Book of Numbers
Highlights
·
Chapter
1,
Moses is instructed by God to take the sum of all males of the children of
Israel, after their families from twenty years old and upward that are able to
go forth to war. All of the tribes were numbered except the tribe of Levi. They
were to be appointed over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels
thereof, and over all the things that belong to it.
·
Chapter
2, GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, "The People of Israel are to set
up camp circling the Tabernacle of the congregation. Each tribe is to camp under its distinctive
tribal flag.
The total number in the camps, counted tribe by tribe, was 603,550. The Levites were not counted. The children of Israel did everything accordingly as GOD commanded Moses.
The total number in the camps, counted tribe by tribe, was 603,550. The Levites were not counted. The children of Israel did everything accordingly as GOD commanded Moses.
· Chapter 3,
the generations of Moses and Aaron are given. God instructs Moses to present
the tribe of Levi before Aaron that they may minister unto him, and keep his
charge, and the charge of the whole congregation, to do the service of the
tabernacle. Moses and Aaron were commanded by the Lord to number of the
Levites, all the males from one month old and upward which total 22,000, then set them apart in place of all
the firstborn among the People of Israel, also the livestock of the Levites in
place of their livestock. I am GOD."
They were also commanded to number all the
first born males of the children of Israel from one month and upward which
total 22,273. GOD
told Moses to redeem the 273 firstborn
Israelites who exceed the number of Levites.
· Chapter 4,
GOD spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, "Number the Kohathites, Gershonites, and the Merarites after their
families. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age, to do the
work in the Tabernacle of the Congregation. "When Aaron and his sons have
finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and the camp
is ready to set out, the Kohathites are to carry the Holy things. "The
Gershonites will carry all the heavy equipment of the Sanctuary. The Merarites are to carry the frames of The dwelling, its
crossbars, posts, and bases, as
well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs,
cords, and all the equipment related to their use. Assignments were given to
each family and to each man exactly what he is to carry.
· Chapter 5, the children of Israel are commanded to put out of the
camp, any leper or unclean person. The procedure to follow when a man’s wife is
suspected of cheating is also given. She is to be brought before the priest,
takes an oath, and made to drink bitter water. If innocent, she will be free.
If she be defiled, her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and she shall be a
curse among her people.
· Chapter 6, Laws concerning Vow of a Nazarite are
given to Moses. When either man or woman takes the Vow to separate themselves
unto the Lord, they are not to eat anything that is made of the vine tree, from
kernels even to the husk. No razor shall come upon his head, nor shall he come
at no dead body, all the days of his or her separation.
· Chapter 7, When Moses finished setting up
the Tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it along with all that went with
it. At the same time he anointed and consecrated the Altar and its accessories.
The princes of Israel, the heads of the house of their fathers, brought
offerings to present before God. Each day for 12 days, one tribe presented its
offering.
· Chapter 8, GOD spoke to Moses: "Take the Levites from the
midst of the People of Israel and purify them to proform GOD's work.
Bring them before the tabernacle and gather the entire
assembly of Israel. Present the Levites before GOD as the People of Israel lay their hands on them. This is the procedure for setting apart
the Levites from the rest of the People of Israel; the Levites are mine.
At the age of twenty-five and upward, they shall go in to serve the tabernacle. At the age of fifty they must cease
waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more. They can assist their brothers in the
tasks in tabernacle, but they are not permitted to do the actual work
themselves.
· Chapter 9, Moses
told the People of Israel to celebrate the Passover, and they did in the Wilderness of Sinai
at evening of the fourteenth day of the first month. And on the day that
the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered it, namely, the tent of
the testimony. At even, there was upon
the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was
always. The cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by
night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the children
of Israel journeyed. In the place where the cloud abode, there they pitched
their tents. At the commandment of the LORD
they journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD
they pitched. As long as the cloud abode
upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
· Chapter 10,
The LORD
spake unto Moses saying, make thee two trumpets of silver, that thou mayest use
them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps. When
they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee
at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass on
the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the
cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. And the
children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai, and the
cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran. It came to pass, when the ark set forward,
that Moses said, Rise up, LORD,
and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before
thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.
· Chapter 11,
When the people complained, it
displeased the LORD, and his anger
was kindled against them. The fire of the LORD
burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of
the camp. The people cried unto Moses who prayed unto the LORD, and the fire was quenched. The mixed
multitude that was among them fell a lusting, and the children of Israel
also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? Their mind went back into Egypt. Moses becomes
discourage and questions God about the burden of all this people laid upon him.
