Why was Moses told to deal harshly with his people and with the Midianites?

N25:4 “... The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel...”

N25:17,18 “... Be hostile to the Midianites and strike them; for they have been hostile to you with their tricks, with which they have deceived you...”

What did Phinehas accomplish?

N25:7-8 “...Phinehas ... went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.

N25:9 “...Those who died by the plague were 24,000...”

N25:10,11 “... the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, ... has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy ...”

Do we have people with God’s kin-aw’ (ardour, zeal, jealousy?

Do people need to be pierced with a spear?

Hebrews 4:12 “...For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart...”

N26 2nd Census of men 20 and older able to go to war

N1:46 1st Census - 603,550

N26:51 2nd Census 601,730

Who were not included in the 2nd census?

N26:65 “...For the Lord had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." And not a man was left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun...” 603,548 had been lost.

How was the land to be divided?

N26:53,54,56 “... the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To the larger group you shall increase their inheritance, and to the smaller group you shall diminish their inheritance; by lot, their inheritance shall be divided between the larger and the smaller groups...”

N27

God sets up inheritance principles.

N27:8-11 “...If a man dies and has no son, ...transfer his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, ...give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, ...give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ‘If his father has no brothers, ...give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, ...a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel...”

The change in leadership.

N27:12-14 “... the Lord said to Moses, “Go up to this mountain ...and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. ...you too will be gathered to your people ...for in the wilderness of Zin ...you rebelled against My command...”

N27:17,18,22,23 “...who will lead them out and bring them in ... the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him ...Eleazar the priest ...laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord had spoken...”

N28,29 Presenting a soothing (pleasing) aroma.to God.

N28:2 by fire at the appointed time.

N28:6 by burnt offering every day.

N28:8 by fire at twilight.

N28:13 by burnt offering at the beginning of each month.

N28:24 by fire during the Feast of Unleavened bread.

N28:27 by burnt offering during the Feast of Weeks.

N29:2 by burnt offering in the seventh month.

N29:6 with sin offering.

N29:8 by burnt offering on the 10th day of the seventh month.

N29:12,13 by burnt offering on the 15th day of the seventh month.

N29:35.36 by burnt offering on the 8th day of a solemn assembly.

What do we do that takes this kind of commitment?

What do we do that is a soothing, pleasing, aroma to God?

2 Cor.2:14-16 “...But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?...”

Eph.5:2 “...and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma...”

Is knowing Christ providing the sweet aroma everywhere?

Does sacrificing self for others provide a fragrant aroma to God?

N30 Vows

A vow creates a pact between a person and God.

N30:2 "...If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth...”

N30:3-8 Fathers or husbands can annul a woman’s rash vow.

N30:9 Vows of widows or divorced shall stand.

Is God true to His word? Are we?

Why do we have so many lawyers?

N31 The Slaughter of Midian

God tells Moses that his last act would be vengeance on the Midianites.

Descendents of Abraham via Keturah (G25:1,2)

Relatives of those who sold Joseph to Egypt (G37:28)

Relatives of Moses by marriage? (E2:15-21)

Tried to get Balaam to curse the Israelites (N22:7)

N31:1,2 “...the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites ...”

N31:7,8 “...So they made war against Midian ...killed every male ...five kings ...also ... Balaam ...”

N31:9,10 “...captured the women ...and their little ones ...cattle ...flocks ...goods ...burned all their cities ...”

Why was Moses angry?

N31:15-16 “...And Moses said to them, "Have you spared all the women? "Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord...”

N31:17,18 “... Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves..”.

Dividing the Spoils.

N31:27-29 “... and divide the booty between the warriors who went out to battle and all the congregation... a tax for the Lord (1/50th) ... to Eleazar the priest...”

N31:32-35 “... Now the booty that remained from the spoil which the men of war had plundered was 675,000 sheep, and 72,000 cattle, and 61,000 donkeys, and of human beings, of the women who had not known man intimately, all the persons were 32,000...”

How many Israelites were lost in this battle?

N31:49 “...Your servants have taken a census of men of war who are in our charge, and no man of us is missing...”

Gratitude led to atonement offering of 16,750 shekels.

N32 Reuben and Gad want the land of Jazer and Gilead.

What potential problems existed regarding their request?

N26:55 “... the land shall be divided by lot...”

N32:6,14,15 “... Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here?... Now behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to add still more to the burning anger of the Lord against Israel. For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people...”

What promise did they make? Will they keep it?

N32:17-19 “... but we ourselves will be armed ready to go ...while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance. ...we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan ...”

Do battle? Be comfortable?

Is saying easier than doing? Are our hearts known?

N32:23 “...if you will not do so ...be sure your sin will find you out...”

What tempts us to settle for less than the promise?

