Numbers 11-20

11.

The Israelites, although free from the captivity, are discontent and reminisce about their past years in Egypt. Forgetting the hardships which they faced, they are happy to remember those luxuries such as flesh, fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. Although God has been supplying them with manna (food in a dry desert!), they are very thankless (wailing and complaining) for they had been eating manna for a while – ground, baked, or beaten. In other words, they faced temptation in the desert.

It’s not just they who faced it, but also everyone who are in such ‘desert’ situations, a time when we are particularly vulnerable. Being a follower of Christ doesn’t eliminate us from being tempted. Even when we are strong, we will always find that the grass is greener on the other side. But instead of finding deficits and causes of complaints, we must thank and praise God for His blessings and mercy.

Moses is fed up with the Israelites and cannot understand why he should be responsible for them. God decides to divide Moses’ responsibility and blesses 70 elders from the 12 tribes with His Spirit. Moses doesn’t feel jealous by this action, although his supporters are miffed.

When the Israelites complain about food, the Lord decides to give them (stuff them, actually!) flesh. God sends quails by using natural elements. So, although He can intervene directly, He does use factors and humans as his vessels of implement.

When Moses assumes that the herds must be slaughtered to provide food, God asks whether His power is limited. But this is what we often do- we picture God as a human with restricted abilities.

12.

Moses’ wife was an Ethiopian.

God usually speaks to prophets via visions and dreams. But to Moses, he spoke directly.

Moses was very meek and enjoyed a close relationship with God- which Aaron and Miriam couldn’t have due to their pride. When the Lord communicated with Aaron and Miriam, they complain to Him about Moses. We can often see this in the ministry scene, where the complaining is motivated by jealousy and spite. When Miriam is punished with leprosy, Aaron admits his sin to Moses and asks forgiveness. Moses not only forgives them, but also cries out to the Lord asking Him to heal her.

14.

Upon hearing about the fearsome Canaanites, the Israelites are scared and resume grumbling that it would have been better if they were dead. They consider appointing a leader and returning back to Egypt. Do we do this when faced with troubles or rumours of troubles? Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey, chosen by God as the dwelling for His children. It was literally the light at the end of the tunnel, within easy reach. Caleb and Joshua try to encourage them by reminding that since God is with them, they needn't fear the Canaanites.

God has wonderful plans for us, which we tend to be unaware of. But despite the uncertainty, we can either follow His plans or make our own silly moves. In this text, we find that the Canaanites were fearsome and seemingly undefeatable. But the Israelites were to overcome them with God’s help. Just sitting still by the border wouldn’t bequeath Canaan to us - we are to go ahead and make our move, with the fullest knowledge that God is with us. God has made numerous promises and He never breaks any nor does His word change. We are to believe in the same promises and in His guidance- all we need to do is to follow Him.

God is fed up by the disobedience of Israelites, so much that He tells Moses of His plan to disinherit them, and make Moses’ descendants a greater and mightier nation than them. But Moses intercedes for the Israelites, appealing to God’s mercy and forgiveness. God pardons them but is not pleased with the Israelites’ grumblings for they had witnessed God’s miracles and glorious victory and guidance so far. It is these grumblings which condemns them to wander in the desert for 40 years. Those who eventually saw Canaan were those who followed the Lord wholeheartedly.

15.

God wants us to be holy and to be obedient to Him.

17.

God doesn’t like us to grumble.

In the OT, access to Him was via the Levites. After Jesus’ death, we don’t need any such intercessors. Each sin required atonement- usually involving a blood sacrifice. Jesus was the final blood sacrifice who made atonement for all.

20.

The Israelites grumble again! But when God tells Moses to speak to the rock, Moses smites it twice instead.

Leviticus 21-24; Numbers 1, 8-9

21.
This chapter deals with purity in priests. To partake in the passover and to be anywhere near the veil, preists and other individuals should be perfect- not just in character and behaviour, but also physically. Jesus abolished all these requirements and made the table accessible to all. Moreover, when he died, the veil at the Temple of Jerusalem split from top to bottom signifying that there was no longer a division between the Holy of Holies and the rest of the Temple, i.e Jesus’ death on the cross, as the punishment for our sins and for our salvation, gave us direct access to God.

