The Book of Numbers is not just about numbers. This second part of the commentary on the Book of Numbers contains details of the sending out of the twelve spies, including Caleb and Joshua, into the land of Canaan. Numbers then follows this up with certain ritualistic information vital to the life of Israel. Thus the Book of Numbers is a combination of history and ritual. For the second part of the commentary on the Book of Numbers see below.
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THE PENTATEUCH --- GENESIS ---EXODUS--- LEVITICUS --- NUMBERS --- DEUTERONOMY --- THE BOOK OF JOSHUA --- THE BOOK OF JUDGES --- THE BOOK OF RUTH --- SAMUEL --- KINGS --- I & II CHRONICLES --- EZRA---NEHEMIAH---ESTHER---PSALMS 1-73--- PROVERBS---ECCLESIASTES--- SONG OF SOLOMON --- ISAIAH --- JEREMIAH --- LAMENTATIONS --- EZEKIEL --- DANIEL --- --- HOSEA --- --- JOEL ------ AMOS --- --- OBADIAH --- --- JONAH --- --- MICAH --- --- NAHUM --- --- HABAKKUK--- --- ZEPHANIAH --- --- HAGGAI --- ZECHARIAH --- --- MALACHI --- THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW ---THE GOSPEL OF MARK--- THE GOSPEL OF LUKE --- THE GOSPEL OF JOHN --- THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES --- READINGS IN ROMANS --- 1 CORINTHIANS --- 2 CORINTHIANS ---GALATIANS --- EPHESIANS--- PHILIPPIANS --- COLOSSIANS --- 1 THESSALONIANS --- 2 THESSALONIANS --- 1 TIMOTHY --- 2 TIMOTHY --- TITUS --- PHILEMON --- HEBREWS --- JAMES --- 1 & 2 PETER --- JOHN'S LETTERS --- JUDE --- REVELATION --- THE GOSPELS & ACTS
(For part 1 go to Numbers 1-10 )
B. THE JOURNEY FROM SINAI TO KADESH (10.11-12.15).
This section comprises of:
1). The Setting Forward From Sinai and The Order of the March (10.11-33).
After eleven months which have passed encamped before Mount Sinai, during which the people had received the ten words of the covenant and had set up the Dwellingplace of Yahweh, the people were now called to move on towards Canaan. The remainder of this chapter covers the first setting forward from the wilderness of Sinai.
The first section divides up chiastically as follow:
The Setting Forward (10.11-13).
10.11 ‘And it came about that in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony.’
The time for moving forward had come on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year. This would have given time for the additional second Passover to have taken place on the fourteenth day of the second month (9.10-11). The requirement for this movement was indicated by the cloud being taken up from over the Dwellingplace, the place of the covenant, in accordance with Yahweh’s instructions in 9.15-23.
10.12 ‘And the children of Israel set forward according to their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud abode in the wilderness of Paran.’
So the children of Israel set forward in the course of their journeying from the wilderness of Sinai where they had remained for eleven months (see Exodus 19.1) and were brought to rest by the abiding of the cloud in the wilderness of Paran. This was a large and barren wilderness to the north of Sinai. How large or big it was thought to be is disputed. Again we must keep in mind that there were no clearly defined boundaries and the description would therefore be general.
They had covered a ‘three day journey’ (10.33). That was a recognised designation of a fairly short journey, compared with a ‘seven day journey’ which would be a longer one. It theoretically measured the distance that a group moving easily would expect to travel in the time. It does not necessarily indicate the passing of three days. It was a measure of distance. It would take slightly shorter or somewhat longer depending on the speed at which people travelled. Given the necessary slowness of the convoy it would almost certainly have been longer. The point being made is that for a few days they did not establish more than a temporary camp.
10.13 ‘And they first took their journey according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.’
It is stressed that the beginning of the journey was in accordance with Yahweh’s command by Moses. This was the first stage of Yahweh’s plan to possess the land. Moses would command the silver trumpets to sound, and the march would begin.
The Troops in the Van (10.14-16).
10.14-16 ‘And in the first place the standard of the camp of the children of Judah set forward according to their hosts, and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.’
In the lead went the tribe of Judah accompanied by Issachar and Zebulun as described earlier (2.3-9). They marched under their respective chieftains. The standard of the tribe of Judah led the way behind the Ark of the Covenant, which was at the forefront of the march, the Ark being borne by the sons of Korath and covered in its blue cloth (10.35-36).
The Levites Who Bore The Dwellingplace (10.17)
10.17 ‘And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, set forward.’
Behind the leading troops set forward the sons of Gershon and Merari, the Levites who bore the Dwellingplace itself and all that was required for its erection. Once the cloud ceased moving they would immediately erect the Dwellingplace ready to receive the Sanctuary furniture.
The Troops In The Centre of the March (10.18-20).
10.18-20 ‘And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.’
These were then followed by the tribe of Reuben, along with Simeon and Gad, under their respective chieftains. The Dwellingplace of Yahweh was being well protected.
The Levites Who Bore the Holy Things (10.21)
10.21 ‘And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the holy things, and the others set up the tabernacle in readiness for their coming.’
Next came the remainder of the Korathites bearing all ‘the holy things’ apart from the Ark which led the march (10.35-36). By the time they arrived at the next camp the Dwellingplace would have been erected by the other Levites. The holy things were the furniture of the Dwellingplace, apart from the Ark which led the way in its magnificent blue covering. These were the altar of incense, the table of showbread, the golden lampstand and the brazen altar, all discreetly hidden and weather-protected beneath dolphin skins.
The Troops Who Followed Up In The Rear (10.22-24).
10.22-24 ‘And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.’
The Korathites with the holy things would be followed by the other contingents of the Israelite army. Firstly would come the tribe of Ephraim under its chieftain accompanied by Manasseh and Benjamin under their chieftains, the three tribes of Rachel.
10.25-27 ‘And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rearward of all the camps, set forward according to their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
Finally taking up the rear would come the tribe of Dan under its chieftain accompanied by Asher and Naphtali under their chieftains.
10.28 ‘Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their hosts; and they set forward.’
In this way the children of Israel set forward on their journeys in orderly array.
Moses Asks Hobab To Accompany Them (10.29-32).
Hobab, Moses’ Midianite brother-in-law, was with them, giving assistance to Moses with his knowledge of wilderness lore, but determined to return to his own people. Moses pleaded with his brother-in-law to continue to accompany them and give them the benefit of his knowledge of wilderness survival. Among other things he was clearly very knowledgeable about the whereabouts of water. Note that even in this small section the ‘doing of good’ to Hobab both begins and ends the incident, maintaining the chiastic pattern.
10.29 ‘And Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ brother-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, I will give it you. You come with us, and we will do you good, for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.” ’
Hobab was of the Midianites, and was a relation of Moses. The word used probably means ‘in-law’ and can thus mean either father-in-law or brother-in-law. Reuel is the Reuel whose ‘daughter’ Moses married (Exodus 2.18), and thus Hobab may well have been his brother-in-law. But the relationship may have been a little more complicated. The point is that he was related to Moses through Moses’ marriage to a Midianite. Moses requested Hobab to come with them with his knowledge of wilderness lore. Moses himself knew much of wilderness survival but he was probably aware that Hobab was especially skilled in the art, with a reputation as a man of the wilderness.
He emphasised that they were going towards the place which Yahweh had promised to give them, and that Yahweh had spoken good about it. Once in the land they would see that he did not lose by his act. They would ‘do him good’.
We should note here that the fact that Yahweh was leading them did not mean that Moses did not make use of all skilled help available. We must trust God fully, and at the same time make use of all the means available.
10.30 ‘And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land, and to my kindred.’
But Hobab was minded to return to his own people and refused. He wanted to return to his own land and to his own wider family.
10.31 ‘And he said, “Leave us not, I pray you, forasmuch as you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you shall be to us instead of eyes.’
But Moses knew his value both as an expert on wilderness lore, and as a valuable scout. He knew that Hobab was aware of how best to encamp, and where, and he could be as eyes to them as he acted as a scout, covering the areas around the camp in order to detect any possible danger, and seeking out water. Most of the travellers were wilderness novices. Here was one on whom he could rely for sound practical advice and guidance on the journey, and to pass on to others his skills..
10.32 ‘And it shall be, if you go with us, yea, it shall be, that whatever good Yahweh shall do to us, the same will we do to you.’
And Moses confirmed that if he would go with them, whatever good Yahweh did to them they would do to him. He would be treated on equal terms. He would not lose his reward. The assumption must be that he agreed to go with them (Judges 1.16 with 4.11). In Judges he is called a Kenite, which was a wilderness tribe who were possibly a Midianite sub-tribe. Or Hobab may have become a Kenite by adoption through marriage.
The Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh Leads The Way (10.33-36).
Ahead of the fighting contingents went the Ark of the Covenant of Yahweh. It was a regular feature of nations going forth to war that they were led by a sacred symbol, and nothing was more sacred than the Ark. This was why its blue cloth was on the outside rather than its dolphin skins, so that all might be aware of the heavenly nature of what lay beneath (4.6).
This connection of the Ark with battle comes out a number of times. The Ark led the way over Jordan and against Jericho (Joshua 3.3, 11); it was brought to Bethel when the tribes united against Benjamin (Judges 20.27); it went into battle against the Philistines who had clearly heard of it (1 Samuel 4.3-9). There was even a battle song, incorporated in a Psalm, connected with it (verse 35; Psalm 68.1).
Again we have the chiastic structure which predominates in this book.
10.33 ‘And they set forward from the mount of Yahweh three days’ journey, and the ark of the covenant of Yahweh went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting-place for them.’
Their first stage was on a ‘three day journey’. This was a standard term signifying a journey of one and a half days to about four days (consider Genesis where all journeys except those completed in a day were either for ‘three’ or ‘seven’ days, a short or a longer journey. Part days were counted as days. Consider also the use of the standardised ‘three days’, an indefinite short time period, in Joshua 1.11; 2.22; 3.2). The Ark went before them, and the cloud hovered above them. They were seeking out a resting place (menuwchah from the root nwch) for them. There is no reason for suggesting that the Ark was three days ahead of the people. It simply means that on the three day journey the Ark went ahead of them for the whole three days.
10.34 ‘And the cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp.’
And continually above was the protecting and guiding cloud. The presence of Yahweh on the journey was being made very clear.
10.35 ‘And it came about, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, “Rise up, O Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.’
For this battle song compare Psalm 68.1. Yahweh had risen up and left His dwellingplace in order to go before them and scatter their enemies. Those who hated Him would flee before Him. This song would be sung whenever the Ark set forward. Its declaration by Moses would encourage and give heart to the people.
10.36 ‘And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.’
But when the Ark came to its rest (nuwach, from the root nwch) and returned to its dwellingplace the song was, ‘return, O Yahweh, to the ‘multitudes of families’ (ribboth ’elephe) of Israel’. Once more He dwelt among them at peace.
In the Hebrew text verses 35- 36 are seemingly both followed by inverted nuns (Hebrew n) of which we do not know the significance (compare also Psalm 107.23-28, 40 where a similar phenomenon occurs seven times).
As we too journey forward towards the heavenly Kingdom, we can rest assured that unseen the cloud hovers over us and the Ark goes before us. If we are His we are never out of God’s eye.
Chapter 11 The Grumbling Of The People and The Men Of The Spirit.
With the journeying beginning again after the stay at Sinai the previous problems of Exodus 16.1-12; 17.1-3 recommenced. The way was unquestionably difficult. The sun was scorching, the wilderness dry, the desert ‘road’ rough and definitely not suitable for such a large group of travellers. And in the way of people it was not long before the murmuring and grumbling began. Their eyes were not on Yahweh but on themselves, and as they struggled through the sweltering heat with no real end in sight, they began to feel sorry for themselves, and to think that deliverance was not all that it was cracked up to be.
In the midst of their troubles God brought home a powerful message which contrasted their desire for fleshly gratification with His willingness to provide the Spirit.
The whole of this chapter quite clearly demonstrates the chiastic principle inherent in Moses’ writings so remarkably that it can surely not be denied. It is constructed as follows:
The chapter commences with a short, sharp warning, which is not heeded.
A Sharp Warning About Grumbling. The People Complain and Are Smitten. Moses Intervenes (11.1-3).
It is interesting that even in so short a passage another chiastic formation is revealed.
11.1 ‘And the people were as murmurers, evil in the ears of Yahweh, (or ‘were as murmurers in the ears of Yahweh about their misfortunes’) and when Yahweh heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of Yahweh burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp.’
The incidents are not specifically fitted into the travel schedule so that we do not know how long this was after leaving Sinai, but it was clearly not long before the people began to murmur. It was probably in the desert of Et-Tih. And what they were muttering among themselves was evil in Yahweh’s ears, as such muttering always is. Indeed the mood was so ugly that God was angry with it. He clearly felt it totally unjustifiable. They would have much worse to go through than this. They had to learn to cope with adversity.
The result was that on the extremities of the camp a fire burst out and ‘burned among them’, and they recognised it for what it was, a warning shot from Yahweh. Whether it was caused by lightning, or a bush bursting into flames in the intense heat which then spread, we do not know. And whether anyone died or whether it just affected possessions we are not told. But it was their first salutary warning.
God uses such trials and judgments in order to teach His people lessons. Whom Yahweh loves, He chastens (Deuteronomy 8.5). Here He was trying to pull the people up short so that their minds might be taken off themselves and set on Him. He knew the condition that they were getting themselves into. Had they taken heed it would have saved them a lot of trouble in the future.
11.2 ‘And the people cried to Moses, and Moses prayed to Yahweh, and the fire abated.’
The extent of the fire was such that the people came to Moses and pleaded for help. The result was that Moses prayed to Yahweh and the fire died down. That should have given the people grounds for gratitude to Yahweh. They should have recognised that it was fortunate that they had in Moses one who was always ready to intercede for them. He had done so before (Exodus 15.25; 32.11-14), and now he had done it again. It should have fixed their thoughts on God. But if it did, any gratitude was only temporary.
We also have One Who intercedes for us at all times (Hebrews 7.25). How trying we must so often appear to Him, but He is ever patient with us. Yet we must beware lest we forget and lose touch with Him, otherwise He may have to chasten us too.
11.3 ‘And the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of Yahweh burnt among them.’
Then they gave the name ‘Taberah’ to the place, which means ‘burning’, because there Yahweh’s fire had burned among them. The name does not appear in their travel itinerary, and indicates more their deep feeling at the time. It was not a recognised name.
We may see this as an act of grace. By acting quickly the people had been made to think so that they would be more careful in future. As we have learned in the past they had a tendency to grumble (Exodus 15.24; 16.2-3; 17.2-3), so this was not the first time. But it was the first time since the journey from Sinai began. The sharp lesson was intended to save trouble in the future. As it turned out it was not sufficient because their faith was low, as the next incident brings out.
The Grumbling Again Flares Up: Murmuring For Meat Instead Of Manna (11.4-15).
What follows brings home to us something of the condition of many of the people. They were not on the whole a people of quiet faith, but a people full of doubts and worries, and in no mental condition to face the rigours of the desert. They had been delivered from slavery and did not have the backbone for what they had to face. That was why Yahweh had sought to counter this at Sinai, both by His firm covenant and His giving of the Dwellingplace as a visible sign among them. But they had on the whole not responded in true faith and were thus vulnerable.
The passage is constructed as follows:
11.4-6 ‘And the rabble who were among them were filled with strong cravings (lusted exceedingly), and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt which cost us nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic, but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all save this manna to look on.’
What was more there were ‘rabble’ among them who were seeking to stir things up. The rabble are often considered to be ‘the mixed multitude’ of Exodus 12.38 but there are no real grounds for blaming the mixed multitude here. That was the result of the racism of the LXX translators who looked for somewhere to put the blame. Indeed most of the mixed multitude had probably been absorbed into Israel as a result of Sinai. The term used here is totally different from Exodus 12.38. Here it is the ‘rabble’, the low life among the people (asaphsuph - the ‘gathering of reeds’, useless things, promising much but offering little), who were involved, those possessed by pure greed and godlessness, and full of their own importance and jealous of Moses.
There are always a troublesome minority among all peoples. In this case these were the ones who started the complaints and stirred up the people, so that dissatisfaction soon spread and clearly deeply upset a people already traumatised by the conditions they were travelling under. It had caught them unprepared, even though Yahweh had tried to prepare them. The stronger were undermining the weaker. We must all be careful when we begin to murmur that we do not undermine the faith of others. Those who are strong need to bear the burdens of those who are weak (Romans 15.1), not undermine them.
But the malcontents could not have succeeded if Israel had been looking to Yahweh and the things of the Spirit. Note that while the Israelites mentioned ‘flesh’ they were thinking rather of a change of diet, as their list of the pleasures of Egypt brings out. In their list they did not actually mention meat specifically, but fish and vegetables. What they wanted was something different from the manna. It is true that they could have eaten their cattle and sheep (although see verse 22), but they would be reluctant to do that when they were not actually starving. Those were necessary for the future ahead. Such eating was not essential. They had the manna to keep them alive. But what they wanted were delicacies, and a change of diet. Note their contemptuous dismissal of ‘this manna’. When they had been starving they had delighted in it. Now their stomachs were full they were not satisfied with it. They were lacking in appreciation and gratitude because enjoyment of food had become more important to them than appreciating God.
The point was not that they were hungry, as they had been in the Wilderness of Sin (Exodus 16.3), but that they were living on a permanent diet of manna. It was the struggle of the flesh against the spirit. Had their hearts been set on Yahweh they would have rejoiced to receive the manna from His hands. They would have been full of joy continually. But greed for delicious food was so strong that they wept. Their thoughts were purely selfish. They did not want to have to wait for ‘milk and honey’ in the future, they wanted it now. The manna had once been welcomed enthusiastically. Now it was taken for granted. It had become monotonous and prosaic. They just felt that they had had enough. They wanted the good things of life. They had reached a low level.
So their minds went back to the freely available fish in Egypt that they could catch in the Nile and its tributaries, the abundance of watermelons with their rich, cool satisfying taste, so plentiful in their season that even the poorest could afford them, and all the other delicious foods that they had once enjoyed. Forgotten was the penury and servitude. Their eyes were gluttonous and fixed on food. The foods described are all of a type that the poor in Egypt would eat. Onions flourished better in Egypt than elsewhere, and had a mild and pleasant taste. According to Herodotus ii. 125, they were the ordinary food of the workmen at the pyramids. They still form a basic food for the poor there, and are also a favourite dish with all classes, either roasted, or boiled as a vegetable, and eaten with meat. Garlic is mentioned by Herodotus in connection with onions, as forming a leading article of food with the Egyptian workmen
We may look askance at Israel but we are not so different. Even today the Bread of Life (John 6.35) can become monotonous and prosaic to us because of our sinful hearts, so that it results in extremes in religion which are not helpful. Men become bored with true goodness, and meditation on the word of God. They want excitement that panders to the flesh, dressed up as spirituality. Or they seek to the flesh pots of Egypt.
11.7 ‘And the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance as the appearance of bdellium.’
The manna is described. It was in deliberate contrast to the luxuries of Egypt. All they had was this one small ‘seed’. It was in shape and size somewhat like coriander seeds. Coriander seeds are from the fruit of the Coriandrum sativum (of the natural order Umbelliferae), which was a plant indigenous around the Mediterranean and extensively cultivated. It was used for medicinal and culinary purposes from at least 1500 BC. The fruits are aromatic and were thought to assist flatulence. They are of a greyish-yellow colour, ribbed, globular and oval, and in size about twice that of a hemp-seed being about four millimetres in diameter. Bdellium is a pale yellow transluscent resin. Exodus 16.14, 31 says that the manna was flaky like hoar frost, white and tasting like honey. Thus manna was like small flaky seeds, and probably whitish-yellow and smooth.
More modern examples have been cited of an unidentified white substance which one morning covered a fairly large area of ground in Natal and was eaten by the natives, and also of falls of whitish, odourless, tasteless matter in Southern Algeria which, at a time of unusual weather conditions, covered tents and vegetation each morning. While not being the same as the Manna, or lasting over so long a period, these do indicate the kind of natural phenomena which God may have used to bring about His miracle.
11.8 ‘The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it, and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.’
It was collected in pots and ground in their hand-mills or beaten in mortars, it was then boiled or turned into cakes and tasted like the taste of fresh olive oil, reminding the people of honey. So they clearly tried different ways of making it enjoyable. But nothing could fully relieve its monotony. However, as long as they were not greedy it never made them ill (Exodus 16.20). Had their faith been strong they would have accepted it gladly from the hand of God because their satisfaction was elsewhere and was spiritual. But they were carnal and their food meant a lot to them, while God did not. So they broke down at the thought of what they were missing, they ‘wept’. They felt sorry for themselves.
‘The taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.’ It was good and wholesome. But the people did not want what was good and wholesome, they wanted what tickled the palate. They wanted the lusts of the flesh and not the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.16 onwards).
11.9 ‘And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.’
It fell during the early morning after the dew. It was probably the result of the unusual weather conditions at the time, coming from we know not where. But in the end it was ‘from heaven’. The reason for giving this information about the manna was in order to remind the readers of how good God was being to His people.
11.10 ‘And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, every man at the door of his tent, and the anger of Yahweh was kindled greatly, and Moses was displeased.’
The influence of the rabble, no doubt deliberately spread among the remainder so as to undermine Moses, had reached deep into the hearts of the ordinary people. This comes out in that Moses heard them weeping ‘throughout their families’ in their tents. That is quite a disturbing statement and illustrates the state that some of them were in. We must not underestimate it. Their faith had collapsed, and they were totally disillusioned.
We must not see these as people in a fairly good state of mind just muttering because they were dissatisfied. Rather, because their thoughts were not on God, they were very vulnerable and were being deeply affected by the rabble. They had begun to feel very sorry for themselves and did not have sufficient faith to sustain them. They were collapsing inwardly. They were not used to standing up for themselves.
The picture is quite vivid. The whole of Israel were weeping. This was hardly natural, but after all their sufferings this round of discontent had proved one step too much. The traumatic effect of making their way through the desert and the wilderness, together with the boring nature of the manna, had clearly been brought home to them in a forceful way through the complaining of the rabble so that they were genuinely on the point of despair, and in a desperate state of mind. All their fears and worries were coming out as a result. They were on the verge of break down. They had passed the point of being able to cope. But had their hearts been fixed on Yahweh it would not have happened. The problem was that all their thoughts were fixed on themselves.
Yahweh saw it and was ‘angry’. That is, in His righteousness He felt an aversion to their behaviour, for He knew what lay at the root of it, unbelief. He had delivered them from Egypt, He had provided them with the manna, and they were so ungrateful and so worldly minded that they were actually despising both and wishing He had never bothered. They were forgetting, as He had not, how desperate they had been then (Exodus 2.23). All that He had planned for them now mattered to them not a jot. All they wanted was to enjoy filling their bellies with delicious food. How strange man is that he can allow temporary longings to so replace his confidence in eternal realities for such an unimportant reason.
Moses too was ‘displeased’. That is, he was upset within himself. The whole situation was getting on top of him, as what follows demonstrates.
11.11 ‘And Moses said to Yahweh, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay on me the burden of all this people?’
Moses was aware of how the people were feeling, and how deeply it had gone. As he walked around the camp and heard their distress he found it hard to bear. He felt the pressures piling up on him too as he witnessed their condition. And he went to Yahweh with his problems. He did have sufficient faith, but it needed bolstering.
He asked Yahweh why He had brought on him the burden of this people, a burden he was finding too difficult. Why had Yahweh dealt so ill with him? Why had Yahweh’s graciousness to him been so lacking? He was finding it hard to cope with their misery. Why had he been given the responsibility of a father for children not his own?
This prayer of Moses itself follows a chiastic pattern:
11.12 ‘Have I conceived all this people? Have I brought them forth, that you should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a nursing-father carries the sucking child, to the land which you swear to their fathers?”
He used the illustration of a father and mother who recognised their responsibility for their own children. But, he pointed out, he was not their father, he had not conceived them. Nor was he their mother who had brought them forth into the world. They were not relations of his. Why then should he have to act towards them as a nursing-father, carrying them in his bosom like a father carries his babes in a sling? Why had he to be the one to bring them to the land of their fathers which Yahweh had sworn to their fathers to give them? Why should he have to carry their burdens?
Moses probably intended here an indirect reminder to God of Who it was Who was their father, Who it was Who had begotten them and brought them forth (Exodus 4.25; Deuteronomy 1.31; 14.1; 32.18; Isaiah 1.2; 63.16). They were really God’s problem not his. He was pointing out that while God could cope with them, he could not.
We note here an interesting commencement to the building up of the picture of the undeserving of Israel. Here Moses was exasperated with them. In 14.11-12 it would be Yahweh Who became exasperated with them, and in 14.26-35 it would be Yahweh Who was so exasperated that it would be fatal for that generation of Israel.
It is clear that the people’s distress had really bitten deeply into Moses. Up to this point he had been mainly sustained by seeing their gratitude to be free of Egypt, and their willingness in spite of some failures to respond, and by his desire to bring glory to Yahweh. But now it appeared to him that all that had gone and he was being made responsible for it all. The people were not behaving as he had expected. And he felt unable to cope. He felt at a total loss. He felt it was no longer worth while.
How often we begin something enthusiastically when all seems to be going well. But then the problems set in and people become lethargic and even grumble and murmur. It is at that point that we often feel like giving up. But if it is of God we have no right to consider giving up. What we must do is what Moses did. Cast ourselves on God, grit out teeth, and go on.
11.13 “From where should I have flesh to give to all this people? For they weep to me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.”
The heart of Moses comes out here. He had a real concern for the people, and his inability to meet their needs was really hurting. He too had begun to cease looking to Yahweh. Instead his eyes were on the people and their need, and he could not cope with it. It was breaking his heart. That is why he wanted to be done with it.
