Daily Truthbase: delight

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2 Samuel 21-24 David's Swan Song

2 Samuel 21-24 David's Swan Song

Psalm 49:1-15 Wealth Doesn't Redeem From Death, God Does

Ps 49:1 “Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world, 2 both low and high, rich and poor together. 3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart shall utter understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp. 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, when iniquity at my heels surrounds me? 6 Those who trust in their wealth, and boast in the multitude of their riches 7 none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give God a ransom for him. 8 For the redemption of their life is costly, no payment is ever enough, 9 that he should live on forever, that he should not see corruption. 10 For he sees that wise men die; likewise the fool and the senseless perish, and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is that their houses will endure forever, and their dwelling places to all generations. They name their lands after themselves. 12 But man, despite his riches, doesn't endure. He is like the animals that perish. 13 This is the destiny of those who are foolish, and of those who approve their sayings. Selah.

14 They are appointed as a flock for Sheol. Death shall be their shepherd. The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning. Their beauty shall decay in Sheol, far from their mansion. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive me. Selah.

Observations: The Psalmist ponders the prosperity of the wicked, exposing their foolish attempts to live beyond the grave by means of their wealth. All die, and face decay, just like the animals. Only God can redeem or “buy back” from Sheol (the grave), and He does redeem/save the upright from the grave, and gives them dominion and life over the foolish rich. The introductory verse 5 serves as a summary: there is no need for the wise and upright to fear death, a future awaits them, rather than the fate of the foolish rich.

Application: Work on being wise and upright, and you'll have nothing to fear.

Prayer: My Redeemer and Shepherd, thanks that Your wisdom not only benefits us in this life, but also in the next, so I have nothing to fear. Amen.

Proverbs 13:14-15 Spring of Life or Snare of Death

Pr 13:14 “(13 Whoever despises instruction will be destroyed, but he who fears a command will be rewarded.) 14 The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, to turn from the snares of death. 15 Good understanding wins favor; but the way of the unfaithful is hard.“

Observations: 13:14-15 Having just established in verse 13 that despising God's instruction results in destruction while fearing (being really really concerned about doing what is right in His sight, i.e., obeying) results in reward, the author elaborates with a couple of metaphors. The teaching of the wise (folks who've mastered Proverbs and God's ways and thus choose the right objectives in life) gives life like a spring. Those who have a good understanding of God's word (and follow it) experience favor. Those who don't understand, don't obey it, are unfaithful, and experience difficulties.

Application: How has God's word turned you from sin?

Prayer: Lord, help me understand and faithfully follow Your wisdom and avoid the snares of death. Amen.

2Samuel 21-24 The final four chapters of the book contain a pair of punishments for disloyalty (first and last chapters), arranged around a pair of listings of David's loyal men, which sandwich a pair of psalms in the middle (chiastic structure). When an author uses this structure, he wants to emphasize the content in the middle, David's trust in the Lord, and God's exaltation of him in response to that trust.

2 Samuel 21 Covenantal Curse Removed

21:1 There was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, "It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites." 2 The king called the Gibeonites, and said to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn to them: and Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah); 3 and David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?" 4 The Gibeonites said to him, "It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." He said, "Whatever you say, that will I do for you." 5 They said to the king, "The man who consumed us, and who devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel, 6 let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh." The king said, "I will give them." 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured on them from the sky. She allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night. 11 It was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. 12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa; 13 and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son: and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. After that God was entreated for the land.

15 The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint; 16 and Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being armed with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall go no more out with us to battle, that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel." 18 It came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant. 19 There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. 21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him. 22 These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

Observations: 21:1-14 The Gibeonites had tricked Israel into making a treaty with them during the conquest under Joshua (Josh 9). Apparently Saul had violated it, although the Scriptures don't record the specific account. Sometime in David's reign a famine ensued as the curse for Saul breaking the covenant (lack of fertility). The author of 2Samuel sometimes records events topically rather than chronologically, so it's difficult to pinpoint when this event happened. Three years into the famine David asks God why, and finds out the cause. The Gibeonites gruesomely demand the death of seven of Saul's descendents. David complies, sparing Mephibosheth, out of hesed to Jonathan, and the curse ends with the blessing of rain. David notes the loyalty of Rizpah to her sons, and he takes care of the bones of Saul and Jonathan, demonstrating again his hesed to Jonathan.

21:15-22 This account of the death of four giants underscore the loyalty of David's “servants” in protecting the “lamp” of Israel.

Application: Disloyalty to covenant obligations results in cursing/death; loyalty to covenant obligations results in blessing/life.

Prayer: Lord, help me be loyal to my obligations to obey and serve You, so You can bless rather than discipline me. Amen.

2 Samuel 22 Does God Delight in You?

22:1 David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 and he said, "Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; 3 God, my rock, in him I will take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence. 4 I will call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from my enemies. 5 For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 6 The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death caught me. 7 In my distress I called on Yahweh. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry came into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. 14 Yahweh thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice. 15 He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and confused them. 16 Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17 He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support.

20 He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 21 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity. 25 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. 27 With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 28 You will save the afflicted people, But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down.