God responds by choosing seventy Elders to share the burden of the people with
Moses. God gave them flesh to eat in the form of Quails. While
the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of
the LORD was kindled against the
people, and the LORD smote the
people with a very great plague.
· Chapter 12,
Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because
of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. They
said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken
only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. The anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and, behold, Miriam became
leprous, white as snow. Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she
was leprous. The LORD
said unto Moses, let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that
let her be received in again.
· Chapter 13, The
LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send
thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the
children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every
one a ruler among them. So they went up, and searched the land. They
returned after forty days. Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let
us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against
the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an
evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel,
saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land
that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are
men of a great stature.
·
Chapter
14, All the People of Israel
grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The entire congregation was in on it:
"Why didn't we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness? Why has GOD brought us to this country to kill
us? Why don't we just head back to
Egypt? Then Moses
and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of
the children of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of
Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their
clothes.They spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The
land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
If the LORD delight in us,
then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with
milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD,
neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their
defence is departed from them, and the LORD
is with us: fear them not.
· Chapter 14
(continued) The
LORD spake unto Moses and unto
Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear
with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? Your
carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you,
according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have
murmured against me, shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb
the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones,
which ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the
land which ye have despised. But as for you, your carcases, they
shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall wander in the
wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted
in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the
land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your
iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
· Chapter 15, God spoke to Moses concerning the
procedure for offerings made unto the Lord. One ordinance shall be both for you of the
congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you. As ye are, so shall
the stranger be before the LORD.
One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that
sojourneth with you. That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and
be holy unto your God.
·
Chapter
16,
Korah, Dathan and Abiram, with certain of the children of Israel,
gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "You've overstepped yourself.
This entire congregation is holy and GOD
is in their midst. So why do you act like you're running the whole show?" And Moses said,
Hereby ye shall know that the LORD
hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of
mine own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they
be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth
open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them,
and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men
have provoked the LORD. And it
came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the
ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her
mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained
unto Korah, and all their goods.
· Chapter 17,
The LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children
of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their
fathers, twelve rods. Write thou every
man's name upon his rod. Write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi. And thou shalt lay them up in the
tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with
you.
And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. On the morrow when Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. On the morrow when Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
· Chapter
18, GOD said
to Aaron, "You and your sons, along with your father's family, are
responsible for taking care of sins having to do with the Sanctuary. You and
your sons are also responsible for sins involving the priesthood. Your brothers of the tribe of Levi shall
assist you and your sons in your duties, but they must not have anything to do
with the holy things of the Altar under penalty of death. Both they and you
will die! And, behold, I
have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for
their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of
the congregation.
· Chapter
19, The LORD
spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, Speak unto the
children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is
no blemish, and upon which never came yoke. And one shall
burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her
dung, shall he burn without the camp. A man that is clean shall gather
up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean
place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for
a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
· Chapter 20,
The Israelites comes to Zin where Miriam dies and is buried. The people
gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron because there was no water. The Lord told Moses to speak to
the rock to bring forth water. Moses being angered by the people, smote the
rock with his rod, and water came out abundantly. The
LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron,
Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of
Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I
have given them. God instructed Moses to take Aaron and
Eleazar up unto mount Hor, strip Aaron of his garments, and put them
upon Eleazar his son. Aaron died there in the top of the mount.
· Chapter
21,
As they journeyed from mount
Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the
people was much discouraged because of the way. The people spake against God, and against Moses. The LORD sent fiery serpents among the
people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore
the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against
the LORD, and against thee; pray
unto the LORD, that he take away
the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery
serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that
is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
· Chapter 22,
Balak the son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, he was
sore afraid of the people. He
sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, saying, Come now therefore, I pray thee,
curse me this people: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed,
and he whom thou cursest is cursed. Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went
with the princes of Moab. God's anger
was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him, three
times. And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and
she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me
these three times? Then the LORD
opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:
and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
· Chapter 23,
Balaam goes to Balak as told by the angel of the Lord. And
the LORD put a word in Balaam's
mouth, and said, thus thou shalt speak. And he took up his parable,
and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the
mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy
Israel. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy,
whom the LORD hath not
defied? Balak said unto Balaam, What
hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou
hast blessed them altogether.
· Chapter 24,
Balak
said to Balaam, "Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can
find the right place in God's eyes where you'll be able to curse them for
me."
