with the same intensity.

2.  Verses  10-89

a. Quickly scan through the rest of the chapter….what is it all about ?   (verses 10-86)

It is all about the sacrifices and offerings that each of them brought for their tribe before the Lord.

b. There were two types of offerings given…what were they?    (verses 87-88)

There was the burnt offering and the peace offering.

c.   What do we see about each prince that brought these sacrifices? Why was this ?   How many animals were involved for each type of sacrifice?     (verses 87-88)

Each prince brought exactly the same sacrifice and offering because it took the same thing to make peace with God for their sins for each of them….none were any better than the others. For the burnt offering  there were twelve bullocks, and rams, twelve young lambs and twelve kids. For the peace offering, there were twenty-four bullocks, sixty each of rams, billy goats and lambs.

d. Why do we not need to bring these sort of sacrifices and offerings to God today?   (Hebrews 10:1-14)   

Because the Lord Jesus Christ brought in a new era when He made the supreme sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins. The animal sacrifices could never take away man’s sin, they only covered it until the time that Jesus Christ made His sacrifice.

e. What sacrifice DO we have to make?         (Romans 12:1-2)

We have to turn to God with all our hearts and give Him our all….body, soul and spirit. We cannot belong to Him or know Him until we do this.

f.  How did God transmit His messages to Moses?       (verse 89; Exodus 33:11a; Deuteronomy 34:10)

God spoke to Moses with a physical voice as Moses stood before Him.

g. Did Moses actually see God’s face?      (Exodus 33:17-23)  

No, God was veiled in His glory; He allowed Moses to see His back but not His face, because no human being can look at God’s face with a human eye.

 Numbers Nine…(1-23)

Chapter eight consists of rules concerning the Levites who were to be priests….how they were to be cleansed and how long they served for.

1.  Verses  1-14

a. What was the Passover feast?    (Exodus 12:1-14)

It was a ceremony when the people left Egypt to begin their journey to Canaan…it was both a memorial and a feast to sustain them on the first leg of their trip and was to be kept annually.

b.   Why was it called “Passover”?         (Exodus 12:21-24)

The lamb was to be taken and checked over to make sure there was no blemish, and when it was killed the blood was to be caught and sprinkled on the outside of the door lintels of each house. God told them that the  destroying angel would pass through the land at midnight, and every house that did not have the blood on its door would have the eldest son die that night. The angel would “pass over” when he saw the blood.

c.  Was this just a random ritual that God asked them to do or did it have some meaning?  (verses 1-3; 1 Corinthians 5:7b; 10:6; )

These things were written for our learning as examples for us to follow.

d. In what way is the Passover an example to us today?        (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26;  1 Peter 1:19)

Our Lord Jesus was the Lamb of God, perfect and unblemished, who was killed for us. When we turn to Him, His blood covers us and takes away our sins, and eternal death “passes over” us and we are saved. We remember this when we have the communion service and take the bread and wine in memory of what He did for us.

e. What is God telling Moses to tell the people to do here?  (verses 1-5)

That they were to keep the Passover with all its rites and ceremonies that God had told them to do.

f. What was the dilemma that faced these men here?   (verses 6-7)

There were some men who had been dealing with a dead body and were unable to take part in the Passover with the others, and they wanted to know if they could take the Passover later.

g. Moses went to the Lord for instructions in this case….what did God tell him they could do?  (verses 8-12)

If anyone was prevented from partaking of the Passover by reason of uncleanness or being away, they could  do it the next month on the same day of the month.

h. How did God regard anyone who just didn’t bother to do the Passover at the right time without a valid reason ?  (verse 13)

God took a serious view of someone like this and said it was a sin and they were to be cut off from Israel.

i. What if there were some strangers living with Israel and the Passover time came round?   (verse  14)

If they observed the same rules as the Israelites, they would be able to take part with everyone else.

j. What is the parallel for believers today?  (1 Corinthians 11:23-29;  1 John 3:23-24)

It is the same as for the Passover….anyone who wants to take part in the Lord’s supper (which is a memorial looking back to the cross) must abide by the same rules as those in the church. People are to come God’s way (not theirs), and are to believe in the Lord Jesus and confess their sins BEFORE taking it otherwise they are eating and drinking damnation to themselves.

k.   How do we relate this to ourselves today?     (1 Timothy 3:1-13; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

Each church group is to have those in charge to keep order and to see that the people are being fed

 2. Verses  15-23

a. How did God lead the people of Israel on their journey so they knew where to go?   (Exodus 13:21-22)

He showed He was with them by a pillar of cloud during the day, which turned to look like fire at night.

b. What did the people see when the tabernacle was finally completed and set up?    (verses 15-16)

It was covered by the cloud of God’s presence which glowed at night.

c.   How did the people know when it was time to pack up and move camp?     (verses 17-23)

When the cloud lifted up from off the tabernacle, it was safe for the Levites to move in and pack the tabernacle up ready for travelling. The rest of the  people started to pack up and prepare for moving.

d. How did they know where to go and when to stop?   (verse 17; Deuteronomy 1:33)   

God led the way in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night….when this pillar stopped moving, the people would pitch their tents there.

e. What do we notice about their journey in verse 21?       

That they sometimes journeyed during the night hours.

f.  What did the people have to be doing continually?       (verse 23)

Watching the cloud and on the alert for moving forwards.

g. What is the lesson in this for us?      (Titus 2:13; 1 John 2:28)  

We should be continually remembering that the Lord is going to come for us one day and to live in such a manner that we won’t be ashamed before Him when He does.

 Numbers Ten…(1-36)

1.  Verses  1-36

a. What is the first section to do with?    (verses 1-10)

It was to do with the blowing of the two trumpets.

b.   What were the trumpets used for?         (verses 3-4, 9)

They were used to call the people together, or just the chiefs to come together, or for an alarm of danger.

c.  How many trumpets were there and what were they made of?  (verse 2 )

There were two trumpets and they were made of silver.

d. Remembering that silver is a type of redemption, what can we get from this for ourselves?   (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The alarms of the Lord (from His word) are for those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ….others cannot follow in their own strength.

e. What were the trumpet calls for?  (verses 2-10)

For the people to come together to hear what the Lord had to say to them; for an alarm of danger, for the people to start moving, and during the feasts of the Lord in their time of worship.

f. What trumpet call do we listen for today?   (2 Timothy 2:15)

God’s Word is our trumpet for today….it gives warnings and exhortations; find guidance and leading in the right ways to live, and for worship.

g. The next few verses tell of how the people were to move off…which tribes went first and where had they been pitched?  (verses 11-16; 2:3-9)

The first ones to move were the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulon who were pitched on the east side of the tabernacle.

h. What moved off next ?  (verse 17)

The tabernacle was taken down by the family of Gershon and Merari (Levites) and carried by them as God had appointed.

i. Which tribes went off next and which side had they been pitched on?   (verses  18-20; 2:10-14)

Reuben, Simeon and Gad went next from the south side of the camp.

j. Who moved off next? Why were they behind the other parts of the tabernacle?  (verse 21)

The family of Kohath, also Levites, who carried the most sacred things of the tabernacle…they were behind to give the other Levites time to set up the tabernacle ready for them to put  their articles straight into the Most Holy place.

k.   Those tribes on the north and west side moved off in order last….what do we see about all these instructions?     (verses 22-28)

That God is a God of order…if everything was done as He said, there was  no overlapping or muddle.

l. How long was their next trip?   (verse 33)

They moved on for three days.

m. What protected them as they travelled?  (verse 34)

The cloud of the Lord’s presence went with them

n.   What did Moses do before and after each trip?     (verses 35-36)

He recognised God’s protection and acknowledged it before the people.

o.  What should we do when we make plans for the future, whether it be for travel or staying put? (James 4:13-15)

We should recognise that it is only as God wills that we will be able to do this or that….we should never risk moving or travelling without committing it to the Lord before we go.

