Numbers 25-27 Phinehas and Joshua
Observations: 25:1-2 David is praying because he's sinned and suffering shameful consequences (25:18)
25:4-8 The smart sinner asks God to guide them so they don't make the same stupid mistakes.
25:8-13 David appeals to God's character and hesed for pardon and promised blessing, noting that humble fear of God opens the door to goodness regardless of great sin.
25:14 The rest of the Psalm is covered under Luke 8-10, but this verse is worth noting here. Fearing God is being careful to do what is right in His sight, because you know there are unpleasant consequences for displeasing disobedience (as the OT makes abundantly clear for those with eyes to see).
Application: When you're off the path and in the swamp, humbly seek and accept God's solutions to stay on the path: forgiveness and truth.
Prayer: Good and Gracious God, I praise You for being a God who pardons. Forgive me for straying and guide me in Your Truth. Amen.
Proverbs 7:1-5 What's on Your Heart and in Your Eye?
7:1 “My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Tell wisdom, "You are my sister." Call understanding your relative, 5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.”
Observation: In the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33) God writes His law on one's heart. Here we have the responsibility to do the writing. Note the benefit of embracing the right objectives and the right means of attaining them (Wisdom), a value transformation that vaccinates you against unfaithfulness to God.
Application: How do you write God's word on your heart? How have your values changed as a result? Hint: Psalm 119:9-11
Prayer: Holy God, Your desire is for me to be holy as You are Holy, show me how to incorporate Your Word in every aspect of my life. Amen.
Numbers 25-27
Numbers 25 Phinehas Stops the Plague
Observations: 25:1 Shittim is sometimes translated as Acacias Grove, the place where Israel was told to get the wood for the Ark of the Covenant and Tabernacle. Groves of trees were favorite spots for pagan worship because of the fertility implications.
The Moabites were descended from the eldest son of Lot. The Midianites (descended from the fourth son of Abraham thru Keturah) had joined with the Amorites to hire Balaam to curse Israel. Unable to go against God's command to bless Israel, Balaam counseled spiritual seduction of Israel through sexual worship of Baal.
Num 31:16 Behold, these (women) caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Yahweh in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Yahweh. Revelations 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
25:3 Baal is a Semitic/Mesopotamian word for lord or master. It can refer to humans, but when applied to deities it usually refers to a localized/territorial demon, worshiped by the pagans. Peor means cleft or gap and was the mountain from which Balaam tried to curse Israel. Baal-peor was worshiped in abominable orgiastic rituals that the Scriptures hint at (Ps 106:28; Hosea 9:10) and secular and rabbinic sources detail. See Leviticus 1-7 post under Digging Deeper for more on pagan vs. Yahweh worship. God raised up the Israelites to judge idolaters (Gen 15).
25:12 Phinehas gets peace (“life is good”) as a covenantal blessing for his service to God and Israel.
25:14 Eleazar probably learned something from the failure of the Genesis generation to train his kids, and produced Phinehas. Salu, following in the steps of his ancestor Simeon, didn't teach Zimri self-control, and that led to Zimri's destruction.
25:17 Now God orders the payback on Midian, which gets carried out in Numbers 31, with Phinehas leading the charge.
Application: Immorality and unfaithfulness lead to punishment; zeal for God's reputation and hatred of sin leads to permanent peace.
Prayer: Lord, You are the True God, above all others, may I be zealous for Your reputation, regardless of the consequences. Amen.
Chapter 26 Surviors, the Wilderness
57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites...61 Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh. 62 Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. 64 But among these there was not a man of them who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For Yahweh had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." There was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Observations: The second census (for the purpose of dividing the land inheritances) gives reminders of a couple of noteworthy rebellions against Yahweh's word, and ends with the fulfillment of God's promise to have the generation die in the desert, with the exceptions of Caleb and Joshua.
26:51 Simeon was the biggest loser: down 37,100; Manassah, who was the smallest in the last census, the biggest gainer, up 20,900; Judah still the largest, gaining only 1,900. Levites gained an even 1,000. Overall the nation lost 1,820 from the last census.
Application: The herd is usually headed to slaughter, so it's worth departing from it to follow God.
Prayer: God Who Keeps His Promises, may I always trust and obey You, even if no one else does. Amen.