It is a reminder that when we face the great need of others we must beware of being so taken up with the need that we forget God, otherwise it will be too much for us. It will get us down too. Sometimes we can only survive by fixing our minds on doing God’s will rather than letting people’s conditions affect us. Otherwise it will destroy us like it was destroying Moses. Sometimes, when conditions are really bad, love has to be harsh, and keep itself held in, in order to survive. There are limits to what a man can take. God alone can keep us under such conditions.
So in his love for the people Moses felt totally inadequate. He felt that he was just unable to help them. The situation was impossible. They were deeply upset, and clearly on the edge of breaking down. But where on earth was he going to get meat for all these people in the wilderness? The whole situation was getting on top of him, and he felt very much alone.
11.14 “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.”
He frankly told God that he could no longer carry all this burden on his own. It was too much for him. The burden was too heavy. When we find ourselves in what seems an impossible position it pays to be frank with God. It will not make Him any different, but it will help us considerably.
11.15 “And if you deal with me in this way, kill me, I pray you, out of hand, if I have found favour in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.”
Indeed he was so upset that he asked God that he might die. He was staring failure in the face. If God had any pity on him let Him kill him as He had once sought to do (Exodus 4.24). He could not bear any longer seeing his own inadequacy in the face of the crying needs of these people. He could not bear the wretchedness and helplessness that he felt. He could not bear the thought of letting God down. He wanted out.
Yahweh’s Response To Moses: The Appointment of the Seventy Elders and The People Will Have Food (11.16-23).
At Moses’ plea Yahweh graciously responded to both his problems, not by killing him, but by providing helpers for him and subsequently meat for the people. God does not desert those who trust Him simply because they sometimes have doubts. If we trust Him and come to Him God is never without an answer to our problems. First He calmly tells us, as He did Moses, to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and rather do something about it, then He explains that He too will do something about it.
We should note the contrast between the seventy elders and the people. This is a deliberate contrast. The giving of the Spirit is described like a breath of fresh air in the midst of the people’s craving for flesh and its provision to their cost. Here on the one hand are these men receiving the Spirit. And there on the other are the people craving flesh. Both are blessed by Yahweh’s ruach (‘spirit, wind’ - the one by the spirit, the other by the wind), but in the one case it is permanent and results in a permanent transformation, in the other it results in greed and plague. This was due, not to God’s perversity, but to the perversity of the people. God longs to bless all, but only those who will receive it are truly blessed.
The structure of the first section is as follows:
11.16-17 ‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people, and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, that they may stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take of the Spirit which is on you, and will put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you bear it not yourself alone.”
He told him to choose out seventy elders of Israel, men whom he knew to be true and reliable elders, with officers over them (thus he must include the most senior elders), and bring them to the Tent of meeting. The purpose was that they might stand there with Moses before Yahweh, as those who would be his assistants. They were to be endued in order to perform the supervisory task that up to this time he had borne alone.
The number seventy indicated divine perfection intensified (7x10) and would demonstrate that they were chosen by God and that they represented the patriarchate (the seventy) that had ‘entered Egypt’ when they too fled because of shortage of food (Exodus 1). Here again ‘the seventy’ would be in authority over Yahweh’s people.
Then, Yahweh promised, He would Himself ‘come down’ and talk with Moses there. And He would take some of the Spirit that He had put on Moses and put it on them. Thus fortified by the Spirit they would be able to help to bear the burden of the people so that Moses need not bear it alone. This did not mean that somehow Moses would lose some of the Spirit that was within him. It was a declaration to all that these men would succeed because they had received something of the Spirit that possessed Moses. Moses was like a burning flame. Fire could be taken from him without him being diminished. It was still to Moses that all should look. Joshua understood this rightly (verse 28). Where Joshua’s understanding failed was in that he did not recognise that it was still open to Yahweh to work as He would, and Moses’ yearning that all the people might have the Spirit.
There can be no real doubt that we are to see here the ‘Spirit of God’. It was He Who possessed Moses. Now He would come on the selected elders too. God Himself would possess them and guide them.
11.18 “And you say to the people, “Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and you shall eat flesh; for you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, ‘Who shall give us flesh to eat, for it was well with us in Egypt?’ Therefore Yahweh will give you flesh, and you shall eat.”
Then he was to call the people together and call on them to ‘sanctify themselves’ ready for the next day when He would act and provide them with meat. That is, they had to wash their clothing and ensure that they were ritually clean. By doing this they were made to recognise that what followed did come from Yahweh. They could only receive it by preparing themselves. God wanted this to be a spiritual experience for them which would then turn them to the things of the Spirit.
So Moses must not allow them to get away scot free. They were to be made aware that God knew of their behaviour. When they had wept they had wept in the ears of Yahweh. He had been fully aware of their weeping, and the true reason that lay behind it. They had said, “who will give us flesh to eat for it was well with us in Egypt” ’. They had turned away from God’s purposes for them, back to Egypt. Hopefully when they heard this they would feel ashamed, For the truth was that it had not been well with them in Egypt. The Egyptians had not come to them saying, ‘Here you are, have as much meat as you want’. But now Yahweh would. Yahweh would give them flesh to eat.
11.19-20 “You shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole moon period, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you, because you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and have wept before him, saying, ‘Why did we come forth out of Egypt?’ ”
Moses could not believe his ears. Where was Yahweh going to get so much meat from? Were there not six hundred units of foot men to be fed, to say nothing of their families? And yet Yahweh had promised that they would have food for a whole month. Would it mean killing their flocks and herds? That was something that they did not wish to do. They would need those when they entered the land. Or were there enough fish available in the nearest sea to meet their needs? He was clutching at straws. He did not believe that God could do it. How quickly even Moses had forgotten what God had done in Egypt.
11.23 ‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “Is Yahweh’s hand made short? Now shall you see whether my word shall come about to you or not.’
Yahweh challenged him in return. Did he really think that Yahweh’s arm had been foreshortened? Did he really think that anything was too hard for Him? Let him wait and see. He would soon see whether Yahweh’s promise came about or not.
The Enduing of the Seventy Elders (11.24-35).
The purpose of God in providing the seventy elders would seem to be in order to act as an advisory and supporting council to Moses, and to supervise various sections of the people on his behalf, for different levels of authority were already in place for mundane purposes (Exodus 18.25). This was also why they were to have officers over them, so that a small group could act when necessary. He was no longer to have sole responsibility for the leadership of the people.
The inner structure is as follows:
11.24 ‘And Moses went out, and told the people the words of Yahweh, and he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent.’
As ever Moses obeyed Yahweh. Firstly he informed the whole people of what Yahweh had said, and then he elected out and appointed the seventy elders. Having done so he brought them round the Tent of meeting, Yahweh’s Dwellingplace.
There is an interesting spiritual contrast here. The people were told that they would receive flesh but the elders would receive the Spirit, and the people were not jealous. As far as they were concerned the elders could have the Spirit if they could have the flesh! It illustrated their state of heart.
11.25 ‘And Yahweh came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. And it came about that, when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did so no more.’
Then Yahweh Himself came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Moses was still pre-eminent. And He took from him something of the Spirit that was on him, and put it on the seventy elders. The evidence of what had happened was revealed in that they ‘prophesied’. It is in vain for us to attempt to fully explain either the one or the other. Had it been in ‘tongues’ it would surely have been stated. But it is doubtful. It was not to people of strange tongues that these men would speak, but with Israel. Rather they spoke in a way which made it clear to all that the Spirit was speaking through them, although what they said was not recorded. We may probably assume that it was in praise of Yahweh. However, they did not become prophets. It was a once for all occurrence. ‘They did so no more’. But it was now clear to all that these were Yahweh’s men, empowered and illuminated by Him. Compare for a similar situation and experience 1 Samuel 10.6-13; 19.20-24; Joel 2.28.
Nor can we apply this experience specifically to all believers as though all must have the same manifestations. The Spirit of Yahweh coming down in the Old Testament in visibly manifested form was always on specific men appointed to serve in specific functions, it was never an overall blessing. These men had been empowered for the task in hand. What it does promise us is that when we are appointed by Him to a task, He will always provide whatever power of the Spirit is needed.
11.26 ‘But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested on them, and they were of those who were written, but had not gone out to the Tent; and they prophesied in the camp.’
But two of the men whose names Moses had caused to be written down as of the seventy (an evidence of his practise to write things down) were named Eldad and Medad. For some reason they had not gone out to the Tent. Possibly on the particular day Moses’ messengers had been unable to find them because they were busy fulfilling their responsibilities somewhere in the camp. But Yahweh knew where they were (we need not fear, He always knows where we are), and the Spirit also came on them and they prophesied in the camp. God ensured that the number was complete, and that not one was lacking. This also emphasises that the experience was not one aroused by the atmosphere in which they had gathered.
11.27 ‘And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
The phenomenon was so striking that a youth ran from the camp to tell Moses. Moses had many who were loyal to him and jealous for his reputation and standing. And the youth told him that Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp. Possibly he feared treachery and a rival ministry to that of Moses.
11.28 ‘And Joshua, the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, one of his chosen men, answered and said, “My lord Moses, forbid them.”
Joshua who was with him, as he ever was because he was his loyal ‘servant’, and who was also one of the seventy (one of his chosen men), immediately stood up for his master. He turned loyally to Moses and called on him to forbid them. Moses must ensure that he maintained his authority.
11.29 ‘And Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all Yahweh’s people were prophets, that Yahweh would put his Spirit on them!”
But Moses knew that it was of Yahweh. He was not concerned for his own position, only for what was to the glory of Yahweh. And he turned to Joshua and assured him that he did not need to seek to defend Moses’ position when God was at work. Indeed his longing was that all Yahweh’s people might be prophets and that Yahweh would put His Spirit on them all. Burdened with their constant yearning for flesh to eat he would have loved it if only their yearning had been for the Spirit. If only all of them had wanted to supplant him as prophets in the will of Yahweh, his problems would be no more.
11.30 ‘And Moses took himself him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.’
Then Moses and all the elders left the Tent and returned to the camp. There was clearly a sense in which the Dwellingplace was seen as separate from the camp even though it was in its midst. It was holy ground. To enter it was for a while to leave the camp. But while they left the Dwellingplace the Spirit of Yahweh still remained on them. They returned to the camp with the Spirit, to a camp whose only thought was the flesh.
In the same way we can enter ‘the heavenly places’ when we pray. Our bodies may remain on earth, but we in our spirits move into God’s domain. Indeed Paul could tells us that those who walk with Him walk constantly in heavenly places where we are seated in Christ (Ephesians 2.6), for we are to ‘pray without ceasing’. And so, as with the seventy, the Spirit will continue with us and never leave us. We walk in Heaven while we walk on earth.
Yahweh Provides Meat From Heaven (11.31-35).
In accordance with His second promise to Moses Yahweh now sent meat from the skies. A ruach (spirit, wind) from Yahweh brought quails to the camp in huge quantities. So in a play on words the ‘ruach’ blessed both the elders and the people. But the people immediately demonstrated their unbelief. They stored the quails instead of trusting Yahweh for His daily provision (compare what some did with the manna - Exodus 16.19-20) and the quails went bad and brought a great plague.
The structure here is as follows:
11.31 ‘And there went forth a wind from Yahweh, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day’s journey on this side, and a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits above the face of the earth.’
>p> As promised Yahweh sent meat for the people in abundance. Quails were driven towards the camp by ‘a ruach from Yahweh’. As already mentioned there is a parallel here with the ruach which came on the seventy elders. Yahweh’s desire was to bless both with His provision. The quails came in abundance and fell to the ground beside the camp in huge quantities.
This was the second month of the year. Quails are small birds of the partridge family. Around that time of the year (March) they annually migrate northwards from Arabia and Africa and regularly come down in large quantities in the area of the Red Sea to recuperate, exhausted after their long flight. Modern examples are known of huge quantities being caught in the Sinai area during this period as they fly low over the ground. It would appear in this case that their struggle against the wind which drove them to the camp had so exhausted them that they simply collapsed in heaps. There were so many that they covered ‘a days journey’ around the camp in piles a metre (three feet) high. (Some, however, see the text as signifying that they flew a metre above the ground).
11.32 ‘And the people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.’
When the people saw this they raced to gather them, and spent about 36 hours gathering as many as they could. They gathered huge quantities and stored them around the camp. But they were so many that they could not properly dry them out. Ten homers was about 2,200 litres. What a sad state of heart is revealed here. We do not read that they became excited because the Spirit came on the elders. But we do read that when meat came they were clearly so excited that they had no time to think about what had happened to the elders. They overlooked that God had come among them in spiritual power, that the Spirit’s power was being revealed. All they could think of was that there was meat to be had!
In doing so they forgot, or ignored, Yahweh’s demand that they did not touch dead bodies lest they be rendered ‘unclean’. To take the exhausted quails and kill and eat them was one thing. To store them as dead meat by laying them out to dry and then partaking of them was another. It was in direct disobedience to Yahweh, and, as we now know, in a hot country was asking for trouble.
11.33 ‘While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh smote the people with a very great plague.’
The result was that even while they were eating them they were smitten with a great plague. This was the result of the ‘anger of Yahweh’. They were acting in gross disobedience. Had they only eaten quails which they slew and ate immediately as fresh meat they would not have suffered. But they did not trust Yahweh to continue His provision and stored the birds and then ate of their dead carcasses. Thus they rendered themselves deliberately ‘unclean’, and therefore liable to ‘wrath’. And birds in such a condition, insufficiently dried out, could only spread disease.
We are intended to see the contrast between these people and the godly elders. The elders had gone into a holy place, the place of life, to receive their blessing. Their thoughts were centred on Yahweh. They enjoyed ‘life’. The people had gone ‘outside the camp’ to receive flesh, and had sinned. Their thoughts were on the satisfaction of their own selfish desires. And the result was that they became entangled with ‘death’, and therefore their blessing became a curse. And yet both were living together in the camp. The same is so true today. There are those who would enjoy true blessing, and while they must live in the world, they seek their blessing in His holy place, in Heaven itself. Others are filled with the desires of life, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the mind and the pride of life. And they are so taken up with these that the Spirit passes them by. We must never secularise holy things. We must choose between life and death, not compromise them.
11.34 ‘And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people that were so greedy (‘lusted’).’
Here was their epitaph. The name of the place was called Kibroth-hattaavah, ‘the graves of craving’ because there the people’s craving led in many cases to their deaths. It was there that they buried the people who were so greedy. The mind of the flesh leads to death, the mind of the Spirit leads to life and peace (Romans 8.6). If only they had craved the Spirit it would have led them to mountains of blessing not graves of craving.
It is clear from the chiastic pattern that verse 35 belongs to the next chapter and we have interpreted accordingly.
Chapter 12 The Jealousy of Aaron and Miriam.
In this chapter the position of Moses is firmly established. It can be compared with chapter 16-17 where the position of Aaron was firmly established. In both cases they had been directly appointed by God, not by man.
Possibly Aaron and Miriam had become jealous because of the Spirit coming on the seventy elders as they stood with Moses. Aaron was ‘the Priest’ and Miriam a prophetess (Exodus 15.20). Perhaps they felt, unreasonably, that Moses was supplanting them and raising up others with spiritual insight. Whatever the cause they began to mutter against Moses.
Because they dared not attack him openly they attacked his wife. She was a Cushite woman and not a true-born Israelite. This then enabled them to get at Moses himself. ‘Why should he think he was different from them?’ they asked. Did Yahweh only speak with Moses? Did He not also speak with Aaron and Miriam? How dangerous it is when we become proud of what God has given us, or the position in which He has placed us. But Yahweh immediately stepped in to make clear Moses’ unique position and in the end the two had to plead with Moses to intercede for them.
The construction of the passage is clear.
11.35 ‘From Kibroth-hattaavah the people journeyed to Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth.’
The people moved from ‘the graves of craving’ to Hazeroth, the stage prior to Kadesh. Now they were not far from the land. If only they had left their cravings behind. But they had not. And sadly there were two others who had cravings which they should not have had, cravings for position and glory. Those two were Aaron and Miriam. They had forgotten the commandment, “You shall not covet”.
12.1 ‘And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.’
Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, had probably become jealous at the power that had been given to the seventy elders. Both probably felt that their influence had been lessened, Aaron because up to this point it had always been him who was next to Moses. He had been ‘the man’. There had been no rivals. And now suddenly there were seventy rivals. And Miriam because she was a prophetess and did not like the idea of seventy men who had prophesied possibly diminishing her position and respect. They were more concerned for their own position than for the expansion of God’s work. Thus, while not liking to attack Moses’ authority directly, they were looking for other grounds of criticism. They felt supplanted. They felt that Moses was not giving them the consideration that they deserved. Jealousy in spiritual spheres is a dreadful thing. And it can only result in a diminishing of the Spirit.
We note that Miriam is mentioned first and that the feminine verb is used in verse 1 (‘they spoke against’). She was clearly the most prominent in the attack on Moses. It may also be that she saw Moses’ new wife as a threat to her own position. Perhaps his new wife was more forceful than Zipporah had been. So the mention of Miriam first and the use of the feminine verb was in order to indicate that it was she who was the main culprit. But that is not to excuse Aaron. It would, however, help to explain why it was she who was punished most severely.
Ostensibly the main ground that they found was that he had married a Cushite woman. The argument would be that she was not a pure bred Israelite. In view of the restrictions on himself Aaron probably felt that that was not right. The priest had to take a virgin of his own people to wife (Leviticus 21.14). Why should Moses not have to do so as well? Why should he be any different? The woman was probably Sudanese (ancient ‘Ethiopia’). Their complaint was not because she was black but because they presumably felt that he was being inconsistent. After all Moses was a Levite and related to a priestly family. He ought to have remembered his position and to have married within the family! (It must be considered quite possible that Moses marriage had been diplomatic, a means of uniting together the true-born Israelites and the mixed multitude, but we are not told so. However it certainly confirmed that in Yahweh’s eyes both were on the same level once they were in the covenant).
12.2 ‘And they said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Has he not spoken also with us?” And Yahweh heard it.’
But then the criticism advanced. It became a direct attack on Moses himself. Was Moses not getting above himself? Did not Yahweh speak to them as well? Did they not therefore have a right to be consulted on such things as the elders, and Moses’ marriage? Should he not defer a little more to them? He was not giving them the respect due to them as spiritual equals with him. The pride of life was consuming them.
‘And Yahweh heard it.’ We need to beware of what we say, for God always hears us. And Yahweh was not pleased at what He heard. He had shown His graciousness to them both, and now they were taking it out on Moses because of their own pride And what Moses had done had not been on his own initiative. He had simply been obeying Yahweh. So in effect they were grumbling because God had not sufficiently considered their importance.
12.3 ‘Now the man Moses was very humble, above all the men that were on the face of the earth.’
Moses himself was not like that, says the writer. He probably did not defend himself. Nor did he go to Yahweh about it. He was very humble, above all men who were on the face of the earth. This does not mean ‘meek and mild’, it means that he did not defend himself or become concerned when he was attacked, unless it was likely to harm the cause of God. As we know he could get angry when that happened. That was why he had said nothing to Yahweh. The idea was that he was self-effacing and concerned only for God’s glory.
This comment was probably put in by the one who was writing down his words. It is not likely that it is to be seen as the words of Moses himself. But that it is an important part of the chiastic pattern demonstrates that it was not a later interpolation. It was written down at the same time as Moses’ words were being finally recorded.
EXCURSUS. The Meekness of Moses.
The question is often put as to whether Moses could have spoken of himself as humble/meek above all men on the face of the earth. Is it not, people ask, a contradiction in terms? Clearly we cannot say with certainty who wrote these words. But the first question we must ask is whether Moses could have spoken of himself in these terms. After all, the use of the third person by a writer speaking of himself is not unusual. It is a literary technique.
The first point we must make is that the comment is not necessarily just a huge compliment. Consider if we translate 'meek' as 'diffident', and thus as not being willing to defend himself because of a certain withdrawal in his personality. We have seen at his calling in Exodus how he tried to avoid God's call because he felt unable to cope with it, and wanted to hide behind his poor speech (Exodus 3.11;4.1, 10, 13). We find it difficult to recognise the fact but Moses was in fact sometimes portrayed as being to some extent of a shy and retiring nature. He was bold in some things (like, as a trained martial arts expert, probably armed, in his dealings with a few shepherds) but he was not always so when it came to the big picture.
The fact that he did what he did was because God had spurred him on and given him little choice. But Exodus demonstrates that in fact it was Aaron who made the first overt moves in the deliverance from Egypt. It was only once Moses had gained confidence that he took over. Possibly what Moses is saying here is that God acted on his behalf because he himself was so naturally diffident the most diffident man on earth, and was thus deriding himself. For the meaning of the word translated 'meek' compare Job 24.4 'the meek of the earth hide themselves together'; Psalm 147.6 'Yahweh lifts up the meek'. It is not a boasting word but in a sense a disparaging word. It describes someone ''humble' because they are lowly and wanting and seek to cringe from public notice. They see themselves as not of sufficient courage to defend themselves. So it may well be that Moses saw himself as the least forthcoming person in the whole world (not to be taken too literally - shy people can often feel like this) and therefore was speaking disparagingly of himself. This comment may thus well have arisen from his own personal shyness, especially at dealing with aspects of his married life. It may simply be describing an excess of meekness that was actually not a good thing, an indication that he was not forthright in his own defence because of this lack in his make up. Not many men would see themselves as boasting if they described themselves as meek.
Or alternately if we insist on assuming that meekness is intended to indicate a good feature it may be that God actually told Moses that He Himself was about to defend him because he was so meek and would not defend Himself, that He was defending him because he was the meekest man on earth. And God had reason to know. He had had to struggle with Moses' meekness. Thus Moses may simply have been writing down God's own description of himself and not have felt proud of the fact at all.
In fact what might be considered more unlikely is that anyone else would call Moses meek, lowly and humble in position, where 'humble' means of a lowly position and stature. Many things, yes, but not 'meek' (we read into 'meek' a good Christian trait, signifying not aggressive, but that was probably not the original meaning of the Hebrew word). Even though it is true that Moses was humble in the best sense, would anyone have described him as ‘meek’?
We must remember in this context that here in the West we hesitate to speak the truth about ourselves, because it is not 'the done thing'. A friend of mine who played tennis for England was asked by a colleague whether she played tennis and she replied 'a little'. When he played her and was soundly beaten the humiliation was such that he never spoke to her again. Her meekness had led her into trouble. But it would not have been English to say 'I play for England'. So she learned to deliberately lose when playing men instead. Was that good? Would not honesty have been better? But she was shy too, and meek, and it misled people. However, in the East things are very different. I remember the shock I had when I first came across this Eastern trait. They spoke what they believed to be a true estimate about themselves, with no false humility, and spoke correctly. And I was astounded. I thought them conceited until I realised that they all did it and that their description of themselves was true. They were in fact just making an honest assessment of themselves. It was simply an aspect of their culture. So we must not necessarily judge the words by over-humble Western standards.
Others (usually Westerners with the Westerners code) have suggested that while Moses was responsible for the content of the Pentateuch the actual engraving and finalising might have been done by a master scribe, even possibly Joshua when he was alone or with Moses in the Tent of Meeting (Exodus 33.7-11), and then later possibly as acting secretary in Moses' own tent. Thus this may be a comment added by Joshua or any other scribe, and be equally the word of God. But it could be argued that it is doubtful whether it would be used by these people of Moses. The word is not really complimentary. Each must decide the matter for themselves, but it does not affect the genuineness of the saying, nor does it discount the overall authorship of Moses. Indeed we should note how well it fits into the chiastic pattern.
End of Excursus.
12.4 ‘And Yahweh spoke suddenly to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, “Come out you three to the tent of meeting.” And they three came out.’
Then Yahweh called Moses, Aaron and Miriam to come out to the Tent of meeting. It was seemingly ‘out of the blue’. None would know the reason for the call, and Aaron and Miriam probably initially had a feeling of satisfaction that the fact that they were all being called together was proving them right. Did it not demonstrate that God did see them as on a par with Moses? So the three ‘came out’
12.5 ‘And Yahweh came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth.’
Yahweh then came down to the door of the Tent of meeting in a pillar of cloud and called for Aaron and Miriam to approach. Even at this stage they probably still had no inkling of what was about to happen. But they had a vital lesson to learn.
12.6 ‘And he said, “Hear now my words. If there is a prophet among you, I Yahweh will make myself known to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream.’
Firstly He confirmed what a prophet was. He was a man who received visions and dreams. That, said Yahweh, was how He made Himself known to the general run of prophets. Both of them probably knew something about that, so, yes, they were prophets. He acknowledged that. But how different they were from Moses.
12.7-8 “My servant Moses is not so. He is faithful in all my house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even openly (manifestly), and not in dark speeches, and the form of Yahweh shall he behold. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moses?”
Then He sternly reminded them what Moses was. He was not just a prophet like that. Moses was faithful in his appointment over all Yahweh’s house, over the whole people of Israel, from the High Priest downwards. He had made Moses supreme. To Moses He spoke openly mouth to mouth. To Moses alone spoke ‘the Voice’ (7.89). Moses did not learn things from Yahweh in mysteries and speeches which were difficult to interpret, and hard to understand. Yahweh talked with him as a man talks with his friend (Exodus 33.11). Moses alone had been allowed to behold His form, even if it was a back view when His glory had diminished (Exodus 33.21-23), or in the form of fire in a burning bush (Exodus 3.2-4), or on the Mount. He had seen and known more of Yahweh than any other person, as they well knew. Why then were they not afraid to speak evil against him?
By this time they would be feeling decidedly uneasy, and not quite so happy as when they had started out with such confidence.