29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness. 30 For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. 32 For who is God, besides Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God? 33 God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect. 34 He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places. 35 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass. 36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentle favor has made me great. 37 You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped. 38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed. 39 I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet. 40 For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. 43 Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad. 44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. 45 The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. 46 The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places. 47 Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, 48 even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me, 49 who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. 50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations. Will sing praises to your name. 51 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows hesed/loyal love to his anointed, to David and to his seed, forevermore."

Observations: 22:1-19 This is basically the same text as Psalm 18. It is the largest repeated text in the Bible (Deuteronomy being a summary of the law, not an exact repeat). It's probably worth ingraining its principles in our thinking. The salvation referred to is not the forgiveness of sins/justification (which is based upon believing in God's revelation about His gracious provision for our sins, which in the OT was belief/participation in the Day of Atonement, and in the NT, belief in Christ's atoning sacrifice on our behalf), but rather, the ongoing life of faith that trusts God for daily help and experiences His blessing/deliverance. David wrote it after being delivered from Saul and before Bathsheba, probably around the time of the Davidic Covenant (2Sam 7). David praises God because when he called, God answered, mightily.

22:20-25 The secret of how to get God to answer mightily and bless, is to have God delight in you.

Quick Question: Does God delight in you? (Why or why not?)

The reason why God would delight in one of His people is because of the personal experiential righteousness and faithfulness of the person. Contrast this with how God felt about Saul. This is an obvious point for those who read the Scriptures, but totally missed in the oral tradition of our day. As a result many people don't live to please God. God rewards us for the effort and work we've put into being righteous in His sight. If you don't totally buy that last sentence, study these six verses (and David's life) and see if they teach anything else.

22:26-28 The truth of these verses is almost as absent from the modern oral tradition as the section above, to which they are a corollary. God responds to people based upon their free-will choices, which would include decisions to believe, be faithful, obey, expend effort to do His will, do good works, etc. God changes how He responds, again based upon what we chose, to either repent or rebel, believe, or persist in unbelief. I don't like jumping ahead, but Romans 11 summarizes this concept neatly. If you want to stay in the OT, God blesses or curses based upon our actions (Dt 29-30). God has sovereignly attached the consequences to our possible choices; now we need to daily choose the right consequences.

22:29-51 These verses describe how God empowers and equips those who believe in Him so they can serve Him. They also combine human effort/responsibility in service and the life of faith. If you have time, go back over the verses and note what David does and what God does (and why each does what they do).

Application: If we want God to delight in us, deliver and bless us, then we need to do what is pleasing in His sight, there is no other option (22:20-25).

Prayer: God, I praise You because You make possible a life that is beyond the natural course of events and expectations; may I know, love, and serve You all of my days, as You desire. Amen.

2 Samuel 23 David's Swan Song

23:1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: 2 "The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me. His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, 4 shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’ 5 “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire. (NIV) 6 But all of the ungodly shall be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand, 7 But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They shall be utterly burned with fire in their place."

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb..against eight hundred slain at one time. 9 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away. 10 He arose, and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and Yahweh worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil. 11 After him was Shammah. The Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory.

15 David longed, and said, "Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" 16 The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh. 17 He said, "Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t it the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things. 18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 19 Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: however he didn’t attain to the three. 20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada...who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 21 He killed an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 23 He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; 26 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite 29 Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

Observations: 23:1-8 David's swan song reflects on how God had raised him up and blessed him beyond his dreams, even revealing His words and will through David. When one rules righteously in the fear of God, life is good. Otherwise it's bad (See Let's Play Civilization in the sidebar).

23:5 This verse is correctly translated in harmony with the immediately preceding and following context, as well as chapter 22, and the record of David's life and his psalms by the NIV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, NET, etc. The WEB, following the KJV and NKJV totally misses the point and translates it in direct contradiction to the main point David is making. It is because of David's righteousness that God has blessed him, and made the Davidic Covenant with him, ensuring an permanent legacy (which was a big deal in OT times). The grammar could go either way, so the translation needs to be made according to the flow of thought in the context (a skill which is sadly lacking in some translators).

23: The listing of David's mighty men and their exploits is also recorded in 1Chronicles 11. The interesting feature is how the individual exploits are recorded, and God gets the credit. It is He who energizes the sword they swing. Noteworthy is that Joab is not mentioned, although his brothers are.

23:15-18 The loyalty of the mighty men to David, God's anointed, is shown by risking their lives to get him a drink from the well at Bethlehem. David pours it out as an offering to God.

23:19-39 The diverse group that came together to accomplish God's purposes in preserving and promoting David is a good illustration of the principle that unity is found, not in the lowest common denominator, but in all striving for the greatest good, irrespective of personal background, practices, and preferences. This is applicable to marriages, corporations and churches.

Application: God will exalt and fulfill the desires of those who fear Him and are rightly related to Him.

Prayer: God, You are clearly the one who raises up and puts down people based upon how they obey You. May I value obedience more than any deceptive passing pleasure. Amen.