 Numbers Eleven…(1-35)

1.  Verses  1-3

a. What were the people doing  here? What did God think of this?   (verse 1)

The people started to complain and God took a dim view of it…God does not like complainers!

b.   What does complaining about unavoidable circumstances show?        

It shows a lack of thankfulness for what people DO have, and they are really complaining ABOUT God, rather than talking TO Him about it all.

c.  Was this the first time they had complained?  (Exodus 15:22-25)

No, they started complaining three days out on their journey after crossing the Red Sea about no water.

d. What action did God take because of their complaints?   (verse 1b)

He sent fire among them which destroyed those on the edge of the camp.

e. How was further damaged averted?  (verses 2-3)

The people cried to Moses and he called on God to quench the fire.

2.  Verses  4-9, 18-23, 31-34

a. What was the next complaint about? Who started the complaints this time?   (verses 4-6)

The next complaint was about the manna that God was providing each day for them, and it was the hangers-on, those who were not Israelites, who started this unrest.

b.   What did they want?         (verses 4c-5)

They wanted meat and vegetables, fish and onions.

c.  We have a description of the manna here….what was it like?  (verses 7-9;  Exodus 16:15-16, 35)

It was white, sweet and fresh, and they were able to make and bake cakes out of it…it sustained them for forty years, so it must have had every nutrient they needed in it, and it came fresh every day except the Sabbath.

d. How can you see these characteristics speaking of our Lord Jesus?   (Psalm 119:103; John 6:35; Philippians 4:13)

He is white (pure); sweet  to our thoughts; fresh (we should take advantage of Him every morning); He sustains and strengthens us.

e. How can we apply what the people were doing to ourselves?  (verse 5; Ephesians 2:2-3)

The people were hankering after their former life in Egypt….we are to leave our old life behind and not go back to fighting, envying, and  lusting after the things of the world.

f. What did God do to the people for all their complaining?  What do we have to be careful of?   (verses 18-20, 31-33; Psalm 106:13-15)

God said, “OK then, if you want flesh, I’ll give you so much you will get sick of it and die with the eating of it!” We have to remember that God knows what is best for us and if we pester Him too long, He may give us what we want but it will do us harm in the end….maybe will give us leanness in our souls.

3.  Verses  10-17, 24-29

a. What did Moses say to the Lord?   (verses 10-15)

Moses felt the burden of dealing with these ungrateful and complaining people was too much for him…he wished he were dead!

b.   What was God’s solution to this problem?         (verses 16-17)

Call together seventy men of the leaders and I will give them the spirit which you have to discern and to lead, so you don’t have this burden all the time.

c.  What should we do when we feel we have too much to handle?  (Philippians 4:6)

We should take it to the Lord in prayer and let Him deal with the problem.

d. What does this tell us for today?  

That no one person is meant to do everything….if everyone pulls their weight, the load is distributed. Too often a leader thinks no-one else can do things well enough, and then others just leave it all to them!

e. What was the result of Moses doing this?  (verses 24-25)

These men then received the Spirit of the Lord and began to prophesy and kept on  doing it.

f. What was the story about these two other men?   (verses 26-29)

Two of the leaders were unable to be at the tabernacle when this happened to the other men, and God’s Spirit rested on them as well and they began to prophesy in the camp. People thought this was strange and told Moses who said that it was perfectly OK and he wished that all the people would do the same!

g. How are we to view people from other persuasions who preach the Gospel truthfully?  (Mark 9:38-40;  Philippians 1:15-18)

We are not to oppose them, but to rejoice that a work of God is being done elsewhere. No-one can preach the true Gospel who is not a believer themselves…to admit that Jesus is the Son of God is to believe.

h. What do we learn from this ? 

That there are true believers in every denomination, no matter how much we disagree with their theology.

 Numbers Twelve…(1-16)

1.  Verses  1-16

a. Read this chapter through at once….what is it all about?   (verses 1-16)

It is all about Miriam’s jealousy and race-discrimination, and how she stirred Aaron up to make these accusations against her sister-in-law.

b.   How is Miriam described in the Exodus passage? Why was this taken so seriously? (Exodus 15:20-21; Proverbs 6:16-19)        

Miriam is described as a prophetess…because she was Moses’ sister and a leader of the women, she should have known better than to behave like this. In this list of things that the Lord detests, a proud look and a lying tongue are right at the top.

c.  How was Moses described here?  (verse 3, 7)

Moses was meek in spirit…he never sought the position he had, and he did his best faithfully in the most trying of circumstances.

d. What  did God do about Miriam’s and Aaron’s complaints?   (verses 4-5)

God did not take this lightly…..He called the three of them out to the tabernacle in front of all the people, and came down in the cloud over the tabernacle to speak to them all.

e. What did God say to them?  (verses 6-8)

Listen to Me! I will choose the leader here, and Moses is my faithful chosen leader….you should have been afraid to speak against him!

f. What happened then?   (verses 9-10)

God was angry with Miriam and Aaron, and the cloud lifted up from the tabernacle, leaving Miriam covered with leprosy.

g. Does God still view this sort of attitude just as severely today?  How did He deal with Annanias and Sapphira in the young church days for lying to Him?  (Malachi 3:6a;  Acts 5:1-11)

God never changes…He is the same today as back then. Annanias and Sapphira paid for their deception with their lives.

h. Why do we see people today blaspheming and denigrating the name of the Lord and apparently getting away with it ?  ( Psalms 86:15; 2 Peter 3:9)

Because God is patient in certain circumstances, not willing that any should perish. But we can never be sure when we have crossed the fatal line, and it will be too late for us….those who die in their sins will pay for it in the end.

i. How did Aaron feel when he looked at Miriam?   (verses  11-12)

He was appalled! He realised they had sinned against Moses, and confessed this to Moses.

j. What did Moses do and what was the result?  (verses 13-16)

Moses cried to the Lord to heal her….she had to be shut out of the camp for a week and then she was healed. She had to bear the consequences of her sin.

k.   What is the lesson in all of this for us today?     (James 2:1-9)

To remember that God has made every soul capable of finding Himself; that Christ died for all no matter what their exterior looks like. We are not to discriminate against other ethnic groups in our church services in particular, but to teat all equally.

 

 Numbers Thirteen-Fourteen…(1-33; 1-45)

1.  13:  1-33

a. Read this chapter through at once….what is it all about?   (verses 1-33)

This chapter tells how the people were on the edge of the new land and how Moses sent out twelve spies to search it out, one from each tribe.

b.  Two men stand out in this list (Caleb and Joshua)…which tribes did they come from? (verses 6,8,16)        

Caleb was from Judah and Joshua was from Ephraim.

c.  What did Moses tell them to do?  (verses 17-20)

He told them to search out the land, to see what the people were like, what the land itself was like and to bring back some of the produce of the land.

d. What did they bring back?  How long did this search take?   (verses 23- 25)

It took forty days to do this….they brought back some of the bunches of grapes growing there, pomegranates and figs. These things were put  in a bag (?) hanging from a pole carried between two men.

e. What sort of report did they bring back about the land?  (verses 26-27)

It was a wonderfully productive land, flowing with milk and honey they said.

f. What did they say about the inhabitants of the land?   (verses 29-33)

They said they were tall, large and fierce, and they would never be able to take it.

g. What did Caleb say about the situation?  (verse 30)

He said they would be well able to take the land….let’s go and do it!