G15:18 “...On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates...”

N34:5 “...The border shall turn direction from Azmon to the brook of Egypt, and its termination shall be at the sea...”

N33 Recap of the Journey

How did God judge false gods”? Our false exaltations?

N33:3,4 “...started out boldly ...while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom the Lord had struck down among them. The Lord had also executed judgments on their gods...”

In how many places did they make camp?

11 camps up to Sinai - N33:5-15 Succoth, Etham, Migdol, Marah, Elim, by Red Sea, wilderness of Sin, Dophkah, Alush, Rephidim, Sinai

22 camps after Sinai - N33:16-37 kibroth, Hazeroth, Rithmah, Rimmon-perez, Libnah, Rissah, Kehelathah, Mount Shepher, Haradah, Makheloth, Tahath, Terah, Mithkah, Hahmonah, Moseroth, Bene-jaakan, Hor-haggidgad, Jotbathah, Abronah, Ezion-geber, Kadesh, Mount Hor

N33:38,39 “..Aaron ...went up to Mount Hor at the command of the Lord, and died ...was one hundred twenty-three years old...”.

9 more camps - Zalmonah, Punon, Oboth, lye-abarim, Dibon-gad, Almon-diblathaim, mountains of Abarim, plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

How many times did the tabernacle come down?

Only 22 + 9 = 31 times

Average time per camp?

42 camps in 40 years = 1.05 years/camp

Expectations for possessing the land?

N33:51-52 “...Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you cross over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images and demolish all their high places…”

What would happen if not all?

N33:55 “...But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sides, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live...”

There is a major difference between “destroy all” and “make disciples of all the nations”, but failure with either leaves pricks, thorns, and trouble.

N34 Dividing up the land

160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth.

N34:3,5 “...southern border ...from the end of the Salt Sea ...to the Sea...”

N34:6 “...the Great Sea ...coastline, this ...your western border...”

N34:7 “...your north border ...line from the Great Sea to Mount Hor..”

N34:10-12 “...your eastern border ...from Hazar-enan ...down to the Jordan and its termination shall be at the Salt Sea...”

Why was the land divided for only 9½ tribes?

N34:15 “... The two and a half tribes have received their possession across the Jordan...”

Who did the Lord use to apportion the land?

N34:17,18 “...the men who shall apportion the land ...Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun ...one leader of every tribe...”

N35

Levites to be given cities and 2000 cubits of land around the cities.

N35:2 “... give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and ...pasture lands around the cities. The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts...”

N35:7,8 “... give to the Levites ...forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands. ...more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits...”

What were the cities of refuge?

N35:6,14 “...give to the Levites ...six cities of refuge ...three cities across the Jordan and three cities in the land of Canaan ...”

N35:11,12 “...the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there ...so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial...”

N35:15 “...for the sons of Israel ...the alien ...and the sojourner ...anyone who kills a person unintentionally...”

How long must a person remain in a city of refuge?

N35:26-27 “...but if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge ...the blood avenger kills him ...not be guilty”

N35 28 “...after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession...”

Who couldn’t flee to a city of refuge for safety?

N35:16-18 Murder by iron object, stone, or wooden object.

N35:20-21 Premeditated or hateful murderers.

What additional rules existed regarding murderers?

N35:30 “...no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness...”

N35:31,32 No bail, no early release

What would happen if instructions weren’t followed?

N35:29 “...These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings...”

N35:33-34 “...So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 'You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel..."

What has murder done to countries?

N36 An issue with inheritance and the Year of Jubilee

L25:10 “...'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family...”

N27:8-11 “...If a man dies and has no son, ...transfer his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, ...give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, ...give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ‘If his father has no brothers, ...give his inheritance to his nearest relative in his own family, ...a statutory ordinance to the sons of Israel...”

N36:2-4 “... my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. But if they marry one of the sons of the other tribes of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of our fathers and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; ...When the jubilee of the sons of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; so their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

What solution was offered for the problem?

N36:6 “... This is what the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father...”

N36:11 “... Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad married their uncles’ sons…”

   Deuteronomy: The law restated for the next generation.

D1

What is about to be fulfilled after 40 years of wandering?

D1:8 “... See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them...”

D1:10 “... The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are this day like the stars of heaven in number...”

D1:21 “...go up, take possession ...Do not fear or be dismayed...”

Why had spies been sent into the land?

D1:22 “...Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let’s send men ahead of us, so that they may explore the land for us and bring us back a report about the route we should go up and the cities we will come to...”

N13:1-2 “...The LORD spoke to Moses: “Send men to scout out the land of Canaan I am giving to the Israelites. Send one man who is a leader among them from each of their ancestral tribes...”