2 Samuel 24 Pick Your Plague

24:1 Again the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah." 2 The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, "Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the sum of the people." 3 Joab said to the king, "Now may Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" 4 Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 8 So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men. 10 David’s heart struck him after that he had numbered the people. David said to Yahweh, "I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, Yahweh, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly."

11 When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 "Go and speak to David, ‘Thus says Yahweh," I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."’" 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me." 14 David said to Gad, "I am in distress. Let us fall now into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into the hand of man."

15 So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough. Now stay your hand." The angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, "Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house."

18 Gad came that day to David, and said to him, "Go up, build an altar to Yahweh on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 19 David went up according to the saying of Gad, as Yahweh commanded. 20 Araunah looked out, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. Then Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David said, "To buy your threshing floor, to build an altar to Yahweh, that the plague may be stopped from afflicting the people." 22 Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, the cattle for the burnt offering, and the threshing instruments and the yokes of the oxen for the wood: 23 all this, king, does Araunah give to the king." Araunah said to the king, "May Yahweh your God accept you." 24 The king said to Araunah, "No; but I will most certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to Yahweh my God which cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 David built an altar to Yahweh there, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So Yahweh was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

Observations: 24:1-10 God's anger against Israel's sin results in Him prompting David to number the people over the objections of Joab and the captains. When a leader doesn't listen to wise counsel everyone suffers. Numbering the people was usually a prelude to military action, possibly due to an external threat. It looks like David was trusting in his military might rather than the Lord in the numbering. 1Chronicles 21 state that Satan (which can also be translated “adversary”) provoked David to number the people. So perhaps the chain of events is that Israel's sin, results in God's desire to discipline them, using Satan's scheming (or an adversary) and David's desire for power or security to bring about the calamity. David's heart tells him he sinned, and he asks God to put away/forgive his iniquity.

24:11-17 Nevertheless, God sends a prophet, Gad, with three options for punishment: famine, fleeing, or pestilence, and tells him to choose one. David reasons that falling into the hand of a merciful God is a less painful option than being chased by enemies. So God sends a plague. After 70,000 were killed (approximately three times those who died in Absalom's rebellion), God stops the destroying angel at Jerusalem. David repents again and asks that the punishment be upon him and his house.

24:18-25 God sends Gad again, with a message to build an altar and offer a sacrifice where the plague stopped. David hastens to obey, and refuses Araunah's offer of the animal and wood, saying that he would not offer God something which cost him nothing. The very nature of sacrifice is that it should cost us.

Application: Both sin, and service are costly, but God is worth everything we could possibly give Him.

Prayer: God, thanks that you forgive and relent when we repent; spare me from the folly of relying on my own strength or choosing foolish objectives for my life. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God takes covenants seriously, both those made with Him, and those made in His presence. He punishes covenant breakers with curses, deprivation and death. He blesses those who keep covenantal promises of loyalty (hesed), with fruitfulness and fulfillment of their heart's desire (the better choice). He gives people freedom to choose to be loyal or not, and sovereignly attaches consequences to their choices. He forgives and pardons, but doesn't immediately relent from punishment when we repent. He moves forces in both heaven and earth, as well as angels and men, to fulfill what He has promised. He raises up individuals to accomplish His purposes in blessing those loyal to Him.

As David said in 22:21 “Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. 26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. 27 With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 28 You will save the afflicted people, But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness.”

Us in a nutshell: We have the opportunity to give God grief or glory. Delighting Him requires loyal effort, but yields the best life we could desire. Disloyalty and covenant breaking results in pain and death. We cannot escape the consequences of our actions. Being rightly related to God and equipped by Him still requires dependent trust in His protection and empowerment. As David said in 22:22 “For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity. 25 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.”

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net

2Samuel complete text

2 Samuel 21

21:1 There was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, "It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites." 2 The king called the Gibeonites, and said to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn to them: and Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah); 3 and David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?" 4 The Gibeonites said to him, "It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." He said, "Whatever you say, that will I do for you." 5 They said to the king, "The man who consumed us, and who devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel, 6 let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh." The king said, "I will give them." 7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9 He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

2 Samuel 22

22:1 David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

2 and he said, "Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; 3 God, my rock, in him I will take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My saviour, you save me from violence. 4 I will call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from my enemies. 5 For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 6 The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death caught me. 7 In my distress I called on Yahweh. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry came into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. 9 Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness pavilions around himself: gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 13 At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled. 14 Yahweh thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice. 15 He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and confused them. 16 Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17 He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support. 20 He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 21 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity. 25 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight. 26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. 27 With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 28 You will save the afflicted people, But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness. 30 For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. 32 For who is God, besides Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God? 33 God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect. 34 He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places. 35 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass. 36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great. 37 You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped. 38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed. 39 I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet. 40 For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. 43 Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad. 44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. 45 The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. 46 The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places. 47 Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, 48 even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me, 49 who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. 50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations. Will sing praises to your name. 51 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, forevermore."

2 Samuel 23

23:1 Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised on high says, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel: 2 "The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me. His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously, who rules in the fear of God, 4 shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’ 5 Most certainly my house is not so with God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure, for it is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he doesn’t make it grow. 6 But all of the ungodly shall be as thorns to be thrust away, because they can’t be taken with the hand, 7 But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They shall be utterly burned with fire in their place."