22.
God repeats nine times that He is the Lord.

23.
We are not to work on Sundays/Shabbat - which should be kept holy, as a day totally dedicated to God. The passage again refers to Jesus, the perfect lamb, who is sacrificed so that our sins are forgiven. The Lamb of God was sacrificed on Passover itself.

24.
God doesn’t like sin. Nor does He expect us to sin. The punishments for sinning are harsh. But not only has Jesus forgiven our sins, but he paid the penalty which we should have paid.

Numbers
1.
Levites were given charge of the tabernacle. Anyone else would die if they came near it. This right, given to the Levites, has been transferred to us by Jesus.

Even though God was with them, the Israelites still remained prepared for war. Thus, we too cannot rest on our laurels and wait for God to deal with our problems. On the contrary, we should put in some effort, and be converted into the war implement, used by God, for the Christian life is a battle- both physical, spiritual, and mental.

Nicky Gumbel points out that like Moses, we too must listen to God, even when we are in a godless/desert place or when going through a dry/unfruitful phase.

8.
The Levites are purified by sprinkling water upon them. We are purified by Jesus sprinkling his own blood.

9.
When the people asked a difficult question to Moses, he told them to wait (i.e to pray) so that he could hear from the Lord. We too should present our problems to God, pray, and wait patiently.

Leviticus 4-

4.

Those who commit a sin are (obviously) guilty, but even the God of the OT desires to have mercy rather than punish them. The formula was to confess first, pay the penalty, and make the sacrifice/the atonement. Finally, one is forgiven.

6.

God expects us to be pure and we shouldn’t trespass (including saying lies, deception, and giving false witness) against Him. All of these sins are forgiven by sacrificing animals- later, Jesus transformed himself into the sacrificial animal and died on the cross, as the punishment for our sins.

15.

God establishes more rules for the ancient Israelite community. Although these rules may seem archaic, they were formed to instill obedience, and to preserve good health and lawfulness in a nomadic community, and even later when established as a nation.

16.

The chapter deals with the sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. In the NT, Jesus becomes both the scapegoat (which is chased away into the wilderness, on whom each of their sins are laid upon) and the sin goat (which was slain for the sins of the people).

18.

God reiterates five times that He is the Lord our God. He wants us to obey Him and walk in the path which He shows (v. 4) - for this is the path of life. The chapter mainly deals with sexual purity and the need for God’s children to remain pure. We are exhorted not to follow all that the world does- for the world will deride at our values and we will even be tempted to swim with the tide.

19- 20

In Chapter 19, God reminds us sixteen times of who He is- The Lord our God. In chapter 20, He does so four times. Both chapters are a reprise of the Ten Commandments, instituted because God (for He is holy) wants us to be holy. God institutes laws to control humans who, by nature, are lawless.

Since we have been severed from other nations, we are not expected to be like them. On the other hand, we should:

- fear/respect/honour our parents (no cursing!)

- honour the elders

- worship Him alone (and not turn to idols, in whichever form, or make such)

- wholeheartedly make offerings to Him

- keep the Sabbath

- respect the holy place

- leave some of the harvest for the poor and the stranger

- be good to strangers

- pay everyone promptly

- love our neighbours as ourselves (Jesus echoes this!)

- be just

- not commit adultery (with another’s partner) or abomination (same sex partners or bestiality) or incest

- not steal or rob

- not hate

- not avenge or bear any grudge

- not have any false dealings

- not say lies

- not spread tales

- not swear by using God’s name or profane His name

- not defraud anyone (including in judgment, or measurement)

- not play tricks on the powerless

- not show any discrimination

There are more commandments:

- God doesn’t like inter-breeding, e.g. crossing different breeds with another. Even mixing seeds in the field or weaving garments with mixed material are frowned upon.

- The harvest for 3 years should not be eaten since it is ‘uncircumcised’. In the 4^th year, the fruits are solely offered to God, and from the 5^th year onwards, they can be eaten.

- Nothing with blood (i.e. raw/uncooked) should be eaten.

- One mustn’t use enchantment, observe auspicious times, give importance to familiar spirits, or seek wizards.

- Excess hair on the heads shouldn’t be shaven off, nor should one have tattoos.