(The previous post covered the story that resulted in the Doctrine of Balaam. Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel. God wanted Balaam to bless Israel. Balaam did things his way (how) and rationalized it because he still achieved God's result (what). God cares more about the how and why than the what. This Doctrine of Balaam continued to be mentioned throughout the Old Testament.)
Numbers 25
(Paul referenced the events of this chapter in 1 Corinthians 10:8.)
1 And Israel abode in Shittim; and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab:
2 for they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
(The conflict was between Israel and another culture forming covenants. The people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. This was an effect of the Doctrine of Balaam.)
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel.
(God was angry with Israel because Israel joined himself (their choice) unto Baal-peor. The Israelites being "joined unto Baal-peor" meant that Israel devoted himself to the worship of that god, which was covenantal. Baal-peor was the god worshipped at Peor. Peor was a mountain peak in Moab.)
4 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up unto Jehovah before the sun, that the fierce anger of Jehovah may turn away from Israel.
5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto Baal-peor.
(Moses told the judges to kill all the men that were joined unto Baal-peor. Judges were the leaders of the nation during this time period.)
6 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 of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.
7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand;
8 and he went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
(Phinehas killed the Israelite man and the Midianite woman. This stopped the plague. The word plague meant “slaughter, blow, divine judgment.”)
9 And those that died by the plague were twenty and four thousand.
(Before the plague was stopped, 24,000 people died.)
10 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13 and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.
(God gave a covenant of peace to Phinehas, and his seed, of an everlasting priesthood.)
14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers' house among the Simeonites.
15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a fathers' house in Midian.
(Acts 15:17-21 recorded that James the Lesser referenced the previous fifteen verses during the council's meeting concerning circumcision.)
16 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Vex the Midianites, and smite them;
18 for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.
(God told Moses to "vex the Midianites" and to smite them. Vex meant "to cause distress." God did this in response to the Midianites’ evil actions.)
Numbers 26
(This chapter covered the second census of the Israelites.)
1 And it came to pass after the plague, that Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,
2 Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel.
(After the plague, God commanded another numbering of those twenty years old and up who were able to go to war.)
3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,
4 Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as Jehovah commanded Moses and the children of Israel, that came forth out of the land of Egypt.
(Verses 5-11: the tribe of Reuben.)
5 Reuben, the first-born of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;
6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.
7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and they that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Reuben was 43,730.)
8 And the sons of Pallu: Eliab.
9 And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram, who were called of the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against Jehovah,
10 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died; what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men, and they became a sign.
11 Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah died not.
(Another recording of the 250 sons of Korah that were swallowed by the earth. The sons of Korah were not all dead.)
(Verses 12-14: the tribe of Simeon.)
12 The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;
13 of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.
14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Simeon was 22,200.)
(Verses 15-18: the tribe of Gad.)
15 The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;
16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;
17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Gad was 40,500.)
(Verses 19-22: the tribe of Judah.)
19 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
20 And the sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.
21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22 These are the families of Judah according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Judah was 76,500.)
(Verses 23-25: the tribe of Issachar.)
23 The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;
24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.
25 These are the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Issachar was 64,300.)
(Verses 26-27: the tribe of Zebulun.)
26 The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.
27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Zebulun was 60,500.)
(Verses 28-34: the tribe of Manasseh.)
28 The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begat Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.
30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;
31 and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;
32 and of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.
33 And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
34 These are the families of Manasseh; and they that were numbered of them were fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Manasseh was 52,700.)
(Verses 35-37: the tribe of Ephraim.)
35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Ephraim was 32,500.)
(Verses 38-41: the tribe of Benjamin.)
38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;
39 of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.
40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.
41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Benjamin was 45,600.)
(Verses 42-43: the tribe of Dan.)
42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.
43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Dan was 64,400.)
(Verses 44-47: the tribe of Asher.)
44 The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.
45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.
46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.
47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered of them, fifty and three thousand and four hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Asher was 53,400.)
(Verses 48-50: the tribe of Naphtali.)
48 The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;
49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.
50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and they that were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.
(The number of those twenty years old and up from the tribe of Naphtali was 45,400.)
51 These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.
(The total numbered from twenty years old and up that were able to go to war was 601,730. **A little perspective: As of 2010, there were less than 200,000 active duty personnel in the United States Marine Corps.**)
(Verses 52-65: inheritance of the land.)
52 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54 To the more thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one according to those that were numbered of him shall his inheritance be given.
55 Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
56 According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.
(In general, the larger tribes received larger portions of land.)
(Verses 57-62: the tribe of Levi and their inheritance.)
57 And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
58 These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. And Kohath begat Amram.
59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
60 And unto Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before Jehovah.
62 And they that were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, every male from a month old and upward: for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.
(Those numbered, from one month old and up, from the Levites was 23,000.)
63 These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.
64 But among these there was not a man of them that were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
65 For Jehovah had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
(Caleb and Joshua were the only men left from the first numbering. It looked like they were ready to cross the Jordan River.)
Numbers 27
1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying,
3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against Jehovah in the company of Korah: but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.
4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.
5 And Moses brought their cause before Jehovah.
(The daughters of Zelophehad made a request. Their father died with no sons and they had a solution for what to do with their inheritance.)
6 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute and ordinance, as Jehovah commanded Moses.
(This was the law of inheritance, also known as the "kinsman redeemer." Remember this when reading the Book of Ruth.)
12 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim, and behold the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.
13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered;
(God told Moses to go up the mountain of Abarim to see the land God gave to the Israelites. Moses was able to see the land but after would be “gathered” to his people as Aaron was gathered. Moses would die after this.)
14 because ye rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the waters before their eyes. (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 And Moses spake unto Jehovah, saying,
16 Let Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,
17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of Jehovah be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
18 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thy hand upon him;
(God told Moses to take Joshua, a man in whom was the Spirit. God put Joshua in charge so the sheep (Israelites) would have a shepherd (Pastor). The Hebrew word ra`ah (Strong's #7462) meant "shepherd." The KJV translated this word as "pastor" seven times in the Book of Jeremiah.)
19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 And thou shalt put of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey.
21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before Jehovah: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
22 And Moses did as Jehovah commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
23 and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as Jehovah spake by Moses.
(Moses laid his hands on Joshua and gave him the charge.)
(This post covered the final numbering of the Israelites and the transfer of authority from Moses to Joshua prior to the Israelites possessing the Promised Land.)
Day 48
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