Numbers

Every parent knows the shrill whine of a young child – a slow high-pitched complaint that grates on the eardrums and aggravates the soul. The tone of voice is difficult to bear but the real irritation is the underlying cause – discontentment and disobedience. As the “children” of Israel journeyed from the foot of Mount Sinai to the land of Canaan, they grumbled, whined, and complained at every turn. They focused on their present discomforts. Faith had fled, and they added an extra 40 years to their trip.

Numbers, which records the tragic story of Israel’s unbelief, should serve as a dramatic lesson for all God’s people. God loves us, and wants the very best for us. He can and should be trusted. Numbers also gives a clear portrayal of God’s patience. Again and again he withholds judgment and preserves the nation. But his patience must not be taken for granted. His judgment will come. We must obey.

As Numbers begins, the nation of Israel was camped at the foot of Mount Sinai. The people had received God’s laws and were preparing to move. A census was taken to determine the number of men fit for military service. Next, the people were set apart for God. God was making the people both spiritually and physically, ready to receive their inheritance.

But then the complaining soon began. First, the people complained about food. Next, it was over Moses’ authority. God punished some people but spared the nation because of Moses’ prayers. The nation then arrived at Kadesh, and spies were sent into Canaan to assess its strength. Ten returned with fearful stories of giants. Only Caleb and Joshua encouraged the nation to “go up and take possession of the land” (13:30). The minority report fell on deaf ears full of the ominous message of the majority. Because of their unbelief, God declared that the present generation would not live to see the promise land. Thus, the “wanderings” began. These desert wanderings featured a continuous pattern of grumbling, defiance, discipline and death. How much better it would have been to have trusted God and entered his land! Then the terrible waiting began – waiting for the old generation to die off and waiting to see if the new generation could faithfully obey God.

Numbers ends as it begins, with preparation. This new generation of Israelites was numbered and sanctified. After defeating numerous armies, they settled on the east side of the Jordan River. Then they faced their greatest test: to cross the river and possess the beautiful land God had promised them.

The lesson is clear. God’s people must trust him, moving ahead by faith if they are to claim his promised land.

VITAL STATISTICS:

Purpose: To tell the story of how Israel prepared to enter the promised land, how they sinned and were punished, and how they prepared to try again.

Author: Moses

Original Audience: The people of Israel

Date Written: 1450 -1410 B.C.

Where Written: In the desert during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai peninsula

Setting: The vast desert of the Sinai region, as well as lands just south and east of Canaan

Key Verses: “not one of the men who saw my glory and miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it (14: 22, 23)

Key People: Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Caleb, Eleazar, Korah, Balaam

Key Places: Mount Sinai, promised land (Canaan), Kadesh, Mount Hor, plains of Moab

MEGA THEMES:

Themes	Explanation	Importance
Census	Moses counted the Israelites twice. The first census organized the people into marching units to better defend themselves. The second prepared them to conquer the country east of the Jordan River	People have to be organized, trained, and led to be effective in great movements. It is always wise to count the cost before setting out on some great undertaking. When we are aware of the obstacles before us, we can more easily avoid them. In God’s work, we must remove barriers in our relationships with others so that our effectiveness is not diminished.
Rebellion	At Kadesh, 12 spies were sent out into the land if Canaan to report on the fortifications of the enemies. When the spies returned, 10 said they should give up and go back to Egypt. As a result, the people refused to enter the land. Faced with a choice, Israel rebelled against God. Rebellion did not start with an uprising but with griping and murmuring against Moses and God	Rebellion against God is always a serious matter. It is not something to take lightly, for God’s punishment for sin is often very severe. Our rebellion does not usually begin with all-out warfare but in subtle ways – with griping and criticizing. Make sure your negative comments are not the product of a rebellious spirit.
Wandering	Because they rebelled, the Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert. This shows how severely God can punish sin. Forty years was enough time for all those who held on to Egypt’s customs and values to die off. It gave time to train up a new generation in the ways of God.	God judges sin harshly because he is holy. The wanderings in the desert demonstrate how serious God considers flagrant disobedience of his commands. Purging our lives of sin is vital to God’s purpose.
Canaan	Canaan is the promised land. It was the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the land of the covenant. Canaan was to be the dwelling place of God’s people, those set apart for true spiritual worship.	Although God’s punishment for sin is often severe, he offers reconciliation and hope – his love is truly amazing. Just as God’s love and law led Israel to the promised land, God desires to give purpose and destiny to our lives.

