Click Arrow To Start Audio

BOOK OF NUMBERS – LESSON SEVEN

(Chapters 28-32)

        As the new generation of Israelites are about to enter the land promised by God, only delayed by their father’s disbelief and disobedience, Moses delivers the particulars regarding their sacrifices they must know and obey in their new land (Chapters 28-29).  The law surrounding making and fulfilling oaths is addressed, as it pertains to fathers and husbands with their daughters and wives (Chapter 30).  God’s demanding slaughter of the Midianites is fulfilled by the Israelites as commanded (Chapter 31).  This section closes with the Trans-Jordan  tribes,  Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh desiring and possessing their lot of land east of the Jordan River. (Chapter 32).   

I VARIOUS SACRIFICES ENJOINED  (Chapters 28-29)  

A. The daily continual BURNT OFFERINGS (28:1-8)

1. Two “he lambs a year old without blemish”

2. One in the morning, the other in the evening

3. Combined with meal -offering and drink- offering

B. SABBATH OFFERING  (28:9-10).

1. Two “he lambs a year old without blemish”

2.  Combined with meal-offering” and “drink offering.”

C. BEGINNING OF EACH MONTH OFFERINGS (28:11-15).

1. Two “young bullocks, and one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish.”

2. Combined with meal-offering and “drink-offering.”

D. PASSOVER OFFRING  (28:16-25).

1. Observed 14th. day of 1st. month – continues seven more days with offering each

2. Two “young bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish”         

3. He-goat, a sin offering for atonement.

              

  E.  DAY OF THE FIRST FRUITS OFFERING- FEAST OF WEEKS (28:26-31).

                    1.   “burnt offering”  

                    2.  “Two young bullocks, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish”

                    3.  “He-goat” for atonement

                    4.   Combined with “meal- offering”  and “drink-offering”

              F.   FIRST DAY OF THE SEVENETH MONTH OFFERING (29:1-6).

                    1.   “Blowing of Trumpets” day

                    2.  “burnt offering”

                    3.   “One young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without blemish”

                    4.  “He-goat” a sin offering to make atonement.

                    5.  Combined with burnt offering for the new moon, meal-offering, continual burnt

                          offering, and drink offerings.

 

G. TENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH OFFERING – DAY OF   ATONEMNT (29:7-11).

         1. “Burnt offering”

         2. “one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs without blemish”

         3. One he-goat for sin offering

         4. Sin offering for atonement

         5. Include also the continual burnt offering, meal-offering, and drink offerings.

H. FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH OFFERING – FEAST OF  TABERNACLES (29:12-38).

         1. Thirteen bullocks offered on the first day – one less each day until seven bullocks offered on the               seventh day.  

         2. Two rams, fourteen he-lambs a year old without blemish

         3. One he-goat for sin offering

         4. Eighth day offering : a burnt offering, one bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs a year old without                 blemish

         5. Combined with continual burnt offering, meal-offering, and drink offering on each day of the feast.  

II. LAW REGARDING VOWS (30:1-36)

                     1. Men and women

                     2. Fathers reacting to the vows of daughters

                     3. Husbands reacting to the vows of wives

                     4. Widows and divorced women

III. SLAUGHTER OF THE MIDIANITES (31:1-54)

         1. God’s vengeance because of evil influence upon Israel (cf. Num. 25: 3, 17-18).

         2. Men, women, children put to death – only female children kept alive - had not sexual relationship with               a man.

         3. Dividing spoils among Israelites

IV. DIVISION OF LAND EAST OF JORDAN TO TRIBES OF GAD, REUBEN, AND HALF OF THE TRIBE OF MANASSEH  (32:1-42).

           1. Conditions agreed to before completely settling in their allotted land

         2. Two and the half – tribe rebuild and occupy land once ruled by Sihon, King of the Amorites, and Og,                 King of Bashan.

                                                                                   

   QUESTIONS:

1. What sacrifice was offered twice a day?

2. What do you learn for the first time regarding the Sabbath Day?

3. What did the “beginning of months,” “the fourteenth day of the first month” and the “feast of weeks” have in common?  

4. What two offerings were connected with the animal sacrifices?

5. Why was the “new moon offering” offered along with the other offerings on the first day of the seventh month offering?  

6. The  “tenth day of the seventh month” offering was also known as what day?

7. What was another name for the “fifteenth day of the seventh month” feast ?   Why did the feast demand so many daily sacrifices?  

