NUMBERS Introduction The title “Numbers” follows the example of the popular Greek (Septuagint) and Latin (Vulgate) translations. This title focuses on the numbering of the Israelites that takes place several times in the book. But while the censuses are significant, they are not really the major focus of the book. The Hebrew title is taken from the fifth word in the Hebrew text and is translated “in the wilderness.” This title accurately summarizes the contents of the book, which records Israel’s many years of wandering in the wilderness. As with Exodus and Leviticus, Numbers begins with a Hebrew conjunction that can be translated “and,” which shows that this book flows directly from the previous book. As with the previous three books, Moses is the likely author of Numbers, and he probably wrote it around 1400 BC. Outline Two major approaches have been taken to the book of Numbers. A geographical approach was popular for many years in which the journey of the Israelites from Sinai to Moab is traced. But considerable disagreement exists regarding how to divide the sections under this view. A simpler approach that has become more popular in recent times is to divide the book into two major sections based on the two numberings of the entire Israelite nation in chapters 1 and 26. 1. The Old Generation (1–25) a. Preparation (1–10) Now that the Israelites have received God’s law, they are ready to leave Mount Sinai and head for the Promised Land. But first God wanted Moses to take a census of all the fighting men who were 20 years of age and up. This took place 13 months after the Israelites left Egypt. The census is recorded by tribe and totaled 603,550. This number is very close to the 600,000 soldiers who left Egypt as mentioned in Exodus 12:37. Both numbers are rounded, but the second one is more precise. Many scholars, even more conservative ones, think that these numbers are inflated. But they are better taken as an accurate picture of the situation that shows just how much God had blessed Israel. Chapter 2 records the census figures from chapter 1 again, but this time the numbers are presented in groups based on the arrangement of the camp around the tabernacle. Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were on the east side (Leah’s sons). Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were on the south side (disgraced sons). Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin were on the west side (Rachel’s sons). Dan, Asher, and Naphtali were on the north side (slaves’ sons). The Levites were not counted with the other tribes because they were appointed to oversee the tabernacle and camp near it. They belonged to God and served Him in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites. They were counted separately in chapters 3 and 4 and were broken down into three groups: Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites. Each group had special duties with regard to the tabernacle and especially its transportation. Chapters 1 and 2 were focused on the people, and chapters 3 and 4 were focused on the Levites. Chapter 5 blends the two groups together and shows how the priests serve the people in specific ways to promote holiness. First, the people are reminded about the need to stay outside the camp when unclean. Normally the priests would be involved in these situations, but here the focus is on the duty of all Israelites to enforce this restriction. Second, the people are told to provide compensation for those they sin against. The priests would assist in this process and in some cases would receive a contribution. Finally, a lengthy section is given in which husbands are instructed how to proceed if they think that their wives have been unfaithful to them. They were to bring their wives before the priest to take part in a miraculous test. In this way innocent wives were protected by God Himself from being unjustly punished. 1

Chapter 6 is the ultimate merge between the people and the priesthood. An Israelite could take a special Nazarite vow to consecrate himself to the Lord. He would be required to live according to a higher standard, much like the priests. Complete abstinence from wine and beer is one noteworthy parallel (verse 3; cf. Leviticus 10:9). In this way a person could in a sense voluntarily become a Levite, at least for a period of time. Of course, the priest was involved in this process through the Nazarite’s offerings to God. This chapter ends with a blessing that Aaron and his sons were to pronounce on the people. This blessing provides a fitting conclusion to this section on the relationship between the people and the priests. Chapter 7 rewinds a month earlier to the time when the construction of the tabernacle was completed (Exodus 40:17). The head of each tribe presented an offering at the newly constructed tabernacle. These offerings may have taken place sometime in the middle of Leviticus after the instructions about the sacrifices and the priests were given. Chapter 8 records that the lamps constructed in Exodus 37 were lit. Then the Levites were cleansed through offerings. Chapter 9 records how the Israelites celebrated Passover for the second time. Those who were unclean could celebrate it but would need to wait until the next month. Why were chapters 1–6 recorded before all this material? Probably to place emphasis on the numbering of the people and to provide