Numbers: A Book of Great Adventure

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  1. The Book at a Glance

    1. AUTHOR & DATE: MOSES @ 1400 B.C. Textual proofs include words and phrases peculiar to that era:

      1. 5:22 "Amen, amen." Same oath of Hittite soldiers Y2K BC

      2. 9:1, 10:11, 20:1, 29:1 months numbered (cf. Ex 12:2)

      3. 13:22 "Hebron was built 7 years before Zoan in Egypt."

    2. NAME:

      1. Hebrew name from Num 1:1, "in the WILDERNESS"

      2. English name from Vatican (catholic) Arithmoi

    3. ORGANIZATION: similar to that of a DIARY. Adam Clarke called it "the first book of travels ever published."

    4. CONTENT:

      1. CENSUS of the Israelites in chapters 1 & 26

      2. REPETITIOUS

        1. chapter 1 - 39 words repeated with only a name change

        2. chapter 4 - 9 verses repeated 4 times (cf. ch 7 & 33)

        3. tedious DETAIL in these and other aspects

      3. HISTORY

        1. of the journey to the land of PROMISE

        2. of the Israelites’ UNBELIEF

        3. of the wilderness WANDERINGS & WARS

  2. Highlights from the Book of Numbers

    1. Observance of the PASSOVER - chapter 9

    2. Departure from SINAI - 10:33

      1. following the CLOUD; its APPEARANCE as fire

      2. Numbers 9:15-16 vs. Exodus 13:21-22 (cf. Num 14:14)

    3. The MEEKNESS of Moses - 12:3

      1. Exemplified - Numbers 11:24-30; 14:5; 16:4, 22, 45

      2. His patience with a MALCONTENT nation - Deut 9:18-25

    4. Sending of the SPIES & the EVIL report - ch 13-14

      1. "Would God that we had DIED in EGYPT!" - 14:2 (cf. Exodus 14:12, 16:3; Numbers 20:3)

      2. DEATH of the 10 unbelieving spies - 14:37

      3. FUTILE attempt to invade Canaan - 14:40-45

    5. BALAAM - one sinner who destroyed much good (Ecc 9:18)

      1. Num 22-24 - Balaam BLESSED Israel acc. to God’s word

      2. Num 31:8 - Balaam is SLAIN among the kings of Midian

      3. Num 31:16 - taught Balak the weakness of Israel (cf. Rev 2:14; 2 Pet 2:14; Jude 11)

  3. Lessons from Numbers

    1. God’s care for the Gentiles - Balaam was a non-Jewish prophet

    2. GRUMBLING & DISCONTENT negate proper actions

      1. Num 9:20-23 the Israelites faithfully followed the cloud

      2. Num 11:1-3 they complained and God consumed them

      3. Num 21:4-9 the fiery serpents and the brazen serpent

      4. Philippians 2:14-15

    3. Penalties of UNBELIEF and SIN

      1. Gathering of QUAIL - Num 11:31-24

      2. The unbelieving spies and the congregation - Num 13-14

      3. Moses’ SIN - Num 20:7-12 (cf. James 1:20)

      4. Num 25:1-9 the plague of fornication (esp vv 6-8)

    4. Faith and Obedience cannot be SEPARATED

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