2.  14:  1-45

a. What did the people do when they heard what the ten spies said?   (verses 1-4)

They all cried out loud and wept all night, asking why God had brought them here to die! Their wives and children would all die, they said and they wanted to make a leader who would take them back to Egypt!

b.  What did Moses and Aaron do when they heard this commotion? (verse 5)        

They fell on their faces in prayer telling the Lord all about it.

c.  What did Caleb and Joshua do?  (verses 6-9)

They tore their clothes to show their distress, and ran among the people telling them to not disobey the Lord’s command….He would surely bring them into the land safely.

d. How did the people react to this?   (verse 10)

They didn’t like it and threatened to stone them to death.

e. How did God view this behaviour of the people?  (verses 11-12)

He told Moses that He had lost patience with them, and would destroy them and make a new and greater nation from him (Moses).

f. What did Moses say to God when he heard this?   (verses 13-19)

Everyone will hear about it from Egypt to Canaan and they will all say You  couldn’t bring these people to the land. PLEASE reconsider, because You are longsuffering, merciful and forgiving….please pardon these people from their sin!

g. Where did Moses get this idea about God from?  (Exodus 34:5-7)

God told him about these characteristics when He showed Moses His back parts…this is God’s essence, His very Being.

h. What was God’s reply to Moses’ request?    ( verses 20-23)

I will pardon these people but those men who turned the people against Me will die in the wilderness….in fact, all those who refused to go into the land will never get there, only their children will.

i. What promise did Caleb and Joshua have from God?  Why?   (verses  24, 30)

God promised them they would go into the land and have a share in it.

j. What principle do we see at work in this story?  (verses 20-38; John 3:36; Galatians 6:7-9)

We will reap what we sow! The people had sinned because of their unbelief of God’s word, and they bore the consequences…those who wouldn’t believe God all died in the wilderness without seeing the land, while Caleb and Joshua who believed God were the only two of that generation who went in. Those who do not believe God’s Word today, will likewise bear the consequences of their unbelief….God’s wrath will be on them.

k.   How long was it before the people finally went into the land?  Why this number?   (verses 32-34)

It would be forty years before the people would go into the land…the spies had been forty days searching out the land, and God said it would be a year per day. Forty was counted for a generation, and this would mean that all those over twenty would have died off by then. Also the number forty in the Scriptures is the number of testing.

l. What actually happened to the ten spies who discouraged the people from going in?   (verses 36-37)

They died immediately from a plague that spread through the camp.

m. What additional tragedy befell the people then?  (verses 40-45)

The people realised their foolishness and said they WOULD go up then, but this was not from God and they suffered a great defeat.

n.   What does this story show us?   

That we cannot play fast and loose with God….we must take what He says seriously, and obey His Word or suffer the consequences.

 o. Can you think of a similar example of blatant disobedience with drastic results?  (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

Of a Christian marrying a non Christian…very seldom does the Christian lift the other partner up, it nearly always results in the other one dragging the Christian down. Or in business…the non Christian one will have ethics and practices that grate on the Christian, and maybe result in dishonest ways.

 Numbers Fifteen…(1-41)

1.  Verses 1- 36

a. We have here a list of the rules that they were to follow when making an offering to the Lord  (verses 1-13)….what was a stranger to do if he/she were to live with them?   (verses 14-16)

They were to offer the same sacrifices as the Israelis did, and God would accept them…one law for all.

b.  What do we find today about God’s salvation? (John 3:16; Galatians 3:18)        

God’s salvation is available to ALL people, it is to all who will accept it. God makes no difference for race or ethnicity….He wants ALL people to be saved from His wrath. He has done His part, and it is up to us to do ours!

c.  We see this same principle at work in the next rule….what was it?  (verses 22-29)

If a person sinned in ignorance, they were to offer a sacrifice to cover it, both Jews and Gentile people among them.

d. What was to happen if a person deliberately sinned and refused to do as God said?   (verses 30-31)

It showed that they really despised the Word of God, and they were to be cut off from among the people and ostracized.

e. We have an example of this very thing next…what was it?  (verses 32-33; Exodus 20:8-11)

A man was gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, thus breaking the fourth law of the ten commandments.

f. What did God tell Moses to tell the people to do?   (verses 34-36)

The people were to stone him to death which they did.

g. This seems a drastic punishment…why do you think God made it so severe?  (Acts 5:1-11)

For several reasons…this is called the law of first mention. It was to show the people how seriously God views disobedience as a sin; to be a deterrent to the people to deliberately sin; to keep the people of God pure without those left in who would taint the rest and tempt them to do the same.

h. Why did people after that do work on the Sabbath and  other sins and apparently get away with it?           ( Psalm 73:1-18)

They would pay for it in the future; they were without hope and destined for destruction.

i. What principle do we see at work in this story?  ( John 3:36; Galatians 6:7-9)

We will reap what we sow! This man had sinned because he thought it didn’t matter, but it did, and he paid the consequences.

j. What does God say about Himself?  ( Numbers 23:19; Malachi 3:6)

He does not change His mind or tell lies…what He says stands for ever!  That still holds good for today.

k. What did God tell the people to do to their clothes?   (verses 37-38)

He told them to put a border of a fringe with a blue band at the top of it on the hem of their clothes.

l.  What purpose was this to serve? (verses 39-41)        

It was to remind them of all God’s laws and to remember they were to be holy before Him, very different to all the heathen round about.

m. What are believers today told to remember continually?  (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

We are to remember the Lord’s death in what is called the “Communion” service…Paul referred to it as the “Lord’s Supper”…by taking the bread which signifies Christ’s death and the wine which is a type of His blood that was shed for us to bring us out of the bondage of sin and spiritual darkness.

n.   What else were the people to remember back then?     (verse 41)

They were to remember that God was their Lord and how He had brought them out of the land of Egypt and the bondage of slavery.

 Numbers Sixteen…(1-50)

1.  Verses 1- 40

a. Read this chapter right through…..what is it all about?   (verses 1-50)

It is tells of more complaints about Moses and Aaron from a group of people led by Korah, what God thought of it all and how He dealt with it and them.

b.  Who exactly was involved with the uprising and which tribes were they from? (verses 1-2)        

Korah, Dathan and Abiram were of the tribe of Levi and the fourth man On was from Reuben. They led a group of 250 princes who were well known in the camp.

c.  What did they do at this time?  (verse 3)

They came to Moses and Aaron and told them they rejected their leadership…they were all holy and that they  should  all have part of the leadership.

d. What did Moses tell them?   (verses 4-11)

He told them to all come the next morning with censers of incense in their hands and stand before the Lord in front of all the people and see what God had to say about the matter. He went on to ask why they weren’t satisfied with the jobs God had given them as ministers  before the tabernacle and said that they were really complaining about God’s leadership. After all, it was God who had appointed both him and Aaron.

e. What was the reaction of these men to what Moses said?  (verses 12-14)

They absolutely refused  to do as Moses said….  “we will NOT come up! You haven’t done one thing you said you would…here we are still wandering around in the wilderness and you promised we would be going to a flourishing land!”

f. What did Moses do? Did Korah agree this time?   (verses 15-18)

Moses got very angry with them and told them again to bring their censers of incense before the Lord; Aaron would do the same and the ones the Lord chose would be plain for all to see.

g. What did Korah tell all the people to do?  (verse 19a)

He told everyone to come and watch what HE would do!

h. What did God do?           ( verses 19b-21)

He came down visibly in the cloud over the Tabernacle that everyone could see, and spoke to Moses and Aaron telling them to get away from these men and He would destroy them all in a moment.

i. Imagine yourself in Moses’ position….how would you feel? What did Moses and Aaron do?  (verse 22 )

Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Lord and prayed that He would spare the congregation from His fierce anger. It was a scary situation they were in, facing the God of all the earth in His anger, I don’t know if I would have been able to plead for the people as they did!  When we pray to the Lord for others, we are not faced with the physical evidence of His presence and glory which is beyond our capability, yet it is still real.

j. What did God tell Moses and Aaron and the rest of the people to do?  ( verses 23-26)

He told them to get right away from everything that belonged to these defiant people in case they were punished along with them.

k. Did the people obey God? What did Korah and his mates do?   (verse 27)

The people did get away  from them, but they stood defiantly in their tent door still sticking to their complaining attitude about Moses and Aaron.

l.  What happened then?  Imagine the scene…..    (verses 28-35)        

Moses said for everyone to hear that if they died a normal type of death, then God had not spoken, but if the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them, everyone would KNOW that God had spoken. The earth began to quake and rumble, and a great cleft opened in the ground under Korah and crew’s tents, and they were swallowed up in it. The ground then came together again and there was no sign of  Korah and his mates. But God had not finished yet, and all the others who had offered the incense that they were not supposed to, were caught in a running fire from the Lord and destroyed.

m. What was left from these people who had just died?  What did God say to do with them? (verses 36-40)

Their brass censers that they had used to offer incense to God with were left, and God said to take them and beat them into flat plates and make a cover for the altar out of it. This cover was to be a perpetual reminder to the people that no-one who was not a descendant of Aaron was qualified to offer incense to God.

n.   Remembering that brass is a picture of God’s judgment on sin, what can we take out of this for ourselves today?     (Hebrews 9:6-14)

God’s judgment is on the sin we have committed, but our Lord Jesus bore the punishment of this for us on the cross and we are covered by His sacrifice on the altar of God’s judgment.