a strong parallel with the later numbering of the people in chapter 26. The end of chapter 9 begins to address issues related to the departure of Israel from Mount Sinai. When the cloud representing God’s presence moved away from the tabernacle, the people would follow it. The beginning of chapter 10 shows how trumpets were used to announce this departure. But they could also be used to gather either the people or their leaders for a meeting. In addition, they were used to warn the people about an attack and on holidays as part of the celebration. The end of chapter 10 records Israel’s departure from Sinai. They moved out in an orderly way, just as they had been commanded in chapter 2. Moses appealed to his brother-in-law Hobab to come along. He could be helpful to Moses just like Hobab’s father Reuel (or Jethro) was. This passage does not indicate whether he agreed to Moses’s request, but Judges 1:16 implies that he did. b. Disobedience (11–25) The central focus of Numbers is the disobedience of the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness. They rebelled against Him over and over in chapters 11–25. Their disobedience can be seen in three cycles. First, the people in general rebelled in chapters 11–15. Then the Levites led by Korah rebelled in chapters 16–19. Finally, even Moses and Aaron, the leaders of Israel, disobeyed God in chapter 20, and their cycle goes through chapter 25. This final cycle puts major focus on the fascinating character of Balaam and Balak’s attempt to bring a curse on Israel. All three cycles begin with disobedience, and the first two cycles end with instructions from God. (1) First Cycle: People (11–15) Four different rebellions are recorded in this section. First, the people complained about hardship in general (11:1–3). So God became angry with them and began to punish them with fire. The people cried out, and Moses prayed for them. Then the fire died down. This first disobedience is very brief, but it sets the pattern for what will follow. The people sin, God punishes them, Moses intercedes, and God shows mercy. The rest of chapter 11 records a second rebellion. This time many more details are given. The people complained because of the lack of variety in their diet. They were getting tired of the manna that God was providing for them. So God provided quail for them, but He was also angry with them and struck them with a very severe plague. During this rebellion Moses became overwhelmed, so God gave His Spirit to 70 others to help Moses. Apparently Moses had not followed his father-in-law’s advice consistently (Exodus 18). 2

In chapter 12 another rebellion took place. This one was a family affair; Miriam and Aaron criticized their brother Moses. Verse 3 comments that Moses was very humble, and he had just proven it by the way that he responded when others prophesied in chapter 11. Moses did not get jealous when others got attention. Apparently he did not defend himself in chapter 12 either. Instead God stepped in and confirmed His special relationship with Moses. According to the pattern already set, God’s anger burned, which led to punishment for Miriam, who probably had instigated the rebellion. Then Moses interceded, and God was merciful and healed Miriam of her sickness. The fourth and ultimate rebellion in this section occurs in chapters 13–14. As the Israelites approached Canaan, God told Moses to send out spies. But 10 of the 12 spies brought back a bad report and advised the people not to enter the land. They people listened and complained again. God threatened to wipe them out, but Moses again interceded for the people, and God pardoned them. However, God still brought consequences on them for their disobedience. None of the people would get to enter the land except the two spies who brought back a good report (Caleb and Joshua). In the meantime, the people would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. The 40 years were based on the 40 days of scouting (14:34). The people were sad and tried to change their minds, but it was too late. They went to fight the Canaanites, but God did not help them, and they were defeated. Chapter 15 opens with a note of hope. God talks about what will happen once the Israelites enter the land. They can’t enter it yet, but God will bring them into the land someday. In light of the recent disobedience, this chapter repeats some instructions about offerings. The Israelites were sinful people and needed a reminder about how their sins could be dealt with. But the end of the chapter gives a warning about those who act defiantly and rebel deliberately and willfully against God and His Word (verses 30–31). They must be cut off or put to death. An example of someone in this situation is then given (verses 32–36). The chapter concludes by stressing the importance of remembering God’s commands so that one can avoid being put to death (verses 37-41). Tassels were used for this purpose. As they dangled from clothing, they would remind the people to reflect on God’s laws and obey them. (2) Second Cycle: Levites (16–19) But the people did not learn their lesson. A new cycle of rebellion begins in chapter 16. In chapter 12 an initial attack came against Moses and his leadership. But only Miriam and Aaron were implicated. Now the attack comes from a large group of Levites led by Korah. They already had important positions of service to