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time. 9 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away. 10 He arose, and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and Yahweh worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil. 11 After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory. 13 Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 David longed, and said, "Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" 16 The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh. 17 He said, "Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t it the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things. 18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 19 Wasn’t he most honourable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: however he didn’t attain to the three. 20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 21 He killed an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23 He was more honourable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. 31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armour bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

2 Samuel 24

24:1 Again the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, "Go, number Israel and Judah." 2 The king said to Joab the captain of the army, who was with him, "Now go back and forth through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the sum of the people." 3 Joab said to the king, "Now may Yahweh your God add to the people, however many they may be, one hundred times; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king delight in this thing?" 4 Notwithstanding, the king’s word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the army. Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. 5 They passed over the Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that is in the middle of the valley of Gad, and to Jazer: 6 then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; and they came to Dan Jaan, and around to Sidon, 7 and came to the stronghold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, at Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone back and forth through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab gave up the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 David’s heart struck him after that he had numbered the people. David said to Yahweh, "I have sinned greatly in that which I have done. But now, Yahweh, put away, I beg you, the iniquity of your servant; for I have done very foolishly." 11 When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 "Go and speak to David, ‘Thus says Yahweh," I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."’" 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me." 14 David said to Gad, "I am in distress. Let us fall now into the hand of Yahweh; for his mercies are great. Let me not fall into the hand of man." 15 So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh relented of the disaster, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough. Now stay your hand." The angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 David spoke to Yahweh when he saw the angel who struck the people, and said, "Behold, I have sinned, and I have done perversely; but these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me, and against my father’s house."

Numbers 15-17 - Wrecking the Rebels

Numbers 15-17 - Wrecking the Rebels

Psalm 23:1-6 Sticking with the Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 “The LORD (Yahweh) is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and hesed/loyal love shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh's house forever."

Observations: 23:1 Being a happy sheep is pretty simple: follow the Shepherd. If you feel you're suffering lack, you might need to snuggle closer to the Shepherd. 23:3 God tends and guides His sheep for a higher purpose than their survival, His glory. 23:4 Shadows happen. As the Shepherd guided the sheep through the scary mountain passes to higher summer pastures, dangers abounded. But sticking close to the Shepherd resulted in fertile, abundant pasture on the higher ground when they came out into the sunshine. 23:5 Oil kept away the nostril gnats; table prep eliminated nose nipping vipers and leg breaking holes. See Phillip Keller's A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 for great insights.

Application: If you're running ragged, you're not following the Good Shepherd.

Prayer: Shepherd of my soul and life, keep me close to You; use Your rod or staff if I stray. Amen.

Proverbs 6:20-22 Led By Truth

Pr 6:20 “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching. 21 Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.“

Observations: 6:20-22 Parenting is a team sport, combining commands and teaching (how to implement the commands). The commands of godly parents are the commands of God. The wise person keeps the commands in front of them, so they will do them, be led by them, and protected by them. God actually talks to us through His word if we are totally focused on it.

Application: We talk to God in prayer, and He talks to us through His word.

Prayer: Lord, lead me throughout today by Your truth. Don't let me lose sight of your commands and teaching. Thanks. Amen.

Chapter 15 True Blue Fringe

14 If a stranger sojourn with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh; as you do, so he shall do.

22 When you shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations; 24 then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering...and one male goat for a sin-offering. 25 The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their sin-offering before Yahweh, for their error: 26 and all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them; for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly.

30 But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, the same blasphemesYahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of Yahweh, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.

32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. 35 Yahweh said to Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp. 36 All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as Yahweh commanded Moses.

37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 Speak to the children of Israel, and bid those who they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue: 39 and it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and yourown eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute; 40 that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.

Observations: 15:1-13 It seems strange that God would give instructions for offerng sacrifices in the land, but He is reiterating that He will bring the next generation in. Offerings were to be accompanied by grain and wine offerings.

15:14 Non-Israelites could offer sacrifices if they did it correctly.

15:30 No sacrifice existed for deliberate sin. You were out.

15:32-36 The congregation starts taking sin seriously and dealing with it.

15:39 Somehow a fringe seems like a fragile safeguard against following one's own heart and eyes (lust). We'll see if this reminder works.

Application: It's good to remind ourselves of our past so we don't repeat it. It's better to victoriously follow God with all our heart and eyes.

Prayer: Gracious God, thank You that You are true to Your promises; may I always remember from where You brought me so I won't repeat my folly and will be true to You. Amen.

Chapter 16 Korah and Company's Rebellion

20 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 They fell on their faces, and said, God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation? 23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 Speak to the congregation, saying, Get away from about the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 26 He spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins. 29 If these men die the common death of all men...then Yahweh hasn`t sent me. 30 But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh. 31 It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them; 32 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up. 35 Fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

41 But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of Yahweh. 42...the glory of Yahweh appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting. 44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. They fell on their faces. 46 Moses said to Aaron, Take they censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yahweh; the plague is begun. 47 Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah. 50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.