Chapter 27 Getting and Losing Inheritance
27:1 The daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying, 3 "Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father." 5 Moses brought their cause before Yahweh. 6 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father`s brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 If he have no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he have no brothers...kinsman..."
12 Yahweh said to Moses, "Get up to the mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; 14 because you rebelled against My word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the waters before their eyes."
16 "Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh not be as sheep which have no shepherd." 18 Yahweh said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 You shall put of your honor on him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation." 22 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: 23 and he laid his hands on him, and gave him a charge, as Yahweh spoke by Moses.
16 "Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh not be as sheep which have no shepherd." 18 Yahweh said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 You shall put of your honor on him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation." 22 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: 23 and he laid his hands on him, and gave him a charge, as Yahweh spoke by Moses.
Observations: 27:5 Moses' immediate response is to seek God's instructions; and God establishes female inheritance rights.
27:14 Moses loses the right to enter the Promised Land because he struck, rather than spoke to the rock. However he does get to see it. Note that God continued to use him to lead His people, even though he lost out on some of His future blessing.
27:18 Joshua is chosen by God to shepherd His people. Note that the Spirit was already upon Joshua, and he was subject to Eleazar's inquiry using the Urmin in the high priest's breastplate.
Application: Sin, even though forgiven, has negative aftereffects. No exceptions.
Prayer: Holy God, may I always take You at Your word, and obey Your word, without doubting. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
God in a nutshell: God clearly doesn't like rivals, and will destroy the unfaithful, immediately, or over time. He desires Spirit-controlled leaders, holds them to the highest standard, and gives them the consequence of their sin. He rewards those who have on their heart what's on His heart, His reputation/glory, and the welfare of His people. God cares about the rights, inheritance, and shepherding of all His people.
Us in a nutshell: We are easily seduced away from God when we have the wrong values and character (no self-control). When we chose to do what the pagans do, we reap loss and regret; when we chose to be loyal to Him we reap great reward.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
Numbers complete text
Chapter 25
25:1 Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab: 2 for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; and the people ate, and bowed down to their gods. 3 Israel joined himself to Baal-peor: and the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel. 4 Yahweh said to Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to Yahweh before the sun, that the fierce anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel. 5 Moses said to the judges of Israel, Kill you everyone his men who have joined themselves to Baal-peor. 6 Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand; 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. 9 Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. 10 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn`t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace: 13 and it shall be to him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel. 14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers` house among the Simeonites. 15 The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a fathers` house in Midian. 16 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 17 Vex the Midianites, and strike them; 18 for they vex you with their wiles, with which they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.
Chapter 26
26:1 It happened after the plague, that Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers` houses, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel. 3 Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4 [Take the sum of the people], from twenty years old and upward; as Yahweh commanded Moses and the children of Israel, that came forth out of the land of Egypt. 5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: [of] Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty. 8 The sons of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Yahweh, 10 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign. 11 Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn`t die. 12 The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred. 15 The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred. 19 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 21 The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred. 23 The sons of Issachar after their families: [of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; 24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred. 26 The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, sixty thousand five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: [of] Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 and [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 and [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and [of] Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh; and those who were numbered of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families. 38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand six hundred. 42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44 The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, fifty-three thousand and four hundred. 48 The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were numbered of them were forty-five thousand four hundred. 51 These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty. 52 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 53 To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance: to everyone according to those who were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given. 55 Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer. 57 These are those who were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. 58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram`s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt: and she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 61 Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before Yahweh. 62 Those who were numbered of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel. 63 These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among these there was not a man of them who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For Yahweh had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. There was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Chapter 27
27:1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 They stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying, 3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against Yahweh in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father. 5 Moses brought their cause before Yahweh. 6 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father`s brothers; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. 8 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. 9 If he have no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father`s brothers. 11 If his father have no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be to the children of Israel a statute [and] ordinance, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 12 Yahweh said to Moses, Get you up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered; 14 because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes. (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15 Moses spoke to Yahweh, saying, 16 Let Yahweh, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Yahweh not be as sheep which have no shepherd. 18 Yahweh said to Moses, Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 You shall put of your honor on him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Yahweh: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. 22 Moses did as Yahweh commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: 23 and he laid his hands on him, and gave him a charge, as Yahweh spoke by Moses.
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