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Introduction & Overview

Overview

  • Travel Log of the Israelites from Sinai to Canaan
    • This trip should take two weeks by foot... it takes forty years
    • So we covered about one year and 32 months since Israel left Egypt through the wilderness of Sinai,Sinai (Numbers 1:1), through the receiving of the Law, the golden calf, the building of the tabernacle, consecration of the priests and all those laws. 
    • The end half of Exodus and all the way through Leviticus and the first half of Numbers covers about 1 year and 32 months. The second half of Numbers covers 40 years (Deuteronomy 1:3)
      • "on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt," (Numbers 1:1)
      • "In the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month" (Deuteronomy 1:3)
  • A good understanding of Numbers will help you to have a good understanding of the rest of the Bible
    •  We see the generational impact of people who are given the choice to take God's word, or choose not to obey God.
    • We see that God always finds a way to spare those who are loyal to Him, and spare a whole new generation and allow them to make their own decisions

Structure

  • Three locations, with travel sections between them; three groups of character focal points at each stage 
    • Chapter 1-10: Mt Sinai
      • Taking the first census and arranging the tribes (1-4)
      • Laws about ritual purity (5-10)
      • Characters
        • Israel: Numbered and arranged
        • Levites: Not numbered; arranged at the tabernacle
        • God: Provides shelter when Israel moves, center of the camp when Israel stops - Protector and Guide
    • Chapter 10-12: Traveling
      • Complain about Manna (11)
      • Miriam and Moses complain (12)
      • Characters
        • Israel: Complaining
        • Levites: Complaining (Aaron and Miriam)
        • God: Punishes the complaints
    • Chapter 13-19: Wilderness of Paran
      • Twelve Spies (13-14)
      • Rebellion of Korah (16-17)
      • Characters
        • Israel: Rebel (kill Moses and go back to Egypt)
        • Levites: Rebel (Korah)
        • God: Bans first generation, Affirms Moses and Aaron
    • Chapter 20-21: Traveling
      • Complain about water and Moses (20)
      • Bronze Serpent (21)
      • Characters
        • Israel: Complains
        • Levites: Aaron and Miriam die; Moses will die too
        • God: Judges, heals, fights
    • Chapter 22-36: Plains of Moab
      • Balaam (22-25)
      • New Generation Census (26)
      • Tribes begin to settle (32-36)
      • Characters
        • Israel: Numbered again
        • Levites: Phineas is chosen
        • God: Blessing Israel through Balaam 

Themes

  • Israel's Rebellion vs God's Faithfulness
    • This book contains the majority of Israel's complaining:
      • Complain about Manna (11)
      • Complain about priesthood (Aaron, Miriam) (12)
      • Complain about the land (13-14)
      • Complain about Priesthood (Korah, Dathan) (16-17)
      • Complain about water (20)
    • God still provides and has mercy
      • Gives them Manna and water
      • Gives them the bronze serpent
      • Promise of the Messiah
    • OT References
      • Isaiah 63
      • Ezekiel 20
      • Jeremiah 7
      • Psalm 78
      • Psalm 95
      • Psalm 106
    • NT References
      • 1 Corinthians 10
      • Hebrews 4-5
  • God brings judgment... AND shows mercy
    • "Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off." (Romans 11:22)
    •  Judgment by prohibiting them from entering the Promised Land, and yet mercy by leaving it open for their children
    • Judgment by serpents, and yet mercy by the bronze serpent
    • Judgment on Korah and his followers, and yet the sons of Korah author some of the Psalms in our Scripture
    • Judgment on Miriam with leprosy, and yet mercy when it went away in seven days

Symbols

Patristic Guides

  • St. Gregory of Nyssa - "The Life of Moses"
  • Origen - "Homilies on Numbers"
  • Theodoret of Cyrus - "Questions on Numbers"
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