12.9-10 ‘And the anger of Yahweh was kindled against them, and he departed, and the cloud removed from over the Tent. And, behold, Miriam was skin-diseased, as white as snow. And Aaron looked on Miriam, and, behold, she was skin-diseased.’
And Yahweh’s aversion to their behaviour was revealed by His next act, for in His ‘anger’ (aversion to their sin) He departed and the pillar of cloud moved away from over the Tent. And then, when Aaron turned and looked at his sister, he saw that she was severely stricken with a skin disease that made her white as snow. We can only imagine the shock that they both experienced. Yahweh had rendered her ‘unclean’. Far from being a greater prophetess, she would now no longer be welcome at the door of the Tent of meeting, she would no longer be welcome in the camp. She would never again lead the women in singing and worship. Her days as a prophetess were over. She would live as an outcast, outside the camp, totally dependent on others for her survival. She had reaped a grim reward for her envy and covetousness.
Aaron’s mind may possibly have flashed back to another occasion when he himself had been afflicted in the same way, when he was demonstrating God’s signs to the elders on Moses’ behalf (Exodus 4.30 with 4.6). But then it had only been temporary. He had known that Yahweh would put it right. This was different. This skin disease was permanent, and there was nothing that he could do about it. They must have looked at each other speechless with horror. She had been smitten by Yahweh. God had shown her the sinfulness of her heart in the most striking way possible, and had at the same time given a salutary lesson to Aaron.
Aaron was seemingly spared, probably partly because he had not been the instigator of the complaints, and partly because as High Priest his being rendered permanently unclean would have been a huge blow to Israel. Another High Priest would have had to be appointed (as later would be necessary, but not yet). And furthermore he did no doubt perform many useful services for Moses. Remembered also would be the fact that he had stood with Moses against Pharaoh. But he must have recognised what a close escape he himself had had. However, to his credit his concern was for Miriam.
12.11 ‘And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, lay not, I pray you, sin on us, in that we have done foolishly, and in that we have sinned.’
Broken in heart and spirit and recognising how foolish they had been Aaron turned to what he knew was her only hope. Gone was his sense of equality with Moses. Gone was his pride. Gone was his concern over his own position. No longer did he feel in his heart that really there was not much difference between them. He recognised now how great a difference there really was. Here was a situation where he himself could do nothing. All he could do was humble himself and plead with a greater than himself. The thought of his sister living out her life like this was more than he could bear.
So he humbled himself before his younger brother. ‘My lord Moses.’ Yahweh’s words had made him aware of Moses’ true status, lord over Israel, and lord over him, lord over Yahweh’s house (verse 7). And he now openly acknowledged the fact. He no doubt remembered the amazing events of Egypt and of how Moses could cause and then remove all the afflictions with which Egypt was afflicted. And he did not doubt that Moses could do something. He begged that Moses would not lay their sin on them, that is, cause them to experience fully what they deserved. He humbly admitted that they had behaved foolishly, and had sinned. Could he not now obtain forgiveness for them and deliver Miriam from the consequences of her sin?
12.12 ‘Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb.’
He begged that she might not be as a stillborn baby coming from its mother’s womb wrinkled, partially formed and looking grotesque, a baby that no one bothered to clean it up. For if she was permanently skin diseased she too was distorted, and was as good as dead.
(Note: ‘Leprous’ is probably a misnomer. Modern leprosy was seemingly fairly rare in Old Testament times. The word means rather a general skin disease. It could also be used of mould and fungi in clothes and houses.)
12.13 ‘And Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “Heal her, O God, I beseech you.’
So Moses heard their plea and prayed to Yahweh and begged Him to heal her. Note that his prayer was to ‘God’, not ‘Yahweh’, recognising that by her behaviour Miriam had put herself outside covenant promises. Moses is ever the final intercessor.
How we should rejoice that we have an even greater intercessor, the One Who lives ever to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7.25). But it is not intercession that our sin be overlooked, but rather that we might be saved from it. It is not an intercession that leaves us as we are.
12.14 ‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up without the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.” ’
Yahweh’s reply was stern. It was important that Miriam learned her lesson. She must face up to her shame. A spit in the face was an insult, and depicted someone who had not done their duty (Deuteronomy 25.9), and when coming from someone who was unclean, it rendered unclean (Leviticus 15.8). This being like one spit in the face compares with Moses’ meekness (verse 3 - see analysis above). He was worthy, she was not. Furthermore to be spat on in the face by her father would be even more humiliating and devastating. It would mean that she had done something very dishonourable and was being virtually disowned. It may well be that to so be spat on by a father rendered a woman unclean for seven days, although we are nowhere told so. But whatever the situation was about that, Miriam was to go through a seven day cleansing outside the camp. It would in fact strictly be necessary because of her skin disease, even though it was presumably cured immediately, for a skin diseased person could not be clean until seven days after they were found to be free from their disease. But she had to recognise that it was because of a sin that deserved the utmost contempt.
12.15 ‘And Miriam was shut up outside the camp seven days, and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.’
So Miriam was made an outcast from the camp for seven days, after which she was allowed in again. It could hardly go unnoticed. All would know that she had been stricken by Yahweh, even if the reason for it was only rumoured. They would see her here excluded from the camp and rumour would be rife. But at least, because of Moses’ intercession, it was only temporary.
Miriam’s status among the people comes out in the fact that they were ready to wait for her return to the camp before proceeding, and that Moses could expect them to.
12.16 ‘And afterwards the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.’
The whole incident is a reminder that those who are truly servants of God should be honoured as such, and that to seek to harm them is to bring a person under the judgment of Yahweh. While their bodies may not be affected, their inner beings certainly will be. Where it is against one who is being faithful to God, murmuring makes our hearts become diseased, for God honours those who honour Him. It is a reminder to all Christian leaders that they must honour other leaders who are the chosen of God, and not become jealous about their own position. What a contrast there was between Moses, who wanted others to share in his privileges, ‘would that all Yahweh’s people were prophets’, and the attitudes of Miriam and Aaron (‘would that we were equal to Moses’). One sought only Yahweh’s glory, the others sought their own glory.
The incident being over, and the seven days having passed, the people moved from Hazeroth to the wilderness of Paran. All was now ready for the invasion of the land.
C. THE SPYING OUT OF THE LAND AND THE REFUSAL TO GO FORWARD FOLLOWED BY REJECTION AND EXPULSION FROM THE LAND (13-14).
Following the arrival in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh, the tribes settled down while the land ahead could be spied out. The oases of Kadesh would provide a welcome change from the harshness of the wilderness, and they were probably glad to be able to rest once more at a place where water was not scarce.
The sending out of the spies or scouts may be seen as a wise military manoeuvre. Scouting what lay ahead was always the precursor to military activity. But in this case it must surely be seen as more than that, for it was Yahweh Who was leading His people and He would not be unaware of what lay ahead. It therefore seemingly performed a two way function. Firstly that it would let the people know how fruitful and pleasant the land was, and secondly it would face them up to what lay ahead in the way of fighting for the land. Yahweh wanted to test out their faith to see if it would be strong enough for what they would have to face. It was very much a trial of what they could cope with.
Already in the wilderness the slave mentality of the people had raised its head and they had been revealed to be in a sad psychological state. They had complained, and murmured, and wept when things had gone wrong. Even the stay at Sinai and the assurance of His dwelling among them had not combated that. Faced with the problem of fighting for the land their first reaction would be the desire to return to ‘comfortable’ slavery in Egypt (14.3-4). So Yahweh was right therefore to be concerned lest they be insufficient for what lay ahead. He was well aware that, if their faith was not strong enough, any entry into the land, which would necessarily be followed by sustained warfare, could only end in disaster. He would have to hold them up at every turn and the result would be a nation not worthy of the name. It would result in something far different from what He intended. That was not what He had brought them there for.
The sending out of the spies must therefore be seen as a test of whether they were in a fit state to enter the land. The outcome would determine whether the entry should be made immediately, or whether a further wait was advisable. In the event the latter proved to be the true position. And indeed when an abortive attempt was made in desperation it did turn out to be disastrous. We must not see God’s refusal to let them enter into the land as simply caprice on His part. It was a studied recognition of the fact that they were not yet ready, and could not cope with what lay ahead.
He thus accepted that until they had become hardened by a time in the wilderness, with the present generation being replaced by people who had been brought up to liberty and had more backbone, an advance on the land would be inadvisable. Had they gone forward it would have required miracles even greater than those wrought in Egypt, and Yahweh clearly did not think that they were worthy of them. If His people which were called by His name were not willing to trust Him and His name, then establishing them in the land would not produce a nation which brought glory to His name, but would simply result in a nation of selfish and weak misfits who simply forgot Him. And that was not His intention. That would not be a nation worthy of being seen as the Kingdom of God.
This section from 13.1-14.45 deals with that situation. It consists of:
Chapter 13 The Sending Out of Scouts and the Message They Brought Back.
1). The Scouts Sent Out (13.1-16).
The first section from 1-16 basically covers:
13.1 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
Again we have confirmation that here we have Yahweh’s words to Moses. The writer could not make it more clear that he intends us to see what he wrote as the actual words of Moses, spoken to him by the Voice from the throne (7.87).
13.2 ‘Send men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man, every one a prince among them.’
Yahweh gave the command to send out spies or scouts to spy out the land of Canaan which He was giving to the children of Israel. A scout was to go out from each tribe, and each scout was to be a prince of the tribe. He intended that those who reported back would be men of substance, and men of authority.
Note the emphasis on the fact that the land was God’s gift to them. Thus any failure to respond would be a refusal of God’s gift. Yet it was also on the other hand Yahweh’s assurance that they need not fear, for the gift was at His disposal and He could ensure its reception. All the tribes were to be involved (apart from Levi). The purpose of sending ‘princes’ was probably so that their word might carry authority with all the people. This was a ‘search and see’ expedition being carried out on their behalf in order to see how they would respond.
This command of Yahweh was, however, a response to the people’s own ideas, for in Deuteronomy 1.22 we learn that the people had first approached Moses with a view to sending out scouts, which would be a normal procedure. God was here confirming His agreement with the plan. God regularly works in with men’s determining. The purpose of the people was in order to discover what lay ahead.
13.3 ‘And Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran according to the commandment of Yahweh, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.’
Ever obedient to Yahweh’s command Moses sent men out from the wilderness of Paran, where the people were encamped at the oases of the Kadesh region, and all who were sent were chieftains.
13.4-15 ‘And these were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. Of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu. Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.’
The names of the chosen scouts were now given. They were different from the princes of chapter 1 but that was to be expected. Those were the supreme heads of the tribe, these were younger princes, the men who would also be responsible to lead into battle. The use of ‘Hoshea’ instead of Joshua confirms that the list is indeed ancient. No later generation would have inserted his name in that fashion.
13.16 ‘These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea, the son of Nun, Joshua.
Confirmation is given that these were the names of the scouts who were sent out. And one of them was Hoshea, the son of Nun. To him Moses had given the name Joshua (Yehoshua), because he was supremely a man of Yahweh. That was why he had chosen him as his ‘servant’, his second-in-command. The prefix signified Yahweh, as did the Yo in the name of Moses’ mother or ancestor Yochebed. Here we learn for the only time that Joshua was a man of princely descent.
The name Hoshea means ‘he saves’. The name Joshua means ‘Yahweh is salvation’.
2). The Venture Into Canaan (13.17-25).
The scouts then went out in accordance with Moses’ command, investigated the land and returned. This can be outlined as follows:
We can now look at this in more detail.
The Scouts Sent Out To Spy Out The Land To Test Out Its Goodness (13.17-18).
13.17-18 ‘And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Get you up this way by the South, and go up into the hill-country, and see the land, what it is, and the people who dwell in it, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many.” ’
Moses gave detailed instructions to the scouts. They were to go up by the South, by the Negeb which was on the southern borders of Canaan, and into the hill country, that long range of mountains which was on the east of Canaan, just to the west of the Jordan, mountains that were the backbone of the land, stretching on northward until they turned westwards into the Galilean hills. He wanted to know its substance, and who dwelt there, whether they were strong or weak, and whether they were few or many. This would clearly determine what their next action should be.
He had good reason for the direction he chose. That was where Abraham had spent many years. It was very much ‘the land of their fathers’. Knowledgeable about his people’s history his eyes were especially fixed on that portion of the land. Possibly also he recognised that it would be easier to capture the hill country, where there would be no chariots and fewer cities, dealing with the chariots later.
The Scouts Were To Bring Back News of the Strength and Goodness Of the Land (13.19-20).
13.19-20 “And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad, and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds, and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood in it, or not. And be of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes.’
He also wanted to know what the country was like. Was it good or bad, what cities there were, whether the people dwelt in encampments or strongholds, whether the land was fat or lean, and whether there was wood in it or not. This would then determine which part they should invade. And they were to be brave in their efforts and bring back examples of the fruit of the land.
It Was The Time of First-ripe Grapes (13.20b).
It is then added that this was the time of the first ripe grapes. Thus they would be expected to bring back at least some grapes. The time of the first ripe grapes would be around July. Thus the ‘eleven day’ journey from Sinai (Deuteronomy 1.2) had taken about two months. But Deuteronomy had in mind a normal caravan, travelling constantly. This was a whole people on the move, and with many delays.
They Searched Out The Whole Land To The Farthest North (13.21).
13.21 ‘So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to Labo of Hamath.’
So the scouts went and searched out the land from the extreme south, the wilderness of Zin, up to Rehob and Labo of Hamath in the extreme north. Judges 18.28 confirms that Rehob was on the furthest northern borders of Canaan. Thus the examination of the land was complete and lengthy. They were determined to do a good job and so exceeded their instructions. The scouts almost certainly split up so as to cover more ground, and later rendezvoused.
Labo of Hamath is testified to in inscriptions, but the alternative ‘the entering in of Hamath’ (its borders) must always be seen as an alternative possible rendering of the Hebrew.
They Also Searched Out The Hill Country To The East Around Hebron (13.22).
13.22 ‘And they went up by the South (the Negeb), and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt).
It is stressed that in obedience to what Moses had said they also went up by the South, the Negeb, and ascended the hill country to Hebron (verse 17). The Negeb was the extreme south of Canaan, a land which could only be cultivated by the careful use of groundwater utilising irrigation techniques, evidence for which has been discovered. Hebron was a well established city in the hill country, in a more fertile area. There they discovered that three well known ‘sons of Anak’ dwelt in the area. The sons of Anak were infamous as being very large and fearsome warriors. Compare Joshua 15.14; Judges 1.10.
A note is given so as to emphasise Hebron’s great prestige. It was an ancient city even older than Zoan. ‘Seven years’ indicates a divinely perfect length of time. God’s hand was on its founding. This mention demonstrates that the readers were expected to know of Zoan, which was probably Tanis in the Nile delta near the land of Goshen, a clear indication of the authenticity of the account. Had it been written for a later generation a different, more relevant example could have been found.
They Cut Down A Bunch of First-ripe Grapes Along With Pomegranates and Figs (13.23).
13.23 ‘And they came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff (or ‘litter’) between two. They brought also of the pomegranates, and of the figs.’
The area around Hebron was famous for its grapes. The valley of Eshcol was presumably nearby. Eshcol was the name of one of Abraham’s confederates, living in that very area some hundreds of years before (Genesis 14.13, 24). It is not therefore too surprising to find there a valley called by that name. There they found luscious grapes, together with pomegranates and figs which they bore back on a litter or pole, in order to demonstrate the fruitfulness of the land.
The Land Proved To Be Good Even From the Names of Its Valleys (13.24)
13.24 ‘That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there.’
‘Eshcol’ means ‘cluster’. The description here is a play on words and does not necessarily mean that they were giving the place a new name, only that they were giving a significance to the name. It was called by that name because it produced such luscious grapes, of which came the grapes that they had brought back. Thus even the names of the valleys demonstrated the land’s fruitfulness.
The Scouts Return, Having Been Successful (13.25).
13.25 ‘And they returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days.’
The whole procedure had taken forty days. This was not only a reasonable amount of time for their endeavours (they would not hang about) but also indicated a period of testing as ‘forty’ so often does (Genesis 7.4, 12; Exodus 24.18). The land was being tested out for its possibilities and its dangers, and the people were being tested as they waited. It was now time to see the result of the test.
3). The Scouts Report Back (13.26--14.1).
Once the scouts arrived back they immediately reported to Moses. What resulted can be summarised as follows:
13.26 ‘And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh, and brought back word to them, and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.’
The scouts returned to Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran to Moses and Aaron in order to report, but note the stress on the fact that they also reported to ‘all the congregation’. They brought word of what they had done and seen, and produced the fruit of the land for inspection. This brings out that the spying was not just military, otherwise the reports could have been restricted to Moses, Aaron and the officers. It was in order to face the whole people up with the decision whether to go forward or not.
As Moses’ representative Joshua would immediately have rejoined Moses, who would no doubt have been awaiting his special report. He probably felt that there was no need for him to accompany the other eleven, feeling it better that the people should hear the report from independent witnesses and not from one whom they would see as one of Moses’ cronies. He would be standing with Moses and Aaron to hear the report of the other eleven to the people.
13.27 ‘And they told him, and said, “We came to the land to which you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” ’
First came the positive news. They had inspected the land and it really was a land flowing with milk and honey, and to prove it they produced its fruit. The promise of a land flowing with milk and honey was central to Israel’s expectations. The very words should have awakened faith. This was what Yahweh had promised them! And it was there for the taking. See Exodus 3.8, 17; 13.5; 33.3; Leviticus 20.24.
13.28 “However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified, and very great, and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.”
But then came the downside. The people in the land were strong, and their cities were well fortified, and very large. But what was even worse, the sons of Anak were there, the dreaded Anakim. It was probably the last that made the most impact. Superstitious dread accompanied talk about the Anakim. This was the language of unbelief.
13.29 “Amalek dwells in the land of the South, and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, dwell in the hill-country, and the Canaanite dwell by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan.’
They then described the spread of the different enemies in more depth. Amalek dwelt in the Negeb; the Hittites (around Hebron), the Jebusites (around Jerusalem) and Amorites (spread across the hills) dwelt in the hill country; and the Canaanites dwelt by the sea in the Coastal Plain and along by the side of the Jordan. That should have been some encouragement. At least the enemy were divided up and therefore more vulnerable. They would not have to fight them all at once. But the hearers simply saw them as indicating an unexpectedly difficult problem. It was a good deal more than they had expected. They were being faced up with what lay before them.
13.30 ‘And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.” ’
But Caleb saw the situation clearly. He firstly sought to quieten their fears. Then he urged that they immediately mobilise and enter the land in order to conquer it, for he was confident that they could take possession of it and overcome those who would oppose them. His eyes were on Yahweh and the fruitfulness of the land. He had no doubt that with Yahweh with them they would have no difficulty in possessing it.
Joshua, standing with Moses, said nothing. He had not only gone as a tribal chieftain, but as Moses’ representative. On returning he would have taken his place with Moses, and all knew that he would do whatever Moses said. Thus he wisely kept out of the discussions. The arguing was therefore left to Caleb, who would later turn out to be such a powerful chieftain by defeating the selfsame Anakim (Joshua 15.13-14). The people would recognise that he was unbiased. This mention of only Caleb actually authenticates the narrative.
13.31 ‘But the men who went up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”
However, the men who had gone with him took the opposite view. They claimed that they could not possibly go up against these people, because they were stronger than the Israelites. Their eyes were fixed firmly on the Anakim.
13.32-33 ‘And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” ’
The result was that their report was totally discouraging. Indeed it was falsified. They gave an ‘evil report’ about the land. They said that it was a land which ‘ate up its inhabitants’. That signified that living conditions were difficult, and a living hard to come by (see Leviticus 26.38; Ezekiel 36.13). They were arguing that it was not a good land to live in. They were deliberately putting the people off. This contradicted their previous comment about its fruitfulness. Different spies would, of course, have seen different terrain, but whether they saw fruit or whether they saw barrenness would depend on what they looked at.
The truth was that they were put off because they were awed as a result of the height of some of the inhabitants. Those, they said, were men of great stature, and they included the dreaded Anakim, who it was rumoured were some of the Nephilim. The latter name referred to the superstitions of the time. The Nephilim were thought of as god-like men who had lived in the time of the ancients, as referred to in Genesis 6.4. Anyone of unusual size could expect to be linked with the Nephilim. This was enough to frighten everyone. So while on the one hand Caleb looked at Yahweh, the Almighty, the other scouts, and the people looked at the Nephilim. Whom we look at very often determines what we are and what we do.
Note the deliberate exaggeration which could only produce fear. ‘Compared with them we saw ourselves as grasshoppers, tiny and insignificant, and they looked on us as the same, to be dismissed or trodden on at will.’ What hope could there be against such people? In fact as Deuteronomy points out such people had been defeated by both the Moabites (Deuteronomy 2.10) and the Ammonites (Deuteronomy 2.20-21), and could be by the Israelites. The gross exaggeration both as regards the goodness of the land and as regards its inhabitants came from craven fear. If the leaders were not able to have trust in Yahweh, what hope was there for their people?
14.1 ‘And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried, and the people wept that night.’
The people were devastated. They felt as though their dream had collapsed, as indeed it had. They lifted up their voice and cried, and they wept all night. This was exactly what they had done when there was a shortage of delicacies (11.10). It was a sign of how pent up they were, and how much they were a slave to their emotional state. They were clearly in no state to engage in a large scale invasion. It would have done them no favours to allow them to enter the land in that condition. The only hope all along had been that their trust in Yahweh would have enabled them to overcome their servile fears, but because their faith was lacking it had not happened. And now they were caught short. In the end all resulted from a lack of faith. Had they trusted God their weakness would have been made strong.
Chapter 14 The Response of The People Leads To Rejection From The Land.
It is not difficult to guess at what their decision would be even before we learn of it. They were frightened and therefore incapable. It would be another generation before they would become strong enough to again contemplate a serious entry into the land. What followed can be quickly summarised:
4). The People Murmur Against Moses And Are Spared At His Intercession (14.2-25).
The People Murmur Against Moses and Against Yahweh (14.2-4).
14.2 ‘And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!’
The people were just distraught. They blamed Moses and Aaron for their predicament. All that they could do was wish that they had died when younger so as not to face this dreadful situation. If only they had died in Egypt, or in the wilderness, how much better it would have been for them. (They would have cause to remember those words, for they would come back to haunt them. How unlucky they were to have survived, they thought. Ironically, of course, they would have their wish. They would die in the wilderness).
14.3 “For what reason does Yahweh bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be a prey. Were it not better for us to return to Egypt?”
They forgot all that Yahweh had done for them, and how He had revealed His mighty power, and delivered them from an enemy far worse than these. All they could think of was that Yahweh had brought them here to die at the edge of the sword. They would be slaughtered and their wives and little ones be at the mercy of the enemy. The best they could hope for was to become slaves. They had already been defeated in their own minds. They were certainly in no condition to take up arms.
We need not doubt that weapon training had taken place in the wilderness. Moses would have been greatly at fault if he had not seen to that. But they clearly had no confidence in their ability to use them. They had come to it too late. (It would be another thing with the next generation. They would have no slave background. They would have been hardened by the wilderness. They would have been trained to arms from their earliest years).
14.4 ‘And they said one to another, “Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt.” ’
So in their panic and folly they began to think of appointing a leader who would take them back to Egypt as a bunch of slaves. It was, of course, both pathetic and madness. What could be worse than that? But at that time they were temporarily deranged. And they still had their eyes on the fish, melons, onions and garlic. What a pathetic group they were. Just like some of us can be when God challenges us in the face of difficulties.
It would be a misnomer to call this a rebellion. They were rather revealing how pathetic their condition was. They were clutching at straws and babbling foolishness. It demonstrated what they were. Men who sought the flesh and had little thought of the Spirit. But it was still a rejection of Yahweh and His covenant. For Yahweh had delivered them from Egypt, and now they were rejecting His deliverance and wishing to get back to what they were before.
Moses and Aaron Plead for Israel (14.5).
14.5 ‘Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.’
Moses and Aaron were appalled. Here were the people before the very Dwellingplace of Yahweh, and yet they were talking like this. What could Yahweh be thinking of it? They hardly dared to think. Indeed they were afraid for the people. They fell on their faces in trepidation and pleading before Yahweh (compare 16.4, 22, 45; 20.6; Genesis 37.29, 34; Leviticus 9.24; 13.45). Let Him not now come and strike them all dead where they were. It was true that these people were seeking to reverse all that Yahweh had done, but let Him have mercy.
Joshua and Caleb Plead With Israel (14.6-9).
14.6 ‘And Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes.’
Joshua and Caleb, the only two scouts who had not spoken against going forward, now tore their clothes in order to demonstrate their anguish, before they pleaded with the people. The tearing of the clothes was a deliberate expression of deep emotion intended to gain the greatest effect (see Genesis 37.29, 34; Leviticus 13.45; 2 Samuel 13.31; Jeremiah 36.24).
The time for diplomacy was past and Joshua now took his stand with Caleb, and is named first as being of senior position. It was no longer a matter of prudence in allowing parties seen as unbiased to speak up, but a matter of desperation where every effort had to be used. He hoped that his added authority might carry some weight. They had after all become used to receiving Moses’ orders from him.
14.7-8 ‘And they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If Yahweh delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey.” ’
They assured the people that the land that they had passed through was an exceedingly good land. And that Yahweh, if He delighted in them because they trusted Him, was well able to bring them in to it, and give it to them. They assured them that it really was a land flowing with milk and honey, the land that Yahweh had promised to give them.
14.9 “Only do not rebel against Yahweh, nor fear you the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defence is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us, fear them not.”
So they pleaded with them not to rebel against Yahweh. Nor were they to fear the people of the land. Against Yahweh the people of the land would have no defence, their defence was removed. Their protecting shadow was gone. Rather than the land eating up its inhabitants, they would be eaten up by the Israelites. Defeating them would be as easy as eating bread. For Yahweh was with Israel, His people, so that they had no need to be afraid of them.