2.  Verses  41- 50

a. One would think that after all this the people would have learned their lesson….what did they turn around and do the very next day?  What do we see from this?      (verse 41)

The main part of the people then started to accuse Moses and Aaron of being responsible for the deaths of Korah and his mates! They obviously hadn’t learned a thing about the consequences of complaining about the things God had put in place!  Their hearts were still against God.

b.  What do we have to be careful of in our hearts?            ()        

We have to be careful of following God’s rules and not complaining about those in authority over us even if we don’t agree with all they say and do. To remember our responsibility is US, not them!

c.  Did God leave the people at this time because of their complaints? What did they see?  (verses 42-25)

No, God came down in visible form of the cloud over the tabernacle and He dealt very seriously with the people who were complaining….He sent a plague among them and they were dropping dead all over the place.

d. What did Moses tell Aaron to do?   (verse 46)

To take a censer, put incense in it and light it with fire from the altar and go among the people quickly to make atonement for them.

e. What happened when Aaron did this?  (verses 47-48)

The plague was stopped as he went between the living and the dead.

f. How many people died during this time? What would the remaining people have to do ?   (verses  35, 49-50)

Altogether there were 14,950 who died over this incident, besides the families of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. The people still alive would have had to bury the dead and then cleanse themselves before the Lord….Moses and Aaron remained at the Tabernacle watching over the people.

g. What does all this tell us for today?  (Exodus 30:30-38)

That God has a specific order for things to be done and when we break this order, God is greatly displeased. God’s things are to be kept holy and used how He ordains, whether we like it or understand it or not. God detests complaints and complainers. Prayer avails much, even in apparently hopeless situations, but how much more when confession is made first! Israel on the whole, was not repentant, yet Moses and Aaron stood in the breach to the best of their ability and most of the people were saved from further destruction.

h. Thinking back to earlier complaints the people had about dying in the desert through lack of food, what had basically caused these deaths this time?           ( Numbers 11:1-6; 14:26-33)

It was all their own fault! They had already seen how God disliked complaints and how He had dealt with it the other time, and yet here they were doing the same thing all over again!! They had nobody to blame but themselves!

i. What conclusion do you come to after studying this chapter?  ()

We have to be very careful to have the right attitude to God and to His Word. After all, we owe everything we have to Him….God owes us NOTHING! We are His creatures and we have everything to be thankful for….He has given us life, and gave His Son to give us eternal life, with everything to look forwards to in a glorious future with Him.

 Numbers Seventeen…(1-13)

1.  Verses 1- 13

a. What was the last chapter all about?   (chapter 16)

It was all about the complaints of the people against Moses and Aaron who were God’s chosen leaders, and how the people were severely punished for their complaining.

b.  Read this chapter through….what does God do once and for all time for Moses and Aaron? (verses 1-13)        

God showed these complaining people that Moses and Aaron were His chosen leaders by performing a miracle they could not question.

c.  The people had just suffered a tremendous plague of some sort where over 14,000 had died and now God was going to prove to the rest of them who His leaders were…what did God tell them to do?  (verses  1-4)

Each tribe’s leader  was to  take their rod (some sort of stick they used for walking with or protection… everyone had one) and  write  their names on them, and then take them to the tabernacle and lay them in a row before the Lord overnight. Aaron’s name was on the rod of the tribe of Levi.

d. How did Moses make sure that all the sticks were exactly  the same?   (verses 6-7)

He checked them out himself and put them in place.

e. What did they find the next morning?  (verse 8)

When Moses brought all the sticks out of the tabernacle for the people to see, they found that not only had Aaron’s stick  come to life and have flowers on it, but there were ripe almonds as well!

f. What did God say as the people looked at these rods?   (verse 10)

He said that Aaron’s rod was to be kept in the tabernacle for ever as a reminder to the people to stop complaining about His chosen leaders.

g. Where was this rod of Aaron’s  kept?  (Hebrews 9:4)

It was put into the Ark of the Covenant, the box that was sitting in the tabernacle in the most Holy Place that also held the two tablets of stone with the ten commandments on them and a memorial pot of manna.

h. What was the final reaction of the people after this episode?           ( verses 11-13)

They realised that they had sinned and that they had better stop their complaints and accept God’s leaders or else they might all die!

i. What can we learn from all of this?  (1 Corinthians 10:5-12 )

To not be complainers like the people of Israel were….these things were written down as examples of what NOT to do or be. Just as Israel displeased God by their behaviour, so we can be the same, and we are to be very careful of our attitudes, especially towards the leaders that God has appointed. Our aim should be to please God in every way as we go through our journey of life.

 Numbers Eighteen…(1-32)

1.  Verses 1- 13

a. Who is God speaking to here?  What is He telling him?  (verse 1)

God is telling Aaron that he and his descendants have the charge of the priesthood.

b.  Who was to do all the menial tasks around the tabernacle, and see that everything was kept in order? (verses 2-7)        

God said that this was the job of the Levites….no-one else was to come near to the tabernacle or step out of line in this matter on pain of death.

c.  What comes with privilege?  (verses  6-7)

Responsibility comes with privilege, and the sons of Aaron had this privilege of being the priests serving in the tabernacle, but they also had the responsibility of keeping to God’s rules….the Levites had their jobs and the priests had theirs and the two were not to overlap.

d. Verses 8-19 deal with certain of the offerings that the priests were allowed to eat as part of their food ration….why was this?   (verses 20-24)

Because the tribe of Levi was not given an area of land to call their own….they were given a tenth of the produce of the rest of the tribes….that which the people brought to the Lord as their offerings went to the priests and the Levites. This was so that they would always be free to do the service of the Lord around the tabernacle which was an ongoing thing.

e. Were the Levites exempt from giving to the Lord ?  (verses  25-32)

No, they too had to give a tenth of what they had received

f. What are we instructed to give in this day and age?   (2 Corinthians 8:1-15; 9:6-8)

There is no set figure or percentage….we are to give what we can afford and to do it cheerfully with a willing heart.

g. What is the most important thing to give to the Lord first?  (Romans 12: 1-2, 13; 2 Corinthians 8:5)

To give Him ourselves….body, soul; and spirit, and then the rest will follow automatically.