Leviticus

“God seems so far away… if only I could see or hear him.” Have you ever felt this way – struggling with loneliness, burdened by despair, riddled with sin, overwhelmed by problems? Made in God’s image, we were created to have a close relationship with him; and when fellowship is broken, we are incomplete and need restoration. Communion with the living God is the essence of worship. It is vital, touching the very core of our lives. Perhaps this is why a whole book of the Bible is dedicated to worship. After Israel’s dramatic exit from Egypt, the nation was camped at the foot of Mount Sinai for two years to listen to God (Exodus 19 to Numbers 10). It was a time of resting, teaching, building, and meeting with him face to face. Redemption in Exodus is the foundation for cleansing, worship, and service in Leviticus.

The overwhelming message of Leviticus is the holiness of God – “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (19:2). But how can unholy people approach a holy God? The answer – first sin must be dealt with. Thus the opening chapters of Leviticus give detailed instructions for offering sacrifices, which were the active symbols of repentance and obedience. Whether bulls, grain, goats, or sheep, the sacrificial offerings had to be perfect, with no defects or bruises – pictures of the ultimate sacrifice to come, Jesus, the Lamb of God. Jesus has come and opened the way to God by giving up his life as the final sacrifice in our place. True worship and oneness with God begin as we confess our sin and accept Christ as the only one who can redeem us from sin and help us approach God.

In Leviticus, sacrifices, priests, and the sacred Day of Atonements opened the way for the Israelites to come to God. God’s people were also to worship him with their lives. Thus we read of purity laws (11-15) and rules for daily living concerning family responsibilities, sexual conduct, relationships, worldliness (18-20), and vows (27). These instructions involve one’s holy walk with God, and the patterns of spiritual living still apply today. Worship, therefore, has a horizontal aspect – that is, God is honored by our lives as we related to others.

The final emphasis in Leviticus is celebration. The book gives instructions for the feasts. These were special, regular, and corporate occasions for remembering what God had done, giving thanks to him, and rededicating lives to his service (23). Our Christian traditions and holidays are different, but they are necessary ingredients of worship. We too need special days of worship and celebration with our brothers and sisters to remember God’s goodness in our lives.

As you read Leviticus, rededicate yourself to holiness, worshipping God in private confession, public service, and group celebration.

VITAL STATISTICS:

Purpose: A handbook for priest and Levites outlining their duties for worship, and a guideline of holy living for the Hebrews

Author: Moses

Original Audience: The people of Israel

Date Written: 1445 – 1444 B.C.

Where Written: In the desert during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai peninsula

Setting: At foot of Mount Sinai. God is teaching the Israelites how to live as holy people.

Key Verse: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (19:2)

Key People: Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar

Key Place: Mount Sinai

Special Feature: Holiness is mentioned more times (152) than any other book in the Bible

MEGA THEMES:

Themes	Explanation	Importance
Sacrifice/Offering	There are five kinds of offerings that fulfill two main purposes: one to show praise, thankfulness, and devotion; the other for atonement, the covering and removal of guilt and sin. Animal offerings demonstrated that the person was giving his or her life to God by means of the life of the animal.	The sacrifices (offerings) were for worship and forgiveness of sin, for we see that we cannot forgive ourselves. God’s system says that a life must be given for a life. In the Old Testament, an animal’s life was given to save the life of a person. But this was only a temporary measure until Jesus’ death paid the penalty of sin for all people forever.
Worship	Seven feasts were designated religious and national holidays. They were often celebrated in family settings. These events teach us much about worshipping God in both celebration and quiet dedication.	God’s rules about worship set up an orderly, regular pattern of fellowship with him. They allowed times for celebration and thanksgiving as well as for reverence and rededication. Our worship should demonstrate our deep devotion.
Health	Civil rules for handling food, disease, and sex were taught. In these physical principles, many spiritual principles were suggested. Israel was to be different from the surrounding nations. God was preserving Israel from disease and community health problems.	We are to be different morally and spiritually from the unbelievers around us. Principles for healthy living are as important today as in Moses’ time. A healthy environment and a healthy body make our service to God more effective.
Holiness	Holy means “separated” or “devoted.” God removed his people from Egypt; now he was removing Egypt from the people. He was showing them how to exchange Egyptian ways of living and thinking for his ways.	We must devote every area of life to God. God desires absolute obedience in motives as well as practices. Though we do not observe all the worship practices of Israel, we are to have the same spirit of preparation and devotion.
Levites	The Levites and priests instructed the people in their worship. They were the ministers of their day. They also regulated the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws and supervised the health, justice, and welfare of the nation.	The Levites were servants who showed Israel the way to God. They provide the historical backdrop for Christ, who is our High Priest and yet our servant. God’s true servants care for all the needs of their people.