This paralleling of the killing people with eating bread is found elsewhere. The Psalmist spoke of those who ‘eat up my people like they eat bread’ (Psalm 14.4; 53.4), and Micah describes the unjust rulers of Israel as ‘those who hate the good and love the evil --- who eat the flesh of my people’ (Micah 3.3). Thus ‘eating flesh’ or ‘eating people’ signified killing them or doing them great harm. In the same way Caleb and Joshua saw the task of defeating the people in Canaan as being as simple as eating bread when they had Yahweh’s power with them.
Note that their words echoed many of those of the other scouts, but as seen from a different point of view. How we look at things determines how we behave.
‘Their defence (literally ‘shadow’) is removed from over them.’ All in that hot country knew the value of the protecting shadow, and of what it could be like in the extreme heat if the shadow was removed. Possibly it indicated that they were dwelling in comfort under the protecting shadow of their gods, but that Yahweh would tear their shadow away and they would be left to face His blazing sun. More probable, however, is the meaning that the protecting shadow to be moved from over them was Yahweh’s restraint which had been held in place until their iniquity was full (Genesis 15.16)
The People React Against Them And Spur Yahweh To Visible Action (14.10).
14.10 ‘But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of Yahweh appeared in the tent of meeting to all the children of Israel.’
The crowd in their deep distress, stricken in their own consciences although not willing to admit it, took this badly, for it emphasised their guilt, and guilty men often become angry in trying to justify themselves. Who were these men who dared to talk like this? They were guilty of treason against the people and their chieftains. The cry went up that they should be stoned with stones. How dare they defend Yahweh? The people were beside themselves. But then all were suddenly shaken by an unexpected event.
They were gathered around the Tent of meeting for the purpose of hearing the report from the scouts and without warning ‘the glory of Yahweh appeared in the Tent of meeting to all the children of Israel’. There could be no doubt in anyone’s mind. Everyone saw it. And they could hardly have been other than afraid. Note the parallel between the ‘all’ who sought to stone Caleb and Joshua and the ‘all’ who saw the glory of Yahweh. The one was Yahweh’s response to the other. He had seen Moses and Aaron as they cried to Him, He had seen His servants who were risking their lives in being faithful to Him, and He was here to act, and all were now aware of it. And now no doubt their memory of the past was also reawakened, and they remembered fearfully the past judgments of Yahweh.
This appearance of the glory of Yahweh in the Dwellingplace was not something totally new. They had experienced it before (Exodus 40.34; Leviticus 9.23). But then it had been an awesome religious experience without any direct personal bearing. Now it portended disaster for all. They had forgotten that Yahweh might be ‘in His Dwellingplace’ listening to them. (How easily we can forget that the invisible God is listening to us).
Yahweh Declares That He Has Had Enough of These People (14.11-12).
14.11-12 ‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” ’
Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, who had almost certainly been continually interceding for the people. He asked him how long these people could be allowed to despise Yahweh. How long could they go on not believing in Him in the face of the signs and wonders which He had wrought among them? Let Moses explain why He should not now destroy them all. He would smite them with pestilence and remove them from under the promises to the patriarchs, disinheriting them. Then He would fulfil His promises by raising up from Moses, who was a son of Abraham, a nation greater (more numerous) and mightier than them.
Here faith is revealed as a central issue in the covenant. Faith, while not prominent as a specific subject in the Old Testament, in fact underlay its whole message. Men responded to Yahweh because they believed. It was the whole basis of the covenant. Thus Abraham believed in Yahweh and He counted it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15.6), and it was because he believed His covenant promises and acted on them that he was blessed. Faith was basic to the commencement of Yahweh’s deliverance in Egypt (Exodus 4.31). It was greatly strengthened by their deliverance at the Reed Sea (Exodus 14.31). Lack of it was a blot on Israel (Deuteronomy 1.32; Psalm 78.22) and on Moses and Aaron (Numbers 20.12). But when they did believe they sang His praise (Psalm 106.12). It was only if Israel believed that they would be established (Isaiah 7.9). Men were to believe in the sure foundation laid down by Yahweh, and then they would be at rest and not be in a hurry (Isaiah 28.16). It was central to God’s whole purposes (Isaiah 43.10).
Thus the fact that these people did not believe in spite of the signs that He had performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, made it clear that they were not open to His deliverance. It demonstrated that they had closed minds.
Moses Successfully Intercedes For Them (14.13-19).
14.13-14 ‘And Moses said to Yahweh, “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you Yahweh are in the midst of this people, for you Yahweh are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them, and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night.” ’
However, Moses resorted to a similar argument to the one that he had used at the incident of the molten calf (Exodus 32.12). Let Yahweh consider that when the Egyptians heard what He had done they would crowingly declare to the Canaanites ‘what Yahweh had done’. Here was a fierce God indeed, they would jeer. He had done the same to these people as He had previously done to the Egyptians.
So Moses asked Him, had they not heard about how Yahweh was in the midst of His people, and was seen by them face to face when His glory was revealed as it now was? And how His cloud was over them day and night, and that Yahweh went before them in cloud and fire? Would they not therefore mock all the more if these same people were destroyed? So much for His faithfulness and protection, they would say. He was not to be trusted.
14.15 “Now if you shall kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard your fame will speak, saying, ‘Because Yahweh was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’ ”
And if Yahweh slew them all the observers would declare that with all His extravagant actions and claims He had been unable to do what He had set out to do, bring these people safely into Canaan, even though He had sworn that He would do so. And they would suggest that that was surely why He had slain them in the wilderness, because He had had to face up to His own inadequacy. So it was Yahweh’s reputation in the world that was at stake here, not just a matter of the deserving of the children of Israel.
14.17-18 “And now, I pray you, let the power of the Lord be great, according as you have spoken, saying, Yahweh is slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation.”
Having called on Him to consider what people would think, he then turned to a second argument, the compassionate nature of Yahweh as declared by Himself. Let Him now reveal how great His power was by revealing that compassion. Those who are truly great are great enough to show compassion. And who was greater than Yahweh? Had not Yahweh previously declared that He was slow to anger and abundant in covenant love (chesed)? That He forgave iniquity and transgression, although by no means clearing those who remained in their guilt by failing to repent? (see Exodus 34.6-7). On the guilty He brought His judgment even to the third and fourth generation, because they continued obstinate in the face of His mercy. But on those who repented He showed mercy, ‘forgiving iniquity and transgression’. Let Him now reveal this by forgiving these people for their iniquity and transgression.
14.19 “Pardon, I pray you, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your lovingkindness, and according as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
So for His honour’s sake, and for his reputation’s sake, and for the sake of the truth about His nature, Moses prayed that He would pardon this people’s iniquity in accordance with His great covenant love, just as He had continually forgiven them from the time when they left Egypt up to this point. Let Him reveal Himself as the unchanging One, and the One Who forgives.
Yahweh Grants His Pardon But Refuses to Consider Their Entering His Land (14.20-25).
14.20-23 ‘And Yahweh said, “I have pardoned according to your word, but in very deed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Yahweh, because all those men who have seen my glory, and my signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted me these ten times, and have not listened to my voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of them who despised me see it.”
Yahweh responded to Moses’ pleading. In accordance with Moses’ request He was granting His pardon. He would not totally cast them off. Nevertheless by His own life and by His own glory, that glory with which the whole world would one day be filled, He swore that because they had witnessed all His glory and His signs in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet had tested Him many number of times, refusing to listen to His voice, they would not be permitted to enter the land. None of those who had despised His glory would even see it. They were barred from Yahweh’s land.
‘These ten times.’ That is, ‘these many times’. Ten is used here as a round number signifying many times. Compare especially Genesis 31.7.
14.24 “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him will I bring into the land into which he went, and his seed shall possess it.”
Only Caleb would be allowed to see it, because he along had proved faithful to Yahweh. He had within him a right spirit and had followed Yahweh fully. He therefore would be brought into the land and his children would possess it.
Some question why Joshua was not mentioned here, but the answer is simple. He was one of the establishment of Moses, Aaron and Joshua. His faithfulness and his future was never in doubt. And at this point all recognised that all three of these would not be included in Yahweh’s strictures. They did not need to be mentioned. Although two would eventually fail. (So the none mention of Joshua actually confirms that the writing was contemporary with these).
14.25 “Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the valley. Tomorrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”
He finished by pointing out that the valley ahead contained Amalekites and Canaanites. Thus by their own admission these foe were too powerful to fight. Well, so be it. In their present state they were right. Let them now turn round and go back to the wilderness from which they had come out. And let them make their way back to the Reed Sea. That was symbolic of Egypt. If they wanted Egypt they could have it. For that was what they had sought.
Yahweh Now Confirms The Future of the Current Generation of Israelites And How Their Children Must Suffer With Them (14.26-35).
Later Yahweh came to Moses again and detailed out the position He was now taking up.
Yahweh Confirms The Fate of the Rebellious People (14.26-30).
14.26 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,’
Again it is confirmed that this is Yahweh’s word to Moses which is being recorded.
14.27 “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, who murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.”
Yahweh first expressed His exasperation at the behaviour of His people. He wanted it to be quite clear that He had heard the murmurings of the people against Him, and that He was not sure how long He could put up with them. This was of course speaking of God from a human point of view. He had in fact known all along that this would happen. What He wanted them to face up to was what it was like and the appearance that it gave and that they must watch out for themselves. In fact as Deuteronomy points out His mercy did continue. He would continue to put up with them and would continually watch over them so that they did not become too poverty stricken and fall apart. There Moses could say of them, ‘Yahweh your God has blessed you in all the works of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years Yahweh your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing’ (Deuteronomy 2.7). But Numbers tells us nothing about it at this stage. The emphasis here is on their punishment.
14.28-30 “Say to them, ‘As I live, says Yahweh, surely as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do to you. Your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness, and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upwards, who have murmured against me, surely you will not come into the land, concerning which I swore that I would make you dwell in it, apart from Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.’ ”
Moses was to point out to them the consequences of their actions. They had wished that they had died in the wilderness. Well, they would have their wish. Their dead bodies would fall in the wilderness. And this applied to all who earlier with such confidence had been numbered and mobilised as Yahweh’s host in chapters 1-2. Under no circumstances would they enter the land which He had promised them, the only exception being Caleb and Joshua. They had been numbered with such hope. Now their numbering would count against them.
Here Caleb is mentioned first as the man who had stood out against the majority. But of course Joshua was also to be included.
14.31 “But your little ones, whom you said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which you have rejected.”
But in startling contrast, their little ones, of whom they had declared that they feared that they would be victims of the Canaanites, they would be brought in and know the land, the land which these had rejected. Rather than being a prey they would make others a prey and hunt them down and destroy them, Anakim and all. Rather than being a prey they would possess the land.
14.32 “But as for you, your dead bodies will fall in this wilderness.”
But as for the faithless adults of Israel, their dead bodies would fall in the wilderness just as they had wished (14.2). One by one they would die until none remained.
14.33 “And your children will be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and will bear your whoredoms (unfaithfulness), until your dead bodies are consumed in the wilderness.”
Meanwhile their children would have to bear the punishment of their fathers’ unfaithfulness by wandering with them in the wilderness for forty years (of which they had already done two) as shepherds, until their fathers’ dead bodies were consumed in the wilderness. They would have no settled lifestyle. They would possess no land of their own. Note the stress on the fate of the adults. That their carcasses would fall in the wilderness is repeated three times for emphasis and for certainty (verses 29, 32, 33. See also verse 35).
14.34 “After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, shall you bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you shall know my alienation.”
So would their punishment fit their crime. For forty days they had spied out the land through their chieftains, so having despised it now they would suffer a year for a day, forty years in the wilderness. During that period the covenant would be suspended as regards its final fulfilment. They would be aware that His full favour was not towards them. For them the covenant would not be one of glorious hope. As far as entry into the land was concerned, He was alienated from them, and they from Him.
14.35 “I, Yahweh, have spoken. Surely this will I do to all this evil congregation, who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.”
The words were certain, for they were the words of Yahweh. Yahweh had spoken. Thus there would be no turning back from it. All who had gathered together against him, as the adult males of the tribes had, would be consumed in the wilderness. And there would they die. For they were an evil congregation, one which would not trust Yahweh and had rebelled against Him.
The Aftermath (14.36-45).
A number of things followed on Yahweh’s words.
14.36 ‘And the men, whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned, and made all the congregation murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report against the land, even those men who brought up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Yahweh.’
The first sign of the fulfilment of Yahweh’s punishment was immediately seen in that, apart from Joshua and Caleb, all the chieftains who had gone as scouts into Canaan and had misled and misdirected the people died through a plague. Their guilt was clearly described. They had made all the congregation murmur against Him, and they had brought a falsified report (repeated twice for emphasis). Thus they had borne false witness of Yahweh.
14.38 ‘But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, remained alive of those men who went to spy out the land.’
Of the spies only Joshua and Caleb escaped the plague. They alone of all the spies remained alive.
14.39 ‘And Moses told these words to all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.’
Then Moses told the children of Israel all that Yahweh had said. And they had meanwhile had had time to have second thoughts. They did not want to go back into that dreadful wilderness. Certainly on thinking about it they did not want to return to Egypt. Thus when they heard Moses’ words they regretted their folly. But it was too late. They had revealed that they were in no fit state to invade the land.
14.40 ‘And they rose up early in the morning, and went up to the top of the mountain, saying, “Lo, we are here, and will go up to the place which Yahweh has promised, for we have sinned.” ’
However, they rose up early in the morning and mustered their forces and gathered on the top of a rise from which they could go forward into Canaan in order to demonstrate their readiness to go forward into the place which Yahweh had promised. They admitted that they had sinned. But now, they said, they were ready to make amends. They would go forward. But it was too late. They had capped all their previous disobedience with this greatest disobedience of all. They could no longer be trusted. This day might be another day, but they were still the same old people. Yahweh now recognised, as they should have, that they were not in any state to begin an extensive campaign of warfare. The truth was that they would simply fall at the next fence.
‘And went up to the top of the mountain.’ This could simply indicate a nearby rise where they assembled on the side of the camp leading to Canaan. But compare verse 44. The use there may suggest that this phrase here means that they did it in thought and expressed willingness. In their minds they were expressing their willingness to go into the hill country and fight. When someone makes a firm final decision to do something difficult about which they have been demurring, we can say of them, ‘that moment it was as good as done’. That may have been the idea here. Or we may simply translate ‘towards the top of the hill country’ signifying that they made the first move in order to finally get there.
14.41 ‘And Moses said, “Why now do you transgress the commandment of Yahweh, seeing it will not prosper?” ’
But instead of welcoming their change of heart, Moses questioned their behaviour. Why did they still reveal their rebellious hearts by disobeying Yahweh? Why did they seek to go against His commandment? Why did they not accept His decision? He had said that they must not go. To go would therefore be to disobey Him. Had they not yet learned their lesson?
14.42 “Do not go up, for Yahweh is not among you, that you be not smitten down before your enemies.”
So he commanded them not to go up. For he warned them that if they did Yahweh would not be among them. They had forfeited His presence. If they did go forward they would be smitten down by their enemies.
14.43 “For there the Amalekite and the Canaanite are in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. Because you are turned back from following Yahweh, therefore Yahweh will not be with you.”
Did they not recognise that the same Amalekites and Canaanites of whom their chieftains had expressed their fears were still there? If they went against them they would fall by the sword, because Yahweh would not fight for them. And the reason why He would not was because they had so devastatingly and firmly turned back from following Him.
14.44 ‘But they presumed to go up to the top of the mountain. Nevertheless the ark of the covenant of Yahweh and Moses, did not leave the camp.’
However they determined that they would go. They did not want to go back into the wilderness. Presumptiously they marched forward under other leaders. But the Ark of the covenant of Yahweh and Moses did not leave the camp. They went on their own. There would be no divine assistance this time.
At this point we can only feel sorry for the people. They did not want the past and they had lost their future. They felt that this was the only way that they could go. They just could not take their families back into the wilderness. Even if it meant going alone they would face up to the enemy and seek to establish a position in Canaan. But they were no match for peoples who probably spent half their time fighting. They went without the incentive of the Ark. They went without Joshua their usual general. They went out of desperation rather than in confidence. They went without faith in Yahweh. And it told.
14.45 ‘Then the Amalekite came down, and the Canaanite who dwelt in that mountain, and smote them and beat them down, even to Hormah.’
There could be only one result. The Amalekites and the Canaanites swept down from the hill country and smote them, driving them back even as far as Hormah. Hormah means ‘devoted to destruction’. In this case the name was certainly symbolic. They were beaten back to be devoted to destruction. It was a name often applied to mounds resulting from devastation.
But why did Yahweh not accept their repentance and go forward with them? The answer is because God knows men’s hearts. He recognised that whatever the short term for these men, to attempt the invasion would be fatal. They did not have sufficient faith either in Him or in themselves. And their failure had proved it. Enough time would have to pass until a new generation had been developed which had sufficient faith in Yahweh.
Chapter 15 Hope For The Future.
The change of subject which now follows is so forceful, vivid and emphatic, that it is worth sitting and reading it with that in mind in order to gain its impression. It is awesome. The next thirty eight years is left as a blank. Yahweh is portrayed as simply passing on to speak to the next generation. Calmly He says, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I am giving to you.” The present generation, which will not be allowed to enter the land, is just to be ignored. There is no room for argument. The matter is seen as settled. And He gives to the new up-and-coming generation instructions for them to observe once they were in the land.
It is as though the present generation did not exist. It was seen as written off. But behind His words was an assurance, an assurance to their children that they as the next generation would enter the land and be established in their habitations, and that they would have plentiful grain and wine to offer. They need not fear for He was still with them, and the land would be theirs.
And His words were the ones that they wanted to hear, for He declared to them that in those days their offerings would be acceptable to Him. They would be His true people once again, as they fulfilled His commandments concerning the offerings and sacrifices, and especially the grain and wine offerings. These would be a sign of the fact that they were Yahweh’s people in Yahweh’s land. They had not been utterly cast off. The restoration of and building up of their faith was now beginning.
D. SUBSEQUENT RESTORATION AND HOPE: YAHWEH’S PROVISION FOR HIS ERRING PEOPLE (15-19).
In this section, which is a way of covering the period of the ‘penal’ wandering in the wilderness subsequent to expulsion from the land of Canaan by the Amorites, Yahweh’s provision for Israel’s dealings with Him are laid bare. He wanted them to know that while they would be subjected to discipline and chastening, they, unlike their fathers, had not been rejected, and this was made apparent by the provisions that follow.
These provisions were:
Thus their future would be secure. We will now look at all this in more detail.
Chapter 15 Provision Made For Their Walk Before Yahweh: offerings and sacrifices.
In this chapter provision is made for the marking off of Israel as Yahweh’s and how sins, both deliberate and unwitting, are to be dealt with.
1). Marking Israel as His and Calling For A Commitment To Keep His Commandments (15.1-41).
As we have suggested, the first of God’s four provisions for the future lay in a call to walk before Him. This would include a) offering to Him offerings and sacrifices of continual dedication to Him for dedication and atonement, b) offering continually purification for sin offerings for the removal of sin, c) avoiding presumptuous sin, and d) the wearing of what would be a continual reminder of the need to keep His commandments by having tassels on the fringes of their garments. We must now look at these one by one.
These also are presented in a chiastic manner..
We shall consider them one by one.
i). Offerings and Sacrifices to Yahweh.
15.1 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
Again it is emphasised that we have here words spoken by Yahweh to Moses.
15.2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, When you are come into the land of your habitations, which I am giving to you,”
Dismissing the wilderness generation and the period in the wilderness almost without a further glance (although see 16-17) Yahweh now gave instruction to the future generation for when they entered the land and established their habitations, in the land which He was giving them, thus confirming that they would eventually do so. They were then to offer to Yahweh regular offerings of dedication and atonement, both individually and as a nation. The emphasis here is on the grain and drink offerings which would gain in prominence once they were farming their own land and growing their own vineyards. They would no longer be just ‘shepherds’ (14.33).
15.3-4 “And will make an offering by fire to Yahweh, a whole burnt offering, or a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or as a freewill-offering, or in your set feasts, to make a pleasing odour to Yahweh, of the herd, or of the flock, then shall he who offers his oblation offer to Yahweh a grain offering of a tenth part of an ephah of milled wheat grain mingled with the fourth part of a hin of oil,”
An offering by fire was one that brought a pleasing odour to Yahweh by being offered up on the altar. In the case of the whole burnt offering it was wholly offered up, an indication of total dedication and desire for atonement, a being made ‘at one’ with Him. For details see Leviticus 1. In the case of peace (wellbeing) offerings they were also to foster fellowship with Yahweh by eating before Him. For details see Leviticus 3; 7.11-21, 29-36.
Whole burnt offerings were offered daily in the morning and evening sacrifices (28.3-8; Exodus 29.38-42), and they were offered at set feasts. The most vital one of the year was made at the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). They could also be offered individually for the whole congregation, for priests and for the different levels of society as an act of free worship (Leviticus 1). They were a continual recommitment to Yahweh; to Him, to His covenant and to His commandments.
Of the grain offerings that went with them a portion was burned on the altar and the remainder belonged to the priests. The only exception was of a grain offering made by the priest (Leviticus 6.23). What belonged to the priests was ‘most holy’. It could only be partaken of by them.
The peace offerings were also offered at set feasts. Their main purpose was of thanksgiving, but they could also be either in order to accomplish a vow, or given as a freewill offering of love and worship, although again containing an element of atonement. In all cases they were a bringing to Him of tribute and acknowledgement of His Overlordship.
Both types of offering, whole burnt offerings and peace offerings, were to be accompanied by a grain offering mingled with oil. This is described in Leviticus 2. While all the animal offerings reflected gratitude for what God had given them, and continued to give them as more and more were born, the grain offering would also include an element of gratitude for the rain and an offering of their labour to Yahweh as revealed in the grain offering. Much work had been necessary in order to produce milled grain. See our commentary on Leviticus 2. Little of such could take place in the wilderness as they moved around, but once they were settled in the land it would involve a large part of their lives.
While the grain offering was equally as prominent in Leviticus as the other offerings, little was said about the quantity of grain that should be offered. But once they were in the land it was to be measured and multiplied at every offering and sacrifice. This would be because grain was then so plentiful because of Yahweh’s goodness towards them. No better indication of future prosperity could be given.
15.5 “And wine for the drink offering, the fourth part of a hin, shall you prepare with the whole burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.”
With the grain offering should also be offered wine for a drink offering which should accompany each offering or sacrifice. The redness of the wine was probably seen as symbolising blood, and the wine itself part of that provision by God for which they were showing gratitude. From Exodus 30.9 it is clear that it was poured on the altar in some way, but we have no further details. This made clear that in days to come they would have vineyards overflowing with grapes.
15.6-7 “Or for a ram, you shall prepare for a grain offering two tenth parts of an ephah of milled wheat grain mingled with the third part of a hin of oil, and for the drink offering you shall offer the third part of a hin of wine, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
Where, however, a ram was offered, in the case of set feasts where it was laid down as the requirement, and in the case of the individual offering either as laid down or by choice, then the grain and drink offerings had to be larger as befitted the offering.
15.8-10 “And when you prepare an ox bull for a whole burnt offering, or for a sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or for peace-offerings to Yahweh, then shall he offer with the ox bull a grain offering of three tenth parts of an ephah of milled wheat grain mingled with half a hin of oil. And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, for an offering made by fire, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
When the offering was an ox bull the grain offering and drink offering had to be twice as large, as befitted such an offering. This multiplication of the grain and drink offering stresses the prosperity that would be theirs in the land.
15.11-12 “Thus shall it be done for each ox bull, or for each ram, or for each of the he-lambs, or of the kids. According to the number that you shall prepare, so shall you do to every one according to their number.”
And these grain and drink offerings as prescribed were to be offered with each animal offering. This would become possible because the land would become theirs.
15.13 “All who are homeborn shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
This practise was to be carried out by all who were homeborn. They were to make their offerings by fire as a pleasing odour to Yahweh, and with them they were to offer their grain and their wine for they would enjoy prosperity in the land.
15.14 “And if a stranger temporarily resides with you, or whoever may be among you throughout your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a pleasing odour to Yahweh; as you do, so he shall do.”
And any foreigner or resident alien who came among them could also make offerings to Yahweh. And they too would offer in the same way as the homeborn.
15.15-16 “For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you, and for the stranger who resides temporarily among you, a statute for ever throughout your generations. As you are, so shall the resident alien be before Yahweh. One law and one ordinance shall be for you, and for the stranger who resides temporarily with you.”
All were to be equal in their offerings, both homeborn and foreigner. All would be welcome to worship Him. All were to operate under the same law following the same practise. In the new land worship of Yahweh would be available to all.
ii) The Contribution or Heave-offering and dealing with Unwitting Sin (15.17-29).
The stress continues to be on the fruit of the ground. Hope for the future was being piled up for the younger generation. One day they, unlike their fathers, would enjoy the full blessing of living in the land. But the passage then goes on to deal with the purification from unwitting sin, for that would be necessary if they were to remain in the land.
15.17 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
Again it is stressed that these were Yahweh’s words spoken to Moses.
15.18-19 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you come into the land to which I bring you, then it shall be, that, when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall offer up a heave-offering (or ‘contribution’) to Yahweh,”
Once again the emphasis is on when they would enter the land, and on the fruitfulness that they would then enjoy. When the children of Israel entered the land, when they were enjoying the bread of the land as they abundantly would, then they were to offer up a portion as a contribution or heave-offering (an offering set aside for the priests and presented to Him) to Yahweh as a token of His Overlordship.
