Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.” (Jeremiah 17:5-6 ESV, passage to be continued next week)
St. John's Roman Catholic Church, Rome NY
Rebellion
›Rebellion is the act of going against those in power. If there has been one constant theme of Numbers it’s been rebellion.
›The people rebelling against Moses is in turn rebelling against the Lord because Moses was installed by Yahweh to lead the people. Several times throughout Exodus and Numbers the Lord reconfirms his choosing of Moses.
›Sin at its very core is by definition, rebellion. When someone chooses to sin they are choosing to rebel against God Almighty himself.
›The people rebelling against Moses is in turn rebelling against the Lord because Moses was installed by Yahweh to lead the people. Several times throughout Exodus and Numbers the Lord reconfirms his choosing of Moses.
›Sin at its very core is by definition, rebellion. When someone chooses to sin they are choosing to rebel against God Almighty himself.
Numbers 17
Confirmed
›Although this is a brief chapter, Numbers 17 serves as a follow up to the rebellion of Korah.
›A head of each of the tribes along with Aaron for the tribe of Levi, each submit a staff and write their names on it. Aaron’s staff buds and blooms signifying the preeminence of the Aaronic priesthood.
›When the people start saying that they will perish and are undone they are starting to realize the error in their rebellion.
›Although this is a brief chapter, Numbers 17 serves as a follow up to the rebellion of Korah.
›A head of each of the tribes along with Aaron for the tribe of Levi, each submit a staff and write their names on it. Aaron’s staff buds and blooms signifying the preeminence of the Aaronic priesthood.
›When the people start saying that they will perish and are undone they are starting to realize the error in their rebellion.
Numbers 18:1-7; 21-23
Priests, Levites, and tithing
›When the people lamented in chpt. 17 it was because they realized that Yahweh had pronounced judgment on them because of their continued rebellion. The priests and Levites were the people’s only hope of deliverance.
›Back in chpt 3 we learned the duties of the Levites and here in chpt 17 the duties were restated. Levites were to be the protection for the Tabernacle and the servants to the priests.
›When the people lamented in chpt. 17 it was because they realized that Yahweh had pronounced judgment on them because of their continued rebellion. The priests and Levites were the people’s only hope of deliverance.
›Back in chpt 3 we learned the duties of the Levites and here in chpt 17 the duties were restated. Levites were to be the protection for the Tabernacle and the servants to the priests.
Priests, Levites, and tithing cont.
The tribe of Levi received no land as an inheritance so in order to offset this, the tithe was instituted to take care of the priests and Levites.
The first mention we have of tithes is in Genesis when Abraham gives the priest/king Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils of war.
Here we have the tithe as a way for the people to take care of the ministers and caretakers of God Almighty’s Tabernacle who didn’t have any way of supporting themselves.
The first mention we have of tithes is in Genesis when Abraham gives the priest/king Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils of war.
Here we have the tithe as a way for the people to take care of the ministers and caretakers of God Almighty’s Tabernacle who didn’t have any way of supporting themselves.
Overview of Chapter 19
Laws of Purification
›Several times Leviticus mentions things that make people unclean and mostly there is a prescribed time that one must remain unclean and unable to enter the Tabernacle.
›Here in Numbers 19 we have the mention of a red heifer being burned outside the camp and mixing its ashes with running water in order cleanse those who are unclean.
›Why a red heifer? We have no clue. This is just one of those things that comes from the Lord and is not explained.
›It was further commanded that when someone touched a dead body they would have to be cleansed with the red heifer ash/ water mix.
›Failure to do so would make everything that they touched unclean.
›Several times Leviticus mentions things that make people unclean and mostly there is a prescribed time that one must remain unclean and unable to enter the Tabernacle.
›Here in Numbers 19 we have the mention of a red heifer being burned outside the camp and mixing its ashes with running water in order cleanse those who are unclean.
›Why a red heifer? We have no clue. This is just one of those things that comes from the Lord and is not explained.
›It was further commanded that when someone touched a dead body they would have to be cleansed with the red heifer ash/ water mix.
›Failure to do so would make everything that they touched unclean.
Numbers 20
Striking Out
›The chapter opens up by saying in the first month and most likely this is the first month of the 40th year. Most of the wandering in the wilderness is left without record but we pick it up here with Miriam’s death.
› We are 40 years in and there’s still no water and the people are still whining to Moses. Yahweh commands Moses to take his staff- which he had struck the rock with before in order to get water- but this time not strike the rock with the staff but only to tell the rock to yield its water.
›Moses has the people gathered around the rock with his staff in hand and asks if the rebels want him to bring water out of the rock.
›Then in a show of rebellion himself Moses disobeys commands and strikes the rock like he did 40 years before. 40 years of bickering and rebellion built up inside of Moses and they all came out at the wrong time- this one act of striking the rock prevents Moses from entering the Land.
›At the end of the chapter Aaron dies and is buried.
›The chapter opens up by saying in the first month and most likely this is the first month of the 40th year. Most of the wandering in the wilderness is left without record but we pick it up here with Miriam’s death.
› We are 40 years in and there’s still no water and the people are still whining to Moses. Yahweh commands Moses to take his staff- which he had struck the rock with before in order to get water- but this time not strike the rock with the staff but only to tell the rock to yield its water.
›Moses has the people gathered around the rock with his staff in hand and asks if the rebels want him to bring water out of the rock.
›Then in a show of rebellion himself Moses disobeys commands and strikes the rock like he did 40 years before. 40 years of bickering and rebellion built up inside of Moses and they all came out at the wrong time- this one act of striking the rock prevents Moses from entering the Land.
›At the end of the chapter Aaron dies and is buried.