N13:17-19 “...When Moses sent them to scout out the land of Canaan, he told them, “Go up this way to the Negev, then go up into the hill country. See what the land is like, and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. Is the land they live in good or bad? Are the cities they live in encampments or fortifications?...”

Three different versions.

Who planted a seed about checking for odds of success?

The correct way to judge:

D1:16-17 “...I commanded your judges at that time: Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge rightly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident. Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God....”

The wrong way to think:

D1:27 “...and you grumbled in your tents and said, 'Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us...”

D1:32 “...But in spite of this you did not trust the LORD your God,...”

The correct way to think:

D1:29-30 “...Then I said to you, 'Do not be shocked, nor fear them. 'The Lord your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,..”

D2

Land given to Esau had been off limits.

D2:4,5 “...You will pass through the territory of ...the sons of Esau ...and they will be afraid of you, So be very careful; do not provoke them, for I will give you any of their land ...I have given ...to Esau as a possession...”

Land given to Lot had been off limits.

D2:9 “...Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them ...I have given Ar to the sons of Lot...”

NOTE: God blessed more than Israel with land.

When was it time to proceed?

D2:14,15 “... it took ... thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war perished ...the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them...”

D2:16 “...So it came about ...the men ...had finally perished ...”

What was God’s part, as the Way maker?

D2:25 “...This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you...”

D2:30 “...Sihon, king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass ...God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him...”

What was Israel’s part?

D2:31 “...Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land...”

Why (when) does God destroy people?

Flood: G6:4-5 “...The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...”

Sodom and Gomorrah: G18:20 “...And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave...”

Land of Canaan: D20:16-18 "... you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God...."

End of Age: Matt:13:49,50 “... So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth...”

It would be a big mistake to discount the wrath of God.

D3

When were the Israelites successful in their conquests?

D3:2 “... the Lord said ...I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand ...”

D3:4 “... We captured all his cities ...sixty cities ...all the kingdom of Og...”

D3:8-11 “...we took the land ...all the cities ...cities of the kingdom of Og ...Og ...of the remnant of the Rephaim ...his ...iron bedstead ...was nine cubits and its width four cubits...” [13.5’ by 6’]

Apparently the descendants of the Nephilim were the Anakim, Rephaim, Zamzummin, and Emim. They lived in the land of Canaan and were regarded as extremely wicked. They were huge people, which is why the spies “appeared like grasshoppers”.

They had not yet entered the promised land, but the tribes of Manasseh, Reuben, and Gad were given the land on this side of the Jordan.

Why did Moses shift blame from himself to the people?

FACT - Moses had created his own problem when he struck the rock though God had said speak to the rock. N27:14 “...during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes ..."

D1:37 "...The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, 'Not even you shall enter there...”

D3:26 "...But the LORD was angry with me on your account...”

D4:21 "...Now the LORD was angry with me on your account, and swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance...”

Was Moses successful in changing God’s mind?

D3:25 “...Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon...”

D3:26-27 “... Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan...”

Who would be leading the people across the Jordan?

D3:28 “... But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people...”

D4

How important is it to hear and obey?

D4:2 “...You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you...”

Prov.30:5-6 “...Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you...”,

Rev.22:18-19 “...I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues ...and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book...”

What instructions were given by Moses?

D4:1 - Listen.

D4:6 - Keep and do.

D4:9 - Give heed and keep your soul diligently.

D4:10 - Learn to fear ... teach your children.

D4:14 - Perform in the land.

D4:15 - Watch yourselves carefully.

D4:16 - Do not act corruptly, make no graven image..

D4:23 - Do not forget the covenant.

D4:35 - Know the Lord. He is God.

D4:39 - Take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

What would the consequence of failure to follow?

D4:26 - You will perish quickly, not live long, be utterly destroyed.

D4:27 - You will be scattered, left few in number.

What is the way to restoration?

D4:29 “...But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul...”

D4:30,31 “... When ...all these things have come upon you, ...return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them...”

D5 Ten Commandments shared again

D5:7-21 No other gods. No idols. Not take the name of God in vain ...Observe the sabbath. Honor father and mother. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t bear false witness. Don’t covet..

Why should the Sabbath be honored? By whom?

D5:12-15 “...Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy ...'Six days you shall labor ...the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD ...you shall not do any work, you or ...son ...daughter ...male servant ...female servant ... ox ...donkey ...cattle ...sojourner ...You shall remember that you were a slave ...the LORD ...brought you out ...therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day...”

1. Because God rested on the seventh day. (E20)

2. It’s proof of deliverance from the world’s slavery. (D5)

What does God want? Why?

D5:29 “...Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!...”

What should people choose?

D5:32-33 “...So you shall observe to do just as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. "You shall walk in all the way which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess...”