15.20-21 “Of the first of your dough you shall offer up a cake for a heave-offering, as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall you heave it. Of the first of your dough you shall give to Yahweh a heave-offering throughout your generations.”
They were to offer it as firstfruits from the first of their dough, by offering a cake for a heave-offering/contribution. And this was to apply into the distant future.
But they could not do this if they were guilty of unwitting sin, for that would be to deny His Overlordship, and that was why the problem of purification of unwitting sin is now dealt with.
Provision for Unwitting Sin (15.22-29).
The distinction is made between ‘unwitting sin’ and ‘sin with a high hand’. The former which is described as ‘erring’ would therefore seem to include sins done by choice because drawn astray by desire or folly, except when it was in deliberate disobedience to a major commandment (the example of observing the Sabbath is given). We all know what it means to say, ‘I could not help myself’, even when we know we should not have done it. In the end only God can tell whether sin is through weakness or in deliberate defiance against God.
15.22-23 “And when you shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which Yahweh has spoken to Moses, even all that Yahweh has commanded you by Moses, from the day that Yahweh gave commandment, and onward throughout your generations,”
Note the emphasis on being commanded. The commandments were not optional, or acceptable if say 5 out of 10 were kept. They were commanded threefold by Yahweh, and were permanent and to be kept in their totality (compare Deuteronomy 27.26; James 2.10). Thus to err from them was a grave matter.
15.24 “Then it shall be, if it be done unwittingly, without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young ox bull for a whole burnt offering, for a pleasing odour to Yahweh, with its grain offering, and its drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one he-goat for a purification for sin offering.”
The first case is an unwitting sin done by the whole congregation. This might refer to an accidental error made by their representatives the priests with regard to offerings and Dwellingplace service, acting on their behalf, which was later discovered, or to a decision come to by the assembly of Israel which was considered right at the time but later seen to be wrong, or a capital crime committed among them of which the culprit was unknown, or an act done on their behalf by their chieftains of which they were unaware. In all these cases it was something that they had not known about. There was no direct involvement. If it was unwitting and without the knowledge of the congregation they still bore guilt, for the whole community were jointly responsible. But it could be atoned for by a whole burnt offering offered on behalf of the whole congregation, consisting of an ox bull for the purpose of atonement and rededication, and by a purification for sin offering of a he-goat. The whole burnt offering, accompanied by its grain offerings and drink offering, would rise as a pleasing odour to Yahweh. The sin offering would remove the guilt through the death and offering of the blood of the animal.
In Leviticus 4.14 a sin by the whole congregation required the purification for sin offering of an ox bull. But that may refer to sins in which the whole congregation had deliberately participated suspecting them to be wrong, even though ‘the assembly’ was not aware of them, or sins done deliberately in their name by their chieftains of which they approved. There was thus a deeper involvement in the guilt. The offering required was therefore all the greater.
Or it may be that the offerings were seen together. A bull ox and a he-goat together were of more value than an ox alone. Thus if the whole burnt offering of an ox bull was made additionally, it is possible that that could be seen as compensating for the reduction in the purification for sin offering. For both contributed to atonement, and both were brought for their error (verse 25). We must remember that this was referring to what was to be done when they entered the land (verse 2) whereas Leviticus 4 was immediate. Perhaps the idea was that once they were more prosperous, more would be required. (We must also remember that the details of the cult were undoubtedly complicated, and that we have probably only been given an outline of such activities. Different situations would be seen as calling for different offerings as determined by the Priest).
15.25 “And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven, for it was an error, and they have brought their oblation, an offering made by fire to Yahweh, and their purification for sin offering before Yahweh for their error,”
And the error would then be atoned for and forgiven, because firstly it was an error, and secondly they had brought the appropriate offerings.
15.26 “And all the congregation of the children of Israel shall be forgiven, and the stranger that resides temporarily among them, for in respect of all the people it was done unwittingly.”
It is again repeated that they would be forgiven. The double emphasis made the fact certain. And the forgiveness would cover the resident alien who dwelt among them. And the reason for this would be that it was done unwittingly.
15.27 “And if one person sins unwittingly, then he shall offer a she-goat a year old for a purification for sin offering.”
The same was to apply to a person who sinned unwittingly. But in that case he was simply required to bring a year old she-goat for a purification for sin offering.
15.28 “And the priest shall make atonement for the person who errs, when he sins unwittingly, before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven.”
Thus would the priest make atonement for the person, because he had sinned unwittingly, and he would be forgiven. It is clear that this could not have been done for every sin of thought, word and deed that came to mind or all the herds and flocks of the population would rapidly have disappeared. It was for definite sins against specific covenant stipulations that were recognised as being so and were not premeditated, or if premeditated not taking on the character of aggression against God and His creation. (Thus the sins included theft from a neighbour, which had however to be dealt with in a special way including compensation, but not murder or adultery, both of which were against the very order of creation).
15.29 “You shall have one law for him who does anything unwittingly, for him who is homeborn among the children of Israel, and for the stranger who resides temporarily among them.”
The law was to be the same for all whether homeborn or foreigners. All who came to dwell among the Israelites entered into a kind of relationship with Yahweh, and were to be treated equally.
It must be recognised that we are only provided with the bare bones of the sacrificial system and its application. Decisions would have to be made about a wide range of sins, and they would no doubt be sorted into categories and the level of sacrifice decided accordingly. What the written law laid down were the principles to be kept in mind. The actual carrying of it into practise would be extremely complicated, and would be built up over time.
Behind all these offerings and sacrifices were the thought of the shedding of blood, with the animal as their representative, bearing their sin; and the thought of tribute and thanksgiving offered, and of dedication and reconciliation through atonement as they brought their offerings. Each offering and sacrifice pinpointed one aspect of that response to God, and unknowingly looked forward to that greater provision in Jesus Christ. Today we come in the same way but through a greater and more efficacious offering in our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who died in our place, and bore our sin (Romans 3.25; 5.8-10; 8.3; 1 Corinthians 5.7; 2 Corinthians 5.21; 1 Peter 1.19; 2.14; 3.18; Hebrews 9.11-14, 26; 10.10-18; 12.24; 13.12), and through Whom we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, through Him being made wholly acceptable to God (Romans 12.1-2).
iii) Provision in Respect of Sin With a High Hand (15.30-36).
15.30 “But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he be homeborn or a resident alien, the same blasphemes Yahweh, and that person shall be cut off from among his people.”
Those, however, who sinned with a high hand, would not receive forgiveness. This refers to specific sins against the commandments which were premeditated and deliberately carried through in defiance of God. It applied specifically to sins which directly affected Yahweh’s sovereignty and were against creation, and thus included murder, idolatry, adultery and Sabbath-breaking. Such a person was blaspheming Yahweh and despising His word. He was being ‘high handed’.
15.31 “Because he has despised the word of Yahweh, and has broken his commandment, that person shall utterly be cut off. His iniquity shall be on him.”
And because he had despised Yahweh’s word and deliberately with forethought broken His commandment in defiance of Yahweh, that person was to be cut off from among the people. The primary responsibility for carrying out the sentence was Yahweh’s. The person would not escape. But where the congregation were aware of the sin they were to assist in the cutting off. The example that follows demonstrates that that meant the death sentence.
15.32 ‘And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day.’
The example is given of a man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. This was described as ‘while in the wilderness’ demonstrating how much the writer is elsewhere projecting forward in his mind into the land. Such an act was deliberate, was against what he knew to be God’s requirement, and was done in defiance of the Law and was, as he was aware, a sin against the very basis of creation. No one had ever yet been punished for it and he probably felt that he could get away with it. But it was in open defiance of Yahweh, and a challenge to His name and position. It was high treason. It was a sin against what all knew to be sacred, against what belonged to Yahweh. It could not be allowed to go unpunished, and the punishment had to be severe.
15.33 ‘And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.’
Those who found him committing his sin brought him to Moses and Aaron. They recognised that this was not a local matter but affected the whole camp, for it could bring down Yahweh’s anger on the camp.
15.34 ‘And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.’
But because this was the first case of the kind and not strictly covered by the law they put him under guard so that Yahweh could be consulted. What was forbidden was daily work and lighting a fire on the Sabbath day (Exodus 35.2-3). He could have argued that he was not working, which might have been debatable, but it was quite clear that the man would not have gathered the sticks unless he intended to light a fire. Thus he was in their eyes intending to break the law.
15.35 ‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
Yahweh’s verdict was quickly given. He knew the whole truth about the man’s motives. The man was to be put to death. He had openly flouted God. All the congregation were to take part for he had sinned against the congregation. They were to stone him with stones. Thus they would not touch him and render themselves unclean by their action. And it was to be done outside the camp so that the camp was not made unclean.
15.36 ‘And all the congregation brought him outside the camp, and stoned him to death with stones, as Yahweh commanded Moses.’
And the whole congregation did as Yahweh commanded. They brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones as Yahweh had commanded Moses. This was the way in which all high handed sin was to be dealt with.
Further examples of high-handed sins appear in the next chapter, for Korah, Dathan and Abiram were guilty of high-handed sin. But there it would be Yahweh Who meted out the penalty.
This was not to say that no sin with a high hand could ever be forgiven, only that no provision was made for it through the sacrificial system (Psalm 51.16-17). Rarely a man could come back from such a sin and seek the grace of God, as David after his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11). But it was at great cost (see Psalm 51 and David’s subsequent history).
iv) Tassels on The Fringes of Their Clothing (15.37-41).
The requirement was now made that the children of Israel wear special tassels on their clothing. This was stated to be that they might look on them ‘and remember all the commandments of Yahweh and do them’. In other words they were to be an indication that the wearer was one of the covenant people.
This would act as a witness to outsiders, and to each other, that the wearer was one of Yahweh’s people, and would enable every Israelite to recognise a brother when abroad or on the battlefield. In the heat of battle it was important that friend be discernible from foe. It would say, ‘here is one of Yahweh’s holy ones’.
15.37 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
A further confirmation that we have here Yahweh’s words given to Moses.
15.38 “Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that they make for themselves tassels on the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the tassel of each border a cord of blue,”
The children of Israel were to place tassels on their outer garment (compare Deuteronomy 22.12), and these tassels were to contain within them a cord of blue. The cord of blue would be a reminder of the Ark of the covenant of Yahweh which went before them covered with a blue cloth (4.6), visible for all to see. Such a cloth was also to cover all the furniture of the Holy Place when in transit, although in their cases not visible (4.7, 9, 11). Thus blue was an indication of what was sacred to Yahweh, what was heavenly, and they would see it as connecting them with the Ark (when the Ark was with them) as they went in to battle. It would also in their daily lives remind them of the Ark and the covenant that it contained.
The blue dye necessary for this was both rare and costly. It came from the molluscs purpura and murex found on the coast of Phoenicia, and was testified to at Ugarit.
Tassels were a regular feature on ancient garments. The rock engravings at Timna dating to the 13th century BC depict tribesmen wearing tassels, and tasselled garments are witnessed to both in Egypt and Mesopotamia. It was the cord of blue that was to distinguish the Israelite.
15.39 “And it shall be to you for a tassel, that you may look on it, and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them, and that you follow not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the harlot,”
And the tassel would be there as a constant reminder of the covenant. They would look on it and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, and do them. Thus would they not walk after their own hearts and eyes which led them into sin and caused them to be unfaithful to God. To ‘play the harlot’ was to participate in idolatry and what was associated with it.
15.40 “That you may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God.”
Note the repetition ‘remember and do all My commandments’ in order to seal and emphasise the commitment. They were to follow Yahweh and not their own hearts. Thus would they be holy to their God, distinguished by the purity and obedience of their lives.
15.41 “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am Yahweh your God.”
For, as their fathers had not done, they were to remember Who Yahweh is. He is Yahweh their God, Who delivered them from Egypt that He might be their God. He is Yahweh their God. Again we have the repetition for emphasis, paralleling the repetition of ‘remember and do all my commandments’. That indeed is why they were to remember and do, because He was Yahweh their God and Deliverer. And they were to remember that to them He had to be all in all. He would allow no other.
The need for Israel to be dedicated to God and made pure before Him having been dealt with (see also chapters 5-7 and 28-30), the question might now arise as to who could minister on their behalf. The new situation may well have placed doubts in people’s minds.
Chapter 16 The Rebellion and Attempted Coup Under Korah, Dathan and Abiram.
This account of a rebellion against Moses and Yahweh is given in order to establish the Aaronic rights to the priesthood, and possibly also to bring out the antagonism that resulted from the failure to enter the land.
2). The Service of The Priests, Answering the Question Who Has The Right To Approach Yahweh.
It cannot be accidental that following the chapter in which offerings and sacrifices were called for, properly offered; the demand was made that unwitting sin be properly dealt with; and that high handed sin be punished by being cut off from among the people; and the people were called on to wear the mark of Yahweh to show that they were His holy people, we have a chapter where high handed sin is openly manifested, and those most guilty are indeed cut off, while it is clearly revealed that His people are only holy through His good services.
In the previous chapter one man defied Yahweh and was cut off. In this chapter many will defy Yahweh and they too will be cut off. And the holiness of the people, which they proudly claimed for themselves, would be seen to be totally of His doing through the means that He has provided.
Here we have a complete justification of Yahweh’s refusal to allow this people to enter His land. They are revealed to be totally unfitted for its conquest and enjoyment.
Also basic to this passage, and the further reason that it is included here, is the fact that it established the uniqueness of the Aaronic priesthood in all aspects of worship in the Dwellingplace. For this trend see verses 3, 5, 9-10, 35, 37-38, 40, 46-48.
But there can be no doubt that historically speaking it was also a dangerous situation that could have resulted in the end for Israel. It was not just a theological dispute. There was open rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and finally against Yahweh, seething in the camp. So we will first of all deal with this issue which tends to strike the modern reader most. A careful analysis will be necessary as it is due to the failure to make such an analysis that so much criticism is levelled at the passage.
Turning back from Canaan and going back into the wilderness had necessarily shaken Israel to the core. All their hopes and dreams had collapsed, and they had seen before themselves a bleak and unenviable future. And they may well have laid much of the blame on the fact that Moses and Aaron had not allowed them to take the Ark with them into battle (14.44). If the Ark had gone before them, they possibly thought, would not all their enemies have scattered and fled before it? (10.35). They were disillusioned with both the secular and religious leadership.
Thus the impetus that had mainly bound them to Moses when all seemed hopeful could be seen to have gone. Indeed if he was not needed to lead them into the promised land of what need was there to follow him? And if he was discredited so was Aaron and his High Priesthood. So their thoughts would run. And they would begin to question the whole basis of their society. It was probably on the basis of this dissatisfaction of the people that two sets of people began to plot against Moses, Korah and the Levites on the one hand, who coveted promotion to the priesthood and control of holy things, and Dathan and Abiram with their fellow Reubenites on the other, who had political power in mind.
This resulted in these Levites and Reubenites, who both had their camps on the south side of the Dwellingplace, coming together and deciding to take advantage of the disgruntlement of the people in order to advance themselves, probably having in view the taking of control over Israel and the High Priesthood.
There were clearly two groups involved, Korah the Levite, Moses’ distant cousin, along with fellow ‘sons of Levi’ (verses 8, 10), who enjoyed the special privileges of the Dwellingplace, and who was very ambitious and whose main aim was to seek the full priesthood (verse 10), and Dathan, Abiram and On, three prominent Reubenites, with their ‘families’, whose aim was probably a coup so that they could seize political power. These were united in their opposition to Moses, probably with a joint plan that would benefit both. Korah would replace Aaron as High Priest, the other three would replace Moses. In those days both religious and secular implications had to be considered in any coup. Moses could not be deposed while Aaron was still there. And that meant discrediting his unique status. Thus the uniting of two such opposing parties was to be expected.
We note that there were ‘two hundred and fifty princes, men of renown’ backing Korah, all seemingly Levites, for Moses speaks constantly of ‘you sons of Levi’. As two hundred and fifty is 5 x 5 x 10, the covenant number doubly intensified, it may simply be intended to reflect the ‘holy’ nature of the group rather than being a literal head count. This was rebellion by a covenant group at the very heart of the covenant.
The first thing that they did was to come together in ‘an assembly’ to officially challenge Moses and Aaron. The initial tack they took was to challenge Moses on religious grounds. For they knew that if they were to be successful they would have to undermine the religious positions of Moses and Aaron. So while Dathan and Abiram were probably the most dangerous conspirators from a secular point of view, they were happy to leave the initial onslaught to Korah and use him as a front man. That is probably why his name came first in verse 1. It was he who would be in the best position to lay a religious foundation for the rebellion and thus carry the people with them.
His argument was subtle. It was that, as all knew, Yahweh had declared all the people to be holy (Exodus 19.5-6). This had especially come home even more recently in the fact that their new tassels declared that they were ‘holy to Yahweh’ (15.40). Thus if all were holy, and even enjoyed a special uniform declaring them to be so, surely all could enter the Holy Place. After all Moses had constantly stressed that ‘Yahweh was among them’ (compare 14.14; Exodus 29.45-46; Leviticus 26.12). Thus they wanted to know, in that case, by what right Moses and Aaron had lifted themselves above ‘the assembly of Yahweh’ as though they were especially holy? Why had they kept it as a family thing? Were not all the people holy?
In a situation like this we are only given the gist of the argument and there was probably much argued about this matter which we are not told, but it was clear what their aim was. They wanted entry into the priesthood.
Dathan and Abiram sat quietly by and said nothing. This was not their territory. They were scheming something much more revolutionary. But that could await the recognition by Israel of their allies as members of the sacred priesthood. The fact that they were the real final danger comes out in that in the event it was to be their wider families who were all destroyed. In the case of Korah and his Levites it was only the men themselves.
At this point Moses clearly sought a break in order to consult Yahweh, and he fell on his face before Him and sought His will (verse 4). Yahweh then instructed him on what to do and he acted accordingly. So they wanted to break into the priesthood in spite of Yahweh’s clear instructions? Well, they would not be denied their opportunity, as long as they were prepared to face the consequences.
So Moses called in Korah and his band of Levites (the 250) and instructed them that if they wished to put in a claim to be priests they should come the next day, each with a censer in his hand, and burn incense before Yahweh. But he warned them that Yahweh would then demonstrate who was holy and would cause those whom He chose to come near to Him (verse 5). Then he made a plea to them that if they would only consider the matter, they would recognise that they were already highly favoured. Had not Yahweh separated them from the congregation of Israel for holy service with regard to His Dwellingplace, and allowed them to come nearer to Him than any other tribe in Israel? Did they then really wish to seek the priesthood as well? We may presume that he reminded them of what the instruction that he had received from Yahweh said, and reminded them of what had happened to Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10.1)
Korah and his band of Levites seem to have gone back to their tents well satisfied. It seemed to them that their scheme was working. They would appear in the morning as he had said, with their censers in their hands. They did not consider the fact which Moses had drawn attention to, that if they saw themselves as being holier’ than the ordinary people, how could their side then use ‘equal holiness’ as a test of whether they should be involved in the priesthood? Having been given great privilege, and accepted it, they had testified to the fact that some of Yahweh’s holy people could be higher in holiness status than others. Thus their action was inconsistent with the status that they accepted.
Having temporarily satisfied Korah and the Levites, Moses then turned his attention to Dathan and Abiram, the Reubenites, who had not been involved in that side of things. They seemingly had different motives. They were not ‘sons of Levi’. They had no ambitions for priesthood. They had rather taken the opportunity of Korah’s dispute in order to introduce their own differences and possibly gain power in other ways, and as the aftermath demonstrates, they were gathering a host with a view to a coup. They were after all members of the ‘firstborn’ tribe. Thus when, after they returned to their tents after the initial meeting, Moses sent for them so that he could talk further with them, they were in no mood to go. They spurned his orders from then on. No they would not obey him. Who did he think he was? On what grounds did he claim to be a Prince over them? (verse 13). They would not come up to the Tent of meeting to meet with him. They no longer accepted his authority. After all how did they know that it was not a trick, and that once they arrived they would not be assaulted and blinded? This was a practise of some overlords against rebellious leaders (compare Samson in Judges 16.21; Zedekiah in 2 Kings 25.7). Their reply was an act of open rebellion. It was treason. They were rejecting covenant responsibility and Moses’ leadership (which Korah had not done), which was why Moses probably saw them as the most dangerous.
The fact that the Kohathites and the Reubenites were both encamped on the south side of the camp, partly explains how they had got together. But the full possible impact of the rebellion was clear next day from the fact that Korah was able to call together ‘the whole congregation’ to gather at the Dwellingplace (verse 19). It had become a mass movement which to some extent involved the whole of the people, not just a small minority, although Moses does distinguish between their guilt and the guilt of the leaders of the rebellion (verse 22). But the people had come in order to discover what it was all about, and to find out what the result would be, not necessarily to side with Korah.
So when Korah came with his men and their censers, ready to offer incense to Yahweh before the Tent of meeting, the whole congregation was present to witness the event. All, that is, apart from the rebels (verse 19 with 34).
All those with censers then put fire in them and put their incense into the censers, and at this point the glory of Yahweh appeared to all. Korah and his men were probably delighted. It would appear to them that Yahweh was accepting their offering! He had not struck them down. But Yahweh then spoke to Moses and Aaron and warned them to get away from the congregation as He intended to destroy them all.
However, Moses pointed out that the congregation had not really done anything wrong, and that only the guilty should be punished, and as a result of their intercession Yahweh, speaking anthropomorphically, backed off. He then instructed him to inform the people that they were to get away from ‘the dwellingplace of Korah, Dathan and Abiram’, that is from the area on the south side of the Tent of meeting where they lived. Korah would be in the camp of the Kohathites while Dathan and Abiram were in the camp of Reuben, both on the south side. In other words the congregation were to demonstrate their lack of support for the rebels, by keeping them at a distance and avoiding their tents.
Moses then, clearly at Yahweh’s instructions as comes out in what he later said, took the elders, who proved loyal to him, and approached the camp of Reuben (verse 25). Then he called on the members of the congregation who had gathered there to depart and get as far away as possible from the rebels, and not even touch any of their possessions. It was a declaration that the rebels were unclean in Yahweh’s eyes. And the congregation obediently did what he said. Moses would have felt quietly contented. He knew that he was gaining back the control that seemed to have been lost. Then Dathan and Abiram came out to the door of their tents supported in their display of defiance by their wives and children, and at Moses’ word the ground opened up and swallowed them. So the rebellion was over.
But only those who ‘appertained to Korah’, that is who were involved with him in the rebellion, were consumed. They had committed treason as a solid body and received the punishment for treason. (This in fact possibly included Korah who may have raced ahead to warn them that Moses was coming, although his death is nowhere mentioned here, but see Numbers 26.8-10 which is the only place which mentions his death. That is, however, also ambiguous). At this the people who had been watching at some distance fled, lest they too be caught up in the catastrophe. And fire also came down from heaven and smote those who were offering incense on their censers It should be noted that the sons of Korah are not said to have been involved in these activities. They in fact were later declared to be alive (Numbers 26.11, 58).
However the mood of the people was such that they were angry at this slaughter of ‘their brothers’. They had not been present at the hostile assembly, nor had they known about the Reubenites’ defiance of Moses. What had happened seemed unnecessary and fuelled their already fierce resentment of Moses. So they gathered together against Moses and Aaron. Yahweh had been right about their mood after all.
Things might have become dangerous, but Yahweh struck the people with a plague where they stood, and it was only the intervention of Aaron at Moses’ command in making atonement for them through his censer that prevented the whole people being destroyed. The contrast between his burning incense and bringing relief to the people contrasted vividly with those who had died for burning incense in their censers. Aaron’s position was firmly established. And that in fact is the main point of the whole narrative.
The significance of chapters 16.1-17.13 can be looked at from two angles, a). Who has the right to offer incense to Yahweh, and b). Who has the right to enter the Sanctuary? These were the questions that were being mainly dealt with. We race to look at the history. The writer’s great concern was the theology.
a). Who Has The Right To Offer Incense Fire Before Yahweh?
This is evidenced by the rebellion of the Levite Korah and the Reubenites Dathan and Abiram, and its aftermath (chapter 16)). It is divided into two sections:
i). The Competition between Aaron and Korah and his band of Levites (16.1-21).
ii). God’s Judgment on Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and on the People (16.22-50).
Korah and His Co-conspirators Dispute the Positions of Moses and Aaron (16.1-3).
16.1-2 ‘Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men, and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown,’
Korah is mentioned first because he acted as the front man, and it was his aim that illustrated the point that the writer is concerned to get over. It is because he was connected with the tribe of Levi, and made claims on that basis, that his fuller genealogy is given. He was a Kohathite, and a distant cousin of Moses and Aaron. Thus he shared in the important task of bearing the sacred furniture of the Dwellingplace, including the sacred Ark. He should have known better than to dispute the priesthood. His sons are not said to have joined with him in the dispute.
Dathan and Abiram were closely related, being sons of Eliab. On was the son of Peleth, but he disappears from the story immediately. He was probably mentioned so as to make up a threesome, emphasising the completeness of the rebellion of the Reubenites. All three were of the tribe of Reuben. Thus they played no part in the question of the censers and the priesthood. They had a deeper motive.
It was in fact very much common sense for Dathan and Abiram, in planning their coup, to recognise that they had to consider the religious aspect. They had two obstacles to deal with, Moses the overall leader and Aaron who provided the support of the cult. No rebellion could be successful which did not succeed in both fields. Furthermore, by allowing the ambitious Korah to act as front man they could present themselves as simply wanting to honour Yahweh and see fair play. The account brings their duplicity out well.
‘Took men.’ The Hebrew text lacks ‘men’ which is read in. It could equally be translated ‘took up a position of treason’ or ‘took action’. Compare 2 Samuel 18.18 for a similar construction. We could more accurately translate, ‘took and rose up’.
