MY SHORT REPORT NUMBERS 3 - 17
The link that brought you to this page and the page title are a bit of a misnomer, because this short report is not long enough to cover so many chapters of the Bible. What the link and the title do, however, is track where we are in our plan to read through the entire Bible in 1 year. May each report pique your interest and help you to draw near to God. The Bible, James 4:8, tells us if we do so God will draw near to us. Works cited are at the end of the report.
BIBLE READING—7TH WEEK—NUM 3 - 17: Last week we finished Leviticus and read the first two chapters of Numbers, so titled because the book holds two great censuses. The first census happens right at the start (chapter 1, verse 1) while the second takes place in chapter 26 (next week) as their time of wandering in the desert draws to a close. In addition to the counts, Numbers lists more sacrifices and regulations associated with holy living that make for dry reading that should not act as a deterrent to modern readers, rather, it is important to remember that “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
We find hope many times over in the book of Numbers. One way is through the Priestly Blessing in chapter 6, which we use as our Benediction at the end of each Divine Service in the Lutheran Service Book. Another way we find hope is with the presence of God moving into Israel’s camp once the Tabernacle was consecrated (Nu 7, esp. v. 89). Prior to this Moses set up a tent outside of the camp (Ex 33:7). And hope is there when the Tabernacle is covered by a cloud of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night, two more signs of God’s presence (Nu 9:15-23). We also find hope in Numbers when we realize Christ, the Bread of Life, is there in the manna of chapter 11, and Christ our Healer is there also in chapter 21 when the bronze snake is lifted up on a pole (cf. John 3:14-15), and again when we see Moses as a type of Christ that intercedes for God’s people (Nu 14:13-19). Lastly, in this Short Report, we see hope in the second generation that God takes into the Promised Land once the original generation of Hebrews, given their freedom from Egypt by the hand of God, refused to trust God and enter Canaan, and into His rest (Nu 14: 26-31; Heb 3:7-11).
The remainder of this Short Report will center on the Laws of the Nazirite and the Priestly Blessing from chapter 6.
The outward signs of the Nazirite vow were 1) No wine or strong drink, which included shunning the fruit of the vine in all of its forms (Nu 6:3-4), 2) His or her hair was not to be cut (v. 5), and 3) No contact with a dead body, even a close relative (vv. 6-7). Other considerations: 1) Either a man or a woman could make the vow (v. 1), 2) Any violations voided time served and the hair was then cut and a sin offering and a burnt offering were offered at the Tabernacle, and the time of dedication was restarted (vv. 9-12), 3) Upon completion of the vow multiple sacrifices were made, including sin, burnt, fellowship, grain, and drink offering, and the hair would be cut off and placed on the flames under the fellowship offering (vv. 13-21), and 4) Chapter 30 makes it clear a vow was to be kept; Numbers 30:2 says, “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”
Naturally, God not only saw the outward signs He also judged the heart of all that made an oath. 2 Chronicles 15:15 informs the reader, “And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.” And that is how the vow of a Nazarite was to be made—with a heart that sought after God.
Finally, the Bible gives us three examples of a Nazrite. Samson and John the Baptist are two of them. They were chosen by God before their birth (Judges 13:2-5; Luke 1:13-17). In a similar way Samuel was dedicated (promised) to God by his mother before he was formed in the womb (1 Samuel 1:11).
As mentioned earlier, we use the Priestly Blessing in Numbers at the close of our Divine Service. In his book Gospel Handles Francis C. Rossow calls the Priestly Blessing, “Gospel from start to finish” (p. 52). He continues by saying that over time many Bible scholars have attributed the threefold use of the words “The Lord” to the Trinity (p. 53). The Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary agrees, telling its readers, “The repetition of the divine name gives force to v. 27 [where God promises to bless His people] and is certainly fitting with the (later) Christian revelation of the Trinity” (p. 188). It makes two other good points; first, we are told, “Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the prayer is that it is a provision for God’s desire to bless his people. Blessing is his idea. It is not something his people must beg for, but the outreaching of his grace (p. 188). Secondly, it goes on to say even though the prayer is directed to the congregation the “pronouns are singular” (p. 189), which calls attention to our personal relationship with God who says to us, “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me” (2 Corinthians 6:18).
We find hope many times over in the book of Numbers. One way is through the Priestly Blessing in chapter 6, which we use as our Benediction at the end of each Divine Service in the Lutheran Service Book. Another way we find hope is with the presence of God moving into Israel’s camp once the Tabernacle was consecrated (Nu 7, esp. v. 89). Prior to this Moses set up a tent outside of the camp (Ex 33:7). And hope is there when the Tabernacle is covered by a cloud of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night, two more signs of God’s presence (Nu 9:15-23). We also find hope in Numbers when we realize Christ, the Bread of Life, is there in the manna of chapter 11, and Christ our Healer is there also in chapter 21 when the bronze snake is lifted up on a pole (cf. John 3:14-15), and again when we see Moses as a type of Christ that intercedes for God’s people (Nu 14:13-19). Lastly, in this Short Report, we see hope in the second generation that God takes into the Promised Land once the original generation of Hebrews, given their freedom from Egypt by the hand of God, refused to trust God and enter Canaan, and into His rest (Nu 14: 26-31; Heb 3:7-11).
The remainder of this Short Report will center on the Laws of the Nazirite and the Priestly Blessing from chapter 6.
The outward signs of the Nazirite vow were 1) No wine or strong drink, which included shunning the fruit of the vine in all of its forms (Nu 6:3-4), 2) His or her hair was not to be cut (v. 5), and 3) No contact with a dead body, even a close relative (vv. 6-7). Other considerations: 1) Either a man or a woman could make the vow (v. 1), 2) Any violations voided time served and the hair was then cut and a sin offering and a burnt offering were offered at the Tabernacle, and the time of dedication was restarted (vv. 9-12), 3) Upon completion of the vow multiple sacrifices were made, including sin, burnt, fellowship, grain, and drink offering, and the hair would be cut off and placed on the flames under the fellowship offering (vv. 13-21), and 4) Chapter 30 makes it clear a vow was to be kept; Numbers 30:2 says, “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”
Naturally, God not only saw the outward signs He also judged the heart of all that made an oath. 2 Chronicles 15:15 informs the reader, “And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the LORD gave them rest all around.” And that is how the vow of a Nazarite was to be made—with a heart that sought after God.
Finally, the Bible gives us three examples of a Nazrite. Samson and John the Baptist are two of them. They were chosen by God before their birth (Judges 13:2-5; Luke 1:13-17). In a similar way Samuel was dedicated (promised) to God by his mother before he was formed in the womb (1 Samuel 1:11).
As mentioned earlier, we use the Priestly Blessing in Numbers at the close of our Divine Service. In his book Gospel Handles Francis C. Rossow calls the Priestly Blessing, “Gospel from start to finish” (p. 52). He continues by saying that over time many Bible scholars have attributed the threefold use of the words “The Lord” to the Trinity (p. 53). The Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary agrees, telling its readers, “The repetition of the divine name gives force to v. 27 [where God promises to bless His people] and is certainly fitting with the (later) Christian revelation of the Trinity” (p. 188). It makes two other good points; first, we are told, “Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the prayer is that it is a provision for God’s desire to bless his people. Blessing is his idea. It is not something his people must beg for, but the outreaching of his grace (p. 188). Secondly, it goes on to say even though the prayer is directed to the congregation the “pronouns are singular” (p. 189), which calls attention to our personal relationship with God who says to us, “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me” (2 Corinthians 6:18).