Observations: 16: Just like Miriam, Korah and company aren't content with their blessings and challenge Moses' authority.

16:13 As in most demonically inspired disobedience (rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft 1Sam 15:23) lies abound and repeat (a trademark of Satan). Note the major history re-write. Egypt wasn't exactly milk and honey.

16:21,26 Safety is found in separation from sin and sinners.

16:32 The families suffered for the sins of their fathers. The kids would probably have grown up just like dad.

16:41 The people Moses just spared, murmur against him, and Moses and Aaron have to intercede again for them. So much for the blue fringe.

Application: Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can't be shaken, let us have grace, through which we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe/caution, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Prayer: God of Love and Wrath, may I draw on Your grace to serve You in a manner that pleases You, not resenting anything You've allowed in my life for my benefit. Amen.

Chapter 17 Aaron's Almond Joy

17:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them rods, one for each fathers` house, twelve rods: write every man`s name on his rod. 3 You shall write Aaron`s name on the rod of Levi; 4 You shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from before me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you. 8 on the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10 Yahweh said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die. 11 Thus did Moses: as Yahweh commanded him, so did he. 12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tent of Yahweh, dies: shall we perish all of us?

Observations: God attempts to end the rebellious murmurings against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. God goes beyond buds to flowers and almonds. Will it end the rebellious murmurings?

17:11-13 The people's response doesn't sound too positive.

Digging Deeper:

God in a nutshell: God is gracious to remember His promises, even though He feels like wiping rebels off the face of the earth. Fortunately He always doesn't do as He feels, and gives us reminders and incentives to obey Him. When confronted with bare-faced rebellion, He justly cuts off the rebel, before the infection spreads. He is clearly not to be treated with contempt.

Us in a nutshell: Unless we purpose to remember and do God's commands, we will default to following the desires/lusts of our own heart and eyes, and reap judgment. We're most likely to resent and rebel against spiritual authority when we have no spiritual worth in God's sight. Rebellion opens the door for Satan to deceive us even more, to the point that we live in a world of lies, blinded to the Truth. We wind up resisting the very ones God uses to save us from our stupidity, which makes sense, since we are resisting God.

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net

Numbers complete text

Chapter 15

15:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I give to you, 3 and will make an offering by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill-offering, or in your set feasts, to make a sweet savor to Yahweh, of the herd, or of the flock; 4 then shall he who offers his offering offer to Yahweh a mealoffering of a tenth part [of an ephah] of fine flour mingled with the fourth part of a hin of oil: 5 and wine for the drink-offering, the fourth part of a hin, shall you prepare with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a meal-offering two tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour mingled with the third part of a hin of oil: 7 and for the drink-offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a sweet savor to Yahweh. 8 When you prepare a bull for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace-offerings to Yahweh; 9 then shall he offer with the bull a meal-offering of three tenth parts [of an ephah] of fine flour mingled with half a hin of oil: 10 and you shall offer for the drink- offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh. 11 Thus shall it be done for each bull, or for each ram, or for each of the he-lambs, or of the kids. 12 According to the number that you shall prepare, so shall you do to everyone according to their number. 13 All who are home-born shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh. 14 If a stranger sojourn with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh; as you do, so he shall do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger who sojourns [with you], a statute forever throughout your generations: as you are, so shall the sojourner be before Yahweh. 16 One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who sojourns with you. 17 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 18 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When you come into the land where I bring you, 19 then it shall be that when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a heave- offering to Yahweh. 20 Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a heave-offering: as the heave-offering of the threshing floor, so shall you heave it. 21 Of the first of your dough you shall give to Yahweh a heaveoffering throughout your generations. 22 When you shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses, 23 even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations; 24 then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bull for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor to Yahweh, with the meal-offering of it, and the drink-offering of it, according to the ordinance, and one male goat for a sin-offering. 25 The priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their sin-offering before Yahweh, for their error: 26 and all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger who sojourns among them; for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly. 27 If one person sin unwittingly, then he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin-offering. 28 The priest shall make atonement for the soul who errs, when he sins unwittingly, before Yahweh, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. 29 You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is home-born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who sojourns among them. 30 But the soul who does anything with a high hand, whether he be home-born or a sojourner, the same blasphemes Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of Yahweh, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be on him. 32 While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been declared what should be done to him. 35 Yahweh said to Moses, The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp. 36 All the congregation brought him outside of the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as Yahweh commanded Moses. 37 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 38 Speak to the children of Israel, and bid those who they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the fringe of each border a cord of blue: 39 and it shall be to you for a fringe, that you may look on it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute; 40 that you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41 I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am Yahweh your God.