‘With certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown.’ With them they had ‘two hundred and fifty’ influential men of high standing. In view of the fact that large numbers were probably not used arithmetically, but were used as adjective in order to give an impression, the ‘two hundred and fifty’ probably simply means a large group strongly involved in the covenant. 5 x 5 x 10 is five doubly intensified, and 5 is the number of the covenant.
The first impression is also that these were influential men from all the tribes (‘of the children of Israel’), but in what follows Moses addresses them as ‘you sons of Levi’ (verses 7, 8) and speaks of ‘your (thy) brothers, the sons of Levi’. So either (1) they were all Levites, or (2) Moses is calling them such because they were following Korah in seeking to act like sons of Levi, or (3) the phrase ‘sons of Levi’ has in mind the leaders of the two hundred and fifty who were sons of Levi and were putting forth the case for all of them. Why not then call them the sons (followers) of Korah? It may be because he was using the phrase sarcastically, “you who put yourselves forward as ‘sons of Levi’.” Some see the weight as being on the side of the suggestion that they were all Levites, and it may be that as Moses was aware that the actual sons of Korah were not involved in the dispute, he did not wish to give a wrong impression and malign innocent people. If the second view is considered correct ‘band of Israelites’ should be seen as the strict interpretation of a sarcastic ‘sons of Levi’.
16.3 ‘And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them. Why then do you lift yourselves up above the assembly of Yahweh?” ’
The four leaders appear to have called together an assembly in order to meet with Moses in order to level their accusations. This would probably be at the Dwellingplace, at which assemblies usually took place. And there they attacked Moses and Aaron with the claim that they were making too much of themselves.
Their argument, probably the idea of the Levite Korah, argued that as all Israelites, ‘every one of them’, were holy (Exodus 19.5-6), and now even wore tassels which declared that they were holy (15.40), and as Yahweh was among them as a people (compare 14.14; Exodus 29.45-46; Leviticus 26.12), Moses and Aaron had no ground for claiming special holiness and ‘lifting themselves up above the assembly of Israel’. This argument was only carried through by Korah and his ‘sons of Levi’. Thus it would appear that as far as Dathan and Abiram were concerned it was only a ploy. But to the others it was deadly serious.
Moses recognised that they were intending to trespass on holy things and was distraught. He knew only too well the consequences of such behaviour. It was not he and Aaron who had done the lifting up but Yahweh. And the Levites should have known that, for while their status was lower than that of the priests, they did have a holy status that was above that of the other tribes. But he was also aware of the hostility of the Reubenites, and that this was not just a technical argument. Thus he recognised that he needed to confer with a higher authority. He no doubt told them that he would consult Yahweh, and went into the Holy Place where the Voice spoke to him from the mercy seat (7.89). And there he fell on his face before Yahweh.
The Challenge of the Censers (16.4-7).
16.4 ‘And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face,’
It is unlikely that this means in the assembly, and as at this point Dathan and Abiram with their Reubenite followers withdrew (verse 12) it suggests that he went into the tent of meeting in order to do so. Falling on the face was an act of total submission. We are left to recognise that Yahweh spoke to him, for the next we hear is of the message that he brought back to them.
16.5 ‘And he spoke to Korah and to all his company, saying, “In the morning Yahweh will show who are his, and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to him, even he whom he will choose will he cause to come near to him.” ’
He came back and gave his reply to Korah and the two hundred and fifty princes, for apparently Dathan and Abiram had retired to their tents in the camp of Reuben. They were willing to leave the first positive action in Korah’s hands.
In his reply he assured them that on the very next day Yahweh would demonstrate who were His, and who were holy, ‘and will cause the ones whom He chose to come near to him’. That should have given them pause for thought, but they were too taken up with their ambitions to consider the possible consequences. They coveted the position of the Aaronic priests.
16.6-7 “Do this. Take for yourselves censers, Korah, and all his company, and put fire in them, and put incense on them before Yahweh tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom Yahweh chooses, he shall be holy. You take too much on you, you sons of Levi.”
The test would be simple. Korah and his two hundred and fifty were to take censers for themselves next day, and put fire in them, and then put incense on it to burn ‘before Yahweh’, that is, in the courtyard to the Dwellingplace. Then they would discover whom Yahweh saw as holy. Those chosen by Yahweh would be seen to be holy. And all knew from past experience what happened to those who acted in this way when they were not chosen, and were not holy enough.
‘You take too much on you, you sons of Levi.’ Compare the charge made against him in verse 3. He warned the Levites quite firmly of the danger of what they were doing, and that it was they who were taking too much on themselves. They ought to recognise the danger of what they were doing. After all it was not for nothing that they had been appointed guardians of the Dwellingplace. The stress that the writer is seeking to get over comes over quite clearly.
The choice of the censer was a sensible one. It meant that none of the furniture in the Dwellingplace would be tampered with. But it was also the means of the most intimate approach to God. He was challenging these men to recognise what they were doing. Approaching Yahweh in this way was no light matter.
‘Sons of Levi’ may refer to all the two hundred and fifty, either because they were so, or sarcastically because that was what they were attempting to become. Or it may refer to a group of Levites who were leaders, with Korah, in the attempt to promulgate the participation of the two hundred and fifty.
Moses Charge against Korah (16.8-11).
16.8-10 ‘And Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi, does it seem but a small thing to you, that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them, and that he has brought you (thee) near, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you? and do you seek the priesthood also?” ’
Moses now added a further warning to them and especially to their leader. It was not too late to withdraw. Let Korah consider this on behalf of his followers. Did they consider the privileged position that they had been given to do the service of the Dwellingplace of Yahweh, and to act as ministers to the congregation, to be a small thing? He was well aware that they did not. Let them remember that God had separated them from the congregation of Israel for special service, and had brought them near to Himself, by allowing them to camp around the Dwellingplace as its guardians, and to enter the courtyard of the Dwellingplace to fulfil their functions. That was a huge privilege. No other tribe of Israel had such access to that holy place. And this was not only true for him, but for all who were truly sons of Levi. If they then saw their position as privileged, because they had been chosen and ‘made holy’ in preparation for it, would they not recognise that in seeking to act as priests they were stepping outside their calling. They were well aware that Yahweh Himself had chosen the sons of Aaron. Would they then seek that priesthood for themselves contrary to Yahweh’s express desire? Let them think about it, and beware.
Again the writer is stressing his central point. The overall rebellion he treats as secondary.
‘All your brethren the sons of Levi with you?’ The whole tribe of Levites is in mind here as having the Levite privileges, as against the few who were in the rebellion.
16.11 “Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against Yahweh, and Aaron, what is he that you murmur against him?”
And it was in the seeking of the priesthood which was at Yahweh’s disposal that they had gathered together ‘against Yahweh and against Aaron’. Let them consider that their action was in the face of Yahweh’s direct commandment. It put them ‘against Yahweh’. After all, what was Aaron that they should murmur against him? He was only doing what Yahweh had commanded him. He and they were in the same position. They each ought to do what Yahweh chose them for, and what He had set them apart for, and commanded them to do.
It would seem at this point that Korah and his band of Levites were satisfied with the offer and were ready to retire to their tents in the Levite camp ready for the morning. They disregarded his warning. Moses’ warnings had simply passed over their heads because they were gripped by covetousness. But Moses recognised that he had only dealt with half the problem.
He then turned his attention to the Reubenites who had previously withdrawn. He recognised that they would not be satisfied with such a test. They were more concerned with gaining leadership of the confederacy than with becoming priests. It was necessary somehow to pacify them and deal with their fellow-rebels.
Dathan and Abiram Refuse to Respond to Moses’ Summons (16.12-14).
16.12-13 ‘And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and they said, “We will not come up. Is it a small thing that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but you must necessarily make yourself also a prince over us?” ’
So Moses, aware of what Yahweh had said too him, then sent for Dathan and Abiram so that he could discuss matter further with them. They were seen as the master minds in the rebellion. But they refused to come, in itself an act of rebellion. The message that they sent back emphasised their treason. They saw Moses as someone who with his false promises had brought them out ‘from a land of milk and honey’, so as to kill them in the wilderness. It was in this sarcastic way that they described Egypt. With such cynicism did they describe what he had accomplished. This reflected how deeply they felt about the fact that they were doomed to wander in the wilderness until all were dead. They were never to enjoy the promises that had been given, and they considered that what they had was worse than what they had had in Egypt, the horror of which had now lessened in their minds. And having done this to them he now wanted to be accepted as Prince over them? But they had accepted him as Prince because he had promised them such good things. Now that those good things had failed they no longer considered him to be their Prince. They did not want him as prince over them. They rejected his claims to authority.
‘Is it a small thing --?’ Compare verse 9. The writer depicts Dathan and Abiram as in some sense aping Moses. But Moses was concerned about Yahweh’s privilege given to His servants, Dathan and Abiram were concerned about the benefits the people had failed to receive. Moses looked heavenwards, Dathan and Abiram looked earthwards.
16.14 “Moreover you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.”
For the fact was that Moses had not brought them into the land of milk and honey that he had promised them. He had not given them the inheritance of fields and vineyards that he had so vividly described. In their eyes he had clearly failed. And now they were doomed to wander in the wilderness. They did not consider that the problem lay in their own failure. Such people always blame someone else.
‘Will you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up.’ ‘These men’ may refer to their messengers, or to their fellow-conspirators, Korah and his band of Levites. The implication was that Moses intended evil towards them, and would act viciously towards them. They did not realise how he was trying to save then from the consequences of their folly. What fools men can be. They forgot what had happened to those who had opposed Moses in Egypt, even to Pharaoh himself. ‘Will you put out the eyes of these men?’ It was common practise in those days to maim captured leaders in some way so that they could never again be a threat. See Judges 1.6-7; 16.21; 2 Kings 25.7).
Their speech also is put in chiastic form (in the Hebrew).
Moses Prays that Yahweh Will Refute Them (16.15)
16.15 ‘And Moses was very angry, and said to Yahweh, “Do not you respect their offering. I have not taken one ass from them, nor have I hurt one of them.” ’
Moses was very angry at their reply and the position that they were taking up, and he cried to Yahweh not to accept anything that they brought as an offering to Him. He was calling on Yahweh to reject them and not recognise them as people of the covenant. For he pointed out that they had rebelled against his authority and that it was not because of anything that he had done. He had not even taken one ass from them. He had not hurt a single one of them. The implication was that this was all happening because of what Yahweh had commanded him.
‘I have not taken one ass from them.’ Kings rode on asses when they rode in triumph (compare 1 Kings 1.33; Zechariah 9.9), which their subjects would often be called on to provide. Perhaps Moses was indicating that he had never tried to lord it over them.
Moses Calls on Korah to Respond to His Challenge (16.16-17).
16.16 ‘And Moses said to Korah, “Be you and all your company before Yahweh, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow.” ’
Moses then turned his attention back to the Levite conspirators, and bade Korah with all his band of Levites to come to the Dwellingplace in the morning, into the courtyard ‘before Yahweh’. They were to be there along with Aaron so that a proper test of their acceptability with Yahweh could be determined. He would deal with the others later.
16.17 “And take you every man his censer, and put incense on them, and bring you before Yahweh every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers. You also, and Aaron, each his censer.”
And they were to take every man his censer and put incense on them, and bring it before Yahweh, a censer for every man in his band (compare verses 6-7). And Aaron would be there too with his censer. Even as we read the words a chill fills our hearts. We all know the folly of what they were about to do. We know even without reading on that there could be only one conclusion. They were rebelling against Yahweh’s strict instructions, and coming into His presence in doing it. It would be sin with a high hand.
All Carry Out the Challenge of the Censers and Burn Incense in Them (16.18-19).
16.18 ‘And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense on them, and stood at the door of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron.’
And next morning they did exactly that. They all came, every man with his censer, and stood with Moses and Aaron, and put fire in their censers and laid incense on them. And in such gross disobedience to Yahweh they stood at the door of the Tent of meeting.
16.19 ‘And Korah assembled all the congregation against them to the door of the tent of meeting, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the congregation.’
But they were not there alone. Surrounding the Dwellingplace were the whole congregation of Israel, apart from the rebels. Korah had called for them all to come, and they had responded. It demonstrated that their hearts were at least partly with him. They too were sore at being sentenced to die in the wilderness.
Then the glory of Yahweh appeared in the Sanctuary, seen by all the congregation. At first the Levites, aware that they were still alive and that in spite of the fact that Yahweh had come, probably saw it as a triumph. Yahweh had not struck them down! The congregation might well have felt the same. Nothing spectacular was seemingly to happen here.
Moses and Aaron to Separate Themselves From the Congregation of Israel (16.20-21).
16.20 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,’
But then Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, and His words revealed His anger at the disobedience of the Levites and the concurrence of the people. Here the phrase is not, as often, a general statement indicating a new section containing the words of Moses, but is simply a part of the narrative.
16.21 “Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.”
He told Moses and Aaron that they must remove themselves from among the people, for He intended to destroy them all. He knew their hearts, and that instead of blaming themselves for the consequence of their unbelief which had barred them from the land, they were blaming Yahweh Himself and His true servants. Not one of them was worthy to remain alive.
These words conclude the first part of the narrative, but lead on immediately into the second part. They are pregnant with significance. At this point Yahweh brings out not only the rebellion of those in open conflict with Moses and Aaron, but also the rebellion in the hearts of all the people, which will manifest itself openly later.
Moses and Aaron Pray that Yahweh Will Spare the Congregation of Israel (16.22).
16.22 ‘And they fell on their faces, and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?”
At His words Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before Yahweh. All the antagonism and argument had been directed against them, but their hearts were full of compassion for the people. They recognised the justice of God in acting against the blasphemers with their censers, but they themselves saw the people as not to blame. (They were later to learn how wrong they were (verse 41)).
They asked Yahweh if He thought that it was right to blame the many for the few. Was He not the God of the spirits of all flesh? Did not all the life within (the ‘spirit’) belong to Him? Had He not created them and given them life? Would He then destroy life unnecessarily? Surely He would not destroy the many for the one? He was the life-giver, not the life-taker.
Yahweh Commands the People to Depart from Korah, Dathan and Abiram (16.23-27).
16.23 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
And Yahweh, in response to their prayer, through Moses offered the people a chance.
16.24 “Speak to the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the dwellingplace of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.”
They were to tell the congregation to ‘get up from about the dwellingplace of Korah, Dathan and Abiram’. That is, they were to cease their gathering to them and instead ostracise them. Korah dwelt in the camp of the Kohathites, Dathan and Abiram in the camp of Reuben, both to the south side of the Dwellingplace of Yahweh. Thus ‘the dwelling place of Korah, Dathan and Abiram’ referred to the area of ground occupied on the south side of the Dwellingplace by both camps. If they wished to survive the people were to demonstrate their loyalty to Moses and Aaron by deserting those camps where they had been previously revealing their support for the action against Moses.
‘The dwelling place of Korah, Dathan and Abiram’ is in strict contrast with the Dwellingplace of Yahweh (verse 9). The people must choose whose dwellingplace they will honour. To accept the dwellingplace of the rebels as they lurked in their tents would be to renounce Yahweh.
16.25 ‘And Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.’
Then Moses left the Dwellingplace and made for the camp of Reuben to face up with the rebels. He alone knew what Yahweh planned to do. ‘And the elders of Israel followed him’. Possibly belatedly they were demonstrating their support. Or they may simply have been following in order to see the outcome of the confrontation. None of them would have had the least suspicion of what was about to happen.
16.26 ‘And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” ’
Moses found there many supporters of the rebels. So he begged them to go and leave the area of the tents of the rebels. He warned them not to touch anything that was theirs. This ominous warning was immediately understood. To touch the possessions of the dead would render a man unclean. Thus Dathan and Abiram were as good as dead. What was more, by such familiarity, they would identify themselves with the rebels and would share their fate. They would be consumed in all their sins.
16.27 ‘So they got themselves away from the dwellingplace of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.’
The events had helped to focus their minds. They remembered what had happened to those who had opposed Moses in Egypt. So they hurriedly removed themselves from the vicinity of the tents of the rebels. They no longer wanted to be identified with them.
‘They got themselves away from the dwellingplace of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side.’ The area where the Reubenites and the Korathites had their tents became deserted. Their support among the people simply dwindled away. When it came to it the people did not have the heart to outface Yahweh. The speed of their response indicated again that slave-like attitude that had caused their failure to enter the land.
Then Dathan and Abiram came out of their tents with their whole families. They were making a show of strength. The point in the description is in order to stress that both they and their households were all of one mind. All were rebels. All opposed Moses, and challenged Yahweh. All were guilty and shared the corporate guilt. It was not an act of contrition but an act of defiance. But they were no doubt put out to discover that most of their supporters had melted away.
The Pit Swallows Up the Reubenite Followers of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (16.28-34).
16.28-29 ‘And Moses said, “By this you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then Yahweh has not sent me.”
Moses wasted no time on the rebels. He addressed the waiting crowds. By this they would know that what was about to happen was not of his choice or of his doing, but was the choice of Yahweh Who had sent him. If these men died an ordinary death, even though it be by plague or lightning, then Yahweh had not sent him. He was staking his whole reputation on Yahweh’s promises. It was like standing before Pharaoh again. The point he was stressing was that he himself intended to do nothing to them. He was leaving them in the hands of Yahweh. This would then demonstrate whose side Yahweh was on.
16.30 “But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all who appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh.”
But if a new thing happened, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with all who were following them in their rebellion, so that they went down alive into the underworld, the world of the dead, then all must recognise that these men had despised Yahweh.
He pictured the earth as being like a great monster whose mouth opened wide in order to devour (compare Isaiah 5.14). This was Yahweh’s earth, which He had created. If it opened its mouth on His behalf it could be due to no one but Him. And it would reveal that the judgment was His.
‘If Yahweh make a new thing.’ Or literally, ‘if Yahweh creates a creation’. Stress is put on the fact that this is Yahweh’s direct and novel action.
‘Sheol.’ The usual word for the world of the dead to which men descended when they were placed in their graves. It was the grave world of shadows from which none ever returned. Yahweh even controlled that grave world.
16.31-32 ‘And it came about that, as he made an end of speaking all these words, the ground divided asunder that was under them, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods.’
No sooner had Moses spoken then the earth suddenly caved in around where the tents of Dathan and Abiram, and their families, were. It ‘opened its mouth and swallowed them up’, taking in all who ‘appertained to Korah’, that is all who were a part of the rebellion, together with all their goods.
16.33 ‘So they, and all who appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly.’
Thus all in the camp who were connected with them in the rebellion went down alive into Sheol (compare the vivid picture in Isaiah 14.9). ‘And the earth closed up.’ They had been buried alive and had just disappeared. Not a trace was to be seen. They perished from among the assembly. They were Israelites no more. God’s mouth had, as it were, swallowed them without trace.
As Yahweh regularly used magnified natural disasters in His judgments (as in Egypt) we may probably see that the tents of Dathan and Abiram and their followers had been pitched on a kewir, a hardened mud-flat which had developed over boggy ground. Such are often found in this area. As with the Reed Sea deliverance the main miracle was in it caving in at the right time. It has been suggested that a severe thunderstorm occurred, which soaked the ground causing the mud-flat to soften and give way, with lightning striking the 250 men with the censers.
16.34 ‘And all Israel who were round about them fled at their cry, for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up.” ’
A great cry of fear and terror went up from the rebels as they realised in those brief moments exactly what was happening, and it was such a terrible cry that the people around fled. They were fearful less it also happen to them, and the earth swallow them up. The impact of what happened was huge, and the echo of the cry continued in their hearts (verse 41).
Fire Consumes the Offerers of the Incense (16.35).
16.35 ‘And fire came forth from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred and fifty men who offered the incense.’
Then fire came down from heaven and devoured the band of Levites who were offering incense. Compare Leviticus 10.2. This seems to have been the especial fate for offering incense wrongly. The thought may have been as a reaction to the desecration of what was holy, the fire of judgment, or as a means of purifying the place where they had been, the fire of cleansing (compare Isaiah 4.4 where both are in mind). The text is not specific on whether this happened at the same time. That was irrelevant. What mattered was that Yahweh had vindicated the Aaronic priesthood.
As Korah had been offering the incense with them it is possible that he was included. Interestingly we are nowhere told what happened specifically to Korah. 26.10 tells us that he died at the same time but is ambiguous about exactly how. The concentration here was on Dathan and Abiram. This would seem to confirm that they and their Reubenite supporters had been the greater overall threat, and he but the front man with individual ambitions, shared by the band of Levites gathered with him. As his sons survived (26.11) his whole family do not appear to have been involved. It would also seem to confirm that Korah was consumed with the idea of the priesthood for himself rather than overall rebellion.
We must assume that the non-mention of Korah was deliberate, however he died. The point being made is that he was now a non-man, a non-mentionable, his name had been blotted out of Israel. It was left to all to recognise that he either perished along with his band of Levites, or with his fellow-conspirators (26.8-10).
Whether the fire was a thunderbolt or a particularly ferocious result of lightning strikes is left to us to surmise. But whichever it was, it was both particular with regard to its victims and cumulative in its effect.
The Metal of the Censers to be Used to Cover the Altar (16.36-40).
16.36 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
16.37-38 “Speak to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and you scatter the fire yonder; for they are holy, even the censers of these sinners against their own lives. And let them be made beaten plates for a covering of the altar, for they offered them before Yahweh, therefore they are holy; and they shall be a sign to the children of Israel.”
Having been used in the worship of Yahweh, even by such false ‘priests’, the censers and the fire in them were holy. They could not just be tossed away or destroyed. They had been offered before Yahweh and were therefore ‘holy’. But nor could they again be used. So they were told that they must scatter the burning ashes ‘yonder’ (on the brazen altar?), and that Eleazar must take the censers of the men who had given their own lives in order to use them, and make of them beaten plates which could be used as a covering for the altar. The word used for ‘plates’ regularly means ‘snares’. Whenever men looked on them in future they would remember what had happened to the men who had been ensnared by evil and had tried to supplant the Aaronic priesthood. They would be a ‘sign’ to the children of Israel of the legitimacy of that priesthood.
This is not an explanation of how the altar first received a brazen covering. It could never have operated without one. But we are not told how far Bezalel had overlaid it with bronze (Exodus 38.2). These were now additional, attached to the outside of the altar so that they could be a memorial of what had happened.
16.39-40 ‘And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, which those who were burnt had offered, and they beat them out for a covering of the altar, to be a memorial to the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Yahweh, that he be not as Korah, and as his company, as Yahweh spoke to him by Moses.’
Then Eleazar did as Yahweh commanded. He took the brazen censers which had been offered to Yahweh by those who had been consumed with fire, and ‘they’ (the priests or possibly the Levites) beat them for a covering for the altar. They were to be a memorial to the children of Israel, a warning, that no stranger, that is, no non-Aaronide, should come near to burn incense before Yahweh. For were they to do so they would end up like Korah and his band of Levites as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
Here then we have the import to which the whole account has built up, that the sanctuary was the exclusive province of the sons of Aaron.
The whole account is a warning against rebelling against Yahweh’s true servants, and against using false methods in order to approach God. For now there is only one way of access, through our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, and we can approach in no other way.
The Congregation Blame Moses and Aaron for the Fire and Pit (16.41-43).
16.41 ‘But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of Yahweh.” ’
As would be expected the incidents of that day were the talking point of the camp. It may well be that the rebels had given the people new hope, even if it was probably groundless, and thus what had happened angered them. It had been one thing for Moses and Aaron to devastate Pharaoh and Egypt, quite another when they used their strange powers to attack the people of Yahweh. They felt that a part of them had been cut off. Many would not forget the dreadful sight of the pit opening up and the fire coming from heaven.
So the next day the camp was seething with anger and discontent. And they charged Moses and Aaron with killing ‘the people of Yahweh’. They had seemingly been convinced by the claims made by Korah. Here, they believed, were holy men whom Moses and Aaron had chosen to destroy. This reveals how deeply the rebels had seized the hearts of the people, and how much Moses and Aaron had lost face as a result of the debacle of the invasion of the land.
16.42 ‘And it came about that, when the congregation was assembled against Moses and against Aaron, they looked toward the tent of meeting, and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of Yahweh appeared.’
As a result they gathered together around the Dwellingplace where they were planning to have it out with Moses and Aaron. But as they looked towards the Tent of meeting they saw the cloud descend and cover it and the appearance of the glory of Yahweh. It would remind them of what had happened days before (16.19), which had resulted in all that they were complaining about. They should have taken warning that when this happened at times when Moses and Aaron were being castigated, it was a sign of worse to come. Instead of being the welcome sight that it would have been when they were at peace with God and His chosen servants, it was a warning of what could lie ahead.
16.43 ‘And Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting.’
Then Moses and Aaron appeared, and came to the front of the Tent of meeting. They were ready to face any threat that might appear.
Yahweh’s Threat Against the People (16.44-45).
But in fact the threat came from Yahweh. In a sense this whole interlude of the rebellion was an important one. The disillusionment of the people after the failure to enter the land, and the cancellation of their prospects for doing so, was such that there had to be an emphatic response which brought them to their senses. Otherwise the future would have been bleak indeed. It had required a threefold threat of their total destruction (verse 21, 34, 45)
16.44 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
Yahweh again spoke to Moses and his words were clearly recorded.
16.45 “Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.” And they fell on their faces.’
The message was one of doom. Moses and Aaron were to get themselves safely away from the congregation so that Yahweh could punish them for their attitude. As with Dathan and Abiram it would all happen ‘in a moment’. Having given them a second chance He was no longer willing to continue to spare them.
We must recognise in this that Yahweh was not being continually frustrated but was both proving the faithfulness and effectiveness of Moses and Aaron to the people, and at the same time demonstrating where the people would be (or would not be) without them. He wanted it to be clear to the people that the only reason why they were allowed to survive was because of His mercy and because of the faithfulness and intercession of His chosen servants whom He had appointed.