God, but they wanted more. They were hungry for power. Once again Moses does not defend himself but simply appeals to God and His decision. God again threatens to destroy all the people, but Moses and Aaron interceded for them, and God relented. But Korah and the other rebels didn’t escape judgment. They were miraculously swallowed up by the ground. When the people complained and God again threatened to destroy them, Moses and Aaron again interceded. But many more people died because of a plague. Chapter 17 confirms God’s choice of Aaron as priest through the miraculous budding of his staff. Chapters 18–19 then give instructions about the priesthood. Many of these are repeated from earlier material, but Aaron is now getting older, and his son Eleazar is starting to take a more prominent role (19:3–4). They stress how important the priesthood is, especially in light of chapters 16–17 and the crisis of leadership. As with chapter 15, God follows rebellion with instruction to counteract the disobedience. He graciously and patiently gives reminders to the stubborn Israelites. 3

(3) Third Cycle: Leaders (20–25) Chapter 20 takes place in the first month, but the year is not given. It was probably the fortieth year after the exodus based on Numbers 33:38, which tells us that Aaron died in the fifth month of that year. His death is recorded at the end of chapter 20. This chapter begins with death as well. Moses’s sister dies first, and then his brother dies. After a brief mention of Miriam’s death, the people argued with Moses again because they had no water. They were supposed to be celebrating Passover during the first month, but instead they were complaining! If this chapter does indeed record the fortieth year since the Israelites left Egypt, then the new generation is mainly responsible for this disobedience. Unfortunately, the children were following in their parents’ footsteps. The third cycle of rebellion apparently begins a transition from the old generation to the new generation, which officially becomes the focus starting in chapter 26. But while the people in general rebelled here, the real focus is on their leaders. Unlike most previous times of disobedience, God did not become angry at the people or punish them. Instead He made provision for their need. He commanded Moses and Aaron to speak to a rock, and it would provide water for the people (verse 8). But instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it twice with his staff (verse 11). God had told Moses to take the staff, but he did not command him to use it in any way. This staff was probably Moses’s since Aaron’s had budded back in chapter 17. In other words, it was the same staff that God had used to perform many miracles in Egypt through Moses! God had even provided water for the Israelites in the past by having Moses use his staff to strike a rock (Exodus 17:6). Perhaps Moses remembered that incident and wanted to use this more forceful approach. But God does not always use the same method to achieve His goals. Moses and Aaron did not trust God to provide water in a different way than before, and therefore they would not get to lead the people into the Promised Land (verse 12). So the people were not punished on this occasion for complaining, but their leaders were punished for not trusting God and following His instructions. God held the leaders to a higher standard. To whom much is given, much is required! Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses spoke only to the people, and his words were pretty harsh. He called them rebels (verse 10), but he and Aaron were also rebels (verse 24)! This incident reminds us of chapter 12 where Miriam and Aaron rebelled. Now here in chapter 20 Moses has taken his sister’s place after she died and rebelled along with Aaron. In both cases Aaron seems to be following his younger siblings into rebellion, even though he was the firstborn. Apparently he was weak and easily pressured into following others. This tendency is also seen in Exodus chapter 32 when the people talked him into building a golden calf as an idol. The death of Miriam provides the setting for Moses and Aaron’s disobedience. Her death probably brought great sadness on them, which led to them crumbling under the pressure of the people’s rebellion. But God did not excuse them because of the circumstances. He expected them to continue trusting in Him, but they failed. The focus in verse 12 is on the heart attitude behind the disobedient act. God cares most about what’s going on inside, because our heart is what drives our behavior. What we say and do flows from inside us. Moses and Aaron’s failure to trust God reminds us of Numbers chapter 14 when the people believed the bad report from the 10 spies and chose not to enter the Promised Land. They did not trust God and believe that He would deliver the Canaanites into their hands. In both cases the people faced opposition from another nation afterwards. They were defeated by the Amalekites in chapter 14, and they faced resistance from the Edomites in chapter 20. The Israelites made a request to pass through their land, but they refused (verses 18–21). Deuteronomy chapter 2 tells us that God would not let the Israelites fight against the descendants of Esau. 4