Chapter 16

16:1 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [men]: 2 and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown; 3 and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them: why then lift you up yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh? 4 When Moses heard it, he fell on his face: 5 and he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, In the morning Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him: even him whom he shall choose will he cause to come near to him. 6 This do: take you censers, Korah, and all his company; 7 and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow: and it shall be that the man whom Yahweh does choose, he [shall be] holy: you take too much on you, you sons of Levi. 8 Moses said to Korah, Hear now, you sons of Levi: 9 [seems it but] a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tent of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10 and that he has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you? and seek you the priesthood also? 11 Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Yahweh: and Aaron, what is he who you murmur against him? 12 Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; and they said, We won`t come up: 13 is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must needs make yourself also a prince over us? 14 Moreover you haven`t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: will you put out the eyes of these men? we won`t come up. 15 Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, "Don`t respect their offering: I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them." 16 Moses said to Korah, Be you and all your company before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow: 17 and take every man his censer, and put incense on them, and bring you before Yahweh every man his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each his censer. 18 They took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Korah assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting: and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation. 20 Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. 22 They fell on their faces, and said, God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation? 23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 Speak to the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 25 Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him. 26 He spoke to the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins. 27 So they got them up from the tent of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. 28 Moses said, Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of my own mind. 29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Yahweh hasn`t sent me. 30 But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh. 31 It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them; 32 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. 34 All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up. 35 Fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense. 36 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 37 Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter you the fire yonder; for they are holy, 38 even the censers of these sinners against their own lives; and let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar: for they offered them before Yahweh; therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel. 39 Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, which those who were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, 40 to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who isn`t of the seed of Aaron, comes near to burn incense before Yahweh; that he not be as Korah, and as his company: as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses. 41 But on the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, You have killed the people of Yahweh. 42 It happened, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tent of meeting: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting. 44 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. They fell on their faces. 46 Moses said to Aaron, Take they censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and lay incense thereon, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from Yahweh; the plague is begun. 47 Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah. 50 Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting: and the plague was stayed.

Chapter 17

17:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers` house, of all their princes according to their fathers` houses, twelve rods: write you every man`s name on his rod. 3 You shall write Aaron`s name on the rod of Levi; for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers` houses. 4 You shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you. 5 It shall happen, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose shall bud: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you. 6 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers` houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7 Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the tent of the testimony. 8 It happened on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and bore ripe almonds. 9 Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10 Yahweh said to Moses, Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion; that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they not die. 11 Thus did Moses: as Yahweh commanded him, so did he. 12 The children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. 13 Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tent of Yahweh, dies: shall we perish all of us?

Numbers 6-8 Dedication and Blessings

Psalm 21:5-13 Trusting For Protection and Pleasure

Psalm 21:5 “(1 The king rejoices in your strength...salvation! 2 You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. 3 For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head. 4 He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.)

5 His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him. 6 For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.

7 For the king trusts in Yahweh. Through the hesed/loyal covenantal love of the Most High, he shall not be moved. 8 Your hand will come upon all of your enemies. Your right hand will come upon those who hate you. 9 You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men. 11 For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed. 12 For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face. 13 Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power."

Observations: 21:1-4 See post on Exodus 7 for the importance of asking for the right things, which will bring enduring joy from the God who loves to bless.

21:5-13 Because David trusts in God, He blesses and helps him, giving him not only protection, but glory, honor, and joy in His presence. God's hesed to those who trust Him results in destruction for the enemies of the righteous, for which the righteous sing God's praises.

Application: Trusting God to fulfill His covenant obligations (hesed) to us opens the door to protection, prosperity, joy, and praise. If any of those items are lacking, you might want to see if you're being loyal to your obligations to God, particularly that of dependently trusting Him.

Prayer: God of all pleasure and power, I trust that You know what's best for me, and will bless me as I seek to be loyal to You; please protect me and cause me to find enduring pleasure in Your presence. Thanks. Amen.

Proverbs 6:6-11 A Large Lesson from a Little Ant

6:6 “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise; 7 which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, 8 provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.”

Observations: A little laziness leads to a large loss (armed robbers take all your stuff). Leaders don't need someone telling them what to do, because they tell themselves what to do, like planning and getting things done before they're due.

Application: Where are you neglecting the little things? See Saga of the Sorry Sluggard for motivation in overcoming procrastination (if you can get around to it).

Prayer: God of creatures great and small, help me be wiser than an ant. Amen.

Numbers 6-8 Dedication and Blessings

Numbers 6 Nazirite Vow and Trinitarian Blessing

Hands form the letter Shin, for Shaddai,
one of the names of God (Almighty).

6:1 "Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink...4 All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine 5...no razor come on his head: until the days be fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh, he shall be holy; he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. 6...not come near to a dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother...13 when the days of his separation are fulfilled 14 he shall offer his offering to Yahweh, one he-lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe-lamb a year old without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings, 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings. 18 The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tent of meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace-offerings. 20...and after that the Nazirite may drink wine. 22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 23 Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, In this way you shall bless the children of Israel: you shall tell them, 24 Yahweh bless you, and keep you: 25 Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you: 26 Yahweh put/lift up his face toward you, and give you peace. 27 So shall they put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them."

Observations: The Nazirite vow (Hebrew for “to separate”) was a voluntary vow of dedication consisting of: no wine nor grapes, no haircuts, and no contact with dead bodies, even if family members died. It parallels life in the Garden: forbidden fruit, natural grooming, and no death. Samson and Samuel were the only two examples of it in the OT. John the Baptist and Paul with some companions (Acts 21) are examples in the NT. It's interesting that one of the most famous blessings in Scripture occurs, seemingly out of context, after the Voluntary Vow of Extreme Dedication.