 Numbers Twenty…(1-29)

1.  Verses 1- 13

a. What do we see in verse 1? What do we know about her?    (Exodus 2:4-8; 15:20-21; Numbers 12:1-15)

We see that Miriam died here in the wilderness. Miriam was quite a bit older than Moses (7-10 years?); she was a leader of the women, and classed as a prophetess; the Lord dealt severely with her when she stepped out of line in complaining about Moses’ leadership.

b.  What was the problem here? What did the people do about it? (verses 2-5)        

The people had run out of water, and complained about it bitterly, blaming Moses for bringing them there and wishing they were back in /Egypt!

c.  What did Moses and Aaron do about this?  (verse  6)

They did the best possible thing…..they went to the Lord and presented the problem before Him.

d. What was God’s response to this?   (verses 6b-9)

God didn’t rebuke the people this time for their complaint….He lit up the cloud with His glory for the people to see, and told Moses to take the rod (Aaron’s rod from the tabernacle) and go to the cliff face where they were staying and speak to it.

e. What had happened once before ?  (Exodus 17:6)

Once before when they had needed water, God had told Moses to strike the rock with his rod and water came out for the people.

f. What did Moses do this time? What had God told him to do?   (verses 8-11)

God had told him to speak to the rock (not hit it) and the water would come, but Moses was so angry with the people, that he whacked the rock twice.

g. Did God with-hold the water because Moses disobeyed Him?  (verse 11)

No, the water came out just the same.

h. What does this tell us?         

That God sometimes still blesses His Word in preaching which is done in the wrong manner e.g. with women preachers when God’s Word says specifically that women are to keep silent in the church.

i. Did Moses get away with this disobedience?  (verses 12-13; Deuteronomy 1:37)

No, he did not. The Lord told him he would not be able to enter the new land because of this….he was only able to see it from the mountain top.

j. Why was God so specific that the rock was only to be struck once? What did the rock represent?  ( 1 Corinthians 10:4-6; Hebrews 9:28)

The rock represented Christ who was only struck once with God’s wrath and is now available as the Water of Life at all times.

2.  Verses 14-29

a. What is the next section about?    (verses 14-17)

The people of Israel had come to the border of the king of Edom and wanted to pass quickly through his land, but the king refused them passage.

b.  Where did the people of Edom come from? Why did they use the term “brother”? (verse 14; Genesis 25:21-26; 36:8-9)        

The people of Edom were descended from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob who Israel had descended  from.

c.  Esau did not follow the Lord, while Jacob eventually did…..this is a spiritual picture of the two natures in a believer, the new nature (the Spirit) and the old nature (the flesh). What does the New Testament teach us about handling this?  (Romans 8:1-14; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

We are not to live for worldly things that pander to the flesh (the old nature) but are to follow the Lord and His ways (the new nature).

d. What do we see the king of  Edom (the flesh) doing here to Israel (God’s people)?   (verses 18-21)

He absolutely refused to allow them to pass through his land.

e. How does this apply to believers today ?  (Romans 7:18-19; Galatians 5:16-17)

The flesh and the new nature are at war with each other….they cannot mix. Whichever one we feed is the winner…we have to consciously DO what is right and it becomes easier, but we never completely overcome our old habits and ways.

f. What did Israel do in this case?   (verse 21)

Israel turned away from Edom and skirted around them the long way.

g. What does this show us for today?              (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Don’t even try to compromise with what you know is wrong, it won’t work! Don’t become yoked (locked in) with unbelievers….this includes marriage  or business partnerships as well.

h. This chapter begins with the death of Miriam….what does it end with?    (verses 28-29)

It ends with Aaron’s death.

i. Why was Aaron not allowed into the land of promise?         (verse 12)

Because he shared in Moses’ action of unbelief at bringing the water out of the rock.

j. What were the details of Aaron’s death?  ( verses 23-29)

God told Moses to go with Aaron and his son Eleazer up into the top of Mount Hor, and take the High Priestly robes off Aaron and put them on his son. All the people watched them go and only Eleazer came back wearing Aaron’s robes with Moses…..Aaron had died at the mountain top.

k. We see how Eleazer took his father’s responsibilities….who did Paul pass his responsibilities on to?   (2 Timothy 4:5-8)

Paul told Timothy he was ready to die….he had fought his fight well and was ready to meet the Lord. Timothy was to take up the work and carry it on.

l.  What should we each one be able to do?    (1 Corinthians 11:1)        

We should each be able to tell younger believers to follow us as we follow Christ….if we can’t honestly say that, we should take stock of where we are at in our Christian life.

Numbers Twenty-one…(1-35)

1.  Verses 1- 3

a. What do we see happening here?    (verse 1)

We see Israel suffering a set-back with the Canaanite king fighting against them, and harassing them.

b.  How can we relate this to us today?            

No-one can go through life without certain problems arising, whether it be health, financial or family ones.

c.  Sometimes we bring these things on ourselves….what did Israel do about it?  (verses 2-3)

They took their problem to the Lord and promised to get rid of this enemy if the Lord would help them.

d. What are we to do when things get us down?   (Philippians 4:6)

We are to take our problems to the Lord and do what we can in fixing the problem and leave the rest to Him.

e. What is the believers’ enemy ? What are we to do when attacked by him?     (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9)

Satan is always there to drag us down and tempt us to do wrong….we are to resist him and he will flee from us, especially when we use the Word of God as our defence. We are to completely get rid of whatever it was that put us in this position of temptation.

2.  Verses 4-9

a. The Lord had given the people a great victory over the enemy…what did they do next?    (verses 4-5)

They skirted around the land of Edom, and became discouraged and impatient with the way things were, and started complaining again…..they were not thankful for anything.

b.  How did God view this attitude?    (verse 6)        

He didn’t like it and dealt with it severely.

c.  When we complain about circumstances and people around us, what are we really complaining about? 

We are complaining about God Himself who allowed these things.

d. Why does God allow things to go wrong for us at times?   (Deuteronomy 8:2-3;  Hebrews 12:5-11)

He allows disappointing and sorrowful things in our lives to strengthen us in Him and to prove whether we will follow Him at all times….it is like a father correcting his children for their own good.

e. Can we always expect to live in a state of victory without any more tests? Why not?   (John 15:1-5)

It is like a gardener who prunes his vines so they will bring forth more fruit….it is so we can become strong in Him and bear fruit for Him being of use to others around us.

f. What did God chastise the people of Israel with because of their complaints?   (verses 6-7)

He sent poisonous snakes among them and many people died from the bites…..this made the people go to Moses and asked him to pray that God would remove them.

g. What did God tell Moses to do?  (verses 8-9)

He told him to make a snake of brass and put it high on a pole so the people could see it, and when they looked at it, they were healed. They did this and it worked.

h. What was this a picture of?           (John 3:14-16)

It was a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ being lifted up on the cross to die for us and take the judgment of God for our sins….those who look to Him and accept His salvation will live eternally with Him…those who refuse to do this will die in their sins and suffer God’s judgment for ever.

i. What was symbolic in the fact that the snake was to be made of brass which speaks of judgment?  (1 Peter 2:21-24)

Because the Lord Jesus took our sins on Himself and bore God’s judgment for us when He was lifted up on the cross. What a wonderful picture the brass snake was!

3.  Verses 10-35

a. Israel had forty years to fill in before they entered the main part of
God’s promised land….what were they doing here?    (verses 10-35)

They had reached the borders of the Amorite’s land and wanted to pass through it, but the king here also refused to allow it.

b.  What did they do this time and who initiated the battle?       (verses 21-25, 31)        

The king of the Amorites came out to fight Israel….Israel won the battle and destroyed the enemy then settled in the villages for the time being.

c.  Why did God allow all this fighting and bloodshed?  (Genesis 15:16)

It was His way of punishing these heathen nations for all their sin and idolatry…He told Abraham  that He was giving these people another four hundred years to repent of their sin, and if they didn’t, they would lose their land and identity.

d. Remembering that these heathen nations are a picture of the Christian’s struggle with the old nature, what can we take out of this story?   (Romans 7:18-25)

That we can never think we have completely overcome the old nature….it is always lurking there to rise up and defeat us. We have a continual battle, and can only overcome it with the help of the Lord.

