Disclaimer: Everything presented here is in Bible Study format. Please understand that I do not have any formal theology instruction. I ask that you pray first, and read the verses for yourself. Should God ever convict me of errors in my understanding, I will add a note.
Verses: Numbers 10, Numbers 11, Numbers 12, Numbers 13, Numbers 14, Numbers 15 (NIV)
Passages: “The Silver Trumpets” “Fire from the LORD” “Quail from the LORD” “Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses” “Exploring Canaan” “The People Rebel” “The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death”
Intro:
I am currently journeying through the emotional roller coaster that is Numbers. And I’m so grateful for it.
I have so much to say.
I am glad that I read Genesis – Leviticus prior to reaching this book. Perhaps if I’d read Numbers in isolation I’d fare just fine. But, these passages are not for the faint of heart and I do think you have to have some understanding about our faith.
Either way, I needed these verses.
There’s something about seeing the Israelites overcome with complaint, self-pity and negativity – coupled with God’s immediate and severe response – that both convicted me and made me so incredibly grateful for Jesus.
The way that we grieve and anger God through our ungratefulness was made clear through these verses. Also glaring is the fact that this behavior is so second nature.
BUT God.
BUT the Holy Spirit.
In pointing these passages to the Gospel, we see God’s standard on full display AND we see the glaring differences between the Israelites (then) and those of us who are blessed to be in Christ (now).
THANK YOU, JESUS.
Recap:
Please first take some time to read Numbers 10 – 15!
REALIZATIONS
The Holy Spirit
The Trumpets
God’s Character
Sabbath Day Breaker
•••
The Holy Spirit
Verses: Numbers 11:4-30
The Israelites did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. That’s something that I never once considered, even with my prior New Testament knowledge. I’m so grateful for the discernment, nudging and enablement granted to us via the Holy Spirit.
Yes, the Israelites got to experience grandiose miracles which we’d like to believe would translate into greater faith. But their doubt, sinful nature and groupthink behavior plagued them. We, as Christians, battle the same things. But, because God has granted us the gift of the Holy Spirit, we possess an inner-peace which is persistent and grounding. We have Scripture (and a body of Believers) to give us continued encouragement. And, of course, all of our hope is found in Jesus Christ; of whom the Holy Spirit bears witness.
•••
The Silver Trumpets
Verses: Numbers 10:1-10
Only the priests were allowed to blow the trumpets, and they were to do so for different occasions: when assembling, before setting out on their travels, during festivals, during offerings, and of course… during battle.
Numbers 10:9: “When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.”
There may be a deeper significance to the trumpets, but – if it were just “me alone on an island, with my Bible” – I would come away with this:
The trumpets parallel an aspect of our faith which is of most importance: Prayer.
As Christians, we are to keep our eyes on Jesus. We are to pray to our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name. We are to remember where our help comes from. We are to lean on His instruction and remain obedient to Him.
Only the priests could blow the trumpets. Similarly, the sound of our prayers can only reach the Father through Jesus; our High Priest.
•••
Illustrations of Sin
Verses: Numbers 10 – 15
God’s anger burns against the Israelites several times over the course of these passages. Each instance illustrates a sin to which God responds promptly. We glean a number of things from these interactions: 1) Some of the behaviors that anger God, 2) The way that Moses intercedes for the Israelites, 3) The one thing that caused God to delay His wrath, 4) The way that God views the one He called, 5) The swift way in which God exacted punishment and the severity of each punishment.
Here are some of those instances:
• God overhears Miriam talking about Moses, coveting His gift
• The Israelites complain about the manna
• The twelve spies returned with a bad report about Canaan
• The Israelites refused to go into Canaan after receiving the report
• The Israelites then attempted to journey to Canaan without the presence of the LORD, despite Moses’ warning.
1. What are some of the behaviors that anger God? Jealousy. Ungratefulness. Turning against the one He called (the Israelites turned against Moses several time. Yet, since Moses received his orders from God, they were ultimately going against the LORD). Unbelief (as seen with the bad report about Canaan). Disobedience (pressing on toward Canaan without God’s presence).
2. How did Moses intercede for the Israelites? Moses foreshadows Jesus. In interceding for God’s people, they were either spared, or judgment was delayed. Now, of course, Jesus saves us once and for all; for all of eternity. Though Moses’ intercession was situational, it still paints a brilliant picture of what it looks like for us to have an advocate. Miriam spoke against Moses and angered God greatly, and so God made her skin leprous. Aaron immediately begged Moses to ask God to heal her, and so Moses did. Miriam was punished for a time, but was ultimately spared. Another example: When the Israelites angered God regarding the Land of Canaan, Moses begged for God to spare them, just as he did in Exodus.