6:24-27 In order to be blessed, first the Israelites needed to be under the name of Yahweh (His people), then God blesses them. This blessing has three progressive parts of increasing length.

Bless and keep/protect - A general plea, to the God who loves to bless, for blessing and protection.
Face shine and be gracious/merciful - Three times Ps 80 equates “face shine” with salvation from the consequences of their rebellious sin (80:3,7,19 Cause us to return, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.) In saving His people from the consequences of their sins God shows Himself to be merciful (most common translation of “gracious”).
Face lift and peace - Ps 16:11 “You will show me the path of life. In your presence/face is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (quoted in Acts 2:28), describes the blessing of God lifting up His face upon His obedient servant. Peace is a covenantal blessing for zealous obedience (see Phinehas, the hero of Numbers 25).

So the progression goes from experiencing God's blessing, to regaining it (through repentance, after losing it through disobedience), to the incomparable delight of walking in His ways. See Digging Deeper for Trinitarian thoughts.

Application: Where are you on the Blessing Progression mentioned in the last Observation above?

Prayer: Gracious and Good God, may I be wholly dedicated to You and experience the supreme joy of living in Your presence. Amen.

Numbers 7 Twelve Days of Giving

7:1 It happened on the day that Moses finished setting up the tent, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture of it, and the altar and all the vessels of it, and had anointed them and sanctified them; 2 that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers` houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes, these are those who were over those who were numbered: 3 and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tent. 4 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 5 Take it of them, that they may be [used] in doing the service of the tent of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.

89 When Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spoke to him.

Observations: Second longest chapter in the Bible, records twelve days of giving the identical gifts by each tribe. ("Just what I always wanted...like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, and...") The voluntary offerings of each tribal leader are publicly recorded along with its value (this the book of Numbers). See outlines on Giving to God under Digging Deeper below.

7:89 The God who spoke on Mt. Sinai, is now heard in the Holy of Holies. God is dwelling and communicating with His people who have honored Him.

Numbers 8 Purification of Levites

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to Aaron, and tell him, When you light the lamps...6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 Thus shall you do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation on them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a young bull, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bull shall you take for a sin- offering. 9 You shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and you shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel: 10 and you shall present the Levites before Yahweh. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites: 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave-offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh.

14 Thus shall you separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine. 20 Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the Levites: according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel to them. 21 The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes: and Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before Yahweh; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 After that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they to them. 23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 This is that which belongs to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the tent of meeting: 25 and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more, 26 but shall minister with their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites touching/concerning their charges.

Observations: The dedication of the Levites is less rigorous than that of the priests. The OT model of priest/clergy-laity (people who lay around?) differs from the NT model of all believers being priests, with only Christ as the mediator.

8:11 A really tragic verse. God had intended that the entire holy nation be a kingdom of priests (Ex 19:6) contingent upon covenant obedience (Ex 19:5).

Exodus 19:5 "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the earth is mine;6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation."

Now, instead of the firstborn of each family representatively serving God, the Levites were their substitutes, actually guarding the unsanctified people from God. What happened after Exodus 19? The Ten Commandments and the Golden Calf. In Ex 20:19 the people don't want to directly hear God's voice (although listening to His voice was a prerequisite to blessing), and then repudiated God in worshiping the Golden Calf (Ex 32). It was in Ex 32 that the Levites demonstrated holy loyalty to God, and thus received the priesthood and its blessings..

8:21 Note the self-cleansing and purification necessary to serve God.

Application: This means you!

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10 who in time past were no people, but now are God's people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul”

Prayer: God of Light, thank you for not only calling me out of darkness into Your light, but entrusting me with the privilege of serving You, the Most High God. Amen.

Digging Deeper:

I'm not a real fan of missing the direct application of the text to the original audience, to make allegorical interpretations to NT audiences, but whenever I see God mentioned three times in a passage, I do pause for thought. So for those of you who like this kind of thing, one could draw the parallel between the three aspects of “The Blessing” and three aspects of a believer's relationship with the Triune God. (See 7RELATIONSHIPS in the sidebar for more.)

God the Father – generally blesses and preserves people, especially those who believe in Him (Gen 1).
God the Son – The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 saves those who go astray and demonstrates the mercy of God in rescuing the disciplined and repentant (Ps 80).
God the Holy Spirit – Guides God's people in the paths that lead to Divine presence and pleasures as well as the inheritance blessings of peace and other good stuff (Ps 16).

You could have found these same correspondences by using a concordance to find out where the same words or vocabulary are used in Scripture, and looking for similar contexts to Lev

God in a nutshell: God is worthy of the best we can offer Him, not just our stuff, but more importantly, ourselves.

Us in a nutshell: We miss out on the privileges of being in God's presence by wanting to hear His word through intermediaries. We have the opportunity to engage in extreme dedication for extreme blessings.