 Numbers Twenty-two…(1-41)

1.  Verses 1- 19

a.  Israel had overcome the Amorites….who did they now have to face ?  (verses 1-3)

They were now facing Moab and its king Balak who were afraid of Israel.

b.  Who did Balak get on his side and what did they decide to do?    (verses 4-7)

Balak went to the people of Midian nearby and they decided to call on Balaam who had set himself up as some sort of prophet, to curse Israel with divination., and they would pay him the usual charge for divination.

c.  What did Balaam do about their request?  (verse 8)

He got them to stay the night with him and said he would consult with God about the matter.

d. What did God tell him to do?  What happened?   (verses 9-14)

God told him to tell the men that he was not to go with them to curse Israel as they (Israel) were a blest people. Balaam told Balak’s men this and they went back to Balak with the message.

e. If we read something in the Bible which we are not to do, what should we do?  Is it any different to what God told Balaam to do?     (Numbers 23:19)

It is no different…we are to obey God who doesn’t change His mind.

f. What did Balak do then?     (verses 15-17)

He didn’t give up trying….he tempted him by sending more important people with the promise of great promotion to Balaam if he would only curse Israel for him.

g. What was Balaam’s compromise to these men? What should he have told them?   (verses 18-19)

He said he couldn’t go against what God had told him to do, but invited the men to stay the night and he would ask God once again what to do. He should have told them at the door to be gone….his answer should have been final!

h. What is the lesson in this for us?      (James 1:13-15; 4:4-8)

To realise that God doesn’t change His mind as to His purposes or holiness….what He says, stands! We are to resist temptation and the devil will flee from us.

i. What was wrong with what Balaam did this time?  (James 1:14-15; Jude 1:11b)

He allowed himself to be tempted by the promise of money and position instead of turning his back on it right at this time.

j. What do we as believers have to realise in similar circumstances?  ( 1 John 2:15-17)

We cannot mix the world with our walk as a Christian….we are to have nothing to do with fleshly lusts, positions and ideas.

k. What will cleanse us from these tempting ideas?   (1 John 1:9)

Confession to the Lord  of these ideas as sin, and He will cleanse us by the blood of Christ to strengthen us to  walk in His ways.

2.  Verses 20 41

a.  What happened that night?        (verse20)

God spoke to Balaam again and said he could go with the men if he wanted to, but he was only to speak what God told him to say.

b.  What did Balaam do then, and what did God feel at his actions?       (verses 21-22a)

Balaam went with the men but God was angry with him for disobeying His first command.

c.  What do we have to be careful of when we want something really  badly but are not sure of it?   (Psalm 106:14-15; James 1:14-15)

We must be careful that it is not our lust that wants what we are hankering after…if it is against what God has said in His Word, He may grant our request but send leanness to our soul as a result….the thing we get may not be good for us!

d. What was Balaam tempted by?   (Jude 1:11b)

He was tempted by the idea of fame and rewards.

e. How did God get Balaam’s attention?     (verses 22-31)

God sent His angel to block Balaam’s way as he was riding on the donkey in a narrow place….the donkey saw the angel and refused to go any further but Balaam was too blinded by his own ideas to see anything wrong.

f. Even though God had told Balaam he could go, what was God showing him now?     (verse 31)

God showed him clearly the blockage…an angel standing with a drawn sword in front of him.

g. What was Balaam’s reaction at this sight? What should our reaction be when we have great ideas?    (verse 31c)

Balaam fell flat on his face on the ground before Him….we should get down before God and ask Him to show us what to do when in doubt. Too many people have a great idea and then ask God to bless it, without asking Him first about it! We should wait for confirmation from somewhere else, to be sure it isn’t just our own fancy idea before proceeding.

h.  Balaam’s determination to go almost brought his death from God ….now God had his attention, what did He tell him to do?      (verse 35)

To go with the men, but to only say what God wanted him to say….he was not to compromise any more.

i. What happened when Balaam finally met up with Balak?  (verses36-38)

Balak remonstrated with him and wanted to know why he was so long getting there, to which Balaam told him he would only speak the words that God told him to.

j. What did Balak do with Balaam the next day?  ( verses39-41)

He gave him a present of animals, and took him to the high places of Baal worship where he could see all Balak’s people gathered.

 Numbers Twenty-three…(1-30) – Twenty-five …(1-18)

1.  Verses 1- 30

a.  What did Balaam tell Balak to do, and what happened ?  (verses 1-4)

Balaam told Balak to build seven altars and to offer a ram and a  bullock on each of them, and he would then see what God had to tell him, so this was done.

b.  Did God respond to Balaam’s request? What did He tell him to say?    (verses 5-10)

God spoke to  Balaam and told him  to tell Balak  that Israel could not be cursed because they were a blest people and would multiply greatly…in fact, Balak’s own people would diminish to nothing!

c.  What happened then?  (verses 11-24)

Balak took Balaam to another high mountain where Israel could be seen from and went through the same performance again with seven more altars and sacrifices; again, Balaam went to hear what God would tell him to say.

d. What do you notice about the second message from God to Balak?   (verses 19-24)

It was even more positive than the first one….Israel would be blessed and prosper and nothing would stop it happening. God did not lie in what He said  and it would all come to pass!

e. What was Balak’s response to this?     (verses 25-26)

He said to forget it, and to neither  bless nor curse them.

f. What do we see about Balak then? How can we relate this to our own experience and walk before the Lord?     (verses 27-30; Romans 7:15-25)

He didn’t give up trying….he continued to try again to have Israel cursed by taking Balaam to an even higher place. We have the same problem with our old nature….no matter how many years we have been walking with the Lord, it still pops its head up every so often to attack us in impatience or unkind words, bad habits and selfishness.

2.   Chapter 24: verses 1- 25

a.  What do we see about Balaam here ?  (verse 1)

It had finally dawned on him that God WAS going to bless Israel regardless and he left his other secret arts alone this time. It seems that his understanding and trust of God was limited, and he was trying to mix his magic and God together.

b.  In spite of that, how did God use him?    (verses 2-3a)

God put His Spirit on  him (it doesn’t say IN him) and he was able to utter the words that God wanted him to say.

c.  What was it that Balaam said about Israel?  (verses 3b-9)

He told of how Israel had spread, prospered  and grown; how God had brought them out of Egypt and how He had blessed them and those who blessed them would in turn be blessed and those who cursed them would be cursed!

d. What did Balak think of this speech?   (verses 10-11)

He was extremely angry and told Balaam to get lost!

e. What was Balaam’s response to this?     (verses 12-14)

He told Balak that he had always said he would only say what God told him to say.

f. What did he go on to say to Balak?     (verses 15-25)

He went on to say that he had seen this vision of the future and how there would come a great One from Israel who would destroy all the evil nations.

g. It’s amazing how a person like Balaam had this prophecy given to him….who is it referring to?   (verse 17; Revelation 22:16)

It is referring to Jesus Christ as the bright and morning star shining in the heavens as the pre-eminent One who would come from the nation of Israel.

3  Chapter 25: verses 1-18

a. Balaam and Balak separated, but it seems that Balaam may have gone back to Balak later with a scheme of how to drag Israel down….we are told that Balaam was behind this next scheme of Balak’s…what was it?      (verses 1-3; Chapters 24:25; 31: 8, 16;  Revelation 2:14)

Balak sent his girls out to dance before the Israelis and the men took them and had sex with them, then also took their idols and began to worship them….this would have happened over a period of time.

b.  Where did Israel stay after all this? Seeing God was leading the people, why do you think He left them so near to these heathen people?    (verse 1; Deuteronomy 8:2)

Israel was staying right next to the heathen people of Moab…God left them there to prove how sincere they would be in  following  His laws.

c.  How did the people pass this test?  (verses 3-5)

They failed miserably.   

d. What was the punishment for this sin? What brought matters to a head?   (verses 5-8)

The people all gathered together when they saw that the Lord was sending a plague on them and came weeping before the door of the tabernacle. However, there were still some who brazenly took the heathen women into their tent in the sight of everyone… and it fell to the lot of Phineas who was the high priest to deal with the matter and execute both the man and the woman.

e. What happened once the sin was dealt with? How is our sin dealt with?     (verses 8c-9; 1 John 1:9)

The plague stopped instantly, but 24,000 lost their lives in the process. Our sin is cleansed the moment we confess it to God, and we are given a fresh start.

f. What did the Lord promise Phineas for getting rid of the sin in the camp?     (verses 11-13)

He promised that his descendants would be priests for ever.

g. What were the people of Israel told to do with the Midiantes, their heathen neighbours?   (verses 14-18)

There was to be no tolerance and no mercy….they were to be smitten and driven off.

i. How are we to react when temptation comes our way?  (James 4:7-8; 1 Peter 5:8-9)

We are to resist Satan’s attacks and stand firm on God’s truth and he will flee from us…we are not to give an inch to him or to argue with him….God says it, I believe it and that settles it!

