The Fellowship Residency Program has introduced me to the idea of reading commentaries alongside scripture. By next August, I will have read through the entire Bible as well as The King in His Beauty, our selected commentary. As I am reading, I am writing a little bit about each of the books of the Bible so you and I can have a more thorough understanding of the scriptures. I invite you to follow along with me as we learn the Bible in its entirety from Genesis to Revelation. This does NOT encompass the entire book, but it is a good place to start. I encourage you to read for yourself and begin your own Biblical journal along the way. To read some of my other related posts, click here.
Preparation: Purity and Obedience to Enter the Land – The book begins with a generation that should have inherited the land but could not as a result of disobedience and ends with the census of a new generation that is set up to receive the land numbering at more than 600,000. The book of Numbers focuses on the Lord’s special presence with His people and that it is by His presence alone that allows Israel to be special and able to receive His blessings. Chapters 5 & 6 discuss the need for purity within the camp. Chapter 7 details how every tribe generously gave for the dedication of the altar as everything that was theirs came originally from the Lord. It then discusses the need for the Levites, or priests, to be cleansed before they could serve as well as those who attended Passover. Numbers then discusses how the Israelites ultimately came to follow the Lord’s guidance as was represented by a cloud over Israel. When the cloud moved, the people moved also. Chapter 10 them comes back to detailing instructions for the trumpets that were used for assembly, battle, celebrations, and setting out of the camp. At this point in the scripture, the people recognized their army could not boast about their superiority. Instead, their successes depended on their favor with the Lord. And their favor came as a result of their purity and obedience to the Holy Lord.
The Disobedient Generation – Chapters 11 & 12 forecast the betrayal of Israel as they immediately begin to complain about their circumstances and even believe that remaining in Egypt (against the Lord’s plan) would have been a better choice for their well-being. Moses recognizes the grumbling is burdening and pleads with God. God hears him and sends the Spirit to the seventy elders so that they may also bear the burden with Moses. It is about this time that some of the Israelites were struck with fear and begun to believe it would be better to quit the Exodus and return to Egypt as they also believed God had evil intentions for their lives. This massive sin of despising the Lord Himself was no small matter. The Lord threatens destruction, but Moses intercedes for the Israelites. This section of scripture is often utilized to argue that God changes His mind as a result of our prayers. Conversely, God already knows the plan for His people, and in His plan, He knew Moses would be faithful and therefore chose to spare the Israelites. However, He did promise that this generation would die in the wilderness and never see the Promise Land. Although the disobedient generation attempted to find it themselves, Israel would not be able to conquer the land without the presence of God. A group led by Korah and his friends were struck by natural disasters as a bold act of judgment for their persistent disobedience. However, instead of responding in repentance, they blamed Moses and Aaron for their death. Eventually, the disobedient generation begun to realize they were doomed to perish for their actions and even Moses himself would not enter the Holy Land as a result of their disobedience to the Lord’s commands.
A New Generation: The Promises are not Revoked – We see that the offspring generation does finally inhabit the land as promised and God foreshadows this by discussing the sacrifices in Chapter 15:2 by instructing them to partake in these sacrifices, “when you come into the land you are to inhabit which I am giving to you.” Although this generation is still complaining, they are able to look upon Moses’s bronze serpent, remember God’s promises of forgiveness, and be healed. They begin to conquer enemies including Arad, Sihon, and Og. Additionally, a note of God’s sovereignty is displayed in the story of Balaam who wants to curse Israel to gain favor from Balak the King of Moab, but he is constrained by speaking only what the Lord has commanded and is unable to curse God’s people. Overall, Israel’s destiny was blessed, but not all would receive the blessing as sin was still rampant within the people and the Lord was enacting judgment appropriately. As Numbers closes, Moses commissions Joshua to continue leading the people towards their inheritance. The slaughter of Midian is a warm-up for the destruction of their enemies that is to come. Numbers closes with God warning them against idolatry when they arrive to the promised land as He knows the realities of their hearts.
Conclusion – The promise to Abraham is coming to fruition as the people will be uncountable, able to conquer all enemies, and will “crush the forehead of Moab” just as God promised that Eve’s offspring would crush the serpent’s head. The major theme of scripture will eventually come to work where, “The people of the Lord will be returned to something like a land of paradise under the rule of their king. They will triumph over their enemies, and God’s lordship over all will be realized.”
Themes: God is faithful and offers forgiveness; He is just, intolerant and a promise keeper. People are disobedient and in need of a savior. The Lord has a special presence with His people.