Bonus Application:
There is nothing in the Scriptures that says you can only read the Scriptures (or DailyTruthbase) once a day, or only in the morning. Just like God required morning and evening sacrifices, giving God some AM and PM time just might enhance your spiritual life and make enrich your service to Him, and consequential blessings.

Where to Go for More:

Truthbase.net

Get a grip on getting and giving money by skimming the series on
Faithfulness with our Treasure/Money Pt 1
Faithfulness with our Money Pt 4 Giving to God
It's got five parts (you might have to hunt for all of them), but considering the amount of your time spent in the acquisition and use of money, it might be wise to have God's perspective on it. Actually, it'd be foolish not to.

Numbers 6-8 (complete text)

Numbers 6

6:1 YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: 'When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to YAHWEH, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins. 5 "'All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to YAHWEH. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. 6 "'All the days that he separates himself to YAHWEH he shall not go near a dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy to YAHWEH. 9 "'If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day he shall shave it. 10 On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. 11 The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day. 12 He shall separate to YAHWEH the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled. 13 "'This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, 14 and he shall offer his offering to YAHWEH, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings, 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings. 16 The priest shall present them before YAHWEH, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering. 17 He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to YAHWEH, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering. 18 The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19 The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation;20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before YAHWEH. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine. 21 "'This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to YAHWEH for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.'"

22 YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, 23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.' You shall tell them, 24 YAHWEH bless you, and keep you. 25 YAHWEH make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. 26 YAHWEH lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.' 27 "So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them."

Numbers 7

7:1 It happened on the day that Moses had made an end of setting up the tent, and had anointed it and sanctified it, and all the furniture of it, and the altar and all the vessels of it, and had anointed them and sanctified them; 2 that the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers` houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes, these are those who were over those who were numbered: 3 and they brought their offering before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they presented them before the tent. 4 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 5 Take it of them, that they may be [used] in doing the service of the tent of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service. 6 Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. 7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service: 8 and four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they bore it on their shoulders. 10 The princes offered for the dedication of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar. 11 Yahweh said to Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar. 12 He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah: 13 and his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a mealoffering; 14 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 15 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 18 On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer: 19 he offered for his offering one silver platter, the weight whereof was one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 20 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 21 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 22 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar. 24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun.: 25 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a mealoffering; 26 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 27 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon. 30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben: 31 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 32 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 33 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34 one male of the goats for a sin -offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur. 36 On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon: 37 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal- offering; 38 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 39 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 42 On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad: 43 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 44 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 45 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five helambs a year old: this was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 48 On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim: 49 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 50 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 51 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud. 54 On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh: 55 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was one hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering; 56 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 57 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 59 and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin: 61 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a mealoffering; 62 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 63 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni. 66 On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan: 67 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a mealoffering; 68 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 69 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 72 On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, prince of the children of Asher: 73 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a mealoffering; 74 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 75 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran. 78 On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali: 79 his offering was one silver platter, the weight whereof was a hundred a thirty [shekels], one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a mealoffering; 80 one golden spoon of ten [shekels], full of incense; 81 one young bull, one ram, one he-lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82 one male of the goats for a sin-offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of peaceofferings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five he-lambs a year old: this was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan. 84 This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, twelve golden spoons; 85 each silver platter [weighing] one hundred and thirty [shekels], and each bowl seventy; all the silver of the vessels two thousand and four hundred [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary; 86 the twelve golden spoons, full of incense, [weighing] ten [shekels] apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons one hundred and twenty [shekels]; 87 all the oxen for the burnt offering twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the helambs a year old twelve, and their meal-offering; and the males of the goats for a sin-offering twelve; 88 and all the oxen for the sacrifice of peace-offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the he-lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed. 89 When Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim: and he spoke to him.

Numbers 8

1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to Aaron, and tell him, When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand. 3 Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps of it [so as to give light] in front of the lampstand, as Yahweh commanded Moses. 4 This was the work of the lampstand, beaten work of gold; to the base of it, [and] to the flowers of it, it was beaten work: according to the pattern which Yahweh had showed Moses, so he made the lampstand. 5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 Thus shall you do to them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of expiation on them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a young bull, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil; and another young bull shall you take for a sin- offering. 9 You shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting: and you shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel: 10 and you shall present the Levites before Yahweh. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites: 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before Yahweh for a wave-offering, on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of Yahweh. 12 The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls: and offer you the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt offering, to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 You shall set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering to Yahweh. 14 Thus shall you separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine. 15 After that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tent of meeting: and you shall cleanse them, and offer them for a wave-offering. 16 For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them to me. 17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal: on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel; that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary. 20 Thus did Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the Levites: according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses touching the Levites, so did the children of Israel to them. 21 The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes: and Aaron offered them for a wave-offering before Yahweh; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 After that went the Levites in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons: as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they to them. 23 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 24 This is that which belongs to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the tent of meeting: 25 and from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting on the work, and shall serve no more, 26 but shall minister with their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites touching their charges.

2 Samuel 21-24 David's Swan Song

Numbers 15-17 - Wrecking the Rebels

Numbers 6-8 Dedication and Blessings

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