Exodus

GET UP… leave… take off – these words are good ones for those trapped or enslaved. Some resist their marching orders, however, preferring present surroundings to a new, unknown environment. It’s not easy to trade the comfortable security of the known for an uncertain future. But what if God gives the order to move? Will we follow his lead? Exodus describes a series of God’s calls and the responses of his people. Four hundred years had passed since Joseph moved his family to Egypt. These descendants of Abraham had now grown to over two million strong. To Egypt’s new Pharaoh, these Hebrews were foreigners, and their numbers were frightening. Pharaoh decided to make them salves so they wouldn’t upset his balance of power. As it turned out, that was his biggest mistake, for God then came to the rescue of his people.

Through a series of strange events, a Hebrew boy named Moses became a prince in Pharaoh’s palace and then an outcast in a desert land. God visited Moses in the mysterious flames of burning bush, and, after some discussion, Moses agreed to return to Egypt to lead God’s people out of slavery. Pharaoh was confronted, and, through a cycle of plagues and promises made and broken, Israel was torn from his grasp.

It was no easy task to mobilize this mass of humanity, but they marched out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and into the desert behind Moses and the pillars of cloud and fire. Despite continual evidence of God’s love and power, the people complained and began to yearn for their days in Egypt. God provided for their physical and spiritual needs with food and a place to worship, but he also judged their disobedience and unbelief. Then in the dramatic Sinai meeting with Moses, God gave his laws for right living.

God led Moses and nation of Israel, and he wants to lead us as well. Is he preparing you, like Moses, for a specific task? He will be with you; obey and follow. Is he delivering you from an enemy or a temptation? Trust him, and do what he says. Have you heard his clear moral directions? Read, study, and obey his Word. Is he calling you to true worship? Discover God’s presence in your life, in your home, and in the body of assembled believers. Exodus is the exciting story of God’s guidance. Read with the determination to follow God wherever he leads.

VITAL STATISTICS:

Purpose: To record the events of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and development as a nation

Author: Moses

Original Audience: The people of Israel

Date Written: 1450 – 1410 B.C. (approximately the same time as Genesis)

Where Written: In the desert during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai peninsula

Setting: Egypt, God’s people, once highly favored in the land, are now slaves. God is about to set them free.

Key Verses: “The LORD said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard the crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering…. So now, go. I am sending to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt’” (3:7, 10)

Key People: Moses, Miriam, Pharaoh, Pharaoh’s daughter, Jethro, Aaron, Joshua, Bezalel

Key Places: Egypt, Goshen, Nile River, Midian, Red Sea, Sinai peninsula, Mount Sinai

Special Features: Exodus relates more miracles than any other Old Testament book and is noted for containing the Ten Commandments

MEGA THEMES:

Themes	Explanation	Importance
Slavery	The Israelites were slaves for 400 years. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, oppressed them cruelly. They prayed to God for deliverance from this system.	Like the Israelites, we need both human and divine leadership to escape from the slavery of sin. After their escape, the memory of slavery helped the Israelites learn to treat others generously. We need to stand against those who oppress others.
Rescue/ Redemption	God rescued Israel through the leader Moses and through mighty miracles. The Passover celebration was an annual reminder of their escape from slavery.	God delivers us from the slavery of sin. Jesus Christ celebrated the Passover with his disciples at the Last Supper and then went on to rescue us from sin by dying in our place.
Guidance	God guided Israel out of Egypt by using the plagues, Moses’ heroic courage, the miracle of the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments. God is a trustworthy guide.	Although God is all-powerful and can do miracles, he normally leads us by wise leadership and team effort. His words give us the wisdom to make daily decisions and govern our lives.
Ten Commandments	God’s law system had three parts. The Ten Commandments were the first part, containing the absolutes of spiritual and moral life. The civil law was the second part, giving the people rules to manage their lives. The ceremonial law was the third part, showing them patterns for building the tabernacle and regular worship.	God was teaching Israel the importance of choice and responsibility. When they obeyed the conditions of the law, he blessed them; if they forgot or disobeyed, he punished them or allowed calamities to come. Many great countries of the world base their laws on the moral system set up in the book of Exodus. God’s moral law is valid today.
The Nation	God founded the nations of Israel to be the source of truth and salvation to all the world. His relationship to his people was loving yet first. The Israelites had no army, schools, governors, mayors, or police when they left Egypt. God had to instruct them in their constitutional laws and daily practices. He showed them how to worship and how to have national holidays.	Israel’s newly formed nation had all the behavioral characteristics of Christians today. We are often disorganized, sometimes rebellious, and sometimes victorious. God’s Person and Word are still our only guide. If our churches reflect his leadership, they will be effective in serving him.