By now Balaam realized that GOD wanted to bless Israel. So he didn't
work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the
wilderness, and blessed Israel the 3rd time.
· Chapter
25, Israel abode in Shittim, and the
people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. It
started when the women invited the men to their sex-and-religion worship. They
ate together and then worshiped their gods. Israel joined himself unto
Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD
was kindled against Israel. Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every
one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor. And, behold, one of the
children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in
the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation . When Phinehas,
the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from
among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; and went after the man
of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel,
and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of
Israel. Twenty and four thousand died in the plague. Phinehas was rewarded by
God with the Covenant of Peace ( an everlasting priesthood).
· Chapter 26, After the plague GOD said to Moses and Eleazar , count
every person who is twenty years and older who is able to serve in the army of
Israel. The total number of
the People of Israel was 601,730. GOD told Moses to Divide up the
inheritance of the land based on population. The land shall be
divided by lot, according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they
shall inherit. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be
divided between many and few. The numbering of Levite males one month and older came
to 23,000. They hadn't been counted in with the rest of the People of Israel
because they didn't inherit any land. Of
the ones numbered by Moses and Eleazar in the
Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho, Not
one of them had been among those counted in the Wilderness of Sinai. For
GOD had said of them,
"They'll die, die in the wilderness,
not one of them will be left except for Caleb son of Jephunneh, and
Joshua son of Nun."
· Chapter
27, The daughters of Zelophehad came
to Moses requesting that they be allowed to receive the inheritance of their
father who died without any sons. Moses was told by God to honor their request.
He was also given a standard to follow in the future.
The LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into
this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of
Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy
people. For ye rebelled
against my commandment at the waters of Meribah in Kadesh. Moses ask God to
appoint his successor. God said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua
the son of Nun, and lay thine hand upon him; And set him before Eleazar
the priest, and all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
Thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation
of the children of Israel may be obedient.
· Chapters 28 and 29,
Command is given to Moses for the offerings and sacrifices to be observed and
offered to God in their due seasons.
Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the Lord
commanded.
· Chapter 30,
Moses speaks to the heads of the
tribes concerning the children of Israel, telling them what things the LORD hath commanded concerning vows. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul
with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that
proceedeth out of his mouth.
· Chapter
31, God tells Moses to avenge the
children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy
people. Moses sent to war, a thousand of every tribe. And they warred against the Midianites, as the
LORD commanded Moses. They slew
all the males, and the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them
that were slain. Balaam the son of Beor they slew also. However, they took all the
women of Midian captives.
Moses was wroth with the officers and
the captains which came from the battle.
Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold,
these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit
trespass against the LORD in the
matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation from the LORD. Now therefore kill every male
among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with
him. But all the women
children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for
yourselves.
· Chapter
32, The children of Reuben and Gad ask
Moses to grant them their possession this side of Jordan in the land of
Jazer, because it was a good place for
cattle. They promised to go ready armed before the children of Israel across
Jordan, and not return unto their houses until their brethren had inherited each,
his inheritance. Moses said, if ye will
do this thing, then this land will be yours, but if not, ye have sinned against
the Lord. And be sure, your sins will find you out.
· Chapter
33, Moses records the journeys of the
children of Israel as commanded by the Lord. The LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near
Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of
Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of
Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before
you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and
quite pluck down all their high places. And ye shall dispossess the
inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land
to possess it. But if ye will not drive
out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass,
that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and
thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I
thought to do unto them.
· Chapter
34, God gives Moses the boundaries of
the land of Canaan (across Jordan) to be possessed by the nine plus a half
tribe of children of Israel. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh had receive their possession this side of Jordan near Jerico. Eleazar
the priest and Joshua the son of Nun were appointed to divide the land by
inheritance.
· Chapter
35,
GOD spoke to Moses on the
Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho saying, "Command
the People of Israel to give the Levites as their part of the total inheritance
towns to live in. Make sure there is plenty of pasture around the towns. Then
they will be well taken care of with towns to live in and pastures for their
cattle, flocks, and other livestock. And
among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six
cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee
thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities. So all the cities which ye shall
give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye
give with their suburbs.
· Chapter
36, Moses was confronted concerning the
daughters of Zelophehad who was to receive the inheritance of their father. The
concern was if they were to marry into another family, the inheritance would be
taken. So Moses gave the following: This
is the thing which the LORD
doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to
whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall
they marry. And every daughter, that
possesseth an inheritance in any tribe
of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of
her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of
his fathers.
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