Chapter 20 is centered on grief since it starts and ends with death. But chapter 21 is centered on hope since it starts and ends with victory in battle. Verses 1–3 show how the people depended on God and defeated some Canaanites who came out to attack them. This battle is parallel to the one in Exodus 17. In both passages the people complained about having no water, and then they defeated an enemy shortly afterwards by depending on God. He didn’t allow them to fight against the Edomites in chapter 20, but He did give them permission to fight against the Amorites in chapter 21. Probably the family relationship between Esau and Jacob is the reason for the different approaches. But the danger with victory is that defeat can follow on its heels quite easily. Confidence can quickly turn into arrogance. After the Israelites defeated the Amorites, they became impatient because of the long journey around Edom, and they again complained about the lack of food and water. So God punished them by sending poisonous snakes (verse 6). The people acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to intercede for them. God’s solution wasn’t to take away the snakes as the Israelites had requested. Instead he provided an unusual antidote. He told Moses to build an image of a snake and mount it on a pole. God would seem to be violating his own second commandment here. But in reality that commandment was about building an image in order to worship it. Here the image was specifically chosen by God to avoid that problem. He used a snake because the people wouldn’t be tempted to worship an image of what had been biting them! God wanted to stress the importance of trusting Him, not the image. In the New Testament Jesus compares Himself to this image. Just as the snake was lifted up on a pole, so also He would be lifted up on a cross (John 3:14–16). The snake represented the object of trust quite imperfectly, but Jesus did so perfectly. Unfortunately, the snake image was used later for idolatry, so it was destroyed by King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4). So chapter 21 isn’t all good, but even the bad that is present has some positives. The people seemed to show genuine repentance after being punished with the snakes. The people from the old generation weren’t usually very remorseful about their disobedience. They also showed improvement in their attitude about the basic necessities of life. They complained about having no bread or water in verse 5, but in verses 16–18 they trusted God for their water. Israel’s success in battle against the Amorites at the end of chapter 21 leads to the story of Balaam in chapters 22–24. King Balak of Moab wanted to hire Balaam to curse Israel because he was afraid that his people too would be defeated (22:2). Ironically, the Moabites had no reason to fear. God had told the Israelites not to engage the Moabites in battle, according to Deuteronomy chapter 2. Numbers 21 indicates that they simply traveled around their land. Similar to the situation with the Edomites, the Moabites were relatives of Israel’s ancestors through Lot. So initially God was not opposed to Moab. But Balak sought to defeat the Israelites through any means possible. Instead of engaging them in battle, he tried to hire Balaam to curse them. Balaam is a mysterious character. Apparently he was a foreign prophet who considered Yahweh to be his God (22:18). We shouldn’t be surprised that God would reveal Himself to a nonIsraelite. After all, God wants to bless all nations and people groups. He desires everyone to worship Him too, not just Israelites. Job, Rahab, and Ruth are all early examples of foreigners who followed Yahweh. In fact, Ruth was a Moabite!

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But apparently Balaam’s character was questionable. He paid lip service to God, but his heart was not fully devoted to Him. Things started well for him when Balak first attempted to hire him. God told him not to go, so he didn’t. But then Balak sweetened his offer, and Balaam checked with God to see if He would reconsider. God permitted him to go but was incensed about it (22:22). Why was God so angry? Probably because Balaam was more interested in getting money than serving God. So why did God let him go? Because He wanted to use Balaam to bless His people in spite of his imperfections. God’s anger resulted in a humorous incident from our perspective, and yet it was a very serious situation for Balaam. The Angel of Yahweh stood in Balaam’s way to oppose him on his journey. But God allowed only Balaam’s donkey to see the Angel of Yahweh, and the donkey protected Balaam by turning aside. Yet Balaam became angry at his donkey and beat it. So God allowed the donkey to speak. Balaam was apparently so upset that he didn’t realize what was happening! But he got the picture after the Angel of Yahweh revealed Himself to Balaam and spoke to him. He warned Balaam that what he was doing was evil. Amazingly, he apparently still wanted to go, though he was willing to turn back. But God permitted him to continue. When Balaam arrived at his destination, Balak tried to get him in the mood to curse the Israelites. But instead Balaam prophesied four times in chapters 23–24 with blessings for them. The last one was even spontaneous. But what happens in chapter 25 seems completely out of place. The Israelite men had sexual relations with the women of Moab and worshiped their gods (verses 1–2). As God began to punish the people, one man even brought a Midianite