Once again the intrepid couple threw themselves on their faces before Yahweh and begged for His mercy.
At Moses’ Word Aaron Stays the Plague by Offering Incense on His Censer (16.46-50).
The purpose in what followed was to demonstrate that Aaron with his censer was a totally different thing from the rebels with their censers. Aaron’s pleas were effective because he was the rightful intermediary for the people. In a sense he was the people. Theirs had been unsuccessful because they were frauds.
16.46 ‘And Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer, and put fire in it from off the altar, and lay incense on it, and carry it quickly to the congregation, and make atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from Yahweh. The plague is begun.” ’
Moses had already been made aware that Yahweh’s judgment had begun and that a deadly plague was spreading through the people. There was no time for intercession. The judgment was already at work and spreading rapidly. He recognised that there was only one hope. He turned to Aaron and commanded him to take his censer, put fire in it from the altar, from the burning coals that had received so much of the offerings of Israel (compare Isaiah 6.6), and then to burn incense on it. He was to do it with all speed. Then he was to race among the Israelites, making atonement for them, as the incense ascended as intercession for mercy to Yahweh, burning in the coals from the altar which had regularly burned offerings, and offered by the one who stood for the whole people. All had to be hurry. For Yahweh’s holy justice and aversion to sin was being revealed and the deadly plague had already begun.
16.47 ‘And Aaron took as Moses spoke, and ran into the midst of the assembly, and, behold, the plague was begun among the people. And he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people.’
Aaron instantly obeyed. He ran into the midst of ‘the assembly’ and even as he did so was aware of people dying around him. So putting the incense on to the coals in his censer he made atonement for the people. The incense smoke, and the smoke from the coals, rose upwards and as Yahweh looked down on His chosen representative offering atonement for the people His holy justice was appeased. Because of the multiplicity of offerings that had been slain and had been offered on the altar, and because of the intercession of His chosen servants, and in this case especially His High Priest, He was enabled to righteously forgive.
16.48 ‘And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.’
And there Aaron stood between the dead and the living. The dead were gone, seemingly drawing others after them, but he brought hope and protection to the living. Death was driven back. As a holy intercessor he prevented death from reaching more of the people. Now all would know without any doubt who was the chosen of Yahweh, and who had the sole right to offer incense on behalf of the people.
One day Another would even more effectively stand between the dead and the living as He hung on a cross, and a greater plague would be stayed, for His death would be sufficient for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2.2). Indeed He would hold the keys of Sheol and of death, opening them and releasing all who were His (Revelation 1.18).
16.49 ‘Now those who died by the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died about the matter of Korah.’
And the number who died from that plague, on top of those who had died in the matter of Korah, was fourteen ’eleph and seven ‘hundreds’. If ever there was a symbolic number this was it. Fourteen was twice seven indicating the revelation of the divine choice and perfection in judgment and the doubling of the reception of the punishment for sin (compare Isaiah 40.l). This was then followed by seven intensified indicating the divine perfection of the judgment demanded. We are probably to translate, 14 leaders and the equivalent of seven military units (or fourteen families, the equivalent of seven military units).
16.50 ‘And Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the tent of meeting, and the plague was stayed.’
Having done his duty Aaron returned to Moses to the door of the Tent of meeting and the plague ceased. Hopefully the people would now settle down and return to normality. While this whole incident is not dated, the highly charged state that it reveals the people to have been in seems to indicate that it could not have been long after their great disappointment about the land.
The lessons for us are clear. They are that we recognise the importance of doing God’s work in God’s way, that we honour those whom He honours, and that we do not rebel against His chosen leaders who prove themselves worthy of Him, and whom He authenticates by the power of their ministry. The lessons are that we do not seek to trespass on things that are not God’s will for us, but accept from His hand what He is willing to give us. They are that we remember that He is holy, and that we should walk carefully and reverently before Him, always recognising His great holiness, for though greatly privileged we must never take God for granted.
From this we also learn of One Who can, as it were, come among us and offer up the incense of intercession and atonement on our behalf, ever living to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7.25).
Chapter 17 The Rod That Budded .
In chapter 16 the question has been dealt with as to who could act as a mediator between Israel and God in the offering of incense. Now the further question is dealt with as to who may enter the Holy Place.
b). Who Has The Right To Enter The Sanctuary? - Issues of Life and Death Evidenced By The Rod That Budded (chapter 17).
Here those with the right to enter the Sanctuary are determined once and for all as the sons of Aaron. We are given no background to the incident, although it may well have followed not long after the preceding event, and is clearly connected with it.
This is the third in the trio of incidents which confirm the Aaronic priesthood, the first two of which overlap. Each of them covers two days (16.1-22; 16.23-50;17.1-13), and each of them ends with the thought of the people being consumed (16.21, 45-48; 17.13).
Yahweh Commands Each Tribe to Lay a Rod Before Him in the Tent of Testimony One For Each Head of Their Father’s House (17.1-3)
17.1 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
Again it is emphasised here that we have the words of Yahweh as spoken to Moses.
17.2 ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and take of them rods, one for each fathers’ house, of all their princes according to their fathers’ houses, twelve rods. You write every man’s name on his rod.’
All the men of Israel were to be involved in this. It is possible that Levi were included among ‘the twelve’ and that Manasseh and Ephraim were for this event treated as one tribe, the rods representing the ‘households’ of the original patriarchal fathers. But a rod was taken for each of their fathers’ houses, and the names of each of the chieftains of those fathers’ houses was written on the rods. This would suggest in the light of previous references to twelve chieftains that the ‘twelve’ rods were in contrast with Aaron’s rod. (Alternately one rod may have represented Joseph, including both Ephraim and Manasseh. It was Joseph who was to be ‘a fruitful bough’ (Genesis 49.22), but not as pertaining to the priesthood).
The word for ‘rods’ also indicates ‘tribes, and can in fact be used to indicate either. Thus the rods symbolised each tribe.
17.3 ‘And you shall write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi, for there shall be one rod for each head of their fathers’ houses.’
On the rod of Levi the name of Aaron was to be written. There was to be one for each head of their fathers’ houses. In the light of the earlier divisions in chapters 1-4 we are probably therefore to see that there were thirteen rods, the twelve which represented Israel in contrast with the Levites, and the one that specifically represented Aaron.
Here Aaron is depicted as the head of the house of Levi. That may well be why earlier he was called ‘the Levite’ as the head of the family (Exodus 4.14).
The Rods Are To Be Laid Up in the Tent of Meeting before the Testimony (17.4).
17.4 ‘And you shall lay them up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where I meet with you.’
These were then to be ‘laid up in the Tent of meeting, before the testimony’, in the place where Yahweh meets with His people. This probably meant in front of the veil behind which was the Ark of the covenant of Yahweh, ‘the testimony’ indicating the presence of the covenant tablets in the Ark and their testimony to the covenant.
The Rod of the Chosen One Will Bud and Put an End to Murmuring (17.5).
17.5 ‘And it will come about, that the rod of the man whom I shall choose will bud, and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against you.’
Then Yahweh would make the rod of the man that Yahweh had chosen spring to life and bud. This final display on Yahweh’s initiative should cause all further murmurings against Moses and Aaron on the question of who had the right of priesthood to cease.
All the Chieftains Give Rods Including Aaron (17.6).
17.6 ‘And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him rods, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods, and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.’
So Moses did as Yahweh commanded and requested rods from each of the chieftains of the twelve tribes. These rods may well have been their symbols of authority. Thus twelve rods were gathered and Aaron’s rod was placed among them.
The Rods Are Placed In the Tent of Testimony (17.7).
17.7 ‘And Moses laid up the rods before Yahweh in the tent of the testimony.’
The rods were then laid up ‘before Yahweh’ in ‘the Tent of the testimony’. Note the change in name for the Tent. Emphasis is placed here on the fact that the Tent testifies to Yahweh and His covenant. As we have already suggested, this probably meant that they were placed before the veil behind which was the Ark of the covenant of Yahweh, although it may be that Moses uniquely had access into the Holy of Holies itself.
Aaron’s Rod Buds and Flowers in the Tent of Testimony, and The Budded and Unbudded Rods Are Revealed to All the People, Who Look on Them (so that murmuring will cease) (17.8-9).
17.8 ‘And it came about on the next day, that Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms (tsits), and bare ripe almonds.’
The next day Moses entered the Tent of testimony, and there he discovered that Aaron’s rod had budded. Indeed it had not only produced buds, but had also burst into flower and borne ripe almonds. The same word (tsits) which indicates ‘blossoms’ also signifies the golden ‘plate’ which was part of the High Priest’s headdress (Exodus 28.36; Leviticus 8.9). Assuming them to be almond flowers they would have been pinky white. Jeremiah 1.11-12 associates ‘almonds’ (shaked) with ‘vigilance’ and ‘watching’ (shoked). The almond was also the earliest tree to blossom. Thus the budding was evidence of new life, the flowers symbolised the High Priestly ‘holiness to Yahweh’ in the whiteness of purity and righteousness, and the almonds indicated that Yahweh watched over him with vigilance.
The lampstand in the Dwellinglace of Yahweh represented an almond tree (Exodus 25.33-34). Thus the rod that produced almonds was seen as, as it were, an offshoot of the One represented by the lampstand.
The message was clear. The rod of Aaron lived in the presence of Yahweh, but the rods of the tribes remained dead. Only Aaron and his sons could be in the presence of Yahweh in the Holy Place and live. Only Aaron could ‘produce fruit’ in the Holy Place.
17.9 ‘And Moses brought out all the rods from before Yahweh to all the children of Israel, and they looked, and took every man his rod.’
Then Moses brought all the rods out ‘from before Yahweh’ and brought them to the children of Israel, and they looked and saw, and each chieftain took his rod. Nothing further needed to be said. The rods spoke for themselves. They were taken back to the tribe with an account of what had happened and no doubt carefully examined.
Aaron’s Rod Is Laid Up ‘Before the Testimony’ to Put an End to Their Murmuring (17.10-11).
17.10 ‘And Yahweh said to Moses, “Put back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion, that you may make an end of their murmurings against me, that they die not.” ’
Then Yahweh told Moses to put Aaron’s rod back ‘before the testimony’. It would be a permanent token to the rebellious, in order that their murmurings might cease, so that they would not need to die.
17.11 ‘Thus did Moses, as Yahweh commanded him, so did he.’
And Moses did all that Yahweh had commanded him.
The People Recognise that None But Aaron’s House May Enter the Tabernacle. They Alone Can Enter the Sanctuary and Live (17.12-13)
17.12-13 ‘And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are undone, all of us are undone. Every one who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of Yahweh, dies. Shall we perish all of us?” ’
The people examined the dead rods that represented the tribes, in contrast with the living rod of Aaron, and their consciences smote them as they remembered their recent past. They must have asked themselves, what did this signify? Terror took hold of them, and spread. Their rod had come back dead. They panicked. Was this an omen, an indication of their coming fate, that Yahweh was handing them over to death? They understood the message that was given, that they could not enter the near presence of Yahweh lest they die, that to come too near to the Sanctuary was death, as Moses had already warned (1.51, 53). But they feared that death was upon them, as they recognised that they had been approaching His Dwellingplace so lightly. Were they then doomed? Was this the harbinger of a ghastly fate? Moses no doubt reassured them of what the true significance of the rods was, but for the reader, held in suspense, the answer is given in 18.2. The iniquity of the Sanctuary and the priesthood would be borne by Aaron and his sons.
So once the initial panic had subsided the people learned in a never to be forgotten way that the Sanctuary was holy and the inner Sanctuary was for the priests alone. God had made quite plain through the rods that only Aaron and his sons could flourish there. For all others to enter would be to perish. Note the threefold stress, ‘perish -- undone -- all undone’ indicating how distressed they were. The repetition of ‘comes near’ indicates coming very close. To come too close to the Dwellingplace of Yahweh would result in death, just as the rods were dead. They had to face up to the fact that in the future all who did so would perish.
This example of the rods also pictorially made clear to them what had happened to Korah and his band of Levites. They had thought to come too close to Yahweh in direct disobedience to His instruction and they had died. None must ever again make the same mistake. The same would happen to any who made the attempt. Only Aaron and his sons had the privilege of entry into His inner Sanctuary.
For us the message is that if we would enter the presence of God we too must receive life, and bud and produce fruit. We must receive eternal life, through Jesus Christ (John 5.24; 10.28; 1 John 5.12-13; 2 Corinthians 5.17), and only then we can live before Him. For us our right of access is through the sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 10.19-20) and results from our being made a royal priesthood through Him (1 Peter 2.9).
Chapter 18 Those Who Could Approach The Sanctuary Were Therefore Necessary and Must Be Maintained.
The rights to the priesthood having been established details are now given about the service of the priests and other Levites.
3). The Service of the Levites (18.1-32).
The priesthood having been finally vindicated and firmly established, their service and the service of the other Levites is then dealt with. They will serve the Sanctuary and live among the people and make Yahweh’s ways known to them and bear their iniquity. This is Yahweh’s response to the terror of the people in 17.12-13.
This section may be analysed as follows:
We will now consider these aspects in more detail.
Aaron and His Sons To Be Before the Tent of the Testimony and the Levites to Have the Charge of the Tent And Do Service For The Priests (18.1-7).
In this section the vital ministry of the priests and Levites is emphasised. They were to maintain the holiness of the Dwellingplace of Yahweh, and see to all necessary means by which atonement was possible for Israel. On them would come the guilt of failure in this regard. The priests were to ‘bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary’ (18.1) and the Levites that of watching over the Dwellingplace (18.23).
This first section follows a similar chiastic pattern.
Note the repetition of ‘no stranger to come near’ in verses 4 and 7. This similar pattern of a repetition within a chiasmus can be found in Exodus 18.21b-22a with 18.25b-26a; Numbers 18.23 with 24; Deuteronomy 2.21 with 22; 31.6 and 7.
18.1 ‘And Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood.” ’
A most solemn charge was given to Aaron on behalf of the sons of Aaron. The special sacredness of this was brought out by the fact that Yahweh spoke directly to Aaron alone, which was unusual (see also verse 8). He wanted Aaron to recognise the supreme sacredness of his charge.
He and his sons and his father’s house (the Levites) were to have full responsibility for the carrying out of all the requirements of the Sanctuary, and he and his sons were to have the full responsibility of the whole system of offerings and sacrifices as outlined in Leviticus, including the Day of Atonement. On them would come the blame for the failure to carry them out meticulously. They would bear the judgment that followed failure. Thus for the priests special offerings were available to cover unwitting failures in this regard (Leviticus 4.3-12; 16.6). Examples of judgment following failure in this regard can be found in the case of Aaron’s two eldest sons when they offered ‘strange (unauthorised) fire’ (Leviticus 10.1-2), and the sons of Eli who manipulated the system to their own advantage (1 Samuel 2.12-17, 29-34; 4.17; 22.18-19; 1 Kings 2.27)
‘You shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary.’ It was the priests who were mainly to maintain the holiness of the inner Sanctuary in the faithful fulfilment of their duties with regard to the preparation and presentation of the showbread, the maintenance, trimming and lighting of the lampstand, and the offering of the holy, uniquely prescribed incense on the altar of incense, ensuring especially that nothing ‘foreign’ or unprescribed could interfere. They had the privilege of approaching nearest to the throne of Yahweh, but thereby they bore the heavier responsibility.
But this also included the fact that the very presence of the camp around the Sanctuary contributed to its defilement, and that was why there was the necessity for the compulsory daily offerings and the annual Day of Atonement, failure in respect to which would redound on the priests. Even the gifts and offerings of the people contributed to that defilement (Exodus 28.38) and it was through the ministry of ‘the Priest’ that these were made acceptable. Thus the Priest and the priesthood performed a vital function.
The Levites also would be responsible to protect the Sanctuary, and they were to watch over it and carry out its ancillary functions, including the bearing of it on the march. To this extent too they ‘bore the iniquity of the Sanctuary’ for any failure in that regard. It was a sacred responsibility.
‘You will bear the iniquity of your priesthood.’ Aaron and his sons were also responsible for the correct and proper carrying out of all the cultic requirements, including the proper offering of offerings and sacrifices, the discerning of cleanness and uncleanness, and the advising of the people in cultic matters, and would bear the judgment of Yahweh on all failures in this regard. On them would come the responsibility for any lack in the carrying out of all God’s commandments in this regard (see Isaiah 1.10-15). It was a great privilege but a heavy responsibility.
18.2 “And your brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you, but you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the testimony.’
The priests were to have the assistance of the remainder of the Levites, who would ‘minister to them’ by looking after the maintenance and heavy duties with regard to the holy things, but only in a very secondary capacity (see chapters 3-4).
The Levites were to be ‘joined to them’. There is a play on words here. ‘To join’ is lawah, while the Levites are lewi. It is a word play, the equivalent of a sacred pun, beloved of the ancients.
18.3 “And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent. Only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor you (ye).’
The Levites would be expected to ‘keep the charge’ of the priests, that is, receive and obey the instructions of the priests. They were especially to have responsibilities for the erecting and dismantling of the Dwellingplace once the holy things had been fully covered by the priests (4.5-15), and of guarding the Sanctuary from the approach of unauthorised persons (1.53). But to come near the vessels of the sanctuary, including its furniture and all their appurtenances, or to approach the altar while it was uncovered and in active service was forbidden them. To fail in this regard would be fatal. It would result in death. And if it was due to failure on behalf of the priests, they too would die.
18.4 “And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent. And a stranger (unauthorised person) shall not come near to you (ye).”
The Levites would also have responsibility for the maintenance of the Tent, and to perform any ancillary duties outside those which were wholly the responsibility of the priests. They were general helpmeets. But they alone could do this. No unauthorised person was to be involved in any of these matters, or ‘come near’ in order to act in this regard.
18.5 “And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, that there be wrath no more on the children of Israel.”
But the charge of the inner Sanctuary and of the altar was the priests alone. They alone could enter the inner Sanctuary, they alone could minister at the altar and have charge of all its affairs. This would avoid ‘wrath’ and judgment falling on Israel as it had in the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (17).
18.6 “And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are a gift, given to Yahweh, to do the service of the tent of meeting.”
The Levites belonged to Yahweh, having replaced the firstborn of the children of Israel (Exodus 13.2 and often), and the Levites were now Yahweh’s gift to the priests to perform all the laborious and heavy tasks peripheral to the actual cult activity, which included the carrying of all the holy things while on the march and, later, the gathering and controlling of the tithes and giving guidance concerning God’s Instruction (the Torah).
18.7 “And you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and you (ye) shall serve. I give you (ye) the priesthood as a service of gift, and the stranger (unauthorised person) who comes near shall be put to death.”
So Aaron and his sons were to protect and guard the priesthood (compare 3.10) in respect of everything appertaining to the altar, and for everything within the veil. Thus they were responsible for all use of the altar, the activities within the inner Sanctuary, and all service with regard to the Holy of Holies, (the Holiest of All, the Most Holy Place), where none could enter except the High Priest once a year on the Day of Atonement.
‘And you shall serve.’ Theirs was to be a continual service, day by day, sabbath by sabbath, new moon by new moon, year by year. Their whole lives were to be dedicated to Yahweh’s service. This was God’s gift to them, and none other could participate. Any unauthorised person who sought to interfere was to be put to death.
‘Who comes near.’ To come near in such a context means to have access to, to be associated with. It often contains the idea of encroaching or intruding. The point here is that the person is going beyond what he knows he should.
For us all this holy work is carried on by our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, Who is for us both High Priest and offering (see Hebrews). It is through His work for us and through faith in Him that we are made acceptable to God. The careful emphasis on the work of the priests and its dangers demonstrates how important and particular His work was. And to us then is given a priesthood for the offering of praise and thanksgiving (Hebrews 13.15; 1 Peter 2.5; Ephesians 5.19-20), and for service on His behalf in purity of life and witness (Romans 12.1-2).
Provision for the Priests - the Holy Things, The Contributions/heave offerings and the Firstfruits, and Yahweh Himself, are to be Their Inheritance (18.8-20).
As a reward for their faithful service the priests were given as an inheritance certain holy things, the most holy being for their own consumption, and the less holy being for all their families. Celibacy was never God’s plan for His servants. They were responsible to produce children for the maintenance of the service of God.
The most holy things included portions of the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings (see Leviticus 2; 4.1-6.7; 6.14-7.7). These could be eaten only by males of the family of Aaron within the precincts of the Tent of meeting. The holy things, which could be eaten by their whole families if they were ‘clean’, included the contribution offerings (heave offerings), the firstfruits and portions of peace offerings, which could be eaten in a clean place.
Analysis.
18.8 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “And I, behold, I have given you (thee) the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel. To you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion for ever.” ’
To Aaron and his sons were given charge of all ‘contribution offerings’ or ‘heave-offerings’. In view of the fact that not all that comes under this name could be ‘heaved’ (moved up and down) before Yahweh, ‘contribution offering presented before Yahweh’ is probably the best translation. But the principle is the same. They were offerings made to Yahweh and brought before Him at the door of the Tent of meeting. They were thus ‘hallowed things’, set apart to Yahweh. They could in fact be partaken of by the priests, by their families and, under the supervision of the priests and in their gift, by the people when gathered at the Tent of meeting (Deuteronomy 12.17). Because Aaron and his sons were anointed, set apart for Yahweh by the anointing with oil, all contribution offerings were at their disposal.
These ‘contribution offerings’ included the shoulder/thigh of all peace offerings (Exodus 29.28; Leviticus 3; 7.32), a portion of cakes of unleavened and leavened bread offered with such offerings (Leviticus 7.14), the firstfruits of the dough (15.18-21), the ‘contribution of the threshing-floor’ (15.20; Leviticus 2.14-16; Exodus 22.29; 23.16-19; Leviticus 23.10), a portion of the tithes (18.24, 28), and a portion of spoils in battle (31.29, 41). When there was overabundance they would be shared with the people, but only at feasts at the Tent of meeting, and this would become a custom (Deuteronomy 12.17). Especially in the early days the contribution offerings would be far more than the priests and their families could consume.
18.9 “This shall be yours (thine) of the most holy things, reserved from the fire, every oblation of theirs, even every grain offering of theirs, and every purification for sin offering of theirs, and every guilt offering of theirs, which they will render to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons.”
The most holy things were reserved for the male priests. These included the portions of the grain, purification for sin and guilt offerings not offered by fire on the altar. The point here is that they ate them as the representatives of Yahweh, ‘standing in’ for Yahweh. Yahweh needed no earthly food, but it had to be offered to Him nonetheless in gratitude and worship, and as a means for the purification of sin. And it was then openly consumed by the priests who ate it in His name. None other could eat of it.
18.10 “As the most holy things you shall eat of them, every male shall eat of them. It shall be holy to you (thee).”
This privilege was tightly restricted. These offerings were ‘most holy’. They were uniquely the preserve of Yahweh Himself. Only the male priests could eat them on Yahweh’s behalf. They were special. The fact that they included the grain offerings is against any theories about the priest being necessary in order to absorb the sin. The point was that they were so holy to Yahweh that only He through His priests could participate in them.
18.11 “And this is yours. The heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel, I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion for ever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of them.”.
But all contribution offerings could be eaten by al in the priestly families who were ritually clean. And included with these were the wave offerings which were the portion of the priests from offerings and sacrifices, and included the breast of each animal sacrificed, apart from whole burnt offerings which were totally consumed on the altar.
18.12 “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the firstfruits of that which they give to Yahweh, to you have I given them.”
The priests were also to receive the choicest of the firstfruits, of the oil, the vintage and the grain. The firstfruits of all produce was to be given to Yahweh, and was available to the priests.
18.13 “The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours. Every one who is clean in your house shall eat of it.”
And these firstfruits, the first-ripe fruits, were available to all in the priestly families. All in their households who were ritually clean could eat of them. They were holy but not most holy.
18.14 “Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.”
Furthermore anything that was ‘devoted’ to Yahweh under an oath was the priests. See Leviticus 27. There we discover that many would seek to reveal their devotion to God by offering some of their wealth under oath, or offering themselves so that they had to be ‘redeemed’. All this, including the redemption price, belonged to the priests.
18.15 “Everything which opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Yahweh, both of man and beast shall be yours. Nevertheless the first-born of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts you shall redeem.”
From the time of leaving Egypt every male that opened the womb belonged to Yahweh, whether of man or domestic beast (Exodus 13.2 and often). If it was a clean animal it had to be offered as a sacrifice. If it was an unclean animal such as an ass it must either be redeemed or its neck was to be broken (this latter not offering it as a sacrifice). If it was a man child, the man child had to be redeemed.
18.16 “And those who are to be redeemed of them, from a month old shall you redeem, according to your estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).”
The cost of redeeming a male child was to be five shekels. That was lower than the price of a male slave, and probably represented the slave price of a male child.
18.17 “But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you (thou) shall not redeem. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
If it was ox, sheep or goat it had to be offered as a sacrifice, and its blood sprinkled on the altar. Its fat was to be burned, as the fat of any offering always was, as a pleasing odour to Yahweh. There could be no redemption.
18.18 “And their flesh shall be yours, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours (thine).”
The flesh of the offering of the firstling then belonged to the priest, along with the wave-breast and the contribution-thigh which always went to the priests unless the offering was a whole burnt offering.
18.19 “All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion for ever. It is a covenant of salt for ever before Yahweh to you and to your seed with you.”
So all contribution offerings which were of holy things, and therefore ‘most holy’, were to be given to the priests as a portion for ever. This was a covenant of salt before Yahweh, that is a covenant which would be preserved and could not weaken or decay. It was for ever.