 Numbers Twenty-six ….(1-65)

1.  Verses 1- 65

a.  When did this chapter start? How many people had died in this plague?  (verse 1; 25:9)

This chapter starts after the plague had killed 24,000 of the people.

b.  What did God tell Moses and Eleazar  to do now?   (verses 2-4)

They were to number all the males from twenty years old and up who were able to go to war.

c.  When was the last time that the people had been numbered?  How many men were numbered then? (1:1-3, 46)

It was forty years earlier in the second year after leaving Egypt, and there were 603, 550 eligible men then.

d. How many were counted this time?   (verse 51)

There were 601,730 this time.

e. What had the people been doing in these intervening forty years? Why ?     (14:27-35)

They had been wandering around in the wilderness for forty years because of their unbelief in not wanting to take the land when the spies went in to search it out….God told them that every person over the age of twenty would not see the new land, but they would be in the wilderness one year for every day the search was made because of their complaints. Their children would be the ones to go into the land.

f. What did Moses find at the end of this census?     (verse 64)

That there wasn’t any man left who had been numbered in the first census, except Caleb and Joshua.

g. Why were Caleb and Joshua still there who were the only men over sixty years of age.?   (24: 24, 30)

Because they had a believing spirit in them and didn’t doubt that God would be able to take them in to the land.

j. What instructions did God give Moses concerning the people when they went into the new land?  ( verses 52-56)

Tribes with the larger numbers would be given more land than those smaller tribes.

k. Which tribe had not been numbered with the main census? Why not?   (verses57-58, 62c)

The tribe of Levi was no numbered with the others because they were not expected to go to war on account of having the duties of the tabernacle (and later the temple) to see to. They were not apportioned a specific part of the new land either, but were given portions throughout the tribes for their farms etc.

l.  How many were there of the tribe of Levi?        (verse 62)

There were 23,000 of them.

m.  We have a list of Levi’s immediate descendants in Exodus….what familiar names do you find among them?  What seems to be the average age of the people then?     ( verses 59-61; Exodus 6:16-25)

We see the names of Moses’ parents (Amram and Jochebed) , with Miriam and Aaron as well as Aaron’s sons who followed him into the priesthood. The people seemed to live around the 130 year mark then.

 Numbers Twenty-seven ….(1-23)

1.  Verses 1- 23

a.  What was the problem for this family?  (verses 1-4)

There were no sons in this family and the daughters were wondering how  they stood in relation to having land in their father’s name seeing he had died.

b.  What did Moses do?  What arrangement was made for them?  (verses 5-11)

Moses took the matter to the Lord to see what should be done in such cases, and the Lord told him  that daughters had the right of inheritance if there were no sons, and if there were no children at all, the man’s land would pass to his next of kin….on no account was the land to pass out of that tribe.

c.  What time had come for Moses now? What did God tell him  to do? (verses 12-14)

Moses’ job was done and it was time for him to die….God told him to go to the top of mountain and look over the land in the distance which the Lord was going to give to the people. He (Moses) was not going to be allowed to go into the land because he struck the rock twice to get water when he was told specifically to speak to it….disobedience has consequences.

d. What was Moses’ great concern at this time?   (verses 15-17)

He asked the Lord to appoint a man to take his place to lead the people into the land and not leave them leaderless  like sheep without a shepherd.

e. Who did God tell him to appoint and how was it to be done ?     (verses 18-23)

God told him to take Joshua to Eleazar the priest in the sight of all the people, and put his hands on him so they could see that Joshua was being appointed for this job and that they would respect him as such.

f. What was the difference between the way Joshua would get his instructions from the Lord and the way that Moses did?     (verse 21; Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:9-10)

Moses got his instructions directly from the Lord Himself….God spoke to him face to face we are told (although Moses didn’t actually see God’s face). Joshua would get his instructions from the Lord through the high priest wearing the Urim and Thummim….this was God’s chosen method of communicating after the time of Moses.

g. How do we get our instructions from God today?   (2 Corinthians 6: 14)

First of all from His Word…we are to see if there is anything against our plan of action specifically mentioned in the Bible, e.g. is it specifically forbidden like being unequally yoked with an unbeliever in marriage or in business.  Secondly, ask advice from experts in the field of action (if spiritual, ask a godly person you know; if in business, ask experts in that field); thirdly be in prayer over the matter and if there is peace about the course of action, ask the Lord to close doors if it is not to be pursued.

 Numbers Twenty-eight to Thirty ….

 

a.  Quickly scan through these chapters….what do they seem to be all about? 

They are about different offerings that had to be made for the sins of the people and the rules for people who made vows to the Lord.

b.  How often did they have to make these sacrifices?  (28:3- 9)

There had to be a continual burnt offering of a lamb each morning and each night, with extra offerings on the Sabbath day, as well as other offerings for special reasons.

c.  Why is it not necessary for us to make these sort of offerings to God  today? (Hebrews 9:8-28)

The first covenant which God made with the people of Israel had been proved faulty in that it was of too high a standard for people to keep perfectly, and the people had broken it by their weaknesses, so God brought in another more perfect way through Himself by giving His own Son to make an eternal sacrifice for man’s sin. All that people have to do today, is to admit they are sinners and accept this sacrifice that Jesus Christ made. They will then be made new creatures in Christ and be able to live the way God wants them to.

d. The people had a major festival which they were to keep each year…what was it and what did it represent?   (28:16; 1 Corinthians 5:7)

The Passover feast was to be kept every year….it was in memory of them leaving Egypt when the Passover lamb was killed with the blood being sprinkled over the door of each house and the angel of death passed over that house safely. It also looked forwards to the day when the Lord Jesus Christ was to be made the passover lamb for all mankind although the people of Israel didn’t know this at the time.

e. What is chapter thirty about?    

It was concerning the rules for a woman or girl who made a vow to the Lord and how it was to be conducted. If the husband or father knew about it and agreed with it, it was to stand. But if the menfolk of the woman or girl disagreed, she was released from keeping it.

 Numbers Thirty-one ….(1-54)

1. Verses 1-18

a.  Read this section right through in one sitting….what is it all about? 

It is about Moses’ last job for the people….they were to destroy  the Midianites who had caused Israel to sin earlier….it tells how the army went to war and did as Moses had said, and brought the booty back for themselves. Moses gave instructions what was to be done to make it acceptable to keep.

b.  How many men were in the army of Israel for this battle?  (verses 3-5)

There were a thousand taken from each tribe, 12,000 in all.

c.  Who led the men into war? (verse 6)

Phineas the priest led the army with trumpets and holy instruments….they went with God in front of them.

d. What do we notice in recent battles and skirmishes that Israel as a nation has been involved in?  