woman openly to his relatives. Phinehas, one of Eleazar’s sons, intervened by killing both of them. So God made a covenant with him and his descendants. Then God commanded Moses to attack the Midianites because of their role in leading Israel astray. Not only had this Midianite woman played a part, but so also had the elders of Midian (22:4). Unfortunately, most Midianites were not like Jethro (Reuel) and his son Hobab. So if God had blessed Israel through Balaam, why did the people immediately fall into sin? Chapter 31 gives the answer. Verse 16 explains that Balaam was the one was responsible for leading the Israelites into idolatry. His advice, probably given to Balak, is what caused them to be unfaithful to Yahweh. The New Testament says that Balaam “loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15). He wanted Balak’s money more than he wanted to obey God. So after Moses and Aaron rebelled against God, He chose to use someone else to bless his people. We would expect Moses and Aaron to be a source of blessing, and usually they were, but they failed the Lord at a critical moment. We would not expect an outsider and someone who was morally defective like Balaam to be a source of blessing, but God used him anyway! Balaam didn’t really want to be a source of blessing for the Israelites, but God does whatever he wants. 2. The New Generation (26–36) The new generation has already been previewed in chapters 20–25, but it is on full display in chapters 26–36. The census of the new generation in chapter 26 matches the census of the old generation in chapter 1. Chapter 26 is a tremendous reminder of the mercy of God. He did not destroy the nation for all their earlier acts of disobedience. The population of Israel remained quite large. The new generation numbered 601,730 fighting men, which is only slightly less than the 603,550 in chapter 1. A note is given in verse 11 to show that Korah’s sons did not die as part of his rebellion. But this chapter also reminds us that God keeps His promises. He had said that only Caleb and Joshua would enter the land, and none of the people registered in chapter 1 were still alive (verses 64–65). 6

The rest of this section has bookends dealing with the daughters of Zelophehad (27:1–11; 36:1–13). He had only daughters and no sons, so God provided for his lineage to be preserved. But the daughters would need to marry within the same tribe. The end of chapter 27 deals with the approaching death of Moses and the need for a new leader. God appointed Joshua to replace Moses. This passage parallels the end of chapter 20, where God appointed Eleazar to replace Aaron. Chapters 28–30 include instructions about offerings, feasts, and vows. These instructions were already given, but now the new generation needs to hear them again as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. Chapter 31 piggybacks on the end of chapter 25 and God’s command to destroy the Midianites. Now the Israelites carry out Yahweh’s vengeance against them. Most likely this annihilation did not apply to all Midianites. Otherwise no Midianites would be left for Gideon to fight against (Judges 6–7)! Only the people who opposed Israel recently would be destroyed. This fact is confirmed by the mention of Balaam’s death (verse 8). He was the source of the problem that led to Israel’s sin in chapter 25. The need for all the non-virgin women to die also confirms this fact (verses 15–17). Holy war was a gruesome thing, but God used it to destroy wicked people who deserved to die. It is not a task that God has called the church to do today. Chapter 32 deals with a sticky situation. The Reubenites and Gadites asked if they could settle on the east side of the Jordan River and not the Promised Land. At first Moses was strongly opposed to this idea, but he agreed to it after they stated their willingness to help the rest of the nation fight for the Land of Canaan. Half of the tribe of Manasseh settled in this region as well. This territory used to belong to the Amorites before God delivered them over to the Israelites in chapter 21. The beginning of chapter 33 gives an overview of Israel’s travels over the past 40 years. Then the end of chapter 33 reminds the Israelites about the need to drive out the Canaanites from the Promised Land and destroy their idols. Chapters 34–35 give instructions for how to occupy the Promised Land. Chapter 34 gives the boundaries of the land, and chapter 35 sets aside cities for the Levites and cities for people to take refuge in when they accidentally kill someone. These cities are to be scattered across the nation. Conclusion The English title “Numbers” certainly conveys an important theme in the book. God blessed the Israelites numerically and provided for them during their journey. But the Hebrew title “in the wilderness” better captures the main idea of the book, which records the long time the Israelites spend traveling in the wilderness. The reason they were in the wilderness so long was their disobedience, which dominates the heart of the book. Both the old generation and the new generation rebelled against God at various points. Yet God was patient with them and did not destroy them. The purpose of the book can be stated this way: God continued to bless the Israelites in the midst of His discipline for their repeated disobedience.

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