Genesis

BEGIN... start…. commence… open...There’s something refreshing and optimistic about these words, whether they refer to the dawn of a new day, the birth of a child, the prelude of a symphony, or the first miles of a family vacation. Free of problems and full of promise, beginnings stir hope and imaginative visions of the future. Genesis means “beginnings” or “origin,” and it unfolds the record of the beginning of the world, of human history, of family, of civilization, of salvation. It is the story of God’s purpose and plan for his creation. As the book of beginnings, Genesis sets the stage for the entire Bible. It reveals the person and nature of God (Creator, Sustainer, Judge, Redeemer); the value and dignity of human begins (made in God’s image, saved by grace, used by God in the world); the tragedy and consequences of sin (the fall, separation from God, judgment); and the promise and assurance of salvation (covenant, forgiveness, promised Messiah).

God. That’s where Genesis begins. All at once we see him creating the world in a majestic display of power and purpose, culminating with a man and woman made like himself (1:26, 27). But before long sin entered the world and Satan was unmasked. Bathed in innocence, creation was shattered by the fall (the willful disobedience of Adam and Eve). Fellowship with God was broken, and evil began weaving its destructive web. In rapid succession, we read how Adam and Eve were expelled from the beautiful garden, their first son turned murderer, and evil bred evil until God finally destroyed everyone on earth except a small family led by Noah, the only godly person left.

As we come to Abraham on the plains of Canaan, we discover the beginning of God’s covenant people and the broad strokes of his salvation plan: salvation comes by faith, Abraham’s descendants will be God’s people, and the Savior of the world will come through this chosen nation. The stories of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph which follow are more than interesting biographies. They emphasize the promises of God and the proof that he is faithful. The people we meet in Genesis are simple, ordinary people, yet through them, God did great things. These are vivid pictures of how God can and does use all kinds of people to accomplish his good purposes… even people like you and me.

Read Genesis and be encouraged. There is hope! No matter how dark the world situation seems, God has a plan. No matter how insignificant or useless you feel, God loves you and wants to use you in his plan. No matter how sinful and separated from God you are, his salvation is available. Read Genesis.. and hope!

VITAL STATISTICS:

Purpose: To record God’s creation of the world and his desire to have a people set apart to worship him

Author: Moses

Original Audience: The people of Israel

Date Written: 1450 – 1410 B.C.

Where Written: In the wilderness during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai peninsula

Setting: The region presently known as the Middle East

Key Verses: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (1:27). “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you’” (12:2, 3)

Key People: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Joseph

MEGA THEMES:

Themes	Explanation	Importance
Beginnings	Genesis explains the beginning of many important realities: the universe, earth, people, sin, and God’s plain of salvation.	Genesis teaches us that the earth is well made and good. Mankind is special to God and unique. God creates and sustains all life.
Disobedience	People are always facing great choices. Disobedience occurs when people choose not to follow God’s plan of living.	Genesis explains why men are evil: they choose to do wrong. Even great Bible heroes failed God and disobeyed.
Sin	Sin ruins people’s lives. It happens when we disobey God.	Living God’s way makes life productive and fulfilling.
Promises	God makes promises to help and protect mankind. This kind of promise is called a “covenant.”	God kept his promises then, and he keeps them now. He promises to love us, accept us, forgive us.
Obedience	The opposite of sin is obedience. Obeying God restores our relationship to him.	The only way to enjoy the benefits of God’s promises is to obey him.
Prosperity	Prosperity is deeper than mere material wealth. True prosperity and fulfillment come as a result of obeying God.	When people obey God, they find peace with him, with others, and with themselves.
Israel	God started the nations of Israel in order to have a dedicated people who would (1) keep his ways alive in the world, (2) proclaim to the world what he is really like, and (3) prepare the world for the birth of Christ.	God is looking for people today to follow him. We are to proclaim God’s truth and love to all nations, not just our own. We must be faithful to carry out the mission God has given us.