They are short and sharp….it doesn’t pay to mess with Israel! God’s promises still stand, and miracles still happen even though Israel as a whole does not acknowledge God’s help.

e. We know that Midian (along with the other nations of Moab  etc were all part of the Amorites and are symbolic of the world, the flesh and the devil). What were the people told to do as they went to war?    (verses 1-3)

They were told to avenge the Lord of the Midianites….that meant to completely get rid of them.

f. Instead of that, what did they do?     (verses 7-12)

They had compromised by only killing the males but saving the women and children alive and bringing all the booty they could lay their hands on, flocks and herds as well as gold and silver.

g. Who else was killed in this slaughter that we have already read about?   (verse 8c)

Balaam had climbed the political ladder and he was named with these kings of Midian.

h. What are we prone to do with God’s order of things?  ( 1 John 2:15-16)

We compromise God’s truth with what we want or think is better…whatever the current thing in the world is, the church allows to creep into its order.

i. Can you think of things that fall into this category?   (1 Corinthians 6:6-10; 1 Timothy 2:12 )

Women taking leading roles in church government and services, and those who are not committed Christians creeping in with their teachings.

j.  Why were the women in particular to have been destroyed? What did Moses say had to happen because of this?        (verses 15-18)

It was through the women that Israel was tempted to fall into sin and idolatry through Balaam’s advice, and they were not allowed to live, neither were the boys as the seeds of rebellion were already in their minds. The only ones they were allowed to keep alive were the girl children as they could be trained in the ways of the Lord.

k.  What lesson can we get out of this story for ourselves?     (2 Timothy 1:13; 3:14-17)

We are to stand fast in the truth that God has given us in His Word, and not compromise with the world at all. What God says stands, no matter what the world does or screams at us, such as women leaders and homosexual’s rights.

2. Verses 19-54

a.  What is this next section about? 

It is about cleansing the people and their booty from all that pertained to Midian.

b.  How were all the things they kept to be cleansed?  (verses 19-24)

They were to go through either the fire (the metals) or the water (clothes, materials and skins)

c.  How long were they to be separated from the others for? (verses 19, 24)

It would take seven days for them to be pronounced clean.

d. From verses 25-47 we see how they divided up all the animals for the Lord’s portion first and then for the people….the Levites didn’t go to war…were they left out?   (verse 47)

No, they were given equal share with the others.

e. What does verse 49 tell us? Do we see that today in Israel’s skirmishes?    

There was not one soldier missing after the battle….even today, Israel does not suffer many losses in fighting.

f. What did the officers and captains of the army say to Moses?    (verses 48-50)

They wanted to give an offering to the Lord of all the personal booty (jewellery and gold ornaments) they had taken for themselves.

g. What offering does God look for first from His people today?    (Matthew 22:36-38; Romans 12:1-2)

He wants His people to give themselves to Him before they give their things….God wants their hearts, minds and souls (their whole person) first.

 Numbers Thirty-two ….(1-42)

1. Verses 1-42

a.  Read this chapter right through in one sitting….what is it all about? 

It is about the two tribes of Gad and Reuben wanting to settle where they were, and what God told Moses to tell them.

b.  What was their reason for this request?  (verses 4-5)

It was a land of plenty of grass for their cattle.

c.  What was the gist of Moses’ reply to this request? (verses 6-15)

He reminded them of how the Lord’s anger fell on the people when they refused to go into the land back in the time of the spies, and he felt that the same thing would happen again. Besides, he felt it wasn’t fair that they stay settled there while the rest of the people had to go in to claim the land and go through battles without their help.

d. They had already anticipated this reply and had their answer worked out….what was it?   (verses 16-19)

They would settle their families and build cattle yards, then their fighting men would accompany the rest of the tribes as they crossed the Jordan river and went into the promised land, before they would return to their homes this side of the river.

e.   What did Moses say to this proposal?    (verses 20-32)

Moses told them that if they kept to this agreement, it would be OK but if they didn’t keep to it, the Lord’s anger would fall on them.

 f. What is the rest of the chapter about?     (verses 33-42)

It tells of how these tribes settled in the country of what had belonged to Og and Sihon the two kings that had been destroyed earlier.

g. What can we learn from this chapter?  

Just as Moses recapped what the Lord had done for them since leaving Egypt, so we are to contemplate what God’s deliverance for us from the darkness of sin and what He has done for us through the years has been and to give Him thanks for all of this.

 Numbers Thirty-three ….(1-56)

1. Verses 1-56

a.  This chapter tells of all the camping places of the people since leaving Egypt; it is an interesting exercise to count them up….how many were there?  (verses 1-59)

They had 45 moves in 40 years

b.  What had happened in the fortieth year after they left Egypt?  (verse 38)

This was when Aaron went up to the top of Mt. Hor and died there.

c.  How old was Aaron when he died?        (verse 39)

He was 123 years old.

d. Where was the last pitching of their tents?   (verse 49)

They finally pitched their tents beside the river Jordan across from Jericho

e.   What were God’s instructions to Moses here?    (verses 50-54)

He was to tell the people that the time had come to go into the new land, and that they were to destroy the present inhabitants and divide the land up according to their population.

 f. From a human point of view this seems to be most unfair, but what was God’s reason for wiping out these other people?     (Genesis 15:16-21)

God  had told Abraham that He would give his descendants the land that Abraham was currently in….the local people there were a wicked idolatrous people with no thought for Himself, but He was giving them another 400 years to repent of their ways…their cup of  wickedness was not full at that time.

g. How does God view wickedness in people, both then and now?   (Genesis 6: 5-7; Ezekiel 18:4)

Sin results in, and deserves death…this is an unalterable and fixed fact. God can only stand so much from man’s wickedness and then He will destroy them and start again. Just as this happened in Noah’s time, so it was to happen at this time also.

h. What were God’s specific instructions to Israel to do once they got into the new land?  ( verses 52-53)

They were to completely destroy all the people and everything in the land to do with idol worship.

i. What were they to do once this was done?   (verse 54)

They were to then divide the land among the tribes according to how many people were in each one.

j.  How can we apply this to ourselves today?        (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:1-22)

We are to completely get rid of everything in our lives that distract us from the things of God…we are to exercise self control in the matter of our gadgets and activities that keep us from God’s Word and meeting with His people; just as Israel was having a new start in a new land , so we are to remember that we are a new people compared to what we used to be and to keep ourselves walking in His way.

k.  What would happen to Israel if they didn’t drive all the old people out of the land?     (verses 55-56)

The old inhabitants would gradually merge into Israel and they would fall away from the Lord in time, not only that but they would always remain as thorns and pricks in the people of Israel..

l.  How does that apply to us today?     (John 17:14-16; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

We cannot afford to mix with the world socially or to allow their ways to permeate our church life; we may be  IN the world, but we are not part OF the world!

 

Numbers Thirty-four-Thirty-six…..

Chapter thirty four names the men who would be responsible in each tribe to see that the land was divided up fairly.

Chapter thirty five lays down the rules for having six cities of refuge for anyone who accidentally caused a death….while they remained in the city they would be safe from the avenger of death (verses 15, 27-28)

Chapter thirty six brings up another concern…..

1. Verses 1-13

a.  What were the leaders in Manasseh worrying about?  (verses 1-3)

They were concerned that the daughters of Zelophehad who had inherited their fathers’ portion would marry and take their share with them out of the tribe, and asked how  this was to be avoided.

b.  What did Moses do every time there was a fresh problem arising?  (verse 5)

He took it to the Lord to get the answer.

c.  What should we do when we come up against problems and difficulties?        (Philippians 4:6)

We should not worry about them but tell the Lord about the matter and give thanks for  the answer whether it be what we want or not.

d. What does God do for us if we do this?   (Philippians 4:7)

He gives us a peace that can’t be explained, even in disappointments.

e.   So what were God’s instructions to Moses here?    (verses 5-9)

That women who inherited their father’s property because there were no sons in the family, were only to marry within their own tribes. This would mean there would be no problem with land being taken from one tribe to another.

 f. What did these particular girls do about the matter?     (verses11-12)

They married their first cousins and everyone was happy!

 So ends the book of Numbers…the people were camped near the river Jordan, across which was the land that God had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants many years before. The promise God made all those years ago, still stands today….woe betide anyone who tries to divide the land, they will not prosper !