3. What is the one thing that caused God to delay His wrath? Moses’ intercession. In many of these instances, Moses was able to delay God’s wrath. However, God is a just God, so many of these delays were simply that: delays. This should make Believers everywhere be in a constant state of gratefulness that so many of our daily sins go unpunished. We are blessed to experience God’s mercy and grace on a scale we cannot even comprehend!
4. How does God view the one He called? When Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses, God called them to the tent entrance. He spoke about the relationship He has with Moses and how it differs from the way He communicates with even the prophets. He ended His speech with a question: “Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:8) Moses foreshadows Jesus. In using that application, this completely showcases the reverence we are to have for God.
5. Now: Let’s talk about the swift way in which God exacted punishment and the severity of each punishment. But let’s do it through the story of the Sabbath Day breaker…
•••
Sabbath Day Breaker
Verses: Numbers 15:32-36, Luke 6:1-11
A man was gathering wood on the Sabbath Day, essentially breaking the Sabbath. God ordered the Israelites to stone him outside of the camp.
To some, this may be a super tough read. It is easy for us (especially, as Americans) to think, “What was the big deal?” But, I found a perfect response to this in a forum. Someone named “mojo” on Christianity.StackExchange.com simply said: “Sometimes God’s punishment for disobedience is death.”
Many of us have the tendency to want to look at the Law and figure out how it makes sense on a practical or moral level. And, in much of the Law, we can. But it is much wiser for us to simply remember that: God sets the standard. And, for the Israelites, the sins that warranted death were dealt with pretty immediately.
For Believers, the concepts of “death” and “punishment” take on a whole new meaning. Without Christ, the penalty for our sins are grave and they would be dealt with in Hell. There would be a punishment for every sin we’ve ever committed. But because we are in Christ, we know we have eternal life. Jesus came to fulfill the Law. So we repent from our sins, we live a life full of repentance, we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we give glory to God. For everything!
OK, back to the Sabbath.
I am very familiar with some of the stories of Jesus healing people on the Sabbath. And, funny enough, I am currently reading through Jesus’ life chronologically. As it would have it, I read about the stoning in Numbers just before reading about a pair of Jesus’ Sabbath Day accounts found in Luke 6:1-11. In the first account, Jesus and His disciples were picking grain. In the second, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath.
These were my takeaways:
• Now that I’ve read Leviticus and half of Numbers, I actually understand the Old Covenant significance of breaking the Sabbath. I never knew that a man was stoned for picking grain! I never knew the law or the fullness of God’s character. I never knew His standard or the way He exacted immediate punishment.
• Prior to reading these Old Testament books, I thought the Pharisees were just being ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong: their motives were nefarious. But, I will never again consider their Sabbath Day concerns to be exaggerated.
• How do we know that the Pharisees motives were nefarious? Just before Jesus heals a man, Luke 6:7 states: “The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.”
• Jesus’ response to the Pharisees was a sermon in itself. He pointed to Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” GotQuestions.org has a beautiful write-up on this verse and topic-at-large:
“Scripture often notes that sacrifices to God are incomplete and even offensive without a changed heart that loves and knows the Lord. 1 Samuel 15:22 says, ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.’”
—GotQuestions.org
• In prior passages, Jesus mentions how the Pharisees know Scripture, but can’t even recognize that He is the One being prophesied about. In these passages, we watch as Jesus shares what is at the heart of Scripture.
I know it can sometimes be hard to realize the weight of our sin. Especially if God has caused such an amazing sanctification to take place in our lives. He’s enabled us to clean up our act, repent from our sinful lifestyles, and to have a yearning for His word.
But the Israelites shortcomings should convict us greatly about the magnitude, and frequency, of oh-so-common sinful behaviors: Gossiping, jealousy, complaining, negativity and disobedience. Disobedience on every level.
It shouldn’t make us question our salvation. Never that. We are safely tucked in Jesus’ hands. He has paid the price for all of our sins. But it should remind us that there is never any reason to be prideful. Even our smallest complaints are worth the punishment of sin. It should remind us to repent and to thank God for His abounding grace.
Thank You, God, for loving us so much that You sent Jesus.
Don’t take the mark!
Lexzie in Christ 
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