18.20 ‘And Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.” ’
And this would be the priests’ lot because they would have no inheritance in the land. They would have no portion in the land. Yahweh would be their inheritance and their portion.
This teaches us that those who would serve Christ fully should have no portion in this life. If they prosper they should look on all in which they prosper as God’s and only to be used under His commandment. They should receive their food as God provides, and utilise all that they have to further His work and purposes. When a supposed man of God accumulates wealth for himself and lives a wealthy lifestyle he thereby debars himself from true service for God.
Provision For the Levites - the Tithes Are to Be Their Inheritance (18.21-24).
We are now informed of the fact that the tithe, one tenth of all produce whether of domestic animals, grain, olive oil, or vintage, was to belong to Yahweh and be given to the Levites. During the period in the wilderness this would all be necessary in order to ensure that the Levites had a reasonable supply of food. Thus here the command is that the whole tithe be given to the Levites, although even then as a small tribe they would have sufficient and to spare. Thus it is probable that they made some of the tithe available at the regular feasts. Once they were in the land this one tenth would become so much that the Levites would have overabundance. Then it would be made official that a portion of the tithe could be used at the feasts to provide food for the people who attended. And every third year the tithe would be set aside for the Levites and for the needy of the land, the fatherless, the widows and resident aliens, probably stored by and distributed by the Levites (Deuteronomy 14.28-29).
Analysis.
Note within the chiastic order the ‘out of harmony’ double reference to ‘among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance’. This parallels the same feature earlier with regard to ‘no stranger coming near’ in 18.4, 7; (also see Exodus 18.21b-22a with 18.25b-26a; Deuteronomy 2.21 with 22) and is clearly intended.
18.21 “And to the children of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they serve, even the service of the tent of meeting.”
This is the first specific reference to the fact that the tithe should be given to the Levites. Leviticus 27.30-33 regulates the tithing but does not name its recipient. Tithing was an ancient custom in the Ancient Near East and we only have to turn to Genesis 14 to see it in operation. There Abraham had to pay a tithe to the King of Salem as feudal dues, or possibly as a kind of rental for the use of land for grazing, and as fealty while dwelling on his land. In return he received use of the land and provisioning after the battle which had just been fought. But Yahweh was Israel’s Overlord and in Israel that tithe was due to Yahweh. It was His and at His disposal. Here He declared that it should then go to the Levites as His servants, as their inheritance from Him.
18.22 “And from now on the children of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting, lest they bear sin, and die.”
And because the Levites now served the Dwellingplace of Yahweh, where He met with His people, instead of the firstborn sons of Israel, no children of Israel could come near the Tent of meeting in order to serve there lest they come under judgment (bear sin) and die. They could, of course, approach the court of the Tent with their offerings, but they came as approved suppliants and not as those who had a right of entry.
18.23 “But the Levites shall do the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. And among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”
For now it was the Levites who were to do the service of the Tent of meeting, guarding the approach and entry, assisting the people when they brought their offerings, erecting, dismantling and carrying it on its travels, supervising the collection of the tithes and ensuring that the priests received their portion.
‘They shall bear their iniquity.’ Their work carried with it certain dangers. If it was carried out carelessly or without due regard to the sanctity of what they carried they might well find themselves in peril. It was because they had to be well enough experienced not to make foolish or blasphemous errors that they could not bear the Dwellingplace and its furniture and accessories until they were thirty. We can understand why five years training connected with it was necessary before they actually physically participated (compare 4.3-39, 47 with 8.24).
18.24 “For the tithe of the children of Israel, which they offer as a contribution/heave-offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.”
And that is why the tithe, which was a ‘contribution offering’ to Yahweh, was then given to the Levites. It was their inheritance from Yahweh. And that is why it was doubly stressed that they had no inheritance among the people. Yahweh was their inheritance.
The Priests to Receive a Tithe of the Tithes For Their Service at the Sanctuary and the Altar And The Remainder To Go To The Levites (18.25-29).
The tithe was therefore to go to the Levites who were to ensure that one tenth of the tithe, and the very best of the tithe, went in turn to the priests.
Analysis.
The Levites To Set Aside a Tithe of Their Tithe for the Priests (18.25-27).
18.25 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,’
Again we have the emphasis that these were Yahweh’s words to Moses. Note the change from Aaron in verses 1 and 8. It was not fitting that Aaron tell the Levites what he himself was to receive. Such niceties confirm that we are here dealing with the actual situation and not some later invention.
18.26 “What is more you shall speak to the Levites, and say to them, ‘When you take of the children of Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a contribution offering (heave-offering) of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe.’ ”
On receiving the tithes from the people the Levites were to offer one tenth of the tithe to Yahweh for the priests, as their contribution to the ministry of the priests. It would be a tithe of the tithe.
18.27 “And your heave-offering shall be reckoned to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing-floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.”
And as the Levites would not have much to offer that they grew themselves, this tithe to the priests would count as though it came from the grain of their threshing-floor and from the fullness of their winepresses, being their contribution to the ministry of the priests.
18.28 “Thus you also shall offer a heave-offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of Israel; and of them you (ye) shall give Yahweh’s heave-offering to Aaron the priest.”
In that way the Levites would be making a contribution offering to Yahweh of tithes, in the same way as the other tribes made a contribution offering to Yahweh of tithes. They would make it out of their own tithe inheritance that they received from Yahweh.
18.29 “Out of all your gifts you shall offer every contribution offering (heave-offering) of Yahweh, of all the best of it, even the hallowed part of it out of it.”
Out of all the gifts that they received they were to make their contribution offering to Yahweh, and for this purpose they were to choose the choicest and the best. That was to form the ‘hallowed part’. That which was made holy to Yahweh and set apart for the priests.
18.30 “Therefore you shall say to them, When you make a contribution of (heave) the best of it from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the winepress.”
And that is why Moses could tell the Levites that when they did give the best to Yahweh from their tithes it would be treated as though they had grown it themselves, as though they had grown the grain and threshed it, as though they had grown the grapes and pressed them.
18.31 “And you (ye) shall eat it in every place, you (ye) and your households. For it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.”
But the remainder of the tithe they could eat ‘in every place’. That did not have to be brought before Yahweh nor eaten in the precincts of the Tent of meeting. It would need to be in a clean place, but it could be in any of their tents, and later their towns. It was their reward for their service in the Tent of meeting.
18.32 “And you (ye) shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it. And you (ye) shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, that you die not.”
Thus once they had given to the priests the tithe of the tithe, as their contribution offering to Yahweh, they would be free from blame for their use of the remainder of them. By partaking of them and utilising them as they wished they would not be profaning them. This provision was very necessary. Otherwise it could have been argued that as the Levites’ share of the tithe was ‘given to Yahweh’ it had to be treated as ‘most holy’ and therefore not to be eaten outside the Sanctuary precincts.
Chapter 19 The Water or Uncleanness.
In this chapter the problem of dealing with the defilement of death is dealt with on behalf of the community whose prospect is now life.
4). The Water of Uncleanness - Provision for Israel’s Dealings With Yahweh Enabling The Removal Of Uncleanness Resulting From Contact With Death (chapter 19).
The placing of this chapter is important. It closes the period of wilderness wandering with the promise of life to God’s people. It is central to the structure of the book. For this section 15-19 parallels 20.1-21.20 which opens the new period and also ends with the promise of life, in the latter case through abundance of water. Furthermore in 15-19 the ministry of the priesthood is emphasised. In 20.1-21.20 the renewal of the priesthood, through the death of Aaron and the appointment of Eleazar, is stressed, both resulting in life for Israel.
In this chapter we have described ‘the water for uncleanness’ (or more correctly the water for removal of uncleanness), the water containing the ashes of a heifer used for sprinkling by a clean person for the removal of uncleanness. This was the means of freeing any in Israel from all taint of death so as once again to be able to have dealings with Yahweh. It concluded the series of: the provision for dedication and purification and giving of tribute through offerings and sacrifices (15), the certifying of the priesthood for the making of atonement and intercession before Yahweh (16-17), and the confirming of levitical service with regard to the maintenance of the holiness of the Dwellingplace, in preparation for entry into the land (18). Once this completed the picture all provision was now made for the new Israel’s future.
It may be that the placing of this provision here as opposed to in chapter 5 may be in order to stress that death was the lot of the first generation of the people as a result of their failure to enter the land. While there was cleansing from the taint of death, in the final analysis they could not be purified from it. It hung over them all their lives. Nevertheless that they did have available the water of purification is probable from its probable mention in 7.9.
This subject brings out the great contrast between the Dwellingplace and outside the camp. In the Dwellingplace was the living God, the Lord of life, the One Who Is. Death could neither reach Him nor touch Him. He was the opposite of all that death was. To be in a right relationship with Him was to enjoy life. Death was an enemy. It resulted from sin and led to corruption, and darkness, and the world of the grave. But Yahweh was totally pure, totally free from sin and corruption, dwelling in unapproachable light, and ruling the heavens brighter than the sun. He was the source of life, the living God. No taint of death must therefore enter the Dwellingplace, apart from atoning death, which represented life given in death in order to make atonement for one whose sin had made him as good as dead. Such a death, the death of an animal substitute and representative, was acceptable to Yahweh, for it was His provision for purification and atonement.
In contrast outside the camp was the world of death and corruption. There death occurred freely, but it was not to be brought into the camp, and was wholly barred from the Dwellingplace. The camp itself was a mid-way zone. Death occurred there, but it was to be separated and isolated, and its taint had to be removed through the ritual about to be described, or in mild cases by waiting on God.
Death was thus something to be feared and avoided. Even contact with death was to be shunned. Thus to come into contact with death was to be rendered unclean. To touch or come into contact with a dead animal was to require a period of waiting before Yahweh until the evening, having first made preparation by washing the body with water to remove earthiness. But to come into contact with the dead body of a man or woman, or to be in a tent where there was death, was to be rendered so deeply unclean that the cleansing process lasted seven days and required the application of sacrificial blood and an indication of the restoration of life.
So was made clear that Yahweh is the living God, the source and giver of life, and that death is foreign to His being and His whole purposes. Death was the great enemy to be shunned and rejected. And it was made clear that His people could come from the sphere of death to the sphere of life through the sprinkling of the blood of a substitute and representative, slain in their place through God’s good provision. Thus could death be put behind them.
But while it was an enemy from which they needed to be delivered, death was common. Contact with death was so common, and so had to be dealt with, that only the High Priest could be kept from it by his deliberate abstention from anything that could bring him into contact with death (Leviticus 21.10-12). While by some unfortunate accident it could happen even to him, if it was possible it was to be avoided at all costs, for it defiled him and made him unfit for seven days to fulfil his ministry. It was the opposite of all he stood for, and prevented him from entry into the Holy Place.
Indeed when he himself died it was so momentous an event that a new era was seen to begin (35.25, 28). With the rise of a new high priest a new life began for all, and the past was dead and gone. Even the manslayer could return home. While therefore a time of grief it was also a time of celebration. A new future was secured. It was as though a new creation had begun. This will shortly be illustrated in the death of Aaron and the rise of Eleazar.
Such was the importance of the High Priest’s ministry that the unbroken maintenance of his ministry as far as possible was seen as vital for Israel. He must thus avoid all contact with death, which would render him unfit to approach the living God, the Lord of life. The priests also were to seek to avoid contact with death, but in their case were permitted such contact for close relatives (Leviticus 21.1-4). Otherwise all regularly came into contact with death, and this would be more so in the wilderness wandering when the whole of a generation would be wiped out. So if sacrifices had been necessary each time someone came into contact with death the herds and flocks would have proved insufficient and have been sadly depleted. Yet at the same time the obnoxious nature of death had to be brought out. And so an alternative to sacrifice was provided in the water of uncleanness, which had the efficacy of the blood of sacrifice in regard to ritual uncleanness through contact with the dead, but did not require constant deaths. It provided ‘one death for all’, a suitable picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the one sacrifice could deal with the many occasions. In some ways it can be compared with the offerings on the Day of Atonement. But even those had to be repeated yearly, and even the ashes had to be renewed eventually. It was only the death of Jesus, Who is also our permanently continuing High Priest (Hebrews 7.25-28), that could really be once for all (Hebrews 10.14).
This chapter may be analysed as follows:
These will now be dealt with under their separate headings, and further analysed.
The Slaughter of the Red Heifer and Storing of the Ashes (19.1-10).
In this we may reverently suggest that we have a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ Whose sacrifice through His death for us is in one sense ‘stored up’ that we might draw on it in time of need (1 John 1.7). Through His sacrifice we can be freed from the grip and taint of death, so that it cease to be an enemy but becomes powerless (Hebrews 2.14-15).
Firstly the procedures for the slaughter of the red heifer and the preparation of the ashes from which the water of uncleanness could be made, are described.
Analysis.
It should be noted that all who come in contact with this procedure are rendered mildly unclean. It is to enter into the domain of death. Thus the High Priest himself could not be involved. Furthermore the ashes themselves had to remain outside the camp. Anything connected with death had no right inside the camp.
The Red Heifer to be Selected, Free from Blemish and Never Under the Yoke (19.1-2).
19.1 ‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,’
Once more it is stressed that these were the words of Yahweh to Moses and Aaron.
19.2 “This is the statute of the law which Yahweh has commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, and on which never came yoke.”
Note the solemn stress laid on the importance of this issue. ‘This is the statute (what is prescribed) of the Instruction which Yahweh has commanded’. It was something especially to be taken notice of (compare Numbers 31.21 which also referred to purification).
The children of Israel were to ‘bring you a red heifer without spot, in which is no blemish, and on which never came yoke.’ The heifer ( literally ‘cow’, but one that had not worked) was to be reddish in colour, without any defacing marks, without blemish, and never having been used for work. It was necessarily to be female, as the producer of life (Genesis 3.20). It was to be young and innocent and free and full of life. The ‘reddish’ colour may signify wellbeing and good health, the unblemished state signified its perfection, and its not having yet worked signified its exuberance of life. It epitomised the life of the ideal clean man or woman in innocence.
It was to be brought by the children of Israel. By this they were acknowledging it as their representative, slaughtered on their behalf.
The Red Heifer To Be Brought Outside the Camp by Eleazar and Slain Before Him (19.3).
19.3 “And you shall give her to Eleazar the priest, and he shall bring her forth outside the camp, and one shall slay her before his face,”
Here was one full of life and without imperfection, brought to the priest. But she was to be brought by the priest outside the camp, for all procedures related to death had to be dealt with there. They must not involve the camp. And there she was to be slain by a member of the congregation of Israel. The sinless life was taken in the shedding of blood, in a life poured out in death, poured out by one whom she represented. Here we have one being the substitute for, and representing, the many. The resulting combined sprinkling, the sprinkling of her shed blood, and then its application through the sprinkling of the water of uncleanness, is indicated in both Isaiah 52.15 and Ezekiel 36.25.
Eleazar to Apply the Blood of the Red Heifer by Sprinkling Towards the Front of the Tent of Meeting Seven Times (19.4).
19.4 “And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle her blood towards the front of the tent of meeting seven times.”
Eleazar the priest, Aaron’s eldest son, was to be present, deputising for the High Priest who could not come into contact with a ceremonial which spoke of death. The slaughter was not specifically an offering, for it was not offered on the altar (although it was a purification for sin offering - verses 9. 17), but Eleazar’s next action was to take some of the blood from the red heifer on to his finger and sprinkle it towards the front of the Tent of meeting seven times (compare Leviticus 16.14-19). The idea was to apply the blood before Yahweh even though outside the camp. This was done seven times in order to signify the divine completeness of the atonement.
This may be compared with the original sacrifice of the Passover lamb. That too was not on an altar. But it was also stated to be a sacrifice ((Exodus 12.27).
The Remains of the Heifer to be Totally Burnt Before His Eyes (19.5).
19.5 “And one shall burn the heifer in his sight, her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, will he burn.”
The whole of the heifer, even the dung (this was because it represented total death), was then to be burnt to ashes by a member of the congregation of Israel in the very presence of Eleazar who was to act as witness to what was done. All the proprieties had to be observed. Even the blood was to be burned. It had its essential part to play among the ashes for application to those tainted by death who were to be cleansed, restored to the covenant and re-sanctified (Exodus 24.8; 29.21; Leviticus 14.51).
Eleazar to Cast Cedar Wood, Hyssop and Scarlet into the Burning Remains of the Heifer While It Burned (19.6).
19.6 “And the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.”
The priest was then to cast into the place where the heifer was burning, cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet (compare here Leviticus 14.4). Cedar wood denoted strength and size and long life in a living thing. It was an indication of fullness of life. The cedars of Lebanon were famous for their height and beauty and long life. Hyssop was a plant used for the application of sacrificial blood and water. It was a purging and cleansing agent (Psalm 51.7; compare 19.18; Exodus 12.22). Scarlet was the colour of blood and might represent sacrificial death. Or it may represent the destruction of the sin that caused death (Isaiah 1.18), or the emergence of new life (Genesis 38.28, 30). Thus this emphasised the introduction of life, cleansing and atonement into the ashes.
Eleazar To Wash His Clothes and Bathe and Return To Camp and To Be Unclean Until the Evening (19.7).
19.7 “Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterwards he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.”
Having fulfilled his function the priest would then return to the camp, indicating that he had accomplished what he had come to do (verse 3). But preparatory to this he had to wash his clothes to remove defilement, and bathe himself in order to remove any element of his participation in the ceremony (contrast the man in verse 10). He had been in contact with what represented death. He was then to remain in isolation within the camp until the evening. The isolation was to be within the camp of the holy people, indicating its part in the cleansing process, but he could not approach the Sanctuary. He was temporarily ‘unclean’.
The One Who Burns the Heifer Also To Wash His Clothes and Bathe and To Be Unclean Until the Evening, and The One Who Gathers the Purifying Ashes to Store Them Outside the Camp and Then Cleanse Himself (19.8-10)
19.8 “And he who burns her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.”
The one who had burned the heifer also had to go through the cleansing process of the washing of clothes, bathing and the waiting until evening. All in contact with this ritual were tainted by death, even though only lightly.
19.9 “And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water for uncleanness. It is a purification for sin offering.”
Then one who had not participated in the ceremony (he was clean) and was ritually clean in every regard, was to gather up the ashes of the heifer and store them outside the camp in a clean place. The ashes were sacred not impure, and care had to be taken to avoid uncleanness. They were to be kept pure. But their function connected with death prevented their being brought into the camp.
19.10 “And he who gathers the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening, and it shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who resides among them, for a statute for ever.”
The one who gathered the ashes had also come in mild contact with the taint of death and was to wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. It will be noted that he was not required to bathe. He had not participated in the ceremony. The taint of death connected with that did not affect him.
‘And it shall be to the children of Israel, and to the stranger who resides among them, for a statute for ever.’ The question must be as to whether this applies to what precedes or what follows. It connects back with 19.2 and forward to 19.21. This suggests that it may be a connecting phrase conjoining both sections of the chapter. Both sections were to apply to all involved in the camp, and then in the land, for ever.
The Uncleanness of Contact With Death And Its Removal (19.10b-22).
In view of our earlier analysis of the whole chapter the following section is necessarily chiastic.
We must now consider this in more detail.
19.11 “He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days,”
To come into contact with the dead body of any person was to be unclean for at least seven days. Such was the intensity of the uncleanness that there was no way in which that uncleanness could be removed before the passage of a divinely complete period for its cleansing. And even then it could only be after due process. But once that process was completed the person could feel totally released from its taint.
19.12 “The same shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean. But if he does not purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.”
The person who needed to be cleansed from the defilement of contact with death had to purify himself on the third day by the application of the water of uncleanness. Should he fail to do this he would not become clean on the seventh day (see verse 19).
19.13 “Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Yahweh, and that person shall be cut off from Israel, because the water for uncleanness was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him.”
The situation was considered to be so serious that to fail to take advantage of such cleansing would make the person liable to the death penalty. By such behaviour they would be defiling the Dwellingplace of Yahweh by introducing permanent death into the camp, and treating death lightly. Death was an enemy that had to be excluded, a disease that had to be eradicated. Of course, if they remained for ever outside the camp it would not matter. There would be no problem. The problem lay with those who were careless with regard to contact with death but thought that they could live among the holy people in the camp which surrounded the dwellingplace of Yahweh. That was not possible.
This ‘cutting off’ might be through death or permanent banishment. But usually being cut off denotes death, and it probably therefore does here. It would not, however, presumably be applied to one who remained permanently away from the camp. It should be noted that this is speaking of sin with a high hand, a deliberate refusal to submit to cleansing. It is not speaking of those who innocently were unaware of their need to be cleansed.
19.14 “This is the law when a man dies in a tent. Every one who comes into the tent, and every one who is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.”
The taint of uncleanness when a man died affected everyone who came into his tent and everyone who lived there. They lived under the shadow and taint of death for seven days and had to be cleansed.
19.15 “And every open vessel, which has no covering bound on it, is unclean.”
The uncleanness even extended to any open vessel, any vessel with no ‘lid’ on it. The taint of death affected it and what was in it. It permeated everywhere within the tent.
19.16 “And whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.”
The same applied to contact with a dead man as a result of battle, or coming across a dead body and touching it (which presumably any merciful person would do under most circumstances), or even touching the bone of a man, or a grave. All possible contact with human death is involved. It would be a regularly occurring event in the lives of many people. But such was the awfulness of death that it rendered those who came in contact with it as unclean (see introduction to the chapter).
19.17 “And for the unclean they shall take of the ashes of the burning of the purification for sin offering, and running water shall be put to it in a vessel,”
For any rendered unclean the ashes of the purification for sin offering (as described in verses 1-10) were to be put in a vessel with ‘running water’, such as water taken from a spring which was untainted and ‘living’. This water could then be utilised for cleansing. (In this regard we should note that this is the only water which in itself is ever said to have ‘cleansed’ anyone, and it cleansed because it contained sacrificial ashes).
19.18 “And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the tent, and on all the vessels, and on the persons who were there, and on the one who touches the bone, or the slain, or the dead, or the grave,”
The process was to be carried out by a clean person, untainted by the taint of death or impurity. That person would take hyssop and dip it into the water and with it sprinkle the tent in which the man had died, all the vessels and persons who had been there, and anyone who touched a bone, or a slain man, or a dead corpse, or a grave.
19.19 “And the clean person shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day, and on the seventh day he shall purify him, and he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean in the evening.”
This sprinkling was to be carried out on the third day and on the seventh day. The sprinkling on the seventh day would purify him, but only if he had also been sprinkled on the third day (verse 12). Then each person sprinkled must wash their clothes, bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening. They were, as it were, having a new beginning, arising from their uncleanness and contact with death. That this would be hygienically wise is undoubted, but the main purpose cultically was that the person might feel themselves removed from the grip of death, and that all might know that it was so. Now they could recommence normal life and approach Yahweh in as far as an ordinary person could do so.
19.20 “But the man who shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of Yahweh. The water for uncleanness has not been sprinkled on him. He is unclean.”
However, the person who refused cleansing, and thus sinned against Yahweh with a high hand, was to be cut off because he had defiled the Sanctuary of Yahweh (compare verse 13). He could have no further part in the assembly. He was as one dead. And this was because he had accepted ‘death’ by refusing to be cleansed from it. The water of uncleanness had not been sprinkled on him. He was unclean by choice. He would be either excluded or put to death. He had the choice there too (no one would prevent his flight).
19.21-22 “And it shall be a perpetual statute to them: and he who sprinkles the water for uncleanness shall wash his clothes, and he who touches the water for uncleanness shall be unclean until the evening. And whatever the unclean person touches shall be unclean. And the person who touches it shall be unclean until the evening.”
This was to be a perpetual statute for all Israel. Meanwhile the one who had performed the sprinkling must wash his clothes, presumably lest any drop had fallen on them. And anyone actually touched by the water of uncleanness would be unclean until the evening. And whatever was touched by such a person would become unclean, as would anyone who touched what had become unclean. Such was the scrupulousness with which the taint of death should be avoided.
Thus was the taint of the enemy death to be removed from the people of God, so that they might serve the living God without fear. Death was the opposite of all that God wanted for them, and all that God is. This passage is the foundation for Isaiah’s teaching that death would one day be swallowed up (Isaiah 25.8). It was unnatural to God’s purposes. And it would result in Isaiah’s teaching concerning resurrection (Isaiah 26.19). Compare also Paul’s description of death as the last enemy which will be abolished (1 Corinthians 15.26). Adam had introduced death into the world by sin. Through the death of His own Son God would remove it for ever. And this was what the sacrifice of the red heifer pointed to (Hebrews 9.13-14). We come to a better cleansing through the blood of Jesus (1 John 1.7).
It may be asked why such a procedure was necessary for cleansing from such contact with death. Both theologically and psychologically its effect was profound. It illustrated that death was an enemy, that it was foreign to God. It illustrated the fact that God is the living God to Whom death is abhorrent. It illustrated the fact that God gives life from death. But above all it comforted those involved in the process with the recognition that the death had no power over them. They were freed from it and no longer affected by it. They need not fear it or feel defiled by it. They were once more acceptable to God and free from every taint of it. (It also incidentally helped to prevent disease).
So the first part of Numbers stressed the mobilisation of Israel for the possessing of the land (1-10). The second part has now demonstrated Israel’s failure to obey God and enter the land (10-14), and their subsequent wilderness wandering, but with the last part stressing the future that would be theirs once they entered the land. It has thus ended with the promise of life (15-19). The second half, and remainder of the book will outline the preparation and first moves towards again moving forward to possess the land, establishing the hope of life (20.1-21.21) and certainty of victory (22-25), while also establishing Israel in Transjordan as a kind of firstfruit of future victory and the final possession of the land. It will end with the final settlement in the land of five outstanding representatives of faithfulness to the covenant, the daughters of Zelophehad (26-36).
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