8. What must not be broken when a man or a woman takes an oath?

9.  How were the daughters and wives protected when making rash vows?  

10.  How could a husband have been guilty of his wife’s iniquity of not fulfilling her vow?

11. How was slaughtering the Midianites Jehovah’s vengeance  on Midian?

12.  How many male Israelites were armed for war?

13. How does this military campaign against Midian stand out in the life of Moses?

14. Besides the five Midianite kings, who also was killed in the slaughter of the Midianites?

15. Why was Moses angry with Israel’s officers after defeating the Midianites?

16. What is your defense to those who say, “I cannot believe in or serve the God who orders the

      killing of innocent  children.”?  

    

17.  How was the “prey” taken from the Midianites divided up among the Israelites?

18. How were the “women who had not had sexual relations with a man” divided up in Israel?

19. What did the officers of Israel’s army do when they counted and realized that not one man

       was lost in  battle against the Midianites?

20. Why did the tribes of Reuben and Gad want to stay on the east side of the Jordan, and not be

       brought “over the Jordan.”  

21 Why was their request  wearisome to Moses?

22. How was the issue solved?

23. What defeated kingdoms’ land mass was distributed to the children of Gad, Reuben and the

       half-tribe of Manasseh?

24. Who were the emptied cities and villages named after?

BOOK OF NUMBERS – LESSON EIGHT

(Chapters 33-36)

        The Books of Exodus through Deuteronomy form a chronological record of God’s people being delivered from Egyptian bondage unto the close of forty years of wilderness wandering before entering the promised land of Canaan:  Exodus – end of first year of wandering (Exodus 40:17); Leviticus – probably around the first month of second year;  Numbers – second month of second year to the middle of the fortieth year (Numbers 1:1, 33:38); and Deuteronomy – end of the fortieth year (Deuteronomy 1:3).

        In this lesson we have the forty years of wilderness wandering divided up into 42 stages or encampments (each involved in taking up tents and placing them down at next destination)  with instructions to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (Chapter 33).  The boundaries in the promised land are detailed from south, west, north, and east with names  of the men who will divide the land among the tribes (Chapter 34).  Instructions given regarding land allotted to the Levites with the six cities of refuge established for those to flee to  who accidently take  a life (Chapter 35). The issue of the daughters of the deceased Zelophehad inheriting land as heirs is revisited leading to the law of the daughters marrying only the men from their tribe (Chapter 36).  

I PREPARATIONS COMPLETED FOR SETTLING IN CANAAN  (Chapters 33-36)  

A. God commands Moses to write the record of the various stops in Israel’  journey from leaving Egypt at Rameses to the plains of Moab ( 33:1-49).

             B.   Instructions for driving out the Canaanites from Canaan (33:50-56).

             C.   Division of the land of Canaan established by four boundaries (34:1-29).

                    1.   Boundaries established from the south, west, north, and east (v. 1-15).

                    2.   Men named who will be dividing the land among the families (v. 16-29).  

 D.   Land to be divided among the Levites – six cities of refuge established (35:1-34).

 E.   Marriages of heiresses governed –daughters of Zelophehad issue revisited (36:1-13).

QUESTIONS:

1. Who commanded Moses to write down the encampments of the Israelites from their leaving Egypt to their encampment in the plains of Moab?

2. When did the Israelites begin their departure from Egypt? (cf. Deut. 16:1)

3. Why do you think Rameses was the first city or encampment mentioned for the departure of over 600,000 men not counting children on the fifteenth day of the first month?

                                               

4. What four facts do you learn considering Isarael being freed from Egyptian bondage?

5. After departing from Succoth, how many encampments did the Israelites make before passing through the Red Sea?  

            Why the plurality of encampments?

6. Explain why Elim was a good place for encampment.

7. What two encampments did Israel make between Elim and Dophkah?

8. How does Moses describe the encampment at Rephidim?

9. What happened at “Kib-roth-hat-ta-a-vah,” giving it its name?

10. Why might some authorities connect Rithmah with Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran? (cf. Num. 12:16, 13:26)

            What happened here?

11. Why might verses 19-35 be covering the encampments of the 38 years of wandering in the wilderness?

12. When the Israelites journeyed to the plains of Moab, what important city was nearby?

13. When Moses instructed the Israelites that they were to drive out the inhabitants of Caanan, what else were they to destroy?

14. What was the warning if the people did not drive out the inhabitants of Caanan?

15. How would the land be divided up among the tribes of Israel?

16. Why was Moses direction of how the land of Canaan was to be divided by boundaries only for 9 and ½ tribes?

17. Who all were selected to actually divide the land?

18. How were the Levites accommodated even though they had no inheritance in the land?

19. How many cities of refuge were to be established when the Israelites were to inherit their land as promised by God?

20.  They were a refuge from what?

21. Could one get a “plea deal” if they were a murderer in the new land?

22. Why was the issue regarding the daughters of Zelophehad brought